Please or to access all these features

Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Does a woman’s homeless shelter have to be single sex?

29 replies

mehday · 04/06/2026 22:41

There’s a charity in my city which seems to be in partnership with the council to provide drop ins, food and emergency beds, including one advertised as a women’s shelter. I was looking through their info for volunteering possibilities and they state that anyone identifying as female is welcome.

It has put me off a bit to be honest but I also wondered if it’s still OK to do this, ie can refuges make this choice? If they don’t state they are single sex but instead subscribe to gender identity and advertise this, is this then OK and within the law?

OP posts:
ahagwearsapointybonnet · 04/06/2026 23:36

GriseldaandMike · 04/06/2026 22:56

Does a woman’s homeless shelter have to be single sex?

Yes, otherwise it's 'just' a homeless shelter not a women homeless shelter. If something claims to be single sex it needs to be single sex.

... otherwise it's likely to be discriminating against women, as an effectively mixed shelter with (presumably) mixed washing/toilet/sleeping facilities will significantly disadvantage homeless women compared to men.

GriseldaandMike · 04/06/2026 22:56

Does a woman’s homeless shelter have to be single sex?

Yes, otherwise it's 'just' a homeless shelter not a women homeless shelter. If something claims to be single sex it needs to be single sex.

lornad00m · 04/06/2026 22:53

mehday · 04/06/2026 22:41

There’s a charity in my city which seems to be in partnership with the council to provide drop ins, food and emergency beds, including one advertised as a women’s shelter. I was looking through their info for volunteering possibilities and they state that anyone identifying as female is welcome.

It has put me off a bit to be honest but I also wondered if it’s still OK to do this, ie can refuges make this choice? If they don’t state they are single sex but instead subscribe to gender identity and advertise this, is this then OK and within the law?

Not sure that would be legal would it?

I mean if it says it's for women?

Hedgehogforshort · 04/06/2026 22:52

if you are in the UK the answer is no.

It is in law a mixed sex shelter