Gender and Data
 
The Empowering Women Panel understands that if women aren’t represented through quantitative data, and if their perspectives are not heard through qualitative research, then things won’t change. Policy will go on being made in a way that disregards gender differences and the many ways women and non-binary people are disadvantaged.
 
Our peer research project represents an excellent way of reaching out and collecting data from women who rarely have any influence on politics. By interviewing friends, family, colleagues, and people in our communities, we were able to connect with women who might not feel comfortable speaking to a professional researcher.
 
We also explored some of the barriers women encounter when trying to access aid - including the multiple hurdles faced by prepayment meter users attempting to employ the government's Energy Bills Support Scheme - therefore restricting relief for those who needed it most. Statistics will tell us a quarter of households did not use the scheme but cannot tell us why.
 
The Scottish Government should respect data that comes from more creative, innovative research methods, especially when they enable a wider range of people to participate.
 
Statistics are important, but they will never tell the whole story. Diverse and varied testimony from those with lived experience is also needed to help policy-makers really connect with and understand the challenges women and non-binary people face.
 

Our Learning: Engagement with Scottish Government
During the second year of the Panel, we engaged with Scottish Government officials in different ways. These included:

• taking part in subgroups with National Advisory Council members to discuss gender budgeting and public sector equality duty;
• a learning conversation with School Age Childcare Policy Team followed by a workshop;
• our second Accountability Event in Edinburgh in February 2025;
• following up on pledges made at the first Accountability Event in 2024 (you can read more about the pledges here). 

Subgroups
Our meetings with government officials about gender budgeting and the public sector equality duty often felt less than fruitful. While there was a willingness to hear our lived experience, the tone sometimes reverted to defensiveness and a list of what was in the pipeline, rather than actively listening or answering us truthfully.

It’s true that some of the officials we spoke to felt more comfortable sharing the real issues with us than others. This is what we were always looking for - so we want to shine a light on this good practice and hope that others will follow suit in future interactions with us and other lived experience panels.

There were times when there was an openness about the failures in the system and a recognition of the impacts of that. But at other times, some officials were less open and more defensive and some didn’t engage at all during meetings. This felt tokenistic and like we were excluded from the discussion.

We don’t want to feel that our efforts are a waste of time and that we’re going to keep getting the same answers to the same questions. We want to know how and when things are going to happen, even if it’s baby steps. We appreciate honesty and transparency because then it feels like we’re all on the same page and we can collaborate and move forward.
 
Learning Conversation and Workshop
When we spoke to Government officials as part of a learning conversation it felt a bit different. We led the session and we had worked hard in advance with attendees to create an atmosphere that encouraged open and honest dialogue. In this environment, we found the officials were able to open up and speak to us about what it’s really like to work within the constraints of Government.

They told us that they need access to better information, training and support so that they can carry out their responsibilities under the Public Sector Equality Duty more easily. This included access to high-quality disaggregated equalities data, as well as working more closely with lived experience and other experts – including their own colleagues in Scottish Government – so that they’re not working in a silo. They also told us that more time and capacity is needed to make this work well.

We realised that they were all really passionate and want to do the work to make change but we got the impression that they sometimes feel like they’re playing a giant game of chess. Lived experience is vital for them to make sure that their policies are relevant and they do understand the value of this. However, we heard about some of the barriers that they face within their own system, and we can imagine how that must feel really frustrating at times. 

The pledge made by the School Age Childcare Policy Team was “To better include the voices of marginalised women and girls within our engagement and co-design work of the School Age Childcare Programme”.  This led to a joint workshop which involved Scottish Government officials, Panel members and our peers. 

The workshop was run by arts and theatre company Active Enquiry and included lots of interactive drama exercises.  Lots of us hadn’t met before that day, but the format really helped us to feel comfortable and to talk openly about our experiences and needs in relation to childcare.

Scottish Government officials joined in the exercises with us which meant like we all felt like equals.  We didn’t feel the same imbalance of power that we have felt before when engaging with Government.  Instead, it felt like we were all working together to solve a problem.  This felt positive for us and like our voices might actually make a difference.

