Introduction

The Scottish Government’s Gender Equality Team commissioned The Young Women’s Movement to speak with young women and girls about what they would like to see included in their forthcoming Equality Strategy for Women and Girls, as promised in the most recent Programme for Government.

In July 2025 we met with young women online to hear their views and ideas.

Questions on the goals and vision for phase one of strategy development 

The First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls (NACWG) was established in 2017 to give advice to government on what needs to happen to tackle gender inequality in Scotland. The Empowering Women Panel (EWP) was started in 2023 and is a group of 20 diverse women and girls from all parts of the country and all backgrounds who don’t normally have the chance to talk about their lives and what matters to them.  

The NACWG and EWP have been thinking about what a strategy to tackle gender inequality and further realise rights for women and girls should try to achieve. We had lots of ideas and now we want to hear your ideas as well!  

Below are questions that we want to hear your views on. We have also included initial notes from a workshop with members of the NACWG and the EWP to help provide some context. 

Please remember, there are no right or wrong answers, we just want to hear your thoughts and ideas. We will use your views and the views of others to develop the vision and goals for the strategy and to write a report on what we learned.  

We will not publish or share any identifiable information but may use anonymous quotes in our report. Please don’t hesitate to contact us on GenderEqualityStrategy@gov.scot if you have any questions or concerns about how we might use the information you share with us.  

Response from The Young Women’s Movement 

The Young Women’s Movement is Scotland’s national organisation for young women’s leadership and rights. Our vision is a fairer Scotland for young women and girls: a Scotland where young women are meaningfully heard, valued and supported to lead collective action and enact transformational change throughout society, systems and structures. We exist to tackle gender inequality and further realise rights for young women and girls across Scotland. We work to build a movement embedded in safe spaces and wellbeing for young women and girls to come together and access resources, networks and platforms to collectively challenge inequality, lead radical social change and re-imagine our world.  

Young women are at the heart of everything we do. We work alongside young women to amplify their voices, and we develop research that is shaped and informed with young women to make sure their experiences, opinions and insights are heard and understood. By working in lots of different ways, places and communities across Scotland, we create safe and brave spaces where young women and girls can gather to learn, explore issues that matter to them and lead change. We collaborate in taking action to ensure the changes they identify and need are made. Together, we are a collective force that for over 100 years has, and will continue to, change things for the better for all young women and girls across Scotland. 

The Young Women’s Movement is delighted to respond to this call for evidence to inform the development of the Scottish Government’s Gender Equality Strategy. In July 2025 we held a discussion group with 10 young women aged 16-25 to discuss the below questions and gather specific feedback on the goals and vision of the Strategy. Since 2024, our Research and Policy team has engaged with over 1,000 young women and girls across Scotland on issues relating to the cost-of-living crisis, human rights, and healthcare. The analysis below is therefore informed by the young women-led discussion group and evidence from our most recent participatory research projects. These reports can be found on our website here. 

We look forward to continuing our engagement with the NACWG, the EWP and the Scottish Government’s Gender Equality Team during Phase Two of Strategy development in Autumn/Winter 2025-26. If you have any questions about our response, please contact our CEO Emma Hill on emma@youngwomenscot.org.  

What would Scotland look like if women and girls had equality? 

The NACWG and EWP tried to describe how Scotland would be different if women and girls had equality. Some of the things we talked about included: 

“Black women and girls and women with disabilities would be more visible in positions of power, as much as men” 

“Everything in Scotland would be better designed for women, from things like seat belts, seats, office temperatures and medicines to things like policies and services.” 

“There would be no gender roles” and “There would be an equal split of unpaid labour” 

“Men and boys would feel valued and supported to tackle the negative impacts of the patriarchy” 

“Women would be equally represented in all jobs like in the police and fire brigade and not just in childcare or nursing” 

“Women wouldn’t have to think twice about their safety” 

“There would be more free childcare that was easy to access” 

We want to know how you think Scotland would be different if women and girls had equality with men and boys. This will help us to understand what we need the strategy to do to achieve equality for women and girls. 

Questions 

1. How would your life, or the lives of your friends or family, be different if Scotland achieved equality for women and girls? 

In the discussion group, one young woman told us that her life, and the lives of her friends and family, would be “transformed beyond recognition” if Scotland achieved equality for women and girls. This sentiment was echoed by the wider group.  

However, when discussing this question, it was difficult for many young women to even conceptualise what equality would look and feel like for young women and girls in Scotland, given how deeply entrenched gender inequality remains in all aspects of society. They commented on widespread issues such as unequal pay, limited access to justice, poor access to healthcare, and underrepresentation in leadership roles, and the difficulties of imagining a Scotland where this was no longer their lived reality.  

