Where does the new SNP leader, Humza Yousaf, stand on women’s and transgender rights?

Where the new SNP leader stands on women’s rightsJeff Mitchell – Getty Images

After Nicola Sturgeon announced her decision to step down last month, Humza Yousaf has today been announced as the new leader of the Scottish National Party, beating Kate Forbes and Ash Regan.

The vote means that the former cabinet secretary for health and social care will replace Sturgeon as party leader right away, and a vote by MSPs – due to take place tomorrow at Holyrood – will determine if Yousaf will take over as Scotland’s first minister.

Throughout his campaign, Yousaf was seen as the “continuity candidate” in terms of Sturgeon’s policies and leadership style – putting him in a strong position for the vote, given Sturgeon’s own popularity with SNP members.

So, how does Yousaf compare to his predecessor?

Humza Yousaf on women’s rights

In the lead up to his election as party leader, Yousaf pledged to “work ­tirelessly” to improve the rights of women and girls. Yousaf hopes to make abortion available up to 24 weeks in Scotland – given that some women are currently forced to travel to England for terminations later in pregnancy.

What’s more, Yousaf has vowed to “unequivocally” support legislation to set up buffer zones around abortion centres as well as continue to push forward on proposals to make misogyny an offence.

Yousaf has also promised to ­fast-track free early learning and childcare for children aged one and two, with the aim to help more women get back to work. He’s also pledged to extend childcare, if voted in as first minister tomorrow.

As for the impact his leadership will have on the women he works with, Yousaf has said he will follow Sturgeon’s practice of having half of all cabinet posts filled by women.

Pool – Getty Images

Humza Yousaf on transgender rights

Like Sturgeon, Yousaf is a firm supporter of transgender rights. In December, he was one of the 86 MSPs who voted in favour of the Scottish Gender Recognition Reform bill, which would have made it easier for trans and non-binary people to obtain a gender-recognition certificate (GRC).

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The bill was later blocked by the UK government, which Yousaf and others described as an “unprecedented attack” on the Scottish parliament. “I am firmly committed to equality for everybody because your rights are my rights regardless of who you are,” he said after the UK government’s use of a Section 35 order to block the legislation.

“My starting point is that I’ve been a minority in this country my whole life,” Yousaf continued. “I have understood that you have to fight for your rights, but my rights don’t exist in a vacuum or in isolation. They exist because other people’s rights exist too.”

However, Yousaf was previously forced to apologise for “any hurt caused” after the Scottish government sought to exempt “criticism of transgender identity” from hate crime laws. “We all want to ensure freedom of speech, including the freedom to disagree robustly with any policy, is protected. We also agree that this is not mutually exclusive to protecting the rights of people to be free from hatred,” he wrote in a tweet in 2021. “I apologise for any hurt caused – was not my intention.”

Humza Yousaf as SNP leader

Overall, Yousaf has vowed to lead Scotland “in the interests of all its citizens”, and says he will work “every minute of every day” to “earn and re-earn” their respect and trust.

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