Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen and many thanks Linda for your kind introduction.
I would like to thank the Sensation Science Centre, the Scottish Crop Research Institute and the Universities of Dundee, Abertay and St Andrews for making today's event possible.
I am very pleased to be here for this celebration of Sensational Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. We should all acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of women which are showcased here until 20 March.
Introduction
Today the focus is on the achievements of women in the past. The ladies here from the Women¿s Land Army and Timber Corps are certainly worthy of celebration. It is great to see you all.
Real heroes are unassuming.
Nowadays, there is too much emphasis on a celebrity culture that is shallow and false. Sadly, too many embrace excess and desire adulation.
They are not role models, they are more idle idols.
In marked contrast, the women here this afternoon answered the call when their country needed them.
Like Scotland's brave ex-servicemen, some of whom I met at Erskine Hospital last month.
Like our brave service personnel in Afghanistan and Iraq. They put their country first.
Women¿s Land Army and Timber Corps
The Women's Land Army actually had its roots in the darkest days of the First World War.
Faced with food shortages because of German unrestricted submarine warfare, compounded by a dire harvest, the government¿s Food Protection Department set up the Land Army in 1917.
But following victory and the return of the men from overseas the first Land Army was disbanded in 1919.
Two decades later and the women were in demand again. Lady Denham, who had led the first Land Army, was again prominent. Appointed Director of the second Land Army in 1939 she emphasised that "The Land Army fights in the fields".
"The Battle for Wheat" was won by April 1940, even before the fall of France. Two million acres of grasslands were ploughed in readiness for the harvest.
Glamorous recruitment posters promised a "healthy, happy job". But as the ladies here will probably testify, the work was often heavy and dirty, while the hours were long.
The Land Army would only be disbanded in 1950. Over 100,000 women from all walks of life served.
Many were new to the countryside. Far from families and friends, suddenly billeted on farms or in hostels.
Through your cheerfulness and dedication, you kept Britain fed for a decade. You served in the fields, the forests and the milking parlours. It is impossible to set out all that you did.
For long hours you toiled - 48 hour weeks in winter, 50 hours in the summer; sometimes longer during the harvest.
You got a minimum wage - but it was much lower than what the men earned.
Some girls were so desperate to help that they lied about their age. The minimum age was 17 but younger girls successfully joined up.
Your uniforms may not have been the height of high fashion but they testified to your healthy, outdoor living. During these testing times you accepted austerity and did your bit.
Indeed, the Women's Timber Corps has been called the "Forgotten Corps". Formed in 1942 but again with roots in the First World War, this time in the Women's Timber Service.
It is said that girls as young as 14 became Lumber Jills. Much of the wood felled was used as mining timber - pit props, crucial for the mines powering the Home Front.
But after disbandment in 1946 the Corps was forgotten for six decades. Only in 2007 was a bronze memorial sculpture unveiled in the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, recognising the Corps' efforts.
What strikes me most is your enthusiasm. The sense that you viewed serving your country in its hour of need as a privilege.
The badge of honour issued by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in 2008 is some recognition of the nation's huge debt of gratitude for your determination and courage.
At a reception last July at 10 Downing Street for the Land Army and Timber Corps Gordon Brown made his feelings clear. He stressed that your efforts were "absolutely vital" and you "worked tirelessly to keep this country going".
International Women's Day
Today is also a significant day in the history of women's liberation.
Today is traditionally International Women's Day. On this day in 1917 the women of Petrograd (St Petersburg) took to the snowy streets. Their demonstration was one of the triggers of the Russian Revolution and the overthrow of the Tsar.
In addition to its socialist roots, International Women¿s Day is now recognised by the United Nations. Across the globe women still face all kinds of discrimination in their struggle for rights.
Which makes it all the more important for us to salute their economic, political and social achievements and support the rights of women in all parts of the world.
Heroes of Today
In concluding, I sometimes wonder who are the heroes in our midst today?
The hard work done by carers comes to mind.
They are certainly heroes to the people they help. Carers come in all shapes and sizes, vary in age, face different challenges but also want to do their bit. Indeed, many carers are men.
The statistics are quite startling.
Over 3 in 5 people in the UK will become carers at some point in their lives.
Over 660,000 people in Scotland are currently looking after friends or relatives.
According to Carers Scotland, over 600 Scots every week take on a caring responsibility.
They are unsung heroes in our midst, making all kinds of sacrifices in order to help.
Carers are not motivated by financial gain but from the wish to help their fellow human beings. I applaud their valuable contribution to our society - for they are the unsung heroes of the present
But we must never forget the achievements of our heroes of the past. For your efforts and sacrifices helped us overcome the deadly scourge of Nazism, the gravest threat of the 20th century.