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Single Sex Service Provision
For women who experience male violence against women a sense of safety is essential to their recovery. It is only through recovery that women, and their children, can avoid and prevent further violence in the future.
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For over 40 years single sex services have provided safe spaces for women and their children. These services are supported through the protected characteristic of sex in the Equality Act 2010.
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This Act is essential not only to ensure that women are aware of who will be supporting them, but also know that their reality is understood by workers and women alike.
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For women with little resources and options, this is essential. Although Women's services are available to all women, and women from across different income bases and backgrounds, are all at risk of male violence, it is those with the least that are more likely to use services, and for longer periods of time.
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Single Sex Services for women therefore are a working class issue.
Frontline Feminists Scotland welcomes the intervention of the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls regarding gender reform. Five National Organisations then responded to support the Scottish Government's position. Feminist activist groups have now contacted the UN to express their support for the Special Rappoteurs position. Read all the relevant correspondence below.
Special Rapporteur's letter
Letter forwarded to UN by 5 national women's organisations; Scottish Women's Aid, Rape Crisis Scotland, Just Right Scotland, Scottish Women's Rights Service and Zero Tolerance.
Murray Blackburn Mackenzie joint letter
We welcome the guidance released by the EHRC regarding single sex provision, which can be read here.
Our statement on the EHRC guidance.
Suella Braverman, Attorney General, Outlines the intentions and legal responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010. Excellent keynote speech, but particularly relevant 30 mins in.
We welcome the Scottish Women's Convention's Single Sex Spaces report. This was published following a roundtable discussion with participants in their violence against women event on 14th May 2022.
Frontline Feminists Scotland's response to the Women's Aid in England statement.
Frontline Feminists Scotland welcomed Gordon Dangerfield to a discussion on the law surrounding single sex provision of services. Gordon has helpfully been outlining his understanding of the law in accessible blogs. Use the button to access the latest blogs or visit Gordon's blog site at Gordon Dangerfield – Law, Culture and Politics
‘By women for women’ Why we need single-sex violence against women services in Scotland A research and policy briefing by Dr Anni Donaldson
Union members
Frontline Feminists Scotland values the role of Unions in our society. Many of our members are also members of a Union and often look to them for guidance and support in our many roles in our communities.
Today we reach out to the membership Unions to support the voices of the vital violence against women and children services to be heard in the debate regarding single sex service provision, as protected by the Equality Act 2010.
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Please find below a motion template for Union members to take to their Branches to ensure the continued union support for vital services for women and children who have experienced violence and abuse.
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Legal Information
Download the Equality Act 2010 here
Equality Act 2010: guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Sex Matters - Are Single Sex Services Legal
This document outlines the legal situation for single sex service provision.
Are single-sex services legal? — Sex Matters (sex-matters.org)
Scottish Sisters and the Struggle for Funding
Frontline Feminists Scotland join our sisters from Lanarkshire to look at the challenges to providing single sex services in Scotland. #143 Scottish Sisters and the struggle for funding — FiLiA
Sister Organisations
Sister Website
Forwomen Scotland was formed in June 2018 amid growing unease about how women’s rights would be affected by the Scottish Government’s plans to reform the Gender Recognition Act to allow for self-declaration of sex. Home - For Women ScotlandFor Women Scotland
Fair Play For Women is a campaigning and consultancy group which raises awareness, provides evidence and analysis, and works to protect the rights of women and girls in the UK.
More Relevant Information
MBM factcheck on claims made about women’s sex-based rights and gender recognition reform during the 2021 Holyrood election campaign
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​MBM factcheck on claims made about women’s sex-based rights and gender recognition reform during the 2021 Holyrood election campaign – MurrayBlackburnMackenzie
A Woman's Place is fighting for women's services: Shonagh Dillon (15 April 2021)
Dr Shonagh Dillon discusses at A Woman's Place her research on the clash between transgender ideology and women's sex based rights analysing the direct impact on the MVAW sector.
Nurses request that health and nursing organisations withdraw from Stonewall’s Diversity Championship Scheme
La Scapigliata gives excellent overview of the concerns of nurses in relation to women's health care and the impact of Stonewall's Diversity Championship Scheme. A must for any single sex service.
Nurses request that health and nursing organisations withdraw from Stonewall’s Diversity Championship Scheme – la scapigliata
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