Young women overwhelmingly believe that achieving equality would significantly improve their lives, particularly by fostering a greater sense of safety. A young woman in the discussion group reflected on how she would feel safe in every aspect of her life if Scotland ever achieved equality for women and girls: 

“You would feel safe going to the doctors, you would feel safe walking home at night, you would feel safe going on a date without having to share your location…you would just feel, like, safe and secure in yourself.” [discussion group respondent] 

Young women consistently highlight safety as a paramount concern, with many expressing a deep mistrust of the criminal justice system’s handling of violence against women and girls, according to our latest research report. When reflecting on the status of their human rights as part of our Status of Young Women in Scotland 2024-25 (SYWS 24-25) research project, young women described frequently not feeling safe, and the actions they take to protect themselves from violence.  

Our report shows that safety is one of young women’s top three human rights concerns, with most young women responding to our survey (n = 538) commenting on the right to be safe from violence and abuse as the most fundamental human right that they want to see realised for all young women and girls across Scotland (p.24).  

If Scotland achieved equality for women and girls, young women in the discussion group felt that they could live free from fear and freely live their lives. The prevalence and pervasiveness of gender-based violence means that many young women in the discussion group struggled to imagine a society where women and girls are treated as equals to men and boys. Some young women in the discussion group asked how the Strategy will interact with the Scottish Government’s Equally Safe Strategy, and if the Strategy will introduce new initiatives to tackle the widespread prevalence of misogyny and sexism, particularly in online spaces.  

Young women also believe that achieving equality would mean that they were taken seriously and listened to when accessing public services, particularly when reporting a crime to the police or advocating for their health needs in a GP surgery.  

One young woman said that equality would mean that “If I am hurt or the victim of gender-based violence, I would be taken seriously by the police.”  [discussion group respondent]  

In our SYWS 24-25 report,we found that 1 in 4 young women do not trust service providers or public authorities in Scotland, with many expressing deep distrust of institutions, such as the police (p. 30). Many young women commented on personal experiences and how this has impacted their trust in service providers or public institutions to uphold their human rights. Young women with intersecting identities described feeling additionally marginalised by institutions due to their race, gender identity or disability.  

“I am a Black woman, and sometimes public authorities are not as sensitive to racialised issues as they ought to be. I feel more comfortable when service providers are also Black, or a person of colour.”  [SYWS 24-25 survey respondent] 

“I have had bad experiences with both the justice sector and healthcare sector where my rights weren’t upheld or considered. I don’t think professionals in these spaces consider the needs and rights of young women, especially the police. We often see the police let down young women in situations rather than support and keep them safe. I wouldn’t trust them to keep me safe, never mind uphold my rights.” [SYWS 24-25 survey respondent] 

Young women in the discussion group also discussed the importance of reckoning with Scotland’s present and past in the Strategy to envision how their lives would be different if Scotland achieved equality for women and girls. They mentioned the importance of laying out the extent of inequality in Scotland, using clear and concise language and statistics, to reiterate the importance of having a Gender Equality Strategy.  

Some reflected on the gendered impact of intergenerational trauma, and how this impacted them growing up. Many young women reflected on their experiences of growing up within a patriarchal system, and how this has impacted their confidence and development due to ingrained social norms and expectations. The young women discussed issues around body image, and how these anxieties would no longer be passed down to girls. They also commented on how certain gendered expectations (for e.g., how to dress, how to speak, how to avoid male violence, how to attract a husband) would be eradicated for future generations of women and girls. 

One young woman reflected on her childhood, and her mother’s experience as a single parent, and how she would feel if Scotland achieved equality: 

“My mum was a single parent; she never got the chance to go to university or achieve her dreams. I wonder how she would feel if she lived to see true equality for women and girls. I know she would be so happy for me, and her future grandchildren, but I’m sure she would also feel sad for herself on some level. I want more for myself and my own daughter.” [discussion group respondent] 

Some young women reflected on low self-esteem and anxiety, and how growing up in a patriarchal society can erode women’s self-worth and confidence, leading to feelings of inadequacy. Another young woman reflected on the type of society she wishes her own daughter to grow up in, noting that “I don’t want to pass down body issues, or any gender stereotypes, really, to my own daughter.” Overall, young women in the discussion group agreed that the Strategy would have to reckon with history of gender inequality in Scotland to move forward.  

