SNP councillors in East Renfrewshire have welcomed a new report which hails Scotland as the third best country in the world for women’s political representation.

Figures compiled by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) show that Scotland trails only Iceland and Nicaragua in terms of female empowerment.

The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2017 measures political empowerment by the number of women in parliament, in ministerial office and as head of government over time – with the UK ranked 17th in the world.

New analysis by SPICe has confirmed that, if Scotland was included on its own, it would be ranked third.

Angela Convery, SNP councillor for Barrhead, Liboside and Uplawmoor, said: “Despite the huge progress made in the last century, we still need to go further to achieve true equality.

“The SNP will continue to work towards a Scotland where every girl and woman can reach her full potential.”

Councillor Caroline Bamforth, who represents Newton Mearns South and Eaglesham, added: “A century after some women gained the right to vote, women are still fighting for equal representation in politics. This matters because it has an impact on all our lives.”