Lowest Female Unemployment in Europe

As an amendment to motion S4M-13364 in the name of Christina McKelvie (Lowest Female Unemployment in Europe), leave out from "the comment" to end and insert " that the average woman working full-time in Scotland earns £95.60 a week less than her male counterpart; considers that occupational segregation remains a significant problem for women in Scotland, with 73% of female STEM graduates not working in the area of their qualification; further considers that many Scottish Government interventions in the economy have only reinforced these problems; understands that, in the Scottish Government’s flagship modern apprenticeship programme in 2012-13, 98% of construction apprentices were male and 97% of children’s care apprentices, female; further understands that many women in Scotland work on insecure zero-hour contract jobs, earn only the minimum wage and work in part-time employment; believes that many still take a cut in their pay grade and job status to find suitable flexible work; considers that cuts to college places have disproportionately impacted on women, with a reduction of 41% in the number attending since 2007-08; believes that the need for equality in the workplace is an aim that should be shared across all parties, and hopes that the Scottish Government will take further action to help broaden access to suitable work for women across Scotland".