Rachel Watson
Nicola Sturgeon recently bemoaned the lack of female leaders in Scottish politics, claiming she could not see a woman leading a political party at Holyrood “any time soon”.
This will have come as an unwelcome dismissal for the likes of Màiri McAllan and Jenny Gilruth, who have often championed their former boss and clearly have leadership aspirations of their own.
Of course, having ambition does not mean you are qualified for the role. But, as Scotland’s only female first minister, is it too much to ask that rather than making negative comments in the media Sturgeon takes positive action to support those who might follow in her footsteps?
Last week, I watched another prominent Scottish female role model doing just that, in a school gym hall full of impressionable female pupils.
Judy Murray’s Learn to Lead programme aims to equip and empower young girls to become Scotland’s next generation of sporting leaders, by giving them early opportunities to coach their own tennis classes at school.
It is based on the premise that, in addition to the many other physical and mental benefits associated with sporting participation, it hones leadership skills and provides valuable, transferable experiences.
The Game Changing report commissioned by Sky recently revealed that women who played extracurricular sport as children are 50% more likely to reach senior professional roles and are better equipped to handle pressure and bounce back from hard times.
That is why programmes like Learn to Lead are so important, because women just participating should not be where the dream ends. We need to give girls the tools and self-belief to go beyond being great team members, to become inspirational and influential leaders.
In May, at least 39 MSPs will be standing down and not seeking re-election. More than half (22) of them are women. And of those women, eight are leaving politics after serving just one term at Holyrood.
Deputy first minister Kate Forbes and rural affairs secretary Mairi Gougeon are two of the highest profile departees, rising stars when first elected, they both climbed to cabinet positions. Our inability to retain these talents in our parliament should be a concern.
Political parties talk a good game in getting women into parliament, with all-female shortlists and programmes to support them into the initial stages of frontline politics. Encouraging them to stay – and providing opportunities to thrive – is more difficult.
Having worked in the Scottish Parliament for seven years, I had many conversations with politicians, party staffers, and fellow journalists about the inevitable decision that would be made one day to step away, whether that was because senior jobs felt unreachable, family reasons intervened, or other real or perceived barriers couldn’t be overcome.
Despite this, some women do make it to the top and there was a time when women – Sturgeon, Ruth Davidson and Kezia Dugdale – led the three largest parties in the Scottish Parliament.
We can’t underestimate the impact those highly visible and relatable female leaders have. To hear one of them simply saying we won’t see a female leader anytime soon isn’t good enough. We need to see those in senior positions reaching down to support those with talent and ambition to maximise the former and realise the latter.
Judy Murray’s Learn to Lead programme is going from strength to strength, with schools across Scotland ready to adopt the initiative. Maybe our political class could learn from this and form their own scheme that encourages girls to consider not only participation in politics, but leadership too.