Women in West Dunbartonshire are being urged to get involved in politics by those behind a new initiative which aims to tackle gender imbalance in the Scottish political sphere.

The Scottish Parliament plans to open up its debating chamber on Saturday, September 7 to more than 400 women from across the nation for a day of action and inspiration.

The event aims to look at their roles and potential to have a voice in Scottish political life, inspiring women with high profile females already playing a key role in politics.

It will also seek to demystify the political process and help women better understand how they can influence politics in Scotland.

The initiative, called Scotland’s Women Stand, is being organised by the Parliament Project, which is a non-partisan project aiming to inspire, empower and encourage women to run for political office in the UK and YWCA Scotland: The Young Women’s Movement.

It seeks to take action to overcome boundaries and equip women for political office.

Women can sign up to attend online, and organisers are actively collaborating with third sector organisations to ensure the event is inclusive and accessible to women from all backgrounds.

Deputy Presiding Officer Linda Fabiani MSP, who will chair the event, said: “This event is for women up and down the country that have never thought about standing for political office, didn’t think it was for them and didn’t know that they had the power to make a positive difference to the lives of people in Scotland."

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