INVERCLYDE Council’s women’s champion says her role must act as a catalyst for diversifying a male-dominated chamber ahead of elections next year.

Back in 2017, Councillor Quinn was voted in as one of just three female elected members, making Inverclyde the second-worst local authority in Scotland for female representation.

Some committees – such as environment and regeneration – have no female voice on them at all and many just have one.

In February 2019 the Gourock independent, having already establishing an internal women’s forum, was voted in as the council’s first women’s champion.

The role has allowed her to gather the views of women from right across Inverclyde and stand up for their views in the council’s decision-making.

She believes attitudes are changing and wants to highlight how under-represented women are at the Municipal Buildings in a bid to encourage change.

She said: “We’ve now got a dedicated person you can go to if you think there’s a women’s issue you want to speak about or you’re just not sure who to go to with a problem.”

"I think councillors are now used to women giving their views and having a say since this role was created.

“At the start [when I was elected], I had to correct some language that was being used [by men] because I felt I needed to call that out.

"I don’t think there was any malice in the language but if I didn’t make them aware then it wouldn’t change.

“I would like this to lead to women saying that what we need now is half the council to be women.

“It has raised awareness of the fact we are under-represented.

"Some people have realised there are some committees with no women on them and have been genuinely shocked.”

When the role came into being, Councillor Quinn set up a private Facebook group where women could discuss issues in Inverclyde which she could then take forward to committees.

The group has attracted around 300 members and their voices have already led to change in council policy.

On the back of a discussion within the group, Cllr Quinn managed to get a menopause policy introduced so female employees at the council knew they could speak up if they felt they needed support or time away if they were suffering from symptoms.

More recently, talks about women’s safety following the murder of Sarah Everard in Kent led to the local authority launching a survey on what could be changed in parks and on public paths to make ladies feel more secure.

Before her position was created, Mrs Quinn says speaking up was not always easy and could, at times, feel uncomfortable on a council with 19 men and three women.

She added: “Now when I raise things, I can do it as the women’s champion and I’m challenging something on behalf of the women of Inverclyde and that’s empowering.

“Even when I’m gone, that role has been established.

“But if I think there are still things I can achieve when elections come around, then I probably will stand again.”