London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Sep 12, 2025

Men must challenge misogynistic behaviour, says Nicola Sturgeon

Men must challenge misogynistic behaviour, says Nicola Sturgeon

Scotland’s first minister says society should stop expecting women to fix problems of sexism and harassment
Men across Scotland must challenge themselves and one another over misogynistic behaviour, Nicola Sturgeon has said, as she called for events of the past few weeks to mark a turning point “where we stop expecting women to fix these problems, and put the full glare where it belongs, on men who behave in a deeply unacceptable way”.

Sturgeon was responding to a question at first minister’s questions on Thursday about Rhona Malone, a former firearms officer who was found by an employment tribunal to have been victimised by Police Scotland colleagues in a “horrific” workplace culture condemned as an “absolute boys’ club”.

The Scottish Labour MSP Daniel Johnson asked if further investigation was needed into the culture within Police Scotland.

Commending Malone’s bravery, Sturgeon said the tribunal findings “should trouble all of us” and welcomed Police Scotland’s subsequent statement pledging to act on them.

But she went on: “It’s really important that we do not assume any case like this is necessarily an isolated incident. And secondly, that we do not assume that any organisation in our society, however well respected, is somehow immune from the misogynistic culture that pervades our whole society.”

Sturgeon told MSPs there had been “too many painful reminders” in recent weeks of the spectrum of abuse that women experienced, from inappropriate comments through to discrimination in the workplace through to violence and serious sexual assault.

“I hope we are finally at a turning point where we stop expecting women to fix these problems, and we put the full glare where it belongs, on men who behave in a deeply unacceptable and misogynistic way.”

To applause from across the chamber, she concluded: “I would say to all men in this chamber and all men across the country: challenge it if it’s on the part of other men that you know, challenge your own behaviour, and then let’s collectively turn the corner so that women can live free of the fear of harassment, abuse, intimidation, violence, and in the worst cases, death.”

Her remarks come amid ongoing institutional soul-searching about how best to tackle street harassment and violence against women following the deaths of Sarah Everard, Sabina Nessa and countless others. In Scotland, Malone’s case, which concluded earlier this week, has likewise heightened concerns about sexism within the police force.

A Scottish government working group led by Helena Kennedy is considering whether misogynistic abuse should be a separate crime, and last weekend the Scottish justice secretary, Keith Brown, said he believed such a move would be a “very important signal that these behaviours are not acceptable in society from men”.

There have been calls for similar legislation in England and Wales, spearheaded by the Labour MP Stella Creasy, and in March the UK government announced it would require police forces across England and Wales to collect data on crimes apparently motivated by hostility towards women.

This week, Boris Johnson said he did not support calls to make misogyny a hate crime, saying there was “abundant” existing legislation to tackle violence against women.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
×