Sturgeon plea for gender equality

Laws should be introduced to force private sector companies to implement gender quotas on their boards, according to Nicola sturgeon.

The First Minister, who has introduced a law obliging public sector organisations to move towards equal representation on boards, said the same should apply to private firms.

she said that, if she was handed the power to do so, she would look to legislate on the issue.

at a gender summit in Edinburgh yesterday, organised by aberdeen standard Investments, Miss sturgeon also admitted her concerns that she might damage the cause of women in politics by making a poor job of being the first female First Minister.

she told the audience that there ‘has to be action’ to get over barriers facing women. asked if she would legislate on 50/50 boardrooms if she had the power, she said: ‘we’ve done it for public sector boards so yes, we would. I guess if I thought voluntary measures were going to work in a reasonably short space of time we’d all opt for that, but the fact is we’ve been trying various ways for years and years and it hasn’t got us there. I do think that the system needs a bit of a jolt in order to redress the balance.’

asked if she felt a ‘burden’ from being perceived as a role model for women as the first female First Minister, she said: ‘Yes, I would be lying if I didn’t admit to feeling that.

‘If I screw it up, there will be some people who don’t just judge me as an individual for that but will allow that to be a reflection of all women in politics.’