“Gender inequality, misogyny and patriarchy would be confined to the history books.” [discussion group respondent] 

“The subjugation of women in Scotland would be a thing of the past.” [discussion group respondent] 

Another young woman commented on the importance of properly costing and funding what an equal Scotland would look like. She reflected on how community centres for women, particularly those from migrant communities, have closed down in recent years, which has isolated those who don’t confidently speak English as a language. She commented that “An equal Scotland would have rebuilt those community centres that catered to everyone living in Scotland, no matter their background or circumstances.” [discussion group respondent] Ensuring the Strategy includes a very clear anti-racism, pro-immigration stance was highlighted as important to young women from migrant communities.  

2. What would you do differently if Scotland achieved equality for women and girls? 

Many young women in the discussion group told us that they feel like they would do “everything differently” if Scotland achieved equality for women and girls.  

One young woman reflected on what this might look and feel like for her and other young women in Scotland:  

“Waking up and not having to think about navigating the world as a woman. Going to the shops without being catcalled. Attending school or college and studying whatever topic you like. Deciding to have children and it not affecting your employment opportunities. Choosing to get married or stay single. Being financially independent. Owning your own flat.” [discussion group respondent] 

Young women in the discussion group felt that they could finally live autonomously if Scotland achieved equality for women and girls. This observation resonates with our participatory research on young women’s experiences of the cost-of-living crisis in Scotland. Young women living alone are struggling to afford rent and bills without the support of a partner or flatmate, and some young women in cohabiting relationships describe feeling financially reliant on their partner to pay for rent, bills and other household expenditure. Some young women are continuing to stay with a toxic or violent partner because they can’t afford to live independently, while others have recently moved back in with family, or remain living with family while attending college or university due to high housing costs. Overall, young women across Scotland are currently struggling to keep up with rising costs, with many on low incomes struggling to independently afford food, clothing, rent and other necessities.  

When discussing this question, many young women in the discussion group also reflected on their attitudes to having children. Some told us that they would feel less put off from having children or experience less anxiety around the thought of having children because it would feel like they didn’t have to decide between having a family and a successful career. Others reflected on the importance of men taking on an equal share in childcare in a gender equal Scotland. One young woman told us that she is “putting off having children due to the lack of childcare infrastructure. I want children, but it makes me feel anxious as I also want a good job. I don’t feel like I can have both. Most of my friends also intend to put off having children until their 30s.” [discussion group respondent] Another told us that “free childcare would be revolutionary for women” [discussion group respondent]. 

Likewise, many young women responding to our cost-of-living survey (n=309) told us that they are delaying having children due to the cost-of-living crisis, with some feeling “hopeless” about this situation (p.19). The economic impacts of having children were highlighted by most young women who expressed a wish to start a family at some point in the future. If Scotland achieved equality for women and girls, childcare would be freely accessible and affordable, which would in turn increase access and resources within public services for women and girls, particularly those from marginalised communities and backgrounds.  

Some young women in the discussion group commented on the ability to invest their time and energy elsewhere if Scotland achieved equality for women and girls. One young woman told us she would spend more time “caring for her community”, whilst another noted that “we could finally look after the planet if we achieved gender equality.” 

3. Is there anything you wouldn’t need to do if Scotland achieved equality for women and girls? 

Young women in the discussion group felt that they wouldn’t need to be mindful of the daily threat of male violence if Scotland achieved equality for women and girls.  

Most young women discussed taking precautions to protect themselves when walking home at night, including holding their keys in their hand, and wearing certain clothes to avoid attention from strangers.  

Again, these observations resonate with our SYWS 24-25 findings where two-thirds of survey respondents described carrying keys in their hands while walking home at night, while two-fifths of young women have, at some point, shared their phone’s live location with friends and/or family (p.25).  

In the discussion group, some young women also felt that they wouldn’t need to reflect too deeply on the gendered consequences of having children. If Scotland achieved equality for women and girls, they felt that men and boys would grow up equally responsible for raising and looking after children and doing housework and other domestic-related chores. They also felt that there would be no financial barriers to having a child as childcare would be well funded in a gender equal Scotland.  

Overall, young women felt that they wouldn’t need to limit their expectations or dreams because of their age and gender if Scotland achieved equality for women and girls. One young woman said, “Gender stereotypes would be a thing of the past – the sky is the limit!”  

4. Do you agree or disagree with some of the ideas we have identified? Is there anything missing? 

In the discussion group, most young women agreed with the ideas identified by the NAWCG and EWP. They also discussed some additional ideas, particularly around the themes of health, human rights, sports, and socio-economic status.  

In relation to health, the young women added:  
 
“Women would have equal, easy access to healthcare.”  
 

“Research on women’s health would be vast and easily accessible.”  
 

“Doctors would listen to women about their health needs and concerns.” 

