Nicola Sturgeon’s women problem

It seems that Scotland isn't the only thing failed by the SNP. Britain's greatest grievance-merchants are (rightly) being hauled over the coals today for their treatment of Patrick Grady's male victim, after Ian Blackford told a room of MPs last Tuesday that the disgraced sex pest had their 'absolute full support.'

One of those who expressed support for Grady was fellow nat Amy Callaghan who is now, apparently, 'truly sorry' after telling the meeting that the SNP should be 'rallying together around' Grady. And all it took was a leaked recording and a public outcry — truly, the definition of contrition.

Don't worry though: it's not just men that the SNP are failing. For the party, which claims to have 'a proud record of fighting for gender equality while in government,' has demonstrated the same tact, care and decency with which they treated Grady's case in their handling of women's health.

For today's Scottish Sun reports that the words ‘women’ and ‘girls’ have been erased from a Scottish Government-backed advice leaflet teaching youngsters about periods. The taxpayer-funded Young Scot information instead calls women 'those of us that have both our ovaries and a womb' and 'half the world’s population'.

Meanwhile, information for males about puberty and their voice breaking refers to them as ‘men’ and 'boys’. The news has, understandably, provoked something of a backlash in a country where women's rights groups regularly voice concerns about being erased by a public health system that seems uninterested in their concerns.

But with exquisite timing comes Nicola Sturgeon's travel plans on the exact same day. For the First Minister is today travelling abroad (again) to Italy to attend the Global Women Leaders' Summit. This is despite the fact that international relations is a reserved power for Westminster and the apparent reluctance of her government to even say the word 'women.'

Discussions are set to focus on 'protecting women's rights' and 'driving gender equality.' Let's just hope there's some time for questions among all the grandstanding, eh Nicola?