8th March 2017. Members of the Scottish Kinship Care Alliance today joined groups of women from all over Britain to celebrate International Women’s Day and fight for women’s rights as carers, mothers and equals. Parallel protests happened in more than 50 countries globally addressing women’s rights and striking from home and workplace duties. The London event was organised by the Alliance’s close allies – Global Women’s Strike – alongside a variety of other groups including WASPI – Women Against State Pension Inequality, who made the long journey from Scotland.

Kinship care once again became a key issue as three SNP MPs joined the protest and stood with the kinship carers. Chair of the Alliance Micheliene Kane spoke to the large audience outside the Houses of Parliament highlighting the continuing disparity between formal and informal children in kinship care, despite the increase in support which carers have recently received after years of campaigning.

In 2016, 23 members of the Alliance joined the International Women’s Day protests in London, making the journey by coach, and spoke to MPs and others in an event inside Parliament. The feeling of solidarity between a wide variety of women’s groups including refugees, disabled women, African women’s groups, sex workers, carers and many others is very powerful and strengthening. We look forward to returning again next year!