Title: The Feminist Call: Care Through Cooperation

Author: Saorla Hanley

Year: 2025

Abstract: The Feminist Call, an imagined intersectional feminist zine, sets the scene in this issue for my MArch thesis design project. Focusing on the continuing concern of the neglect of women’s health, the issue explores the fictionalised Women’s Health Activist Hub, run by a hypothetical feminist activist group, HER Impact, based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

The first chapter investigates how women are left behind by our healthcare system, aligned with how Rochdale, as a ‘left behind place’ in the north of England. The area’s failing NHS services indicate a dire need for a new care system, facilitated by the Women’s Health Hubs proposed by the UK Government in 2022. The zine intersectionally dissects the guidance’s priorities to address the specific and diverse needs of the women in Rochdale. The second chapter explores the thesis project’s critical positioning, through theories of care relationships in a healthcare context. Chapter Three examines case studies, both political and architectural, to build a foundation for the Women’s Health Activist Hub. To build a contextual basis, Chapter Four looks at the local demographics of health and ethnicity and the specific site conditions. The final chapters explore the architectural implications of the project, through programme, language, massing and environmental intentions.