Young women also discussed the importance of including human rights in the Strategy, particularly in relation to solidifying women’s sexual and reproductive rights and gender justice. In relation to human rights, the young women added:  

“Women and girls would have equal human rights to men and boys.” 

“Women and girls would be entitled to the same freedoms, protections and  rights as men and boys.”  

All young women in the group reflected on the importance of weaving an intersectional analysis throughout the Strategy, as had already been identified by the NACWG and the EWP. The young women felt it important to include class within this analysis, particularly as young women and girls from areas of high deprivation aren’t currently afforded the same opportunities to young women and girls from more affluent parts of Scotland. From this discussion, the young women added:  

“Women and girls from working-class communities would have equal access to educational and employment opportunities as women and girls from areas with high attainment.”  

“Women and girls from disadvantaged communities would have the same chances as others to succeed in life.” 

Some felt that a reformed justice system should be imagined in the Strategy: 

“Women and girls would freely access justice and legal protection when they are the victim-survivors of crime.” 

“Women and girls would not hesitate to contact the police or an appropriate public authority when they are the victim-survivors of crime.” 

One young woman also felt that sport/exercise should be included in the Strategy, particularly as young women and girls withdraw from physical education and participating in sports/exercise during their teenage years: 

“Women and girls would freely and equally play sports, such as rugby and football.” 

Other ideas discussed by the group primarily centred on the eradication of gender stereotypes and gender expectations in Scotland. This included:  

“Boys and men would view and treat girls and women as equal members of society, regardless of race, age, religion, or class.” 

“Gender stereotypes would be obsolete in schools, workplaces, public spaces, and at home.” 

“Women and girls would not feel pressured to conform to behaviours that are considered ‘feminine’. Men and boys would not feel pressured to conform to behaviours that are considered ‘masculine’.”  

“LBTQ+ women would flourish and freely love other women and people of marginalised genders without facing backlash or stigma.” 

“Women would live independently without feeling societal pressures of relationships/marriage and/or motherhood.”   

“Women and girls would not feel pressured to get married and have children.” 

“Women and girls would not feel pressured to lose weight or get cosmetic treatments.” 

What should the goals of the strategy be? 

We tried to identify things that everyone agreed would be different if Scotland had achieved equality for women and girls. We tried to group these in to themes that we called goals. The goals will help us to understand things that are most important for women and girls. When we know what is most important to women and girls we can make sure that we focus the strategy on these goals. 

Some of the themes that we thought could make good goals for the strategy included culture, care, education, health, infrastructure (both services and support), intersectionality, leadership and representation, safety, work and money. 

How the goals are written  

We want the goals to be easy to understand and empowering for women and girls. They could be written in many ways such as: 

“Women and girls are safe”/ “Women and girls are healthy” / “Women and girls are represented” 

Or  

“Scotland is a safe place for women and girls”/ “Scotland is a place where women and girls are healthy” / “Scotland is a place where women and girls are represented” 

Or 

“I am safe,” “I am healthy,” “I am represented” 

Or another way that we haven’t thought of! 

Questions 

1. Do you agree or disagree with the goals that we thought of? If so, why? 

Young women in the discussion group largely agreed with the goals, though one young woman felt unsure about the health-related goal as she argued that health looks different for young women who are disabled or living with long-term health conditions. She felt it important that all young women and girls feel equally represented by the goals, and that no one feels left behind because of their personal circumstances. 

Some young women wondered how the goals will be achieved within the current fiscal climate. They cited systemic underfunding of services and limited public infrastructure, particularly in rural and island communities, which means that for many women and girls, these goals will remain unfulfilled.  

Some young women felt that the goals were too broad to be achievable, and that it might be important for the Strategy to focus on goals that are realistic, rather than idealised.  

2. Are there any goals that are missing? 

Most young women noted that a specific goal on ‘Human Rights’ appears missing from the Strategy.  

One young woman also felt that ‘Sports and Exercise’ should be included as a separate goal, rather than assimilated within ‘Health’.  

Most young women in the discussion group felt that ‘Infrastructure (both services and support)’ was not accessible language for young women and girls. Some young women asked for clarification on what this goal included, and asked for ‘Transport’, ‘Housing’ and ‘Justice’ to be separate goals within the Strategy.  

One young woman felt that ‘Nature/Environment’ should also be included in the Strategy as a goal as a gender equal Scotland would care about the climate and the environment. Another young woman felt that ‘Religion’ should be included as a specific goal – she reflected on her experience as a young Jewish woman, and how she experiences anti-Semitism differently from young Jewish men.  

