Scotswomen on TV - 17.8.2012 update

I was on STV's Scotland Tonight (14.8.12) talking about the absence of women from TV debate about Scotland's future. It was suggested that one problem for broadcasters is not having enough "good women" to contact and relying on whoever is nominated by the political parties.

So here are a few suggestions! This list may not be completely accurate, it will accidentally have omitted some brilliant women speakers, and may contain names of folk who can't say what
they'd like in public because of their day job. The names below have all been nominated by folk in just three days of "crowd-sourced" contributions on my Facebook Page, Twitter account and blog. I'm in the midst of doing daily shows at the Fringe (tickets on the door 6pm nightly till August 24th www.scottishsix.com) and haven't the time to check forensically – but better good enough and online than perfect and unpublished! Maybe a broadcaster can finesse the list further and do Scottish civic society a service by publishing it. I'm presuming all female MPS and MPs are already known to broadcasters. Even without 45 female MSPs and 13 female Scottish MPs (and a stack of councillors) there are over 100 capable women ready to talk. At least this demonstrates how many women could speak on TV about almost anything if they were asked and "usual suspects" of both sexes – including folk like me – were used less.

1. Nasreen Aksi – restauranteur and Scottish Asian Bizwoman of the Year
2. Susan Archibald - disability campaigner
3. Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh --Founder of Scottish Asian Women's Association, lawyer
4. Professor Isobel Anderson, Stirling Uni - expert on Homelessness
5. Karen Anderson, Architect and past Convenor for the Saltire Housing Awards Panel
6. Susan Aktemel -- Impact Arts, Scottish Social Entrepreneur of the Year
7. Amanda Britain - housing/community care consultant
8. Alice Brown - academic; politics, gender, very long CV

Joan Burnie – journalist, agony aunt, columnist

Tressa Burke, CEO, Glasgow Disability Alliance

Dr Rabinder Buttar -- Clintec, businesswoman Scots Businesswoman of the Year

Lynne Carr Impact arts - power of art to regenerate

Sarah Currier - feminist pro-indy blogger and national e-learning service manager

Kate Caskie Business Implementation Manager, Victim Support Scotland

Frances Curran - SSP, ex MSP

Carol Craig – Centre for Confidence, writer

Branka Dimitrijevic - Director of CIC Start Online (sustainable housing design),

Anne Douglas – trade unionist

Lari Don - Writer

Pam Duncan - disability campaigner & Labour activist, Independent Living project

Susan Deacon – former Health Minister, early years expert, Professor

Lorraine Davidson - journalist, Labour

Annie Donaldson - West Dumbartonshire Council

Alison Eliot - Church of Scotland and SCVO

Carole Ewart - human rights campaigner, Scottish Human Rights Consortium

Lyn Ewing - Chair of Scottish Community Alliance

Jeanne Freeman -- former Labour political advisor , pro-Indy campaigner

Sally Foster-Fulton, Church of Scotland

Roz Foyer – Unite union

Jane Fraser -- Maclay Murray and Spens - all things employment

Liz Gardiner -- Fablevision, cultural planning, community building, Govan.

Janice Galloway - writer

Evelyn Gillan - co founder Zero Tolerance, Alcohol Concern CEO

Janice Godrich – President PCS trade unionist

Janey Godley – comedian and columnist

Lily Greenan - Edinburgh Greens co-convenor; Director SWA

Dr Mary Hepburn – consultant obstetrician, poverty expert, Scotswoman of the Year 2012

Muriel Gray – columnist and broadcaster

Katie Grant – columnist -- small c conservative.

