As a firm, Thompsons are proud sponsors of the Scottish Women’s Convention. The annual event is chaired by Agnes Tolmie who has appropriately been described as a fearless champion for women in Scotland and across the globe. This year, my colleagues and I had the opportunity to attend the event (in person!) held at the Scottish Parliament and listen to the inspirational speakers, namely;
- Rt. Hon. Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland
- Alison Johnstone MSP, Presiding Officer
- Agnes Tolmie, Chair of SWC
- Professor Linda Bauld OBE
- Pam Gosal MSP
- Pam Duncan-Glacey MSP
- Christina McKelvie MSP
- Brenda King MBE
- Carmen Pieraccini
A poignant point that I took away from the speakers was that history has provided us with exceptional women to celebrate who have broken down many barriers. However, it remains that we require the contribution of women to drive necessary change. It is extremely important that as a society we push for female representation in leadership roles in order that decision making may reflect the needs of women. An example of this can be seen within Scotland. We are the first country to have a women’s health plan and our parliament has legislated for free period products as seen with the Period Products (Free Provision)(Scotland) Bill. It could be contended that these decisions may not have come to fruition without women leading the change and pushing the agenda.
Observed on 8th March every year, International Women’s Day is a collective day for global celebration and a call for gender parity. The theme of International Women’s Day this year is #BreakTheBias. We all have a duty and responsibility to break the bias. The purpose of the theme is the raise awareness and rally for gender equality. As noted on the International Women’s Day website, ‘’whether deliberate or unconscious, bias makes it difficult for women to move ahead’’.
On this International Women’s Day, we stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and those experiencing conflict across the globe. In particular, our thoughts are with the women in these grave situations who, as so often is the case, shall be disproportionality affected during times of instability.
It is clear that as women we must not forget how resilient we are. We have a responsibility to educate the women and girls around us and ensure that our voices are heard and respected.
Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.
Blog by Olivia Denheen, Trainee Solicitor
