Mollie McGoran - Young people leading the way in empowerment
Vice-Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP), Mollie McGoran, has been elected to her current role on April 2nd and has been striving for change ever since she started as a young activist.
Mollie McGoran, 20, is a law student, studying at the University of Dundee. She’s been an activist for young people for a very long time, with some of her involvements including the Year of Young People 2018. She was elected as a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYP) back in March of 2019 and has been active ever since.
She’s had many leadership roles throughout her time in SYP, such as going from being a Deputy Convener of the Transport, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee, to then being elected as Convener of that same committee, and soon after becoming a Conveners Trustee, sitting on the Board.
SYP is a youth-led organisation that is democratically elected, ages ranging from 12 up to 25, and the membership is made up of young people from across Scotland from different backgrounds and communities.
Mollie is not only one of the members, being an MSYP for Inverness and Nairn – previously from 2019 to 2021 being an MSYP for Caithness, Sutherland, and Ross – but she is now in a senior position as Vice-Chair.
When asked about what makes her empowering, she said
Mollie comes from the Highlands, living in a small area and she takes pride in the fact that she lives in a tight community where she gets to see a lot of female role models and leaders.
She also talked about how she grew up with three strong women in her household, how that makes her proud to share with people, and how it has shaped her as a person.
She spoke about how she comes from a small town and managed to come out of it and be more independent which also makes her feel empowering.
One woman that Mollie spoke to be empowering and inspiring to her is Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand.
She believes that she’s a strong leader who says exactly what’s on her mind and she speaks for the people of her country as their Prime Minister but also as a powerful leader.
She says what everybody is thinking, and she doesn’t shy away from hard questions that come her way.
Mollie spoke of the stereotype that when women speak up, they are bossy, while when men do so they are seen as dominant, and she said that Jacinda Ardern has shown how successfully she runs her country and ignores that stereotype and always speaking what’s on her mind.
She believes that women are amazing in whatever they do for themselves and in their lives. Mollie has respected all women that she has met in her life, knowing that they have all gone through barriers and challenges in their life. That to her is inspiring and deserves automatic respect.
When asked about how others should feel empowered, Mollie spoke about how it’s all about confidence in one's self, and it’s less about self-esteem.
Women must be confident in what they are doing and are taking up space where it's needed to push for change and be loud. Women need to support each other and bring each other up with them.
If you'd like to hear from Mollie directly, and/or to hear more about what she had to say, watch her video by clicking here.
