09.03.2015
Inspiring young women to be the best that they can be is the key focus of a major event being held at Holyrood on Monday 23 March, hosted by the Presiding Officer, the Rt Hon Tricia Marwick MSP.
Announced as part of the Presiding Officer’s Time for Reflection address to the Scottish Parliament on 23 September 2014, the event will bring together 128 young women from across Scotland. It has been designed to encourage young women to develop the confidence and leadership skills needed to help them to achieve.
The Presiding Officer said:
“The referendum demonstrated to the world that young people can and should play a full role in determining the future of their countries. This is right and proper. As the Scottish Parliament is led by its first female Presiding Officer with women in key political positions, we have a golden moment now to encourage this generation of young women.
“On 23 March, I have invited young women from schools across Scotland to come to Holyrood. We will explore what it means to be a young woman in Scotland today, what inspires them, what holds them back and what their hopes are for the future.”
Exploring themes of confidence, leadership and barriers that hold young women back from being the best they can be, the young women will meet with and have the opportunity to question female MSPs who are playing leading roles in their parties.
MSPs joining the Presiding Officer on the day are: Leader of Scottish Labour in the Scottish Parliament Kezia Dugdale MSP, Leader of the Scottish Conservatives Ruth Davidson MSP, Business Manager and Spokesperson for Justice for the Scottish Liberal Democrats Alison McInnes MSP and Scottish Greens’ spokesperson on sport, rural affairs, environment, culture and education Alison Johnstone MSP. Also participating in the day will be key figures in the fields of arts, industry, sport and public life.
Speaking of her own personal commitment, Mrs Marwick MSP said:
“All young women should have the confidence to achieve whatever it is they want to achieve. I am determined to play my role in making sure the Scottish Parliament is a place that encourages them and positively impacts on how they see themselves.”
32 schools across Scotland (1 in each local authority area) will send four young women to attend the Inspiring Young Women event at Holyrood Scottish Parliament staff are working closely with the S4 and S5 year group pupils ahead of the event to ensure they get the best from their time on the day.
Schools taking part are:
- Aberdeen City - Torry Academy
- Aberdeenshire - Peterhead Academy
- Angus - Arbroath Academy
- Argyll & Bute - Dunoon Grammar School
- Clackmannanshire - Alloa Academy
- Dumfries & Galloway - Maxwelltown High School
- Dundee City - Off-site Education Service
- East Ayrshire - Doon Academy
- East Dunbartonshire - Boclair Academy
- East Lothian - Preston Lodge High School
- East Renfrewshire - Barrhead High School
- Edinburgh City - Castlebrae Community High School
- Eilean Siar - Sgoil Lionacleit
- Falkirk - Falkirk High School
- Fife - Auchmuty High School
- Glasgow City - Springburn Academy
- Highland - Inverness High School
- Inverclyde - St Stephen's High School
- Midlothian - Newbattle High School
- Moray - Forres Academy
- North Ayrshire - Irvine Royal Academy
- North Lanarkshire - Braidhurst High School
- Orkney Islands - Stromness Academy
- Perth & Kinross - Perth Academy School
- Renfrewshire - Castlehead High School
- Scottish Borders - Hawick High School
- Shetland Islands - Anderson High School
- South Ayrshire - Ayr Academy
- South Lanarkshire - John Ogilvie High School
- Stirling - Wallace High School
- West Dunbartonshire - St Peter the Apostle High School
- West Lothian - St Kentigern's Academy
Background
More information about the Inspiring Young Women event will be published in in the next fortnight. To find out more about the pupils participating in the event from each school, please contact the schools directly.
The afternoon session in the Debating Chamber will be webcast and members of the public are able to request tickets for the public gallery by:
- Phoning the Parliament’s Visitor Services team in advance on 0800 092 7600 or 0131 348 5200 (We also welcome calls using the Text Relay service.)
- Emailing sp.bookings@scottish.parliament.uk
To accommodate the event, Holyrood will be closed to visitors without appointments or taking part in the day.