International Women's Day is a time to celebrate the achievements of women. At SFHA, Eli Harji and Gillian Duddy go beyond their roles to make a difference, volunteering with organisations that empower women.
Gillian sits on the board of Women in Social Housing Scotland (WISH), and Eli is the Co-chair of Women in Public Affairs Scotland.
You’ve both chosen to take up voluntary roles seeking to empower other women and life them up, what attracted you to that?
Eli:
Women in Public Affairs Scotland (WIPA) is a network which aims to advance women’s representation and leadership in Scotland’s Policy and Public Affairs sector. Before joining SFHA, I worked in Public Affairs consultancy and learned of WIPA through colleagues. I could definitely see the areas of improvement in some of those spaces and was motivated to join to help spread the word. I was elected to co-chair at the end of last year by members and the advisory panel, so I’m really excited to be in that role and see where we can take WIPA next.
Gillian:
For me, Women in Social Housing Scotland are the voice of women in Scotland in the social housing sector, they work to influence change by empowering women to succeed at any stage in their career. What drew me to Women In Social Housing Scotland was the point I was at in my career. I wanted to be part of an organisation that actively creates opportunities, fosters confidence and provides a platform for women to network, progress and thrive within their roles in social housing.
Eli, the advisory panel you mentioned are women who’ve had long and incredibly interesting public careers, aren’t they?
Eli:
We’ve got a mix of women who have been part of the WIPA Scotland Executive Committee, but they include former Special Advisors, former MSPs, women from across the public affairs and policy sector in Scotland. They are a really diverse bunch and bring a lot of different perspectives.
For SFHA members, there is a lot of crossover in the work being done by WIPA, would you have a call to action for members?
Eli:
Whilst WIPA is maybe not as relevant to SFHA members as a network such as Women In Social Housing Scotland, there is a lot of crossover in the types of work being done, and regardless of the sector, there is always a good argument for making sure that women are visible and that they do have representation at every level, including senior and leadership levels.
Gillian, during your time with Women In Social Housing Scotland so far, is there anything you feel most proud of?
Gillian:
I’ve been part of Women In Social Housing Scotland since April 2024, I think the thing I’ve learned and am most proud of is that as women we support each other and share experiences, being part of a strong network can increase your confidence, I’m probably most proud building confidence to network at events, it’s a really encouraging network and its been great getting to know the other ladies on the board .
Do you have any advice for other women who might be keen to do similar things, join similar organisations but haven’t taken that step yet?
Eli:
Whether it’s WIPA Scotland or any other organisation, you won’t lose anything by going along to an event and trying. It might not be the thing that’s right for you, there might be something else out there, but just going along and talking to other women is the first step and that’s a no regret option. You can only have a good conversation, and you never know what it might lead to.
Gillian:
I would agree with that and would add that there’s a strong network within Women In Socal Housing Scotland so you have access to people at different stages in their career which you wouldn't necessarily have access to. The speakers at events are really inspiring and it’s a really welcoming space.
You can be inspired just by being a part of groups like Women In Social Housing Scotland and WIPA.
You can learn more about Women in Public Affairs here.
You can learn more about Women in Social Housing Scotland here.
