A petition created by Amara Relf is seeking 100,000 signatures before June this year to place pressure on the UK government to pass legislation including misogyny as a hate crime.
The petition currently has almost 20,000 signatures just a month into its formation. Glasgow’s constituencies currently account for 270 signatures.
This comes after news that there has been a ‘surge’ in rape and sexual assault crimes in Glasgow in the past year.
In 2025, Glasgow rape cases increased by 41%, described as a ‘rape epidemic’.
The petition ‘Legislate crimes motivated by misogyny are hate crimes, fund support & training’ asks that ‘The Government should amend the Sentencing Act 2020 to record crimes motivated by misogyny as hate crimes and introduce tougher laws for online abuse, and fund the training of police and prosecutors, and support for survivors in education.’
It goes on to state that:
‘We want the Government to tackle anti-feminist hate groups that target and radicalise young people online. Many young women, especially students, face harassment, assault, and online abuse. Misogyny can fuel this violence, yet we believe current laws fail to address it directly. Recognising misogyny as a hate crime could protect victims, deter offenders, and send a clear message that gender-based hostility is unacceptable. It could also validate survivors’ experiences and help create safer environments in education and online, where young people are most vulnerable.’
In December of last year, it was reported that 137 rapes had been reported in the first two quarters of 2025/6 compared to 117 in the same period of 2024/5. Cases of attempted rape had increased by a whopping 100%.
Across Scotland, reports of rape and attempted rape increased by 15%.
Hillhead Review has previously reported on the 2022 Femicide Census, released in September 2025. The census revealed that most women killed were murdered by a current or former partner, and in their own homes.
The census also reported on the overwhelming number of women who experienced sexual abuse and/or domestic abuse before their murders; arguing that if gender-based violence is taken more seriously it could prevent femicide.
As the petition urges, placing the categorisation of hate crime on crimes motivated by misogyny could increase the seriousness with which these crimes are tried and sentenced, as well as introducing harsher laws for abuse, like online and verbal, that may escalate into physical abuse.
If you have experienced gender-based violence, help can be found at Rape Crisis Scotland and Scottish Women’s Aid.
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