A women-only gym is running a self-defence course to help women feel safer and more confident.
Sophia Hassan, founder of 4 The Girls Gym, says that due to the "increase in racism" in the last year and far-right protests that have taken place in Glasgow in recent months, conversations have been "sparked" in the gym, leading her to launch the eight-week course, which started this week.
She told the Glasgow Times: "My members have spoken about not feeling too safe, and I wanted to do something about it.
"I don't do self-defence myself, so I hired a black belt in karate who is super experienced and has so much to give the girls.
"The course is to help girls feel safe and equipped should they ever need to use those self-defence skills."
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She continued: "They said they were not comfortable walking home alone at night, they don't feel safe going to late classes, and they avoid certain areas in Glasgow, all because of the riots and protests."
Sophia says she first became aware of how some women were feeling after one member told a coach she has been choosing to dress in more colourful clothing to try and "not be a target" for racists.
She says she found it "heartbreaking" to hear the fear women have and "how badly they felt on the inside".
The 25-year-old said: "It was really surprising even for me, who's worn a hijab for years.
"I'd never heard of someone doing this.
"She said she threw away black hijabs because she believed if she wore black, people would perceive her as someone to be scared of.
"For me, even as a hijabi woman, I never thought it would go as far as your clothing choice and how that dictates pretty much every other decision you make.
"A lot of women in my gym are highly educated, career-focused and still they have shown vulnerability because I've facilitated a safe environment in my gym for these conversations to happen."
It comes as the Glasgow Times has launched its series Action Not Words - Time for a Safer Glasgow for Women, which is calling on everyone, from individuals to public bodies and the government, to do more to prevent violence against women and girls.
Sophia, who grew up in the Southside, has been a personal trainer for seven years and opened 4 The Girls Gym in January, as she believed women's needs in fitness were treated as an "afterthought".
She says she wanted to create a space where women are able to "feel powerful in our bodies without pressure or comparison".
Sophia said: "I opened my gym to bring together a community of women who would otherwise not feel welcome in a gym environment.
"A lot of my clients are women of colour and especially women who wear hijabs.
"We opened in the Southside of Glasgow, which has a very diverse community of girls.
"I wanted to create a space in the Southside where girls can come not just for their fitness but also to create friendships, socialise and have a third space outside of work and home."
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The eight-week self-defence course will see members do a mixture of both self-defence and boxing classes, and it has been met with enthusiasm from gym-goers.
Sophia said: "We've had a lot of sign-ups for the course.
"A lot of the girls are really excited that something like this has happened at the gym because a lot of self-defence or MMA is held in mixed gyms.
"For it to be in a women-only gym gives them a little extra comfort and a boost of confidence to push themselves a wee bit more."
The self-defence course at 4 The Girls Gym, in Polmadie, costs £150 for eight weeks.
You can find out more at 4thegirls.co.uk.
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