Celebrating the value of women

Every year our Parliament celebrates International Women’s Day and opens its Chamber doors to women across Scotland.

It’s an event I love presiding over, but this week I hosted it online with almost 500 women from across the globe tuning in.

IWD is a global day of celebration of the achievements of women and call to action to keep working towards women’s equality, with the first gathering held in 1911.

In Scotland it’s organised, along with our Parliament, by the ScottishWomen’s Convention, funded by the Scottish Government.

The Convention does great work throughout the year too – roadshows, roundtables, conferences, providing women from all walks of life with the opportunity to discuss important issues which affect them, their families and communities.

This year’s gathering focused on the pandemic, with speakers directly involved in related work telling us of their experiences.

We heard from a young care assistant whose work is taking care of vulnerable people and mental health patients; a third-year student nurse who during her second year of study was put to work assisting wards in the fight against COVID-19; a critical care staff nurse at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital; and a disabled human-rights activist who spoke of the additional challenges those with a disability have faced over the last year.

Professor Linda Bauld, a well-known face from television these days, is one of the UK’s leading expert voices helping us understand COVID-19 and its public health consequences and spoke at the convention.

All contributions were excellent and it was humbling to hear the work these women are doing on the frontline, dealing with the hardest of health issues – a global pandemic.

It was striking to realise afresh that caring professions are largely dominated by women and that woman are therefore more directly affected.

Professor Bauld noted a major COVID social study that showed depression and anxiety is higher for women than men, that loneliness is higher and that because of the predominance of female care workers, women are three times greater at risk of infection.

It was recognised by everyone that incidences of domestic violence, both through physical harm and coercive behaviour have increased, with the knock-on effect on children and families.

Of course, we heard from the First Minister too who spoke of the resilience of women and the way so many have risen to combat the social and economic effects of the last year; at home, through work, and by volunteering.

We had a panel of cross-party politicians – seldom unanimous in their world view when we’re politicking in Holyrood, but consensual this evening. Agreement across the board that things should not be allowed to revert to the “old normal”once we’ve beaten COVID-19.

A determination that the inequalities thrown into sharp relief in our society should be tackled and not forgotten.

Elaine C Smith closed the event for us, recognising the work of women over the decades to achieve a fair shout in society, and reminding us that there was still a way to go. Indeed.

All of the women we heard from should be celebrated - for the work they do, for the passion and commitment they show in doing it.

In fact, on this IWD, I want to celebrate and toast all women for the work they do, particularly the women of East Kilbride – to you ladies.