I had my first (by emergency c-section) in Canada, where I had a room to myself in labour, and after. The maternity nurses and consultants were all excellent, attentive, helpful, listened to me and gave me choices, responded when I called, made sure I had the correct pain relief etc. and still, for the first little while I was so, SO glad my partner was with me (I cried when he had to leave to find food), as post-section I was still shaky on my legs, feeling a rather worn and overwhelmed. His support was indispensable, and that was in a wonderful (Canadian national health) hospital with awesome staff.
I had my second in the UK (another EMCS), where I was bullied by consultants, midwives, people spoke over me, didn't listen to me or read my notes, I don't know who in the room did my surgery as they didn't introduce themselves and no-one checked on me afterwards. I got out of there in less than than 24 hours because I didn't feel I was getting the care I needed anyway - DP's support would have been invaluable, but he couldn't be there because we had the older one, and because he wasn't allowed on the ward - if it had been my first baby I would have been absolutely in bits by the end of it (literally, given what they wanted to do to me) if I hadn't already had the previous good experience and so could cling onto my pre-thought out plans through the pain and bullying.
TBH I agree that partners on the wards is a quick-fix solution. I felt that the beds straight out of call the midwife (fun trying to sit up when you've just been sliced in two and have no-one to help), the showers with narrow doors, which you had to step up 8 inches to get into (carrying your catheter bag thing, trying not to disturb stitches), the midwives who don't answer alarms, check that you have medication, or that you know how to get some food are a problem.
If all that isn't going to be fixed (and I can't see that it will), then at least my partner being there means I have an advocate, someone who can go and get painkillers, help me to the toilet, hold the baby and help me out of bed when there is no-one else going to do that. He's there to listen when I'm spaced out from pain or painkillers and ask important questions that I hadn't thought of.
I understand the issue with women's only spaces, I understand that there is abuse, but I also know that I was a vulnerable person who needed someone to speak for me - and that is DP.
On a lighter note - the other patients and midwives were perfectly capable of disturbing me with loud calls, whooshing of curtains and pointless conversations - no-one needed a partner there to do that, and frankly, I'd prefer that no-one on the ward - male or female - got a view of me having my catheter taken out, but that would again be a problem with midwives not checking before whooshing curtains aside rather than the sexes/genders of the people sharing the ward.