All female candidate list for MSYP elections in March.

Girl power is set to take centre stage in Orkney next month - with an all-female candidate list for the upcoming Scottish Youth Parliament elections in March.

Six girls are campaigning for votes to become Orkney's two Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs), as the voting officially opens for the 2019 SYP Elections.

Orkney's candidates are Maya Tams-Gray from Rendall, Hope Laing from Finstown, Emma Grant from Kirkwall, Elizabeth Gorn from Kirkwall, Shavon More from Kirkwall and Rachel Evans from Shapinsay.

The Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) is the democratically elected voice of Scotland's young people. It provides a national platform for young people to discuss issues important to them and affect the change they wish to see.

Cheryl Rafferty, from the Council's Community Learning and Development Team said: "Coming off the back of the Year of Young People, youth empowerment is on a high in Orkney just now. We have had two excellent MSYPs representing Orkney this past term, and I'm sorry to see them both standing down. However, this leaves open an excellent opportunity open for two new young people to step up and represent young people in Orkney at a national level.

“Following the success of the Year of Young People, more people are seeking ways to have improved engagement and involvement with young people and the Scottish Youth Parliament is one of these, so I am delighted to have six young people standing in this election.”

SYP was influential in helping secure votes for 16-year-olds in Scotland, and has also been a key voice in the campaign for equal marriage through its Love Equally campaign. SYP’s current campaign, All Aboard, focuses on improving public transport services for Scotland’s young people, calling for reduced fares, increased accessibility for disabled passengers, and higher bus standards.

The voting period will take place between Friday 15 March 2019 and Friday 29 March 2019. School pupils will cast their votes in school but anyone aged between 12 and 25, can cast their vote online, using their young Scot card number, on the Scottish Youth Parliament website.

The results will be announced on 29 March.

Further information on candidates standing for election and how to vote in their area or organisation can be found on the Scottish Youth Parliament website.

The Scottish Youth Parliament is the democratically elected voice of Scotland’s young people, campaigning on the issues that matter most to Scotland’s young people, and MSYPs are drivers of positive change.

The Scottish Youth Parliament hold elections every two years for its membership.