IT’S International Women’s Day today – an opportunity to celebrate females across the globe.
Marked by millions, it’s a chance to empower women and hail their achievements.
But it’s also a time for raising awareness of the barriers which still hold many girls back.
And this year’s theme is all about “accelerating action for equality”.
Today, four inspiring women write for the Scottish Sun about what equality and empowerment means to them.
Elaine C Smith is a BAFTA Scotland-winning veteran actress, best known for her roles in TV’s Rab C. Nesbitt and Two Doors Down, who fears equality is slipping away for many.
Hibs player Ciara Grant, who’s had stints with Hearts and Rangers and is also studying to be a doctor, hopes the future is bright for women in football, and sport in general.
Our own Scottish Sun columnist, actress and presenter Zara Janjua, writes about the women who inspired her.
And finally, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes speaks out about why it’s vital we strive for equal rights for the all girls and women of the future.
ELAINE C SMITH
Elaine C Smith is one of Scotland’s most celebrated women.[/caption]
THERE was a time not that long ago when I thought the world had moved on so much that maybe we didn’t need an International Women’s Day.
I’d hoped that with all the positive signs in the last 40 years — women in positions of power in the media, the arts, business, politics, the police — maybe things had changed. I hoped it showed equality was nearer than ever.
But sadly, it actually seems further away than ever as we witness a backlash of hatred and violence against women that makes me fear for my daughters and granddaughter, as well as women and girls worldwide.
We’re living in Trump’s world now, a world where women are seen as lesser, a good ol’ boys’ attitude that wants to turn the clock back to when men ruled the world.
They believe equality has gone too far, so it’s time for a reset — and women and girls are the casualties. And worse is that thousands of women voted for those men, wanting to hand any power gained away, in a belief that their daddies or husbands or male bosses are better at running things and telling them right from wrong.
So it’s with a heavy heart that I write this — I actually believe there’s more of a need than ever for the day. A day to remind us all of the plight of so many women, but also to celebrate, support and highlight the achievements and strength of so many women.
I’ve just been awarded the Freedom of the city of Glasgow — a huge honour for me. I have since discovered only four women before me have ever received this — and the last was in 1969!
When I think of all the amazing women from this part of the world, and what they’ve achieved, I can’t believe so few have been honoured among all the men.
So tonight I will be celebrating their achievements, and the love and support they and this city have shown me, and raising a glass to all deserving women.
Happy International Women’s Day — C’MON THE BURDS!
KATE FORBES
Kate Forbes says we need to strive for even better equality.[/caption]
TODAY I will speak at the Scottish Women’s Convention event for International Women’s Day – the theme this year is “Gie’s Peace”.
Given everything that is going on in the world at this current moment, I think that it’s a very apt message.
This International Women’s Day provides us with a timely opportunity to show solidarity to women and girls across the globe, not least those on the frontline of conflict and war in Ukraine, in the Middle East and in Sudan.
But women in Scotland also need to live in peace and security. They must be able to live their lives free from discrimination, violence, abuse and harassment.
They must be empowered to break the cycle of outdated gender stereotypes, sexism and misogyny. There has, of course, been progress made when it comes to women’s equality in Scotland — reform of the law on domestic abuse; free period products; the doubling of early years education and childcare; the Scottish Child Payment; and the work that I am taking forward to improve the experiences for women entrepreneurs and women in business.
When I think about women’s empowerment and how we continue making progress, I think about my daughter, Naomi, and my stepdaughters.
I want them to grow up in a world which consigns the gender pay gap to history; where systemic under-representation of women is a thing of the past; where women don’t have to fear harassment, abuse, domestic and sexual violence on a daily basis.
Clearly, there is a great deal of work to do to get to that point.
And while it is right to celebrate the progress we have made thus far, we must not let it mask the deep-seated inequalities which still exist in our society.
And we must continue to fight with, and for, those who don’t yet have the freedoms we can sometimes take for granted
ZARA JANJUA
WHEN I landed my first proper job as a journalist at STV, one person saw something in me I hadn’t yet seen in myself.
Andrea Brymer, STV Aberdeen’s news anchor, recognised my potential as a presenter.
Without obligation or gain, she took me under her wing. She taught me how to read from an autocue, convinced the gallery and studio teams to stay late so I could re-record bulletins and helped me create a showreel.
Within six months, I was on screen as a presenter — a move that ignited every adventure since.
Acting, radio hosting, stand-up, writing — it all traces back to the moment someone said, “I believe in you”.
Nobody asked Andrea to do that. That’s the power of mentorship. I’ve been lucky to meet phenomenal women who took chances on me, sometimes before I was ready.
They gave me space to fail and the confidence to keep going because failing forward is how we grow.
Opportunity is freedom. The ability to choose your career, your ambitions — that’s real empowerment.
And I am fiercely protective of my freedom. But freedom isn’t just about mindset. It must be tangible.
It’s affordable childcare, so women aren’t forced to choose between career and family. It’s equal pay, because financial independence is power.
It’s having the space to chase dreams you never knew you had. It’s about representation, so the next generation grows up seeing women in leadership, in boardrooms, in politics and in places where decisions are made.
Mentorship, visibility and access to opportunities change lives.
Women don’t just need a seat at the table — they need to know they belong at the very head of it.
This International Women’s Day, let’s celebrate the women who took a chance on us, and be those women for someone else.
CIARA GRANT
Ciara Grant hopes to inspire other women with big dreams.[/caption]
I GREW up in a generation where, for women, it wasn’t a straightforward moment to play football.
A lot of my core memories as a kid are playing with my brothers and playing on boys’ teams right up until the age of 14.
I was building skills, my confidence, resilience and not really caring what other parents or other people thought.
Then I was very lucky to get on the Irish under-age set-up at a young age and a lot of different opportunities came my way.
I got to travel the world at 16, which empowered me to believe in myself and believe that, as a woman and a female athlete, I’ve achieved more than a lot of the men out there that were playing.
That’s probably all in reflection. At the time, I was just doing something that I loved and trying to put my whole heart and soul into every opportunity that came my way.
If you’d asked me then if I thought I could be a professional footballer, I would have said no.
So I’m grateful for the kind of career that I’ve had. I’ve been allowed to become a professional footballer and I didn’t miss the boat like a lot of good players before me did.
Now I’m trying to use that platform to empower others. There’s a lot of young girls coming up to the team.
We have 16 and 17-year-olds training with us and they have a whole career ahead of them.
Probably another 16 years ahead of them playing professional football — and that’s something that really excites me for the future.
I try to be a good role model within the club and the community of sport as well. It’s about empowering all women to believe that they can do whatever they want.
It doesn’t have to be sports. It’s just giving young girls and young women the confidence to go after their dream and go after what they want to do.
