Bono named on Glamour magazine's Women of the Year list

Bono's Poverty Is Sexist campaign is part of his One foundation

Glamour magazine has been criticised for naming U2 frontman Bono on its annual Women of the Year list.

The magazine said he was the first man to be included on the list because of his campaigning for women's rights.

Bono said he was "sure he didn't deserve it" but the battle for gender equality couldn't be won "unless men lead it along with women".

He is on a list that also includes Gwen Stefani, actress and campaigner Zendaya and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles.

Bono said he was "grateful" for the honour and said men were "largely responsible for the problem, so we have to be involved in the solutions".

But the magazine's decision has been heavily criticised on social media.

Comedy writer Travon Free tweeted "Does Glamour magazine know giving bono the Woman of the year award to trying to undo patriarchy undercuts the entire point of the award."

Another user named Stephanie Peat tweeted: "Bono has been named Glamour's woman of the year. To be fair with only 3.7 billion women it must be tough to find a worthy one."

The magazine's editor-in-chief Cindi Leive said they had talked for years about including a man but had always ruled it out. But she said "it started to seem that that might be an outdated way of looking at things".

"There are so many men who really are doing wonderful things for women these days. Some men get it and Bono is one of those guys," she said.

The honour comes after Bono and his One campaign launched a Poverty is Sexist movement last year.

Leive said: "The idea that a man who could select any cause in the world to call his own, or no cause at all, is choosing to work, and not just for one night or at a special event, but consistently day after day and month after month on behalf of women, is incredibly cool and absolutely deserves applause."

The decision has been supported by CNN's Christiane Amanpour, who has written an article in praise of her friend Bono for the magazine.

She wrote: "I'm on Glamour's side: I think Bono is the perfect choice for this first-time honor because, now 56, he's been trying to do good for as long as he's been making music.

"By establishing Poverty Is Sexist, Bono is making it clear that powerful men can, and should, take on these deep-rooted issues."

Also honoured as Glamour's Women of the Year are Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi and Alicia Garza, the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement; managing director of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde; anti-Isis campaigner Nadia Murad; and plus-size model Ashley Graham.

They are joined by fashion designer Miuccia Prada and the Stanford sexual assault case survivor whose witness impact statement went viral, who is known only as Emily Doe.