Catriona Grant - criminal justice social worker, Patrick Geddes Gardening Club SSP

Marilyn Glen - ex MSP, Dundee, Labour

Kathy Galloway – Minister, Iona Community, Christian Aid

Morven Gregor - Carbeth hutter, land campaigner

Joy Hendry – publisher, Scots language expert, writer

Lynn Henderson - PCS Scottish Secretary

Ann Henderson - Assistant Secretary STUC

Kate Higgins - blogger, mum pro indy

Kate Joester - LGBT issues, Green party, occupational therapist

Amanda Jones - Partner, Maclay Murray Spens, discrim law specialist, non-exec Dir Hibs FC

Tiffany Jenkins – columnist, arts

Rosie Kane - SSP

AL Kennedy - writer

Karen Koren – arts promoter

Jenny Kemp - Zero Tolerance, violence against women

Carolyn Leckie - SSP

Mary Lockhart, Chair of Scottish Co-operative Party

Isobel Lindsay - peace campaigner, pro-indy

Maggie Lynch -- Citizens Advice Scotland.

Anne Lear -- Govanhill Housing Assoc housing and regeneration expert

Ailsa McKay - economist, Glasgow Caledonian, Scottish Women's Budget Group

Susan Morrison – comedian, columnist

Sheena McDonald - broadcaster, arts and culture expert

Joyce McMillan – columnist, theatre critic, academic

Shelagh McKinley - The Absurdist blogger and writer

Fiona McKay - Edinburgh Uni - politics - gender/policy

Fiona MacInnes - Orcadian, ex councillor, indy blogger, fish expert

Lorraine Mann – columnist, Highland based, nuclear expert and sexual health

Christine May – former Labour MSP for Fife, business expert

Lillian Macer – trade unionist

Natalie McGarry - blogger, pro-indy

Barbara McLennan - economist

Nina Murray - Scottish Refugee Council

Michelle Mone -- MJM International businesswoman

Leonna McNeil – Say No to NATO and Faslane Peace Camp

Angela O'Hagan - Scottish Women's Budget Group, social policy

Janet Paisley – writer

Karine Polwart – singer and political songstress

Robina Qureshi; Director, Positive Action in Housing

Kirstein Rummery - social work academic, Uni of Stirling

Emma Ritch - Close the Gap, (Occupational Segregation) academic

Agnes Rennie – gael, crofter, land, JP, broadcaster

Kirsty Regan – journalist

Esther Roberton, Sacro, Press Complaints Comm; ex Scottish Constitutional Convention

Satwat Rehman, CEO, One Parent Families Scotland.

Amy Rodger - last known at Electoral Reform Society Liberal Democrat

Fiona Ross – journalist, political commentator

Melanie Reid – columnist, disability rights

Lesley Riddoch - journalist, Eigg, community, women’s issues Nordic specialist,

Christine Richards – "blue tory"

Helen Steven - peace activist, worked with NATO forces in the 1990s, Quaker

Susan Stewart - Comms Director, media background

Clare Simpson - Parenting Scotland

Marsha Scott - Health, Policy and Planning, West Lothian Council; Engender chair; European Women's Lobby

Elaine C Smith -- Independence Convention, comedian, actress

Mary Senior (Universities & Colleges Union)

Emily Thompson - lecturer, Economics and International Business Group at GCU; co-director of WiSE (Women in Scotland's Economy research centre)

Mary Taylor, CEO Scottish Federation of Housing Associations

Agnes Tolmie – trade unionist 

Lorna Waite – poet

Sandra Webster – disability rights

Sheena Wellington -- Dundonian, trad music expert, singer, community activist

Judy Wilkinson -- Scottish Allotments and Garden Assoc -- community empowerment

Kirsty Wark – business woman, broadcaster

Comments

[pollok]

Very few don't have their hands in the pocket of the public sector .... directly or via a quango.

[Calum Cashley]

Can I add Nicola McEwan of Edinburgh University, Vicky Featherstone of NTS and Eilish Angiolini?

[Filters2009]

Well then Mr Pollock - why not take a more positive cant and suggest a few talented, experienced Scottish women who are not in the public sector?

[Johnco]

I'll suggest Lisa Kerr to talk about commercial broadcasting, radio and women in broadcasting generally? http://www.lisakerr.org/

[Daye Tucker]

Pam Campbell Stirling Council Rural Community Development . She might be in the pay of the Public Sector but she fights for the communities she serves.