Meet the contributors

 Zarina is a climate justice advocate specialising in race equality and environmental policy. She has worked with the Council for Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisations (CEMVO Scotland) as Climate Change and Environment Officer, supporting minority ethnic communities to engage with climate action and policy. Her work focuses on increasing participation of under-represented groups in environmental movements and policymaking 

Jen is Founding Director of Lawmanity, a project that aims to tackle inequalities in the law by working with people-led movements to secure positive change. Jen is an experienced human rights lawyer qualified to practice in Scotland, England and Wales, and New York State. She is a legal expert on asylum, human rights and children’s rights, and on the rights of survivors of torture. She is also a Professor in Practice at the GO Justice Centre, School of Law at the University of Glasgow, and believes in making legal education open and accessible to all.

Sandy is a lifelong sexual violence activist, her career has spanned over 30 years in the rape crisis movement and she was previously CEO of Rape Crisis Scotland. She works as a researcher and lecturer in the School of Law at The University of Glasgow.

 Thea is Director of Mind the Gap inclusive design consultancy and has taught architectural design at ESALA since 2003. She was Design Director for Chambers McMillan Architects, including work on the award-winning Ramp House. Her research explores inclusive design and how children and young people engage creatively with space. Her work is informed by lived experience and focuses on developing inclusive design processes.

Gwenetta is a Reader in the Usher Institute at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on racial and ethnic health disparities, critical race theory and Black family studies. Her work has examined racial inequalities in COVID-19 treatment and infection rates, and she has co-authored evidence reviews and publications in The Lancet. She is a member of the Royal Society’s DELVE Initiative and the UK Inclusive Data Taskforce, and a senior research associate in the Global Health Governance Programme at the University of Edinburgh Medical School.

Diane is a researcher and practitioner with over 25 years’ experience across health, social work and education in Scotland. She completed her PhD at the University of Strathclyde on parents’ and carers’ roles in children’s health and development. She co-founded the Give Them Time Campaign, which achieved legislative change in 2023 on deferred school starts. Her work adopts feminist perspectives and promotes equity, inclusion and collaborative, evidence-informed approaches.

 Fatma works at Maryhill Integration Network, where she is responsible for day-to-day administration and welcoming people to the organisation. She joined the staff team in 2023. Fatma is also a human rights activist, advocating for the rights of asylum seekers and refugees, particularly the right to work. She is a member of Glasgow West Amnesty Group and volunteers with MIN Voices Group and JustRight Scotland. She also serves as a trustee of Asylum Matters, contributing to work supporting people seeking asylum across the UK.

 Carole is Head of Policy and Campaigns for Pregnant Then Screwed (Scotland). She leads work addressing the “motherhood penalty” in employment and pay. Before this, she spent over 15 years as a TV reporter and broadcast journalist in Scotland and London, and later worked in research, events and communications, including with the John Smith Centre at the University of Glasgow.

 Lucy is an award-winning reproductive rights campaigner. In 2020, she co-founded Back Off Scotland, which successfully campaigned for safe access zones around abortion clinics, implemented in 2024. She now focuses on improving access to abortion care and broader law reform. She works as Policy and Engagement Manager at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service and has been recognised in BBC Scotland’s The Women Who Changed Modern Scotland and the Young Women’s Movement’s “30 under 30”.

Toni has been a justice advocate  

for over 18 years. Her work spans criminal justice, health and inequalities affecting women. She has worked in a number of leadership roles in the third sector. She is committed to justice reform and supporting families affected by imprisonment.

 Kizanne is a physician, development professional and reproductive health advocate with over 20 years’ experience across Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the UK. She has led SRHR campaigns and community development programmes and is a World Contraception Day Ambassador and “120 Under 40” Global Family Planning Champion. She has completed postgraduate studies across multiple institutions and has been published widely, including as a TEDx UK speaker.

 Sigi is a GP partner in Edinburgh with over 20 years’ experience in Scottish general practice. Alongside her clinical work, she has worked with NHS Education for Scotland for over 17 years, developing and delivering educational programmes and training more than 1,000 future GPs. She is Clinical Lead for Leadership for Integration at RCGP Scotland and has contributed to national workforce and leadership initiatives. 

 Muminah is a Yoruba Nigerian-British Muslim writer, journalist and content creator. A graduate of the University of Edinburgh, she uses storytelling to amplify the voices of Black and Muslim women. She has written for publications including Black Ballad and The Scotsman, and performs poetry across the UK. She is founder and host of the Sister Station podcast and has received multiple awards, including the Young Scot Award for Culture & Entertainment.

 Ruth is a Senior Lecturer in Politics at Glasgow Caledonian University and a research leader at the Scottish Poverty and Inequality Research Unit (SPIRU). Her research focuses on deliberative democracy and community engagement to address social inequalities. She has highlighted women’s contributions to policymaking and has led projects funded by the British Academy, the Scottish Government and the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

“Miss M” campaigned successfully to abolish Scotland’s “not proven” verdict. Following her own experience of sexual violence, she pursued a civil case and later launched the #EndNotProven campaign with Rape Crisis Scotland. Her advocacy led to legislation passed in 2025 to remove the verdict from Scots law, effective from 2026.

 Cat is the Executive Director of Engender. She has spent over 20 years as an activist and leader in the NGO sector in the UK and internationally where she has focused on addressing inequalities experienced by women and marginalised communities. Her work has spanned the feminist, human rights, and HIV movements where she has collaborated closely with groups facing deep systemic injustice, stigmatisation and socio-economic exclusion, to secure policy and legislative change. 

 Katie  works on climate and development policy at United Nations Trade and Development. She was appointed a Commissioner on the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Commission in 2022. She has worked in academia and civil society, including with Oxfam, ActionAid and Boston University.

 Angela has been a gender equality and gender budgeting advocate for 25 years, she is a founding member of the Scottish Women’s Budget Group. She has worked across research and policy, including as Depute Director of the WISE Centre for Economic Justice at Glasgow Caledonian University, and is active in international feminist networks. 

 Sara is an award-winning writer of more than 20 books of historical fiction and non-fiction. Her work explores connections between past and present, often focusing on women’s history. Her novel The Fair Botanists (2022) was named Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year. Her 1950s mystery series has been widely recognised, and her recent work continues to explore Scottish history through women’s lives.

 Jenni is Chief Executive Officer of The Young Women’s Movement, Scotland’s national organisation for young women’s leadership and rights. She took up the role in August 2022, having previously participated in the organisation’s Young Women Lead programme and served on its advisory panel. Before becoming CEO, she was a Senior Development Officer at YouthLink Scotland. 

 Lynn is an unpaid carer and campaigner who works in the charity sector. She cared for her husband, Derek, until his death in 2022. She continues to support family members and remains engaged in politics and policy making. 

 Steph has a background spanning astrophysics, genomics, media and the third sector. She is a leader in ethical and inclusive AI and contributed to Scotland’s national AI strategy. She is co-founder and Director of Our AI Collective. She has been recognised among the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics and Top 10 Women in Tech in Scotland, and received the DataIQ Award for Data & AI for Good Champion.