Latest News & Events

The place to hear about all the latest activities from the SWC, and any dates to add to your diary!

Latest News & Work

International Women’s Day 2021

This International Women’s Day we’re going digital, with the event moving to an online platform. Whilst we can’t bring women together in our usual way at the Scottish Parliament, this gives us the opportunity to have more attendees than ever before!

This online interactive event will take place on International Women's Day, Monday 8th March 2021, from 6pm – 8pm and will be chaired by Linda Fabiani MSP, Deputy Presiding Officer.

Attendees will hear from a range of contributors and key speakers who will discuss their experiences over the past year and their hopes for what a post-COVID Scotland will look like for women. This will be followed by an interactive question and answer session.

You can register for this event over at Eventbrite by clicking here.

• Mental Health

We are hosting two Conferences on Mental Health, one of the most vital topics for discussion in current times.

These events will take place on Wednesday 18th November and Tuesday 24th November, both between 3pm and 5pm. We are incredibly appreciative of the interest in these events, with both now having reached full capacity.

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a sharp rise in mental health issues for women in Scotland. Uncertainty about the future, social isolation, and fears over wellbeing have exacerbated what was already a mental health crisis. The Scottish Women’s Convention (SWC) have continued to hear about these pressing issues over the course of the past few months.

SWC Chair, Agnes Tolmie, says:

“Women have been contacting the SWC with their personal stories during the Covid-19 pandemic. As an organisation whose main remit is to ensure women’s real lived experiences are central to the policy making process, we feel the need for a conference which highlights the impact of mental health during this turbulent time. This Conference will hear from a number of representatives from mental health organisations as well as women’s own personal contributions and stories.”

• Scottish Youth Parliament Blog Takeover

We are so excited to announce that all November contributions to the Experiences of 2020 Blog will come from Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament.

These young women from across the country will be sharing their valuable perspectives on life, especially as we continue to face tough times ahead. Keep your eyes peeled across our social media as we promote each one throughout the month. Many thanks to the team at SYP for helping coordinate this work! #SWCSYPTakeover

Have a look through our Blog here.

• Universal Basic Income

Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a payment from the Government to cover basic income needs. It is paid to all citizens regardless of status or wealth. The introduction of UBI in Scotland needs to be discussed. The SWC undertook evidence gathering from women across Scotland to capture their views on UBI. For many, the introduction of such a benefit is seen as a way of shielding them from poverty and inequality.

Read our report highlighting what women are saying about Universal Basic Income in Scotland.