We hope to follow up with this team to see how School Age Childcare Programme develops.  We would also like to work more with Scottish Government officials in this way.
 
Accountability Event
We decided not to share the lived experience care stories at the Accountability Event in February 2025.  So far, we have found that sharing our personal experiences of day-to-day life has not led to any real or lasting change. We are more than just stories.

Instead, we shared our learning from our interactions with Government and other professionals.  We wanted to hold up a mirror - not to be negative, but to help decision-makers see themselves and the key issues through our eyes and through the eyes of the professionals we spoke to.  They have the power to make things better for women and girls like us, so it is up to them to lead the change. 

We could tell that what we shared was uncomfortable to hear for some, but in general we found that people responded well and were genuinely interested in hearing our views. 

We often found it easier to connect with officials and share our views during breaks and away from the formality of the round table discussions, where it can be harder for some of us to speak up.  We found most officials to be very approachable and felt that they saw us as human beings and respected us.

Through slowly building these connections and relationships we feel like we are learning to trust each other a little more.  We think that this helped some Scottish Government officials to be more open and honest and admit where things are going wrong.  As a Panel, honesty and openness is what we are looking for. 
 
Reflections
It still isn’t clear to us what changes will be made to gender equality from the work we have done with Government over the last two years. What we need to see now are lessons being learned, which turn into actions that make real and lasting differences to the lives of women and girls like us. 
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We hope that by building a stronger partnership with Government we can try to make a difference together, but we also recognise that responsibility has to lie with those in power.  We want all the officials we have met to become real champions for gender equality - holding themselves to account for successes and failures and not being satisfied until real changes are made.

The Empowering Women Panel (EWP) was set up in March 2023. In Spring 2024, at the end of the first year, Sleeping Giants carried out an evaluation to learn what had worked well and what could be improved for the next year. This was completed with the help of an independent researcher.

What We Wanted to Achieve
At the start of the project, Sleeping Giants and the Scottish Government agreed Panel members should have a positive experience. Both groups also wanted to make sure they were able to take part in activities and share their views in ways that worked for each individual.   

Sleeping Giants and the Scottish Government also agreed three project outcomes. An outcome is just a different way of identifying what differences were made. These were:

1. Panel members have improved opportunities for accessible and positive participation.
This means individual Panel members have all the information and support they need to share their views, work with others and make decisions for themselves.
You can read more about the Panel’s views on participation in a previous blog here.

2. Panel members have increased capacity.
This means that Panel members have more knowledge and confidence, can take part fully in Panel work, and have their voices heard, so that they could help influence Scottish Government decisions.

3. The National Advisory Council on Women and Girls (NACWG) are better able to provide advice and challenge to the First Minister because of the learning from - and partnership - with the Panel.
 
What We Did in Our First Year
The first year of the project has been very busy for everyone. Here are some of the activities that have taken place:

What Went Well
Members of the Empowering Women Panel were asked about their experience of being part of the Panel. This is what they said:

• 93% felt the Panel reflected their own concerns and goals
• 100% enjoyed being part of the Panel
• 100% felt that they were able to take part in a way that suited them

One Panel member said:
“I can’t think of a single thing I would change. The experience so far has been so interesting and has really made me think about the issues and struggles other people face. love the training the meet ups r great love it all🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻”
 
We also gathered information about whether the three project outcomes were achieved and what other differences the group. 

Outcome 1: Panel members have improved opportunities for accessible and positive participation.
At the end of Year One, Panel members felt they had more information and felt more involved than at the start. 

One Panel member said: “I’ve always felt supported, I’ve always felt that my voice has been heard even when I haven’t been about to attend meetings. I’ve still received all the information, emails, all the notes on everything. Everything that I could ever have wanted has been there and more…”

But there was still room for more meaningful participation to take place. The Panel wanted to spend more time with the (NACWG) so they could get to know the council better and strengthen their relationship, balancing the scales of power.
 
Outcome 2: Panel members have increased capacity.
Panel members said that they felt more knowledgeable and had more confidence after a year on the Panel.

