Girlguiding Scotland held a four day initiative with inspiring women in a bid to help youngsters feel more confident about their job prospects

Inspirational women headed to guide camp this week to offer guidance to leaders of the future.

Aileen Campbell, Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Communities, was among those who attended Girlguiding Scotland’s first ever Camp CEO, a unique event to empower girls and young women.

A group of 60 girls age 14-18 took part in the first event of its kind to be run in Scotland. During the four-day residential at Netherurd, Girlguiding Scotland’s training and outdoor centre in the Scottish Borders, the girls received expert mentoring from inspiring women from across Scotland’s private, public, STEM, media and third sectors.

The girls developed their skills throughout the weekend with sessions in public speaking, leadership, goal-setting and more, getting to know the chief executives over the course of interactive challenges, culminating in some tasty smores over the campfire.

Camp CEO was created in response to research by Girlguiding which found that while 86% of girls age seven to 10 from across the UK say they have the same chance of succeeding in their careers as boys; by the time girls are 11-16, this declines to 54%. And for girls age 17-21 it drops to just 35%.

And a new study by Girlguiding Scotland found that while 54% of girls in Scotland would like to start their own business, a third though this would be harder because they are a girl. Similarly, while nearly two thirds (62%) of girls said they would like to be a leader in their chosen careers, 45% said they thought this would be harder because they were a girl.

Campbell said: “I know how important an inspiring and supportive mentor can be to break down barriers and raise aspirations and it’s been fantastic to see so many women across Scotland take up the call and reach out to support the next generation.

“We know there continue to be barriers to equality and there is still a long way to go to achieving equality in our workspaces, boardrooms and even in Parliament but I hope that initiatives like Camp CEO Scotland will help to show the next generation there really is no limit on what they can achieve.”

Melinda Matthews-Clarkson, chief executive of tech firm Code Clan, said: “I really enjoyed the opportunity to meet girls from all over Scotland and find out more about their goals and aspirations. The energy and enthusiasm they brought to team-building challenges was so impressive and it was brilliant to see their confidence grow.

“I know how valuable an inspiring a mentor can be so it’s great to see events like Camp CEO Scotland challenging the barriers to equality and encouraging every girl to aim high; I can’t wait to see what these girls go onto achieve in the future.”

Ruyuan, 14, from Edinburgh, added: “Camp CEO Scotland was an amazing experience. I’ve always wanted to go into science and technology but in the past I’d been put off because it can be such a male dominated field. But speaking to so many inspiring women from all different backgrounds, learning from their experiences and working with them on all our teambuilding challenges has given me the confidence to believe in myself and aim high.”