Judges: 2016
Sandy Brindley – National Coordinator for Rape Crisis Scotland
Sandy is the National Coordinator for Rape Crisis Scotland, which is the national office for rape crisis in Scotland. She is responsible for coordinating the work of the national office and informing the development of national policy, practice and legislation relating to sexual violence.
Rachel Adamson – Co-director for Zero Tolerance
Rachel is the co-director of Zero Tolerance and the gender equality lead at the Scottish Funding Council. Prior to her current roles, she had equality and diversity related roles in the public sector, volunteered with a range of LGBTI focused charities and spent 2010 working with the women and young people of Bangwe, a township in Malawi. In 2015 she completed a masters in gender studies in which she focused on the increasing presence of neoliberalism in education and its contribution to women’s inequality.
Neil MacKay – Editor of the Sunday Herald
Neil Mackay is the editor of the Sunday Herald, our media partner for this year’s awards. Beginning his career in Northern Ireland before moving to Scotland in the mid-90s, Neil has been with the newspaper since its launch in February 1999. He is also a film-maker, radio-broadcaster and author, whose books include All the Little Guns Went Bang Bang Bang, War on Truth, and The Wolf Trial
Nina Murray – Policy Development Officer for Scottish Refugee Council
Nina Murray is Women’s Policy Development Officer at Scottish Refugee Council. She leads on the organisation’s work to advocate for improved access to services for refugee and asylum seeking women in Scotland, and gender sensitive policy, practice and legislation as it impacts on the lives of refugees and asylum seekers living in Scotland. Nina is also Convenor of Engender, Scotland’s leading feminist organisation, and sits on the boards of Scottish Detainee Visitors and the Ngbotima Charity Trust, working to support young people through education in Sierra Leone.
Angela Alexander – Women’s Officer for NUS Scotland
Angela Alexander is NUS Scotland Women’s Officer for 2016/17, having previously served as Student President at Ayrshire College Students’ Association in 2014/15 and 2015/16. Prior to this, Angela studied HND Sports Coaching and Development and HNC Health Care at Ayrshire College. Angela sits on the NUS UK and Scotland Charity Boards and executive committees, as well as the Oversight an Direction Group for the College Development Project, run by NUS Scotland.
Angela’s priorities are ensuring that liberation is at the heart of NUS Scotland’s work, and ensuring that college students have a strong voice in NUS Scotland’s women’s campaign.
Outside of NUS, Angela sits on various working groups and policy committees for organisations including Engender and Equate, as well as representing students on the Scottish Government’s Nursing and Midwifery Group and the Scottish Funding Council’s Gender Governance Group.
Kirsty Strickland – Write to End Violence Against Women Bursary Winner 2015
Kirsty was the winner of our 2015 Write to End Violence Against Women Bursary. She wrote articles for The National and played a key role in helping us grow the profile of the Write to End Violence Against Women Awards and develop a year-round supporting campaign, raising the awareness of news consumers as well as journalists and empowering them to take action.
In addition to being a talented writer, Kirsty is a campaigner for women’s rights, a feminist and mother. You can find her work on Common Space, Bella Caledonia and The National.