Our Board

Agnes has been an active campaigner in the women’s movement for over 30 years, campaigning for equal pay and increased political and public representation for women.

During the 1990s, Agnes was involved with a coalition of women in Scotland for the establishment of a Scottish Parliament and campaigned with the STUC Women’s Committee for a 50/50 gender balance. She was also an active anti-apartheid campaigner, visiting South Africa with the first all women delegation.

Agnes has also been the Chair of the STUC Women’s Committee, Chair of Unite the Union Scotland Women’s Committee, a member of the UNI Global World Executive Board and their World Women’s Committee. Agnes is a past President of the STUC and was the recipient of the STUC Women’s Meritorious Award in 2012 and received a TUC Gold Badge for Service to Women in 2013.

Suzanne lives in Glasgow and has worked in social housing since 2002 and has been on the board of the SWC since 2010. She is employed as the Senior Housing Manager for a Scottish Local Authority responsible for ensuring the council provides safe and secure homes for all council tenants. In addition to landlord services, Suzanne is also responsible for homeless services, regulation of the private housing sector, factoring and the provision of emergency and supported housing. Suzanne is also the Strategic Housing Lead for all tenures, focusing on access to affordable, sustainable housing and supporting independent living.

Sarah has been involved with the SWC for numerous years. Prior to joining the Board, Sarah was an active volunteer for the organisation, attending roundtables and roadshow events. She is heavily involved with Unite the Union, where she sits on the Regional Women’s Committee, the Disabled Workers Committee and the Scottish Executive Committee.

Patricia worked for Anniesland College for 25 years as a coordinator of their outreach centre in Ruchill. She currently serves as Secretary of the Glasgow Trades Union Council and is also a member of the STUC’s Women’s Committee. Patricia has a strong interest in promoting increased rights for those with disabilities, as well as a passion for eliminating violence against women and girls.

Mary retired after 45 years of an amazing career in Nursing and Midwifery, which has led to clinical, managerial and teaching experience across Scotland, Malawi and New Zealand. She has been privileged to meet, care for and work with many different women from all backgrounds, learning from them about their lives and promoting their rights. Mary continues to teach health and social care with the Open University which empowers many women to enter higher education and positively change their career prospects. She has also been involved with SWC for around 12 years, joining the board in 2022.

Could you tell us what your main area of interest is within the women’s movement?

“My main area of interest is women’s health and wellbeing, promoting truthful information and choice, to promote self-awareness and confidence.”

Margaret brings a range of skills and experience within the field of women’s rights, advice and community work to the SWC Board, through working with adults and young people on a wide range of issues. Speaking both French and English, Margaret is skilled in teaching language, as well as using this within her role as a Community Learning and Development Practitioner within diverse communities.

Margaret currently works at Waverley Care as a Community Engagement Coordinator, raising awareness around HIV; delivering information about transmission and prevention. She has also used her range of skills to raise money for global causes, including children’s rights and is Chair of Women in Action Global and a UK Ambassador for the ‘My Body is My Body’ Programme.

Girijamba has a PG Dip in Community Education, and a degree in Economics. She has worked extensively with minority ethnic organisations and has been working with Shakti Women’s Aid for the past 17 years, where she is currently the manager. Prior to her work at Shakti, she worked for the Fife Racial Equality Council, and was also involved with the Fife Advocacy Project and the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Currently, Girijamba sits on the Scottish Government’s Forced Marriage Network Group and was actively involved in drafting the Forced Marriage etc. (Protection and Jurisdiction) (Scotland) Act 2011. She is also an active member of the National No Recourse to Public Funds Campaign Group and involved with the Violence Against Women Partnership.

Caroline joined the SWC Board in 2022, after working within Financial Services for 40 years. During this time, Caroline served as a business leader, building and delivering high performance teams. She has also supported and volunteered with the SWC for over 10 years, serving as a member of the team for two and a half years. While working with the SWC she utilised the numerous skills gained throughout her career to support the team, and advocate for the organisation.

Could you tell us what your main area of interest is within the women’s movement?

“During my varied career in Finance, I regularly witnessed discrimination and inequality. But I am proud to say that as the women’s movement continues to drive global action on gender equality, we are seeing more women represented in prominent positions. It is this representation that I continue to be a passionate advocate for.”