One Panel member said: “It’s been wonderful because I’ve got to meet such a diversity of different women and learned about so many different opinions and things that I had never been open to before…”

But the group felt their ability to influence decisions did not change, so this outcome has only been partially achieved and will be something the Panel members work on more in Year Two.
 
Outcome 3: NACWG are better able to provide advice and challenge to the First Minister because of the learning from and partnership with the Panel.

Most NACWG members thought that the Advisory Council and Empowering Women Panel were able to share knowledge and understanding with other. They also thought that, by working together, everyone is able to do their jobs better and therefore make more of a difference.
 
What Could Go Better
Most comments and feedback from the Empowering Women Panel were positive but there is always room for improvement. Here are some of the suggestions they made for making Year Two even better.

1. Learning more about complicated topics, like intersectionality.

• NACWG members will come to our training sessions to help us do this.

2. Making sure younger Panel members have a stronger voice.

• ​We have a new mentor from the Young Women’s Movement who will support young Panel members.

 
3. Helping Panel members with a learning disability to better participate.

• We have a new mentor from People First Scotland who will support members with a learning disability.

 
4. Setting up a buddy system.

• We are setting up an informal system to ensure members of the Panel and NACWG get to know each other better, and that Panel members can support each other more easily.

 
5. Creating space for more discussion of the issues that really matter to members.

• We will have the chance to talk about some of these issues during our work in the second year, including care and childcare.

 
6. Continuing to build the relationship between the National Advisory Council and Panel members.

• We are creating more joint sessions to help build stronger relationships.

 
7. The accessibility of policy discussions.

• We will continue to remind the NACWG and Scottish Government officials that jargon and needlessly complicated language is unhelpful.

 
8. Review the approach to evaluation and monitoring

• Sleeping Giants will ensure that how they ask about progress is as simple and straightforward as possible.

 
9. Identify if and how the Panel is making a difference to decision-making

• It is hard to know for certain how the work of the Panel is influencing decision-making. We will work with the NACWG to find ways to show how lived experience is making a difference.

 

Members of the Panel shared lots of lovely quotes with us when we asked about their experience of being involved. Here are just a couple.

“I’ve really enjoyed being on the panel, it’s been a great experience for me.” 

“It’s wonderful that you’ve got a group of women that are willing to share their lived experience because I feel that is so much more powerful because you’re talking from a place of genuine knowledge and nobody is an expert in your life…”

“I have realised that I have more to say than I thought I did.”
 
If you would like to read the executive summary of the Empowering Women Panel Year One evaluation, you can find it here.

If you would like to view a 12-minute video about our work in Year One, you can find it here.

The Importance of Accountability
 
Accountability is a top priority for members of the Empowering Women Panel; we are keen to see how decision makers are taking responsibility for ensuring visible differences are made to the lives of women, girls, and non-binary people in Scotland. A starting point was discussing what accountability means to us in the context of the Scottish Government.    
 
Our understanding of accountability is guaranteeing that people do what they say they’re going to do. Which, in terms of our work on the panel, involves asking questions of the Scottish Government and civil servants about how they are progressing gender equality across Scotland.
 
We’re also interested in the question of who holds other organisations and public bodies to account - like knowing funding is being spent properly and that gender equality is taken into consideration. While we watch as services diminish and waiting lists increase, what does the public actually see in return for the money that is being spent and are women and girls’ lives reflected in decision-making?
 
The Accountability Process
 
The Empowering Women Panel has been part of an accountability process with the Scottish Government and the National Advisory Council on Women and Girls (NACWG). This has included sharing our lived experience and reporting on the impacts of current policies on our lives and those of women and girls we know.
 
We were invited to ask questions about key areas of importance to us, including intersectionality, mental health, and the value placed on care. We did not feel encouraged after reading responses to our scrutiny questions; the answers we received from civil servants were vague, written in inaccessible language, and showed no signs of change. 
 
