women's rights

Reform UK Scotland leader Malcolm Offord, left, and deputy Thomas Kerr.

Reform UK to force MSPs to vote on burqa ban in Scotland

Suffragette leader Sylvia Pankhurst, seen in 1921 shortly after she had been released from prison, is toasted at a celebration breakfast in East London. Picture: Topical Press Agency

A century on, why Pankhurst's fight for women's rights is not over Christine Jardine

Esther Rantzen, pictured in 2010, helped change attitudes to women in the workplace (Picture: Chris Jackson)

How Esther Rantzen changed the world for a generation of women like me Christine Jardine

Glasgow City Chambers

Damage of Glasgow fire and rehire threat could cost local elections

The Eiffel Tower was at the centre of controversy in France over women's rights (Picture: Riccardo Milani/Hans Lucas)

Society cannot pander to religions that hide women away Stephen Jardine

Unlike some Victorians, Robert the Bruce doesn't appear to have insisted that women were 'civilly dead' in relation to property matters (Picture: Culture Club)

Medieval Scots less sexist than Victorians? Old document suggests so Scotsman comment

Members of the Scottish Feminist Network outside the Court of Session, Edinburgh, in 2023 where the Scottish government was seeking to challenge the UK government's use of powers under Section 35 of the Scotland Act, which prevented the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill passed by Holyrood from gaining royal assent. The Scottish government lost.

Tickle v Giggle highlights the consequences of making truth unsayable Jenny Lindsay

Women may have played ceremonial roles in Ancient Greece but they had little real political power (Picture: Aris Messinis)

Ancient Greeks' practice of silencing women is alive and well today Susan Dalgety

Nicola Sturgeon

Nicola Sturgeon: 'My God, JK Rowling is obsessed with me'

Breastfeeding a baby, as depicted in Leonardo da Vinci's painting Madonna Litta, is one of the miracles of life (Picture: Miguel Medina)

JK Rowling right to warn about trans women ‘chestfeeding’ babies Susan Dalgety

Domestic abusers can eventually resort to murder or prompt their victims to take their own lives (Picture: John Devlin)

How Scotland is finally properly looking into domestic abuse deaths Karyn McCluskey

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to reform social care. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Scottish Labour needs answers - Burnham will depend on them in 2029

JK Rowling received a Ripple of Hope honour from the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights organisation in 2019, but later returned it after a row over trans issues (Picture: Bennett Raglin)

Why Amnesty International may not survive JK Rowling's 'burning' fury Murdo Fraser

Campaigners from For Women Scotland outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh

Genderist heads must roll as we hit 'find out' stage of 'mess around' Jenny Lindsay

Single-sex toilets are as important in Scotland as they are in places like Kenya (Picture: Richard Blanshard)

Amnesty's double standard on single-sex spaces in Scotland and Africa Susan Dalgety

JK Rowling

Rowling's rape support centre threatens court action against Amnesty

JK Rowling

Amnesty 'regrets' calling Rowling's rape support centre 'anti-rights'

Maternity services are in a state of crisis in Scotland (Picture: Christopher Furlong)

Maternity services have hardly improved in 50 years since I gave birth Susan Dalgety

JK Rowling

JK Rowling's rape support centre labelled 'anti-rights' by Amnesty

Doctor, teacher and campaigner for medical education for women, Sophia Jex-Blake.

New bid to honour leader of the Edinburgh Seven in home city

Politicians must not forget that strip clubs have an effect on the surrounding area (Picture: Shaul Schwarz)

What it's like to be a woman living near an Edinburgh strip club Susan Dalgety

Trans rights activist hold a rally in Edinburgh following the UK Supreme Court's ruling on gender (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell)

Why anti-trans campaigns may be just the start of attack on our rights Christine Jardine

Denise Mina is guest programmer of Bloody Scotland.

First ever all-female shortlist for Bloody Scotland debut prize

More than half of John Swinney’s new Cabinet are women (Picture: Peter Summers)

Holyrood can't dodge this question: how many MSPs are women, 55 or 56? Susan Dalgety

A protest outside the US Supreme Court earlier this year as the justices heard arguments about transgender athletes in women's sports (Picture: Oliver Contreras)

Why UK has become known as 'Terf Island' in US amid transgender debate Susan Dalgety

The victims of sex trafficking need help and justice (Picture: Adnan Beci)

Pimping websites are brazenly flouting the law against sex trafficking Tracy Gilbert

Mairi McAllan is set to stand in for John Swinney in BBC Question Time's Scottish election special (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell)

Increasing number of women at Holyrood comes down to one thing Scotsman comment

The Scottish Parliament

Holyrood election 2026: The women standing for election, in numbers

Joanna Cherry says she became ‘absolutely disgusted’ with the SNP

Joanna Cherry quits SNP after becoming 'ashamed of being a member'