Some young women felt that including ‘Intersectionality’ as a separate goal was unclear, and they assumed all goals would be written through an intersectional lens. Others questioned if trans women and girls are going to be explicitly included in the Strategy, and how this might be written since the Supreme Court judgment on the interpretation of “sex” in the Equality Act 2010.  

3. We want the goals to be easy to understand and be empowering for women and girls, do you have any suggestions on how they could be written? 

All young women in the discussion group preferred the goals to be written in the following way: “Scotland is a safe place for women and girls/Scotland is a place for women and girls are healthy/Scotland is a place where women and girls are represented”, as they felt it places the onus on decision-makers to make this vision a reality. 

The majority of young women did not like how the following goals are written: “I am safe/I am healthy/I am represented”, primarily because they felt they were too vague. They recommended not using the “I am” version, as this Strategy is for everyone to work towards a more equal Scotland together, and is therefore not intended to just be read by women and girls. One young woman noted, “From my understanding, the Gender Equality Strategy is not necessarily a Women’s Strategy as it includes boys and young men and how they might navigate a gender equal Scotland?”  

The young women reiterated the importance of including men and boys in the Strategy, particularly as achieving gender equality in Scotland requires sustained effort from men and boys to challenge and change their attitudes and behaviours towards women and girls. 

What should the vision of the strategy be? 

We tried to summarise everything that we want the strategy to achieve in a single sentence so that it is clear and easy to understand. We call this summary sentence “the vision.”  

Some of the things that people said were important to write a good vision included: 

• The vision should say that Scotland should be a world leader in gender equality and that we need to be brave and bold. 

• The vision must cover all women and girls from all backgrounds especially those that experience more than one type of discrimination. We call this intersectionality.  

• The vision should include every part of life. 

• Some people felt that the vision should use the word equality and some felt that it should use the word equity. For example, if we think about hospitals providing wheelchairs to patients, equality would mean that every patient would get a wheelchair but equity would mean that only people that need a wheelchair would get one.  

• Some people used words that focused on a positive future for women and girls like ‘achieving potential’ and ‘thriving.’ 

• Some people used words that focus on fixing the challenges that women and girls face like ‘tackling discrimination’ and ‘removing barriers.’ 

• Some people said that they liked the visions from the Equally Safe Strategy and the Engender website which are pasted below: 

Equally Safe Strategy Vision: “A strong and flourishing Scotland where all individuals are equally safe and respected, and where women and girls live free from all forms of violence, abuse and exploitation — and the attitudes that help perpetuate it.” 

Engender “What we do” – “We work to dismantle structural sexism to increase women’s social, political and economic equality, and enable women’s rights. We believe in intersectional, inclusive feminism, and work at Scottish, UK and international level to produce research, analysis, and recommendations for intersectional feminist legislation and programmes.” 

Some of the visions we came up with included: 

1. “We have a vision of a Scotland where all women and girls 

– Are powerful 

– Are respected 

– Can reach their full potential 

– Are able to make impactful, meaningful change 

– Are represented and valued in all aspects of society 

– Where Scotland sets and example for the rest of the world” 

2. “A Scotland where women and girls are fully accepted for everything that they are and can be” 

3. “Reimagining a bold and brave Scotland where all women and girls, regardless of background, feel equality/equitably safe, respected, embraced and empowered in all spheres of society – economically, legally, politically, socially, culturally and more.” 

Questions 

1. What would you like to see included in the vision? 

The majority of young women in the discussion group preferred the third vision – “Reimagining a bold and brave Scotland…culturally, and more”, providing suggestions on how to make it more concise and accessible for young women and girls.  

For example, they felt the use of the phrase “regardless of background”, was unnecessary as the statement already includes “all women and girls”.  

They also felt that the word “society” covered “economically, legally, socially, culturally, and more”, and that this additional detail was unnecessary.  

The group also didn’t like the use of the word “accepted” as some found it patronising. For example, one young woman said, “I feel when politicians or groups say they are ‘accepting’ of the LGBT community, it can often feel tokenistic. They might accept us, but do they actually respect us?”  

Overall, young women felt the vision had to be clear and concise, ensuring that all young women and girls see themselves within it in some way. A couple of young women did not like the use of the word “embraced” as they felt it was too intimate, preferring “included” instead. Most young women preferred the use of “equity” over “equality” precisely for the reasons mentioned by the NACWG and EWP.  

Overall, the group felt it important that all young women and girls across Scotland can see themselves in the Strategy, which involves making it short and clear.  

2. What would be your vision for the strategy? 

The young women in the discussion group collectively agreed on the below vision for the Strategy:  

“Creating a bold and brave Scotland where all women and girls are safe, respected, included and empowered in all spheres of society.”