The Accountability Event
 
In February, the group attended an Accountability Event with the National Advisory Council, then-Deputy First Minister, and civil servants from across government where we asked attendees to make a pledge about how they will personally and collectively work towards inclusion of the most marginalised women and girls.
 
Panel members were nervous beforehand – not because we are afraid of speaking truth to power, but because we didn’t know if we would be taken seriously, or if anything would happen as a result of us sharing our stories. 
 
A huge amount of work went into preparing for the event: learning to interview our peers to better understand their experiences of the cost-of-living crisis; writing and practising our stories to share during the presentation; spending time in art workshops and at home to produce creative responses; and organising childcare so we could attend these activities. Our session at the Accountability Event was the result of hours of input from panel members and peers.
 
Highlights of the day include the NACWG sharing their power with us and acknowledging our contributions, and policy makers experiencing as they related what we told them to their own work. This human-to-human interaction gave us a glimmer of hope that we have made a difference, and that future policy may reflect that.
 
However, our hope diminished slightly during the afternoon session between the NACWG and the Scottish Government, when civil servants’ inaccessible language and well-worn answers returned, and we were left wondering if there would be any lasting effect from our efforts.
 
We are eager for decision makers to take intersectionality into account when developing and implementing policy. That requires considering the layers of disadvantage facing Scotland’s most marginalised women and girls. These layers are not just about protected characteristics—age, disability, ethnicity, LGBTQIA+ identity, etc.—but also situations such as poverty, low mental health, rural isolation, and digital exclusion.
 
The panel was, however, encouraged by our April meeting with former First Minister Humza Yousaf and Deputy First Minister Shona Robison. We felt listened to and as if our concerns had been heard. We understand that change is a feature of government and hope that the new administration carries on from where the previous one left off. The panel is building momentum that must not be lost if real change is to happen.
 
The Future
 
The Empowering Women Panel is a great resource to those in power and there is a real opportunity to demonstrate that their lived experience is valued and will be learned from. We are passionate about holding the Scottish Government to account, but the process must be accessible, meaningful, and value our participation. 
 
We are looking forward to meeting the new First Minister, John Swinney, and continuing to make an impact, now and in the future.
 

We interviewed people in our networks and communities to find out about their experiences of the cost of living crisis. We were also interviewed ourselves as part of the project.

The questions we asked were finalised by a subgroup of the Panel and included the changes women and girls were noticing since the cost of living crisis had started and what was helping.

Why the Peer Research project was important
It was really important to make room to tell more stories, not just those of the Panel members. It was a simple, straightforward way for us to round out the cost of living topic and it would work well for other topics that the Panel will discuss in the future.

It was interesting that there were common themes, even though we spoke to people with vastly different life experiences. One of the main themes was easy access to information and a one stop shop approach to getting all the information you needed.

What we learned
One of the main things we learned was that one size does not fit all. Women and girls are not one big group that is all the same, there are lots of things that make us different from each other. These are things like whether we’re parents, our race, our faith, whether we do paid work, our caring responsibilities and whether we have disabilities or long term health conditions.

It doesn’t work if you try to fit a person into a box; help has to be designed for each person. The women and non-binary people we spoke to wanted to be asked what would help them, not just assumptions made about the best solutions.

We all learned new skills by being involved in the project, too. Some of us had never done an interview before, some learned new IT skills when we recorded our conversations and others read out quotes from real people at our presentation to the National Advisory Council on Women and Girls. Some of us gained a new respect for women and how they just keep going, regardless of what they’re going through. We’re keen that women are not viewed as victims

The real voices we heard were very powerful and led to deep, human connections. They brought the findings from the research to life and showed just how much some people are struggling through the cost of living crisis. It helped us see that everyone’s experiences are valid, including those who have only had to make minor changes to cope with the rise in costs.

Things that would help
Although there were common themes, there were differences in what women thought would help. Some said that direct cash payments would have the biggest impact, whereas others didn’t want to feel that they were relying on handouts. Throwing money at a problem doesn’t always work.

