Engender Scotland

📢 Our survey on women's experiences of political candidacy at all levels of politics in Scotland is open now! The survey takes just 15 minutes, & by participating you could win one of three £25 vouchers. Find out more & access the survey here: https://lnkd.in/dwZhDmvh

Political party processes need to change - they need to be transparent and accessible. We want to have equal representation in Scottish democracy, and alongside Engender Scotland we’ve mapped out what that looks like. 🤝 ➡️ You can read more about the systematic reform required and our next steps for better democratic outcomes 👀... https://lnkd.in/dkaad7HN #democracy #representation #makeachange

🎉  Yesterday we celebrated our Helpline’s 20th Anniversary at Pollokshields Burgh Hall! We were honoured to be joined by members of staff, partner organisations, funders, service users and members of the local community. 📞 Our Helpline has been the backbone of Amina MWRC, tackling issues that Muslim & BME women face in Scotland, most prominently Islamophobia and Domestic Abuse. Our Helpline includes the Sahara Scotland Domestic Abuse Advocacy, Specialist Clinics and Telephone Befriending. Our Helpline runs Monday to Friday from 10 am to 4 pm. The service is confidential, free, and uses a freephone number at 0808 801 0301. ☎️ Thank you to all who joined us including The Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council, Police Scotland, Engender Scotland, Linsay Taylor, Financially Included, Lifelink, Scottish Womens Convention, Zero Tolerance Scotland, Scottish Sentencing Council, SafeLives, and so many more important organisations. We were also joined by our valuable founders, hard-working staff, talented volunteers and incredible service users to mark the auspicious occasion. Thank you to everyone for being a part of our day – we couldn’t have made it this far without your constant support! 🌸 Decor: Amina Staff & Bloomful_Designs (IG) Catering: Mumskitchen.glasgow (IG) #AminaMWRC #Aminaversary #AminaHelpline #WomensRights #ThirdSector #WomensSector #Empowerment #Inclusion #Muslim #BMEOrganisation #ScottishWomen

For policies & public services to work for women, the Scottish Government needs to make sure that intersectional gender equality is at the heart of its decision-making.    If policies don't address the deeper, structural causes of inequality, they won't benefit the most marginalised & will ultimately fail to make the differences that our communities need.     We're pleased to see vital work on mainstreaming gender equality across government outlined in the Programme for Government. In particular, the continued commitment to the vital work of the National Advisory Council for Women & Girls (NACWG), & action to improve the Public Sector Equality Duty.     Whilst it's good to see the link between women's poverty & eradicating child poverty clearly recognised in yesterday's Programme, we need to see more tangible action. Women still face blatant discrimination in the social security system & in employment & carry an unequal burden of caring responsibilities that undermines our ability to prosper economically.     Disappointingly, there's no mention of the Scottish Welfare Fund or how the Government intends to develop the successful 'Fund to Leave' pilot for women experiencing domestic abuse. Targeting women's economic insecurity is one of the most effective ways to get financial support to Scotland's most vulnerable families.    It's also disappointing that despite its focus on economic growth, the Programme for Government has missed the opportunity to make meaningful improvements in how our economic strategy & investments work for women.    We're also concerned that the next iteration of the Women's Health Plan is not mentioned, despite outstanding commitments, including developing a Scottish Institute for Women's Health. Deep-rooted inequalities in women's health have developed over generations. It will take longer to turn these around than the 4 years of the current plan, & the government needs to recognise & fund this.     Women's reproductive rights & health are also missing from this Programme for Government. Recent changes across the UK & internationally have made clear that the modernisation of abortion law in Scotland is needed urgently.    Improving government decision-making, & addressing biases against women & minorities becomes more important when budgets are under pressure. Over the next year, the Government must be vigilant to ensure that its Programme for Government commitments work to improve equality for women. 

Are you interested in getting involved in feminist governance? Do you want to use your skills to support our work for women’s equality in Scotland? Nominations to stand for election to Engender’s board of directors will be opening on 19th September. We’ve been refreshing the nominations process for the board, & this year we’re trialling a qualifying period for members. This means if you’d like to nominate yourself for elections to Engender’s board, you need to be an active Engender member by 16th September. We're committed to representing a diversity of voices on our board & we’re keen to encourage applications from traditionally underrepresented groups in the third sector such as young women, carers, disabled women, Black & minority ethnic groups, & LGBTI people. Please DM us or get in touch at info@engender.org.uk if you’d like to know more about joining the board. You can find out more about becoming an Engender member here: https://lnkd.in/ezEPJHeK

📣 Please share with your colleagues in Scottish politics! This survey is part of an important project investigating women's experiences of political candidacy. We need to hear from a broad range of folk, from those who have considered standing - but decided not to, to those who have become elected officials. By filling this in, you are contributing to improving this experience for future generations of women in the political sphere. Thank you!

Calling all women in Scottish politics 📢 Our survey on women's experiences of political candidacy is now live! Whether you've considered standing for election or have already been a candidate, we want to hear from you — no matter how far you got in the process. The survey takes just 15 minutes & by participating you could win one of three £25 vouchers. If you know any women in your party or involved in politics, please share the survey with them to help us capture as many experiences as possible! 🔗 Take the survey now here: https://lnkd.in/ey7wi6yq

Money Matters. And it isn’t just finances that are a barrier to women getting involved in politics. 💷 There are so many practical considerations too! We want to achieve equal representation of women in elected office & ensure they can thrive once there. 🙌 Together with Engender Scotland we focused on what that means in Scotland - we brought together 17 organisations spanning the ecosystem of Scottish democracy. 🤝 ➡️ That workshop created a roadmap for a collective theory of change & that is now our focus, read more 👀 - https://lnkd.in/dkaad7HN #democracy #moneymatters #ourroadmap

Want to know more about the 8 key actions we want the Scottish Government to take to protect women’s rights & promote gender equality in Scotland? Read our article here ⬇

📢 We’re calling on the Scottish Government to take bold steps to protect women’s rights & advance gender equality ahead of the 2024-25 Programme for Government. We want to see a Scotland where women are fully involved in all political & economic decisions, & where the diverse experiences of all women, including those facing multiple forms of discrimination, are recognised & addressed. Our key priorities include integrating gender equality into all policymaking, tackling women’s poverty & improving women’s health & reproductive rights. ➡ Let’s take the steps we need towards a fairer, more equal Scotland for everyone - find out more on our blog here: https://lnkd.in/dUy3Vxdp