OVER the last few days, we have all been shocked and saddened by the dreadful terrorist atrocities that took place in Paris on Friday night.

Sympathy with the families and friends of those who lost their lives and a feeling of solidarity with the people of France have been our overwhelming emotions.

As first minister, I have overseen resilience meetings to make sure that, here at home, we are learning lessons and doing everything possible to keep people safe.

Above all else, we must resolve to make sure that the terrorists don't succeed.

They want to divide us and destroy the freedoms we value.

We must stand united as a community at home, and with France, to make sure that they fail - now and for all time.

Events in Paris will continue to cast a shadow for a long time to come.

But, separately, this week also marks one year since I became First Minister.

It’s hard to believe how quickly time has flown in – but every minute has been a privilege.

12 months ago, Scotland was energised from the experience of the independence referendum – and although the result wasn’t the one I wanted, I was determined that we maintain that political engagement.

I’ve strived to be Scotland’s most accessible First Minister – and by hosting regular Facebook Q&As, and public Cabinet meetings outside Edinburgh, I and my colleagues have been able to engage directly with thousands of people across Scotland.

And through speaking to so many people, I know that there is a deep desire to make Scotland a fairer country and improve opportunities for all.

Indeed, when I was sworn in I pledged that tackling inequality was my top priority.

I am Scotland’s first female First Minister, and the fact that the three largest parties in the Scottish Parliament are now led by women sends a very positive message to girls and young women about the opportunities open to them.

But there’s still much more to be done on gender equality.

I’ve tried to lead by example, by appointing a gender-balanced cabinet, and the SNP have taken steps to ensure we have many more female candidates standing in the election next year.

Just last week I announced that, when the powers are devolved from Westminster, we’ll legislate for gender-balanced boards in the public sector, and encourage the private sector to follow suit.

The attainment gap in our schools is still too wide, so we’ve set up a £100m attainment challenge fund focussing on areas with high deprivation.

A number of councils – including Glasgow – are benefitting from that additional resource.

And I’m particularly pleased that the Living Wage is becoming firmly embedded in Scotland.

When I came to office, there were around 30 living wage accredited employers in Scotland.

Today, they number more than 380, and 81 per cent of the Scottish workforce are paid at least the living wage – the highest proportion in the UK.

I’m also very aware of the importance of access to good quality childcare to enable parents to get out to work.

I was extremely proud that this year we’ve expanded our free childcare policy to 600 hours for two-year-olds from low-income households.

I’ve also confirmed that funding for free nursery places will double over the term of the next parliament.

None of these initiatives will solve the challenges Scotland faces overnight, but they are strong foundations which will reap long-term benefits.

Of course, much of what happens in Scotland is still decided at Westminster – much as I’d like to change that – but compared to this time last year, Scotland has a much louder voice in the House of Commons.

The general election campaign was one of the most exciting I’ve ever been involved in, and I was glad to be able to use the TV debates to make Scotland's voice heard.

For years many Scottish MPs were elected, went down to Westminster and were rarely heard from again – but whether it’s on austerity, on welfare cuts or plans to scrap the Human Rights Act, the SNP is now providing real and effective opposition.

As I look back on my first year as First Minister, I feel an enormous sense of privilege about some of the inspiring people I’ve been able to meet and some of the work I’ve undertaken.

But as I look forward, I know that here is much work still to do.

In many ways, I feel like I’m just getting started and I look forward eagerly to the challenges that lie ahead.