Participation

The First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls

November 14, 2024 by Secretariat Team - First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls No Comments | Category Guest blog, Lived experience

This blog post outlines the work of the First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls (NACWG).

Background

The National Advisory Council on Women and Girls was formed as a catalyst for change, addressing gender inequality by providing independent strategic advice to the First Minister.

Since its inception in 2017, it has made a series of recommendations to tackle gender inequality across Scotland. There has been a particular focus on creating the leadership, culture and systems required to enable women and girls’ equality to be better prioritised and responded to competently.

All recommendations made during Phase One were accepted by the Scottish Government, with a commitment to some form of action for all. Now, in its Phase Two activity, the NACWG is holding the Scottish Government accountable for the implementation of these recommendations and its response to topical issues affecting women and girls’ lives.

Phase One work (2017-2021)

During its initial three-year term, The NACWG worked with communities, activists, academics, leaders of public services, and members of the public in Scotland to explore gender inequality.

These diverse insights and evidence helped the NACWG produced a package of ambitious recommendations to be taken forward collectively to deliver tangible systemic change.

All recommendations were accepted by the Scottish Government, with a commitment to some form of action.

Phase Two work (2022-2026)

The Phase Two focus is on accountability, implementation and participation, to ensure the delivery of these recommendations in a way that not only shapes policy development but also influences the system as a whole.

Phase Two NACWG is independently co-chaired by Talat Yaqoob, independent consultant, and Anna Ritchie Allan, director of Close the Gap, and supported by the NACWG members who have experience pursuing gender equality across different areas, knowledge of policy delivery, and skills and experience around Government scrutiny.

The Empowering Women Panel

Phase Two NACWG has formed a lived experience participation panel, known as the Empowering Women Panel, to work alongside them in shaping Phase Two, providing a key channel of evidence to the NACWG.

This is a diverse group of women and girls with lived experience, reflecting those who are too often ignored in decision making without access to influence. These women see directly the consequences of policy design and implementation that does not consider them, nor meet their needs.

The Empowering Women Panel was formed in partnership with the social enterprise Sleeping Giants, which recruited and now facilitates and supports the Panel. All Panel members receive capacity building to support them to know more about current policies, and mentoring to ensure they feel well informed, skilled, confident and supported to participate in this work. This is crucial to enable them to critique current policy and consider how it needs to be improved to make a real difference to their lives.

Having the Panel is important to the NACWG as it gives context to what the NACWG does on a deeper and more diverse level. The NACWG is made up of people who already have a level of access to policy development spaces and the Panel broadens the experiences that the NACWG can draw on. The Empowering Women Panel work in partnership with the NACWG on scrutinising recommendation implementation and on informing the direction and delivery of Phase Two. The Panel produce reports and blog pieces on their findings and report directly to the First Minister, along with the NACWG.

This participation is an opportunity for not only women’s voices to be heard. It is a chance for women from the most marginalised communities, who are underrepresented in informing delivery and decision making, to pursue genuine challenge and accountability of government to advance equality for women and girls in Scotland.

The approach to the participation work with the Empowering Women Panel has been built as a result of learning from ethical and fair practices of participation, and taking good practice from previous participation work delivered in Scotland, including Citizens’ Assemblies, lived experience panels and participatory budgeting. Panel members are also remunerated for their participation, and expertise, and receive expenses for travel and digital technology as needed to prevent them from being out of pocket and ensure there is an equal footing for all members.

Keep up to date with the work of the NACWG on social @NACWGScot and learn more at generationequal.scot.

Tags: empowering women panel, gender equality, lived experience, nacwg, participation

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