THE lives of forgotten women who helped shape Glasgow's history - from shipyard workers to suffragettes - are to be celebrated.

The former city residents are to be brought to life as part of a walking tour in Glasgow's West End.

Some took on men's roles during World Wars while others made their mark by owning companies, campaigning for women's rights or just surviving in harsh conditions.

Glasgow Women's Library came up with the idea for the tour, which is part of next month's West End Festival, after delving into the lives of the city's women as part of their Women Make History group.

It features women who lived, worked or had an association with the West End and they hope it will be the first of many events aimed at raising awareness of forgotten heroines.

Adele Patrick, 45, lifelong learning coordinator for the centre, said: "Part of Glasgow's history should be celebrating its women as well as its men.

"Women have been very much involved in changing conditions for the better for all women. It's about how women made an impact in Glasgow. You will leave completely inspired by these characters."

More than 60 volunteers at Glasgow Women's Library have been involved in researching the lives of around 30 women whose stories will be told on the two-hour long tour.

They range from artist Margaret MacDonald, wife of Charles Rennie Mackinstosh and one of the Glasgow Girls group of artists, to Dorothée Pullinger, who designed and built a car especially for women which is now in the Museum of Transport.

Normal working women such as Big Rachel' from Partick, who was 6ft 4in tall and a forewoman in the shipyards, are also remembered.

Living women including poet Liz Lochhead and Windows in the West artist Avril Paton are also mentioned.

Tour guide Jean Girwood, 61, said: "We try to bring alive the history to modern women, showing things other women did for us in the past, such as suffragettes. We have brought in women from the 18th and 19th centuries, but women who are still alive are mentioned too.

"We are not talking about women's history in a stuffy sense. What I would like to see is the young women of Glasgow thinking how far we have moved on and what comparisons can we make from their life to our lives now.

"Another important thing is to keep these women's memories alive. We wouldn't be where we are today without these women."

Stopping points along the route include the Suffragette Oak, which was planted in Kelvin Way to commemorate the movement in Scotland, Church Street, site of Govan Parish School and the boundary between economically diverse Partick and Hillhead, where women's lifestyles could differ dramatically, as well as the modern landmark relevant to women, the Maggie's Centre.

The group eventually aims to get a permanent memorials to Glasgow females.

One site in particular they would like to see women recognised are the gates of Glasgow University on University Avenue which already has sculptures of many of Glasgow's famous males.

Adele said: "There are about 20-odd men on the gates and only one woman, Isabella Elder, whose husband was a ship builder and she was a benefactor for the city.

"There are only three sculptures of women in Glasgow - Isabella, Queen Victoria and a woman called Passionara who was a Spanish civil war heroine.

"We would like to try to get some permanent memorial to make women part of the history of the city."

The team is developing a similar tour for the East End and is keen to hear from women who may be able to help piece together the lives of the women there so future residents can get an idea of what life was like in Glasgow in 2007.