Sturgeon’s call for help to get women into business

Scotland’s first female first minister has urged the “sixth most powerful woman in the world” to help her increase female participation in the economy and in business.

Nicola Sturgeon met Christine Lagarde, the first woman to lead the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in Washington DC to discuss the Scottish Government’s approach to tackling inequality.

Ms Sturgeon was joined by another leading lady, Scottish Enterprise chief executive Lena Wilson, and the Scottish Government’s chief economist Gary Gillespie.

Aspokesman for the first minister said Ms Sturgeon “had a productive discussion with Christine Lagarde on the current position of the Scottish economy and the Scottish Government’s approach to increasing competitiveness and tackling inequality”.

“The first minister and Ms Lagarde also discussed the shared interest between Scotland and the IMF in increasing female participation in the economy and improving the representation of women at all levels in business.”

Ms Sturgeon has made gender equality a key pillar of her government since she was appointed first minister last year, with her cabinet of five men and five women one of only three gender-balanced cabinets in the developed world.

Ms Lagarde has also been a trailblazer for equality as the first female chairman of elite lawfirm Baker and Mc Kenzie, and the first female finance minister in France and the wider G7, before her appointment to the top of the IMF in 2011.

Forbes magazine ranks Ms Lagarde as the sixth most powerful woman in

“Improving the representation of women at all levels”

the world. Ms Sturgeon does not make the top 100.

Meanwhile, Ms Sturgeon warned the United Kingdom may not continue in its current form if the Government at Westminster fails to adapt to the changing political landscape.

Nicola Sturgeon said while David Cameron had been re-elected as Prime Minister after last month’s general election, his Conservative party had lost the votes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

The SNP leader, who was addressing the Council on Foreign Relations think tank in Washington DC, said: “I think it’s a big test in the years to come of the United Kingdom, the construct that is the United Kingdom, is it adaptable and responsive, can it accommodate the different views and different directions each of its nations wants to go in?

“Or will it prove to be unresponsive, in which case, perhaps, the United Kingdom will not continue as the construct it is.”

Christine Lagarde