We wholeheartedly welcome the proposed Human Right’s Bill for Scotland and the opportunity to respond to this consultation. We firmly believe that the introduction of new human rights protections is a necessary step toward a fairer and more equitable society, which will ultimately benefit all young women and girls in Scotland.

However, the current proposals do not go far enough to provide meaningful protection in law for women’s rights, disabled people’s rights, and the rights of black and minoritised people. The proposed procedural duty on public bodies to think about the human rights of these groups when making decisions and to produce a report, is not adequate in terms of enabling marginalised people to realise their rights.