Advancing equality for all women and girls

by the SNP
Posted on
2 years ago
4 min read

The SNP will always keep fighting for gender equality at every turn – working to advance equal pay, improve women’s health, and end the barriers that still block the aspirations of too many women in Scotland.

Under Nicola Sturgeon’s government – Scotland’s first female First Minister – we appointed one of the world’s first gender-balanced Cabinets, and worked hard to deliver progress for women.

Here’s how.

We’re tackling health inequalities and improving women’s health

Scotland is the first country in the UK to have published a Women’s Health Plan, which outlines ambitious improvement and change in areas including menopause, heart health, menstrual health including endometriosis, and sexual health.

The plan sets out 66 actions to ensure all women benefit from the best possible healthcare throughout their lives, and has been driven by real life experiences of women.

We’ve also appointed the first Women’s Health Champion, who is leading the work on delivering the Women’s Health Plan.

We’re helping to make workplaces more inclusive

We’re determined to ensure everyone – irrespective of gender, age, race, or disability – can fulfil their potential and improve Scotland’s economic performance as a result.

Our Workplace Equality Fund, backed up by £800,000 funding, supports projects that aim to improve workplace practices and diversity in the workplace, which is good for individuals and also good for business.

We’ve delivered pay justice for the women of Glasgow

After a decade of Labour obstruction and inaction, it took an SNP-led Glasgow City Council administration to reach an agreement which delivered the pay justice that women have long fought for.

While Labour have spent more than £2 million of public money fighting in court against equal pay claims by female council workers, we’re delivering pay equality to ensure that women’s work is always valued. There’s a lot more work to be done – and we’re not stopping at that.

We’ve introduced world leading legislation to make psychological domestic abuse and controlling behaviour a crime

Scotland is now one of only a handful of countries across the world to introduce dedicated legislation that covers not just physical abuse, but also other forms of psychological abuse – including coercive and controlling behaviour which cannot easily be prosecuted under the previous criminal law.

We made Scotland the first country in the world to provide free period products

Scotland has become the first nation in the world to provide period products for free to all who need them, enshrined with a legal commitment to tackle period poverty, after the Scottish Parliament overwhelmingly passed a Bill originally introduced by Monica Lennon MSP.

The SNP Scottish Government has also launched a mobile app to allow users to easily identify locations, right across Scotland, where period products can be accessed for free.

The move has attracted praise from major newspapers and commentators across the world.

We’re continuing to stand up to the UK government’s shambolic treatment of WASPI women

We’ve stood up for the women in Scotland, and across the UK, who have been short-changed by the UK Tory government due to the accelerated timetable for increases in the women’s State Pension Age.

Your SNP representatives continue leading the way in supporting the WASPI campaign in their efforts to secure fairness for the women affected – and put this historic wrong right.

We’re leading the fight against the Tory two child cap and the abhorrent Rape Clause

The SNP have been at the forefront of the campaign against the Rape Clause, which requires women to prove they’ve been raped in order to receive financial support for more than two children.

It is truly disgraceful and utterly unacceptable, and the SNP will continue leading the way in calling out the Tory government and fighting for the abolition of the two-child cap and the rape clause.