This Is Why Glasgow Is Being Called “The UK’s First Feminist City”

Glasgow is being hailed as "the UK's first feminist city" after councillors passed a game-changing town planning motion.

Submitted by Green councillor Holly Bruce, the motion states that women should be "central to all aspects of planning, public realm design, policy development and budgets".

Though the motion is the first of its kind in the UK, it's also firmly rooted in common sense. Because town planning has historically been led by men, many practical and safety considerations that are particularly relevant to women have been overlooked or sidelined. For example, improving street lighting to make the city safer for women after dark is just one way in the motion could have a real (and relatively quick) impact.

"Safety is one of the aspects of feminist town planning, but it's also about accessibility to public spaces and public services and affordability," Bruce told The Scotsman ahead of the motion being debated in Glasgow's city chamber. "Walking from A to B can be a bit of a nightmare for a lot of women, for example, disabled women, those who have children."

After the motion was passed by her fellow councillors on Thursday (27th October), Bruce said: "I'm delighted that our motion received unanimous support from across the chamber today and it's so exciting to consider how much better Glasgow can become with a feminist approach to designing our city.

"For too long, our streets, parks and buildings have been designed by men. The apparently 'gender-neutral' approach that we’ve used for centuries has meant that the male perspective has become the default."

This is the second time in recent months that Scotland has led the way on feminist issues. In August, it became the first country in the world to make period products free for absolutely everyone.