Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)

Meeting date: Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Official Report 982KB pdf

Time for Reflection

Good afternoon, colleagues. We begin our week’s business, as always, with time for reflection. Our time for reflection leader today is Miss Miriam Hussain, young women lead committee member. Miss Hussain is delivering her time for reflection remotely.

Thank you, Presiding Officer, and thank you to Linda Fabiani MSP for nominating me to represent this year’s young women lead cohort. Members of Parliament, welcome to my home in Fife at my parents’—Fateh and Fatima—shop, Leslie Mini Market.

Young women lead is a leadership programme that aims to give young women between the ages of 16 and 30 in Scotland the opportunity to form a committee and lead an inquiry on a topic of our choice in partnership with YWCA Scotland and the Scottish Parliament.

There is a lack of Scotland-specific data regarding black, Asian and minority ethnic women’s experiences in education and employment, which is why this year’s cohort has chosen to help fill that gap. Our chosen topic, the transition from education to employment for young BAME women, holds particular significance as all 24 committee members are women from minority ethnic communities living in Scotland.

The power that a community of peers like ours can hold is what led me to young women lead. From primary school to university, I had never shared a classroom with a fellow south Asian. Instead of questioning that, I distanced myself from my Pakistani heritage, unknowingly harming myself to fit in. I latched on to the idea of being unique, finding a shameful comfort in hearing my classmates say, “You’re nothing like your family”.

Lack of role models and peer support played havoc with my self-confidence and mental health as a Scottish Pakistani Muslim. I could not articulate my aspirations or commit to career goals; I couldn’t envision who I wanted to be. Longing to belong, I began a south-Asian society during my final year at Edinburgh Napier University and from that pivotal moment everything changed. I found home within myself through peer support. Reflecting on shared experiences allowed me to the see the magic in my normal.

Now, young women lead is teaching us how to use our political voice. It is empowering to hold an inquiry for young BAME women, by young BAME women. In light of Covid-19, and with the Black Lives Matter movement gaining momentum into mainstream consciousness, the support from young women lead continues to be monumental. Currently in our research stages, we ask that everyone listening shares our surveys to help to inspire positive changes for young BAME women in Scotland.

From our communal garden here at my parents’ shop, we thank you for your leadership at this poignant time and wish you all a safe summer.

Thank you, Miss Hussain, for joining us from Fife.