We are fully supportive of the proposed Youth Work (Scotland) Bill.

At The Young Women’s Movement, we are delighted to respond to the proposed Youth Work (Scotland) Bill, which proposes granting all young people aged 11-25 across Scotland a legal right to access high-quality youth work services.

The Young Women’s Movement is Scotland’s national organisation for young women’s leadership and rights. We support young women and girls across Scotland to lead change on issues that matter to them. We believe it is for young women to determine the changes they want and need, and we provide them with resources, networks and platforms to collectively challenge systemic inequality. We are local in action and national in impact. We meet young women where they are at by working in lots of different ways, places and communities across Scotland. We create safe and brave spaces where young women can gather to learn, explore issues that matter to them and lead change.

Each year we work with up to 500 young women and girls from across Scotland, meeting them in local and national settings to develop their leadership skills, knowledge and confidence. We recently evaluated our Young Women Lead programme, which began in 2017 as a leadership programme for young women and non-binary people aged 16-30 to meet and discuss issues relating to systemic inequality and reflect on opportunities for further development and change. When asked why they participated in the programme, 85% of participants told us they engaged primarily for professional development, while 60% participated to increase employment opportunities. One young woman recently told us that her participation in youth work “gave me a belief in myself I didn’t know possible”. Another told us she felt “treated like an expert, someone with valuable insights for the first time as a young woman of colour.”

While we primarily work with young women and girls, we recognise the importance of bringing together young people of all genders together to foster healthy relationships. By working together, young people develop into confident young adults, recognising the importance of mutual respect and tolerance. At The Young Women’s Movement, we know that youth work is critical in addressing complex societal challenges, including educational attainment, employability, social injustice and systemic inequality. Our programmes empower young women to safely meet, network and discuss their experiences, which is increasingly needed in our ever-changing, challenging society. Young women value youth workers who listen to them without judgement and offer solutions and advice on issues affecting their everyday lives. We know that access to youth services across Scotland is inconsistent, leaving many young people without the support they need to thrive. Young women living in parts of rural Scotland often tell us that they currently do not feel like they have equal access to opportunities in comparison to those living in urban areas, particularly the Central Belt [1]. By streamlining access to youth work services across Scotland, the proposed Bill would begin to tackle some of the regional inequalities faced by young people, particularly those living in rural and isolated communities.

At The Young Women’s Movement, we believe it is vital that our programmes and projects empower young women to advocate for themselves and positively impacting the world around them. We recognise the value and importance of youth work in empowering young people to develop their skills, confidence and opportunities. Youth work fosters friendships between young people, encouraging them to grow at their own pace in a supportive environment and make lifelong connections with young people from diverse backgrounds and communities. We believe that every young person – regardless of their background, location or circumstances – should be afforded the opportunity to engage in youth work services for learning, development and community engagement. Most importantly, youth work keeps young people safe and healthy, enabling them to thrive and develop into confident young adults. 

While we are fully supportive of the proposed Bill, we ask that the Member ensures robust co-production with young people, youth workers and youth organisations throughout the implementation process. For this proposed Bill to be successful, it is vitally important that we carefully listen to young people about their needs and experiences when participating in youth work services in Scotland today, ensuring that their voices and opinions are heard, respected and embedded in each stage of the development of the Bill.  

---

[1] The Young Women’s Movement (2024), Young Women Lead Evaluation Since 2017.