Speak Out champion Cat came up with this inspirational list which shows girls and young women really can make a big difference…

1. Meeting with decision makers

We’ve spent time talking to important decision makers here in Scotland in a bid to influence policies that could improve the lives of girls and young women across the country. For example, we’ve met with the Minister for Mental Health to talk about the impact of poor body image and with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to discuss women in politics and the impact of social media on girls and young women.

2. We campaigned to end period poverty

We have spoken at the Scottish Parliament about putting a stop to period poverty and have helped spread the word about the importance of getting the Free Period Products bill (which MSP Monica Lennon proposed) enshrined in law, which happened in November 2020. This was a huge step towards ending period poverty in Scotland and the stigma around periods.

3. Read all about it

We’ve written numerous opinion pieces for The Scotsman, been on lots of news programmes and are often heard on the radio always trying to challenge the public’s views on issues that affect women like the gender pay gap and gender-based violence. Being part of Speak Out has allowed us to pump our thoughts and idea into the world and have our voices heard around the country.

4. We all need to be Media Mindful

We created the amazing Media Mindful campaign and activity pack! It’s all about supporting girls and young women to challenge gender stereotypes, and how women are represented in the media. Negative portrayals of women and girls in magazines and online etc. are all too common and we want girls to speak out and use their voice to influence change.

Download our Media Mindful pack today and equip your girls with the skills they need to be critical about what they’re reading, watching and creating. It’s time to take action to ensure the media is more equal and fair.

Become a Speak Out champion

Are you aged 14-25 or know someone who is? Are you passionate about making sure girls’ voice are heard? We’re on the lookout for new Speak Out champions to help shape our future campaigns and advocacy work! Find out more and apply now to join us. The application deadline is 5pm on Friday 1 April.