Interviewees came up with some easy, cheap and sometimes free suggestions that could help communities in the cost of living crisis. These included community food dinners, clothes swaps, repair cafes, and school uniform schemes. These could all take place in a warm space with food available so that people felt they weren’t just receiving something for free. They could contribute, too.

Next steps
We learned a lot about how the cost of living crisis is affecting different women across Scotland but there were some things we would have liked to explore more. We would want to know more about women who weren’t able to work because of childcare costs, as well as women taking on more work because of the cost of living.

We would also want to find out more about the intersectionality we talked about. There are layers of barriers for some groups of people that make the cost of living crisis even harder. We would want to know more about the stigma around asking for help in some minority communities and the discrimination ethnic minority women can experience when applying for jobs because of their names.

There are other situations we’d like to know more about, such as the extra costs for some women, like unpaid carers, those with disabilities and women living in more rural areas. There are also many women who don’t access support for a variety of reasons, whether that’s due to transport issues, worries about personal safety or not leaving their homes because of abuse or cultural expectations.
 

We have been using the ladder of participation to think about how the Empowering Women Panel can influence the National Advisory Council on Women and Girls (NACWG) and the Scottish Government. 
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​What we are learning about participation  
Participation has to be active; passive participation isn’t participation at all. By gathering everyone’s lived experience, we have the best chance of effecting change within the Scottish Government.

We are a diverse group of women and non-binary people. We all have our own unique story to tell and everyone’s experiences are valid. We’re creating a space for everyone to contribute in whatever way people feel most comfortable.
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Some of us are more confident speaking in front of a group, while others prefer time to reflect and feed back in a different way.

We spoke at the beginning of the project about the barriers we experience in different parts of our lives when it comes to participation.

These included things like not knowing where to go for information, such as legal aid entitlement, visa information and gender-based violence support. It really takes its toll as it can be exhausting and frustrating and can affect both physical and mental health.

By hearing each other’s stories, we’re learning about barriers we might never have experienced ourselves and can use that knowledge elsewhere in our lives. We’ve met people we wouldn’t have met without being part of the Panel and learned about life outside our bubble.

We all want our voices to be heard through this project but it’s important for us to know that it will actually make a difference.

As part of establishing an identity for the Panel, we decided to rebrand as the Empowering Women Panel and we worked with a designer on a suite of logos which represent who we are and what we’re about.

Why the Partnership Agreement with the NACWG is important
We were keen to lay out how we would like to work with the NACWG so that our lived experience expertise would be valued.

As we learn more about how government works and the NACWG’s influence, we are realising how we can feed into that and make a real difference to the lives of women and girls in Scotland.

It’s taking time to build relationships with the NACWG and at the beginning it felt like they were mysterious unknown people. We know that, in theory, we are all on an equal footing but we’re not quite there yet. This will improve as we spend more time together. There is learning to be done on all sides so that we all know what each other is working on. It’s quite early doors for the project and more time will help us complete our mission.

What’s important about the Empowering Women Panel
By listening to ordinary women and non-binary people, the NACWG and Scottish Government will hear about life for everyday people living in Scotland today. We’re not afraid of speaking truth to power.

The Panel is full of talent and it’s up to us to harness it and present it to decision makers and those closer to power. It’s up to us to give other people a voice, such as those in our families and communities. Panel members have so many skills that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

We are learning so much from each other, like new ways of thinking about things and we’re having the chance to share personal experiences that might help someone else.

We are giving context to what the NACWG does on a deeper and more diverse level. The NACWG is made up of people who already have a level of prestige and the Panel broadens the experiences that the Advisory Council can draw on.

Key Learning
We are learning a lot by being part of the Panel: about ourselves, each other and about power and participation. It’s been a steep learning curve for some and everyone feels like they have grown by being part of the Panel.

Some of us have been surprised by how much we’ve learned about different topics, like intersectionality and how government works. We’ve been watching and reading the news through a new lens and sharing our thoughts with each other when we come across interesting articles, conferences and events.

We were all nervous at the beginning that we didn’t have anything to contribute or that our voices wouldn’t be heard. But we’re realising that together we have power. As our tag line says, from participation comes empowerment.