Where this began

It began with women talking and sharing their experiences and concerns in a space of solidarity.  We talked about the reality of living within multiple crises; whether it is the cost of living crisis, the lack of trust and dismantling of democracy, the influence of tech oligarchs, the climate crisis or the rise of the far-right. Across all of these crises, women are disproportionately harmed, and specifically targeted. This is especially true for working-class women, migrant and refugee women, women of colour, single-parents, carers, disabled women, lesbian, bi, and trans women, and those who exist at the intersections of many of these. These crises impact us most, yet increasingly, our lives are missing from the discourse, and globally, hard-won progress is being rolled back. 

It does not have to be this way. It should never be this way. And Scotland can take a different route, provided those with power have the courage and ambition to build an inclusive, feminist nation. That is the ambition of this book.

The book is an anthology which combines the expertise of personal and professional experience, written by brilliant women from across Scotland. 

Each chapter tackles a key issue and acts as an introduction through a feminist lens. Each chapter provides headline facts, an overview, and a range of potential solutions for policy and decision-makers to take forward. It is not just for reading, it is for doing. The chapters focus on:

• The opportunities of devolution
• Local politics and community participation
• Women's health
• Misogyny and objectification
• Poverty and the economy 
• Climate justice
• Immigration and asylum
• Built environment and spaces
• AI and tech
• Abortion rights
• Violence against women
• Criminal justice 

This books has been written as a labour of love. Co-editors and contributors were not paid for their inputs. No public funds were received by editors or contributors to produce this. A small grant has been awarded by the Open University to allow this publication to be open access upon its publication in late August 2026.

Building a Feminist Nation: Scotland in the Era of Polycrisis is published by Scottish Universities Press (SUP). As a book which goes beyond the traditional ‘academic’ volume, it retains rigour at its core. The peer review process for this manuscript has been completed in accordance with the SUP peer review policy. The proposal, together with two sample chapters have been double-blind peer-reviewed in advance of a publication recommendation from the SUP Editorial Board. Thereafter, the draft manuscript was double-blind peer reviewed, with feedback provided to the editors ahead of preparing the final submission of the manuscript. Each of the sets of review comments have shaped the final volume in content, coverage, authorship, and cohesion, as well as quality and rigour.  

Kim is Professor of Law at the University of Lincoln (UK). She is an internationally recognised expert on technology-facilitated violence against women (TFVAWG), and her work has informed parliamentary debates, international reports, policymaking, and legal developments in the UK, Europe, and internationally. She has advised a range of organisations including the Council of Europe, governments, tech companies and NGOs internationally on issues relating to TFVAWG, online violence, and platform regulation. Her research has been funded by RAi, ESRC, EPSRC and UKRI. Kim is an award-winning academic (Zero Tolerance 2020, AI Impact Awards 2026).  

Helen is a Senior Lecturer in History in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at The Open University.  Her research interests include comparative decolonisation, insurgency and counter-insurgency in the British Empire and the British colonial legal service. Her first book was published in 2015 under the title Ireland and the End of the British Empire: The Republic and Its Role in the Cyprus Emergency. It has since been published in paperback, both in English and Greek. She has served as an academic advisor on BBC and Open University partnership series such as Union with David Olusoga and The Women Who Changed Modern Scotland presented by Kirsty Wark. Her current research explores the use of emergency law in the post-WW2 British Empire and its impact on anti-colonial resistance and civil liberties. . 

Talat is a social researcher, strategist, and award-winning campaigner. She has worked across the civic society for over 17 years on a range of issues including access to education, mental health, violence against women, women's occupational segregation, anti-racism, and migrants' rights. Her focus is on embedding anti-oppression approaches, meaningful lived experience participation, and supporting organisations and groups to influence for change. She is the founder of Pass the Mic which exists to amplify the voices of women of colour.