17 March 2015

The First Minister spoke at a meeting of the Scottish Women’s Convention marking International Women’s Day.

Hundreds of women from diverse backgrounds met to discuss a variety of issues facing women around the world and the First Minister set out what the Scottish Government is doing to promote economic opportunities for women.

#swc15 women from all cultures and ethnicities coming together to make a difference to woman's lives in Scotland pic.twitter.com/ccmZB1nv7S

— Shakti Women's Aid (@shaktiedinburgh) March 14, 2015

A report published alongside the First Minister’s speech shows that female employment in Scotland is at a record high.

“Women’s employment has risen very significantly. It’s now at record levels. In fact, Scotland currently has the second highest female employment rate in the whole of the European Union. Only Sweden is ahead of us.”

Read more about the ‘Maximising Economic Opportunities for Women in Scotland’ report