“Anything that is possible for a man to aspire to…should equally be possible for a woman to aspire to,” says Nicola Sturgeon

nicola sturgeon

Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon has called for more women in leadership roles.

Speaking at the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open Forum, Sturgeon said, “Politics aside, the image that went around the UK and the world as both of us as female leaders, as First Minister and Prime Minister, I hope that sent a really positive message to girls and young women across the UK and further afield.”

“The message is that today, in the 21st century, we should no longer be willing to accept glass ceilings or that there are certain jobs or careers or levels of seniority that are out of our reach.”

“Anything that is possible for a man to aspire to in their professional life should equally be possible for a woman to aspire to.”

“Whether it’s in politics, business or sport, or any other walk of life, women in leadership roles are still too often the exception to the rule, rather than the rule.”

Sturgeon recently ranked alongside Queen Elizabeth II in the 2016 Forbes World’s 100 Most Powerful Women. She joins the increasing number of female leaders throughout the globe, including Angela Merkel, Hillary Clinton and Theresa May.

The inaugural Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open event celebrated and debated issues surrounding female leadership in business and sport. Addressing the audience, Sturgeon also spoke of the need to encourage more women and girls into sport.

She said, “We’ve seen some good progress in recent years, and it’s encouraging that activity levels amongst teenage girls are increasing. However, there is still a gender gap in sports participation and physical activity levels. There’s also a shortage of women involved in sport from grassroots right up to elite level.”

“My government is committed to doing more to support women and girls to be more active and to promote their participation in all aspects of the sporting sector and in being active more generally.”

Martin Gilbert, Chief Executive, Aberdeen Asset Management said, “The inaugural Aberdeen Asset Management Forum on female leadership in business sport has been a huge success and quality of discussion from our panellists kept a large and influential audience engaged and enthralled.”

“Female representation in business is still a big issue, which we at Aberdeen take very seriously. Today’s forum reflected on the work that still needs to be done but also on the progress already made. There is no doubt that diversity makes for better decision making and should be seen as a competitive advantage.”

 

About the author

Alison is the Digital Content Editor for WeAreTheCity. She has a BA Honours degree in Journalism and History from the University of Portsmouth. She has previously worked in the marketing sector and in a copywriting role. Alison’s other passions and hobbies include writing, blogging and travelling.
Visa - WeAreTheCity - Pioneer 20 - nominations open
WeAreTech Festival 2024 advert

Upcoming Events

march, 2024

Job Board Banner

Related Posts