For many young women, men focus too much on sex and not enough on political issues (Picture: Boryana Katsarova)

Why many young women will reject 'Sex Please, We’re British!' campaign Susan Dalgety

Holyrood election set to be a big step backwards for women in Scotland Stephen Jardine

Susan Smith, left, and Marion Calder, directors of campaign group For Women Scotland, celebrate after the Supreme Court ruled on April 16 last year that the words 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a 'biological woman and biological sex' (Picture: Dan Kitwood)

Despite Supreme Court ruling, SNP still doesn't know what a woman is Malcolm Offord

Susan Smith, left, and Marion Calder, right, co-directors of For Women Scotland, celebrate with campaigners outside the Supreme Court in London after it ruled the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act refer to a biological woman and biological sex

One year on, we must hope Supreme Court ruling will end 'gender wars' Jenny Lindsay

Campaigners are set to protest about single-sex spaces outside the Scottish Parliament (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell)

A year on, why is Labour stalling over Supreme Court gender ruling? Susan Dalgety

Six blokes in suits who want your vote: Alex Cole-Hamilton, Anas Sarwar, John Swinney, Russell Findlay, Ross Greer and Malcolm Offord of, respectively, the Liberal Democrats, Labour, the SNP, the Conservatives, the Greens and Reform UK, at an election hustings at RBS Headquarters

Why Scots will have to depend on male MSPs to improve the lot of women
There are 55 per cent more men standing in the Scottish Parliament election than women
Susan Dalgety

Thousands of women have benefited from the work of rape crisis centres in Scotland, but the network has been plunged into a crisis of its own by the transgender debate (Picture, posed by model: Dominic Lipinski)

How transgender debate has shattered rape crisis centre network Susan Dalgety

The statue of Lady Liberty on the Reformers Monument in Kilmarnock before it was topped in a storm

Why it's time to restore Scotland’s 'Statue of Liberty' in Kilmarnock Dr Marie Macklin

Men born when this photograph was taken in the 1950s are much less likely to think women should always obey their husbands than those born in recent years (Picture: George Marks/Retrofile)

Poll about Gen Z men suggests battle of sexes is about to get nasty Susan Dalgety

A 19th-century depiction of the 1545 Battle of Ancrum Moor, depicting a likely invented story about a Scottish woman known as Maid Lilliard who fought in it (Picture: Print Collector)

Stop calling Henry VIII's war against Scotland the 'Rough Wooing' Dr Amy Blakeway

Gertrude Herzfeld, the daughter of Jewish Austrian émigrés, became the first practising female surgeon in Scotland

How women made amazing surgical advances despite official sexism Lorna Marson, Lesley Dawson and Heen Shamaz

Self-styled 'Nice People' need to admit why gender debate is so toxic Jenny Lindsay

Dr Beth Upton

Trans doctor involved in Sandie Peggie tribunal leaves NHS Fife

Rachel Reeves and Bridget Phillipson represent the ‘girl boss’ strand of feminism, says Susan Dalgety (Picture: Anthony Devlin)

Why Labour’s ‘girl bosses’ are as big a problem as their ‘boys' club’ Susan Dalgety

Trains and stations should be safe for people to use (Picture: Peter Summers)

Why SNP is right to consider banning violent thugs from the railways Scotsman comment

Scotland should be looking to build more prison capacity to ease the overcrowding crisis (Picture: Victoria Jones)

Jailed for 3 years, out in 10 months: SNP's disastrous prison policy Murdo Fraser

The SNP has supported a Bill from the Greens to ban greyhound racing, even though there is no greyhound racing in Scotland (Picture: Justin Tallis)

How the SNP just showed they value dogs more than women Susan Dalgety

Co-directors of For Women Scotland Susan Smith, Marion Calder and Trina Budge (left to right) outside Parliament House in Edinburgh, ahead of the start of a judicial review hearing over the Scottish Prison Service's policy for management of transgender inmates

Trans prison policy 'could see men seek move to nicer women's jails'

Co-directors of For Women Scotland, from left, Susan Smith, Marion Calder and Trina Budge outside Parliament House in Edinburgh ahead of the start of a judicial review hearing over the Scottish Prison Service's policy for management of transgender inmates

SNP using women as pawns with Orwellian trans prison rules, court told

Police speak to a trans activists who blasted music at a For Women Scotland demonstration outside the Scottish Parliament.

Police can't say how much was spent investigating trans umbrella row

The Scotsman Top Stories

Scotland has failed to meet its latest target for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the latest official figures show. Picture: John Giles/PA Wire

Fail: Scotland misses climate target

Pro-independence protesters with Scottish Saltire flags (top) march for Scottish independence. Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images

Yousaf: Growing popular support for Yes the only way to Scottish independence

Nadine Dorries. Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

SNP MP cleared of bullying Nadine Dorries