“Young women are needed at the tables of power to create a system for them, not against them”
Young Women Belong in Politics
By Kirsty Fraser
Women in Politics National Conference
Two conferences, one theme and women from across the country!
At the end of last month I attended the Women in Politics Conference which was held in Edinburgh at Pleasance. This conference was organised by Women in University Politics Societies from Edinburgh, Glasgow, St Andrews and Durham.
Alongside the event in Edinburgh, there was a parallel conference running in London on the same day at Kings College London!
Politics Needs Young Women!
Pepita Mwanga performing her powerful poetry!
Over the past few months at Elect Her, I have been increasingly working with young women. In September, Elect Her, The Young Women’s Movement, and Scottish Youth Parliament delivered the Young Women and Democracy Summit at the Scottish Parliament, which brought together young women from across Scotland to build political power, skills, and a network (which our wonderful Programme Manager Katie McSherry wrote a blog post about).
Then, with this Women in Politics Conference, I was lucky to again be surrounded by passionate, inspirational and motivated young women who are invested in politics, democracy and policy.
The funny thing is, that I am probably around the same age as most of the young women at the conference, and it was an incredibly rich experience to be surrounded by women from my generation all poised to support each other, create networks and learn from each other on how they can make a difference in our democracy.
Delivering this workshop felt empowering, working with my peers, and helping create and see our combined paths into politics.
Me, delivering our workshop!
Some months ago, Elect Her was invited to host a workshop at the event, and I would deliver.
We wanted to create a workshop that would focus on the practical aspects of getting involved with democracy, and particularly the upcoming 2026 Scottish Parliament and 2027 Scottish Local elections.
Whilst alongside providing this practical advice, we also felt it would be crucial to cover the current state of women’s representation in Scotland, so that we can set the context of the progress that has been made in women’s representation, particularly in Holyrood, and what is really best described as the stagnation and instability of equal representation.
Sharing your voice is more important now than ever!
With my increasing involvement in supporting young women and connecting with many at events and workshops, I often ask “Would you ever stand as a councillor?” or “Would you ever stand as an MSP?”, and the most common response I get is something along the lines of “I could never see myself in that role…” “That seems like a role for older, primarily men, not for young people”.
Young people, in particular young women, are becoming more and more disconnected from political leadership, and I, as a young woman, would have to agree!
We would be called inexperienced, “too young”, and on top of that, the plethora of misogynistic bullying and harassment elected officials today face.
When in reality, young women can bring a perspective and build policy that helps support and uplift young people, and create a system for them, not against them.
It is crucial that we continue to encourage young women into positions of leadership, and take the actions needed to eliminate misogyny, stereotyping and this misconception of “inexperience”.
We need to show that our governments are accessible for them, and a space in which they are welcome and accepted.
Attending the Women in Politics Conference and delivering our workshop was an incredible experience, and participants shared their ideas, solutions and opinions on getting involved and how we can remove barriers for women into elected office.
Finally, this experience made me reflect on the importance of the community we have built here at Elect Her.
That feeling of supporting each other, coming together, and sharing your voice is more important now than ever.
With increasing political polarisation, misogyny, and algorithms pushing us apart, the ability to come together, share, learn and connect is crucial.
Spaces like the Women in Politics Conference are an incredible environment to nurture young women’s aspirations in democracy and politics, and I really felt that during the event, and the weeks following.
Sharing your voice is more important now than ever!
Today you can -
Politics needs you 🫵
Blog idea or comment piece?
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