After last week's election we now have a small increase in the number of women MSP's, from 43 at the 2007 election to 45.  However, the numbers don't tell the whole story and the underlying trend is of fewer women candidates in both constituency and regional contests and a pattern of women being placed in unwinnable seats or lower down lists.  See full figures and read Engender's Election Report

Against this backdrop we're asking - Is it time for quotas?  Come along to our Inspiring Women meeting where we'll be discussing whether introducing compulsory equality measures is the only way we will achieve gender balance in our parliament and let us know what you think - WEDNESDAY 8TH JUNE, 5.30 - 7PM IN THE ENGENDER OFFICE.  Please RSVP: karen@engender.org.uk     

'Strengthening Women's Voices in Government' sets out the UK governments proposals for engaging and listening to women after the disbanding of the Women's National Commission and the government is seeking women's view on the plans.  Engender and the Scottish Women's Convention are bringing women in Scotland together to feed into this consultation on 2nd June in Stirling.  Please contact  Deborah Ruddy on 0141 248 8186 or email Deborah.Ruddy@scottishwomensconvention.org  for full details and to register interest in attending. 

Read the consultation doc - Strengthening Women's Voices in Government

Violence Against Women - The new EU framework on combating violence against women opened for signature yesterday (May 11th) and so far 13 countries have signed up - Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.  Notable absence is the lack of a UK signature.  Read more

Women on Boards - The first two companies to sign up to the  “Women on the Board Pledge for Europe” to improve the gender balance in boardrooms have been announced.  The French cosmetics firm, Guerlain and Spanish firm FES Consulting Empresarial have made a voluntary commitment to increase women’s presence on their corporate boards to 30% by 2015 and to 40% by 2020.  Read more

The Governments Gender Equaltiy Scheme Annual Report has been published online.  The report, introduced by Nicola Sturgeon, covers the progress made by public authorities in tackling the two Ministerial gender equality priorities of Occupational Segregation and Violence Against Women and also details progress made on other policy priorities such as the gender pay gap, poverty and childcare.  Read the report
 

We're having a meeting for members on 2nd June in the Engender Office, 6pm - 9pm, to hear Nel Whiting from Scottish Women's Aid on men and women in 18th Century Portraiture.  Please rsvp: karen@engender.org.uk

See full details