Opening the gate of opportunity

I hope that my election as First Minister does indeed help to open the gate to greater opportunity for all women.

I hope that it sends a strong, positive message to girls and young women - indeed, to all women - across our land.

There should be no limit to your ambition or what you can achieve.

If you are good enough and if you work hard enough, the sky is the limit - and no glass ceiling should ever stop you from achieving your dreams.

I watched proceedings from the Parliament today from the boardroom in SNP HQ. It is a room filled with history and it is a room where I have witnessed many historic moments. None more so than today watching Nicola being voted in as the first female First Minister. It was an exciting, emotional and proud experience.

My wow moment was when the Presiding Officer, a history maker in her own right as the first woman to hold that position, addressed and congratulated Nicola as First Minister. And shortly after the BBC flashed up the band along the bottom of the screen with the words "First Minister" as Nicola delivered her acceptance speech. That is pretty cool:-)

Her acceptance speech was outstanding and beautiful.

As Nicola spoke and delivered the words above I thought particularly of my Es. My beautiful daughter on the cusp of becoming a woman. And I thought that Nicola did not require to hope because what she has achieved from her background and through hard work and determination does indeed send a strong positive message to all girls and young women. In bucket loads.

When I returned home this evening I watched the speech again with Es. Just Es and me round the dining room table. The boys and Mr R were out. And I enjoyed it again in the company of my daughter and in the knowledge that our new First Minister will do all that is in her power to make the pursuit of a career a little easier for all our daughters and Scotland a better country for all her daughters and indeed sons:-)