She said it is now “much harder for women to operate in a much more combative political environment” than when she was first elected to Holyrood a decade ago. Gilruth spoke about the “challenges” as she visited Dundee on Wednesday, telling journalists: “Things have changed and I think ultimately that is probably to the detriment of women and minorities.” She said: “We’re living in much more hostile times, that actually it is much harder for women to operate in a much more combative political environment than existed, for example, when I was first elected. (Image: Robert Perry/PA Wire)“Things have changed and I think ultimately that is probably to the detriment of women and minorities.” Adding that politics “can be quite a challenging environment”, the Deputy First Minister highlighted the problem of abuse on social media.