Public Procurement and Property

Celebrating International Women’s Day 2025

March 6, 2025 by Emma Hall No Comments | Category Procurement news, Scottish Procurement, video

International Women’s Day (IWD), celebrated annually on 8 March, highlights the achievements of women and raises awareness of gender inequality.

Did you know, at the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity? (IWD, 2025).

This year’s theme of #AccelerateAction marks a call to action for accelerating gender equality, and encourages us to recognise what we can do to support and elevate women’s development.

For example, we can:

• recognise colleagues’ achievements and advocate for other’s ideas
• offer mentorship and advice, supporting career growth opportunities
• support women and girls into leadership and develop diverse talent
• make an effort to learn about gender bias and consider how issues women face can affect their confidence and mental health

For our male colleagues, practising allyship daily can also have a strong impact as gender equality is not just a women’s issue, men play a vital role too.

To champion this theme, we’ve asked some of our colleagues in the Scottish Procurement and Property Directorate, how they support gender equality  in the video below.

We’d also like to take this opportunity to highlight resources which are tailored to women in the procurement and property community, and an upcoming Women in Procurement event co-led by our very own, Nikki Archer, Deputy Director, Procurement and PPM Policy and Strategy, below.

Women in Procurement event

The Scotland Hub is hosting a Women in Procurement Event in Glasgow on Friday 21 March, for colleagues in the public sector. This event is a great networking opportunity and a chance to bring women across the procurement and the commercial and grants functions in Scotland, together.

Network building resource

If you’re looking to build a network and community, you can join or set up a LeanIn circle, a global network which can help women both professionally and personally. Anyone can join a circle. You can start and lead a circle after completing some training from LeanIn.

Resources to watch or listen to:

• recording of Women in Procurement and Supply Chain panel at last year’s live event for the Procurement and Supply Chain LIVE London Global Summit
• CIPS podcast recording on women in leadership: embedding gender quality into procurement and supply

Resources to read:

• hear from a selection of inspirational women in the procurement and supply profession, sharing their thoughts on gender equality and women in leadership, as part of CIPS International Women’s Day celebrations in 2024.
• improving representation of women in property and construction, article by RICS
• women in land surveying: making a difference, article by RICS

Providing women and girls with access to quality education, resources, mentoring and leadership opportunities, are all ways we can support and advance the careers of women. This supports women in overcoming the barriers and challenges they may face, highlighting how small steps can make a big change and #AccelerateAction for gender equality.

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For further information on public procurement in Scotland please visit www.gov.scot/procurement

Please email enquiries to scottishprocurement@gov.scot

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Video transcript:

[Voice over]

International Women’s Day 2025.

We asked colleagues in the Scottish Procurement and Property Directorate how they support gender equality.

[Morag]

When I first started working, it was the case that women coming back to work after taking time off for caring or, breaks of any description, absolutely accepted that there was either a glass ceiling or they weren’t going to get on as far as their male colleagues. It’s just the way it was.  And the main thing that I’ve tried to do as I’ve become more established in my career, is set a cultural change for inclusive expectation.

I give the opportunities so that we have flexibility for people to develop themselves, to take up shadowing opportunities, sharing out roles on boards to give them a wider perspective and help their development and career opportunity in future. I’ve got a number of people who’ll come for coaching or mentoring, and we have career conversations within the division.

[Gregor]

We create networking opportunities, and specific learning opportunities for women in their allies, so they can come together and build better careers together.

This March, we’ve got a Women in Procurement event happening in the centre of Glasgow, where the Scottish Government and the UK government are coming together, with other public bodies to really boost people’s careers and talk about what it means to be a woman in procurement.

For me, allyship is about operating in solidarity and partnership with my colleagues. It’s knowing, for me, when to step in and when to step out of the way, to help people network together and not dominate the conversation. I can be a good ally by using my own privilege and position to help others.

[Tilly]

So, I support and inspire women in the industry because I’ve had a lot of support myself.

One of my proudest moments recently has been to support a Scottish Government Graduate Apprentice. What was great was seeing her really understand the skills she had and building her confidence.

I think it’s just so important to build networks, with women in the industry. When I was in the voluntary sector I set up a network for facilities managers. They happened to be predominantly women. It was really daunting setting up that, but we found that it was so helpful and we were able to support each other and work out the skills we did have and build our own confidence, but also sort of chat through and problem solve.

That has taught me just the value of both formal and informal networks.

[Nick]

Firstly, I educate myself. So I will use media, like Lean In, to improve and be a better ally.

I will also talk to people and listen and hear and understand personal experiences, so I can better understand and, reflect on those.

And I like to think that I also challenge appropriately and speak up. It’s just a small matter, but actually sends quite an important signal that I correct people’s misuse of say gender neutral language.

But I absolutely recognise that as a senior leader, I have a torch that I’ll project, so, I hope that I use my power privilege as the best I can, in terms of ensuring an inclusive and open minded organisation.

[Morag]

What we’ve found is that women often have a lot less confidence when it comes to developing their career, and that inclusive expectation culture helps them to feel confident that it’s the right thing to do, to put themselves forward, to shadow somebody and help develop themselves and get the most out of their careers.

[Voice over]

Small steps can make a big change.

Let’s accelerate action.

Scottish Government

gov.scot/procurement

Tags: 2025, gender equality, international women's day, IWD, IWD 2025, procurement and property community, women and girls

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