NICOLA Sturgeon made history as she was chosen as Scotland's first woman First Minister.

The Glasgow Southside MSP said she would be a First Minister for all of Scotland and felt a responsibility to women.

She said she would work with the others to pursue a social justice agenda and wanted to see equality and equal representation of women in parliament and public life.

Gender equality would be an ambition of her leadership and she hoped young girls growing up today wouldn't have to encounter such barriers when they are young women. She said: "My niece, who is in the public gallery today, with her brother and her cousins, is eight years old.

"She doesn't yet know about the gender pay gap or under-representation or the barriers, like high childcare costs, that make it so hard for so many women to work and pursue careers.

"My fervent hope is that she never will, that by the time she is a young woman, she will have no need to know about any of these issues because they will have been consigned to history.

"If, during my tenure as First Minister, I can play a part in making that so, for my niece and for every other little girl in this country, I will be very happy indeed."

She was congratulated in turn by Jackie Baillie representing Labour and the other party leaders Ruth Davidson, Willie Rennie and Patrick Harvie. She said she was willing to work with all to build a prosperous and fairer Scotland.

She said: "I will be First Minister for all of Scotland. Regardless of your politics or your point of view, my job is to serve you. I promise I will do so to the best of my ability."

Her husband, Peter Murrell, her mum, dad, sister and niece and nephews watched from the gallery and she waved and smiled at them often during the proceedings.