Female Edinburgh residents asked to share their views on employment post pandemic

The First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls (NACWG) is calling on Edinburgh residents to share their views on a multitude of topics focussing on progression and opportunities.

Pay cuts, furlough and redundancies are some of the employment issues highlighted by the group.

Various problems have stemmed from COVID-19 with many women saying that they are struggling to balance work and caring commitments within the pandemic restrictions.

As a result, grassroots groups, organisations and networks are being encouraged to form a virtual ‘Wee Circle’ to discuss issues surrounding inequalities in employment post COVID-19 and to share ideas on how these inequalities can be overcome.

The NACWG wants to raise awareness surrounding the impact that women in different sectors have faced as a result of COVID-19 and to gather their perspectives on what they would like to see during the recovery.

Louise Macdonald OBE, co-chair NACWG, said: “Despite some progress in narrowing the gender gap, the COVID-19 pandemic has dialled back some of that progress and also created new barriers for women in relation to employment. It’s vital that women are at the forefront of employment recovery to prevent longer term implications for gender equality and for society as a whole.

“The advisory council is inviting groups, organisations and networks in Edinburgh, to share their experiences, opinions and ideas around the Spotlight. Every bit of feedback will help us gather more insight and help drive action in creating long-lasting change for women and girls in Scotland.”

The advisory group was formed to support the drive for an equal society for women and girls in every community across Scotland by raising the issue of gender inequality.

Various groups are encouraged to meet on a bi-monthly basis to discuss ‘Spotlight’ topics and to share ideas and opinions on different gender equality issues.

Feedback from the ‘Wee Circle’ discussions, as well as individual feedback, can be submitted online at: onescotland.org/NACWG.

Thoughts can also be shared on social media using the hashtag #GenerationEqual.

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