THE UK Government unveiled a new piece of legislation last week.

It proposes to make asylum claims from those who travel to the United Kingdom on small boats inadmissible.

Whatever justification UK ministers offer for this so-called Illegal Migration Bill, the reality is chilling – it would remove the right of people fleeing conflict and persecution to seek refugee protection in the UK, and in the process increase their risk of exploitation and destitution.

The UN Refugee Agency has been blunt in its assessment, saying that the Bill would amount to “a clear breach of the Refugee Convention and would undermine a longstanding, humanitarian tradition of which the British people are rightly proud”. They have urged the Government to reconsider.

It is appalling – though sadly not surprising – that the Tory government at Westminster has introduced legislation of this nature, especially as they know it is unlikely to comply with the Human Rights Act and will just add to the damage already inflicted on the UK’s reputation as a place of refuge, and further undermine its credibility with international partners.

However, the worst thing about it is the impact it would have on some of our most vulnerable fellow human beings. It is vital that there are safe, legal routes to support people fleeing unimaginable circumstances, and it is abundantly clear that these proposed measures do not offer that. Nor will they achieve the change that is desperately needed in the asylum system to make it fit for purpose.

I believe that the majority in Scotland want to offer a place of welcome to those seeking asylum, and will therefore stand opposed to this shameful piece of legislation.

On a more positive note, last week women across the world took part in events to mark International Women’s Day. It’s an occasion I always enjoy marking and this year I was able to reflect on the many areas of progress for women in Scotland.

Our Scottish Parliament was the first in the world to legislate for free period products, and the first to introduce a Women’s Health Plan. The Scottish Government has promoted women’s rights through our support for families, including the ‘game-changing’ Scottish Child Payment, and stronger protections against domestic abuse. State funded childcare for three and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds is now almost double what it was a few years ago.

All of these steps forward are important, and make a real difference to women and families in Scotland. However, there is much more to do – gender equality is still very much an unwon cause.

For example, more needs to be done to combat the pernicious impact of misogyny which women and girls still experience, both in person and on social media platforms.

To mark International Women’s Day, the Scottish Government published a consultation on new laws to provide police and prosecutors with extra powers to tackle misogyny.

The proposals are based on recommendations made by the Working Group on Misogyny led by Baroness Helena Kennedy. The Group concluded that the harmful effects of misogyny are not adequately dealt with by current laws and that reform is needed to give women and girls protection against behaviour that leaves too many living in fear and limits our potential.

The consultation is open until June, and I would encourage anyone with an interest to participate.

These proposals to strengthen the law against misogyny are part of a series of forthcoming changes designed to make the criminal justice system work more effectively for women – a priority which has been a focus for Government in recent years.

For example, we have already legislated to ensure that victims of rape and sexual assault are able to access forensic medical examination without first making a report to police.

But we know that there is still much more to be done – and that is why we have pledged to introduce a new Criminal Justice Bill into Parliament before the summer.

One important strand of this legislation is a proposal to give a right of free, independent legal representation to victims of sexual offences in cases where applications are made to lead evidence about their sexual history.

This is one especially intrusive aspect of criminal procedure, and I hope that these reforms will make a difference in addressing the systemic barriers to justice that women often face when they have been victims of rape or sexual assault.

However, to return to a point I made earlier, for all of the significant challenges we still face in the battle for true gender equality, we can and should take pride in the very real achievements in Scotland over recent years.

Whether through our social policies, or the promotion of equality in the workplace, or improving the experience of, and outcomes for, women in criminal justice system – in all these areas and others, there has been real progress for women. I remain optimistic that we can continue that progress in the months and years ahead. Obviously, I am preparing to step down as First Minister, but these are issues I will continue to champion as strongly as I can.