1. The unmet potential of devolution

Talat Yaqoob FRSE is an award-winning campaigner, writer, and consultant who has worked on systems and policy change on a range of issues including women’s rights, migrant’s rights, anti-poverty, anti-racism and intersectionality.
 
She was previously the director of a national organisation focused on women’s equality in the workplace. She has a background in social research, training and development, campaign strategy and public participation in policy and democratic transformation. She is the founder of Pass the Mic, a national programme to tackle under-representation and misrepresentation of women of colour in media and influencing.
 
In 2014, she co-founded the cross-party campaign group Women 50:50, advocating for fair representation of women across politics. In 2019 she was presented with the “outstanding women of Scotland” award, and in 2021 she was appointed co-chair of the First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls. She is a media commentator on political and social issues, and has been a board member and chair for a number of charities focused on equality and international development.

Gender equality and gender budgeting advocate for 25 years. Founder member of Scottish Women’s Budget Group and other organisations with a focus on women’s economic justice. Engaged in international feminist and academic networks to promote gender equality and gender budgeting, including European Gender Budgeting Network. Former researcher and Depute Director of the WISE Centre for Economic Justice at Glasgow Caledonia University.