As the Scottish Government outlines its priorities for the coming year before the next Scottish Election in its Programme for Government, The Young Women’s Movement welcomes the recognition and inclusion of some key issues that affect young women and girls across Scotland, including the introduction of extra GP appointments to reduce waiting lists and continued efforts to eradicate child poverty and tackle the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.  

Nonetheless, we are frustrated and disappointed at the Scottish Government’s decision to shelve legislation on misogynistic abuse and LGBT conversion therapy. The continued lack of an intersectional gendered approach in the Programme for Government is also concerning, especially given that it leaves many vulnerable and marginalised young women and girls exposed to further disadvantage.  

The Young Women’s Movement calls for immediate, concrete commitments to ensure the Scottish Government prioritises targeted actions to tackle violence against women and girls and gender inequality on a systemic level and ensure that the voices and lived experiences of young women and girls are embedded across all policy and legislative programmes.

Healthcare  

The Young Women’s Movement welcomes the pledge to introduce 100,000 extra GP appointments and further targeted measures to reduce waiting lists and waiting times. In our Status of Young Women in Scotland 2022–23 research, young women told us that they view GPs as the gatekeepers to the health service, with many struggling with the small windows of time for calling the GP to make appointments, which are often early in the morning. The Young Women’s Movement sits on the Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Plan Phase Two Steering Committee and will continue to advocate for young women’s health inequalities to be given the attention and action they deserve. 

We are disappointed that a tangible commitment has not been made from Scottish Government on the modernisation of abortion law. As our most Status of Young Women in Scotland 2024-25 research shows, young women are concerned about a rollback in their human rights in Scotland, particularly their reproductive rights. If the Scottish Government seeks to progress a human rights culture in Scotland, we ask that they commit to modernising abortion law to ensure safe, accessible, and stigma-free reproductive healthcare for all. Through our policy and influencing work we will continue to push for legislative changes to improve young women’s reproductive rights in Scotland.  

Cost of living 

We welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to continue to tackle rising costs, including their pledge to finally scrap peak rail fares and a commitment on keeping university tuition free for Scottish students. We also welcome the commitment to investing a further £6.9 billion in our social security system to help to ensure the most vulnerable in our society have the support they need.  

While it’s encouraging to see the Scottish Government increasing support for women in business and promoting women in entrepreneurship, it’s important not to overlook the continued lack of investment in improving conditions for young women in lower-paid or precarious work. True progress requires attention to all parts of the workforce, not just those tied to growth and profit. Our research with Scottish Women’s Budget Group shows that young women in work are feeling trapped and financially strained due to the cost-of-living crisis, which significantly limits their opportunities and future aspirations. They are frustrated over not being able to live independently or own a home, even with steady employment. The rising cost of essential items such as housing, utilities, and food leaves many working young women with little to no disposable income, resulting in a compromised quality of life. Without an explicit recognition of the gendered nature of the cost-of-living crisis, we are concerned that many young women are going to continue to financially struggle without targeted intervention and support from the Scottish Government.

Eradicating child poverty 

It is reassuring that the Scottish Government is committed to eradicating child poverty as a matter of urgency. Our research with Scottish Women’s Budget Group highlights some stark findings on how young mothers are coping with rising costs. Like other national women’s sector organisations, we believe that poverty is gendered – children’s poverty is women’s poverty. We welcome the pledge to deliver free childcare for all 3- to 4-year-olds, and eligible 2-year-olds, though we believe this could go further by introducing free childcare for all children between six months and five years and develop affordable wraparound care for over 5-year-olds.  

We particularly welcome the commitment to ensuring public services are more joined up to provide whole-family support, and the recognition of the importance of the third sector in delivering these services. We recently responded to the Scottish Government’s Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2026-31, where we asked for targeted action to address the intersecting gendered inequalities which overwhelmingly cause harm to young women and girls and constrain their participation and outcomes in life. We call for a stronger commitment to applying a gendered approach to budgeting and a clear strategy to address the economic injustices that women, especially young mothers, face. Tackling child poverty in Scotland is impossible without addressing the structural barriers that leave women economically vulnerable. 

Violence against women and girls 

The Young Women’s Movement is deeply frustrated by the Scottish Government’s decision to drop the Misogyny Bill, despite their commitment to introduce it before the next Scottish election in the last Programme for Government. Globally we are seeing a rise in misogyny and endemic violence against women and girls, which is driven by the far right and violent extremism. In Scotland, we still live in a society where young women and girls are routinely harassed in public spaces by strangers who feel entitled to objectify them and make them feel unsafe. Our Status of Young Women in Scotland 2024-25 research shows that many young women and girls do not feel safe in public places and so are denied the same freedom as their male counterparts to move around and exist without fear. The decision to add the characteristic of ‘sex’ to the Hate Crime Bill clearly goes against Baroness Kennedy’s recommendations, which included a comprehensive set of reforms aimed at improving protections for young women and girls in law.  

We do, however, welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to continue to work with ScotRail to address unacceptable behaviour targeted at women and girls on public transport, and ongoing efforts to reform how the criminal justice system treats complainers, many of whom are young women, in rape or attempted rape cases. Nonetheless, the decision to drop the Misogyny Bill without consulting women and girls, or the wider women’s sector, has the potential to damage trust in civic participation and decision making in Scotland. The Scottish Government must do more to demonstrate its commitment to treating misogyny and violence against women and girls with the severity it deserves.  

As the Scottish Government moves to implement the programme, we stress the importance of young women’s voices being central to decision-making processes. The Scottish Government must apply a gendered approach to policymaking and ensure that all policies reflect the realities faced by young women and girls across Scotland.