One of the UK’s largest women’s charities has today published its position on single-sex spaces. Women’s Aid, whose mission is to promote the protection of women and children who have suffered from or are exposed to domestic abuse has, after a year-long consultation, rejected the growing trend towards gender-neutral spaces. In a compassionate yet punchy statement, the organisation said: “The provision of single-sex domestic abuse services is a founding principle of Women’s Aid, and we will defend it.”
It shouldn’t be controversial to say that women need space in which to be women, but it is. It is wild to think that this statement will spark outrage online, but it will. That the chief executive of this incredible organisation will today be fearing for her safety and that of her child — just for doing her job. But that’s the world we are living in right now.
Last week after tweeting “thank you JK Rowling”, I was attacked on Twitter by former equalities minister Lynne Featherstone and countless others who called me transphobic for merely thanking someone who put her head above the parapet to stand up for women.
As a feminist and activist I can’t tell you how scary it is to know that you will be attacked for sticking up for women. For saying that providing single-sex, trauma-informed safe spaces is crucial to recovery from abuse and violence suffered by women and their children.
I am in no way taking anything away from the fact that trans people also need support and I will help fight for that. But I will be not be silenced or forced to water down my beliefs. As an African black woman, I have fought for years to be able to talk about my abuse and advocate for other black women who are overlooked every day. That’s not going to change. Nevertheless, I am worried about the moves to disregard the sex-specific nature of domestic and other forms of abuse like FGM.
That is why I am speaking up. There is nothing progressive about erasing biological sex in a system that has always oppressed women and girls. There are no advantages to pumping girls struggling with the sexism we have created with puberty blockers. Sending me hateful tweets won’t change my mind about the fact that only women can get pregnant and therefore need access to healthcare that deals with that.
The lives and rights of women and girls matter and I am thankful to Women’s Aid and all those in the domestic abuse sector who are working towards a world free of male violence. I stand with you. You are on the right side of history on this one.
