Scottish politicians - this is for you

[vivariumvivariumsvivaria]

I have a vote to cast in May in the Scottish elections. I will vote for the party which commits to protecting my rights to single sex services.

I am not interested in or worried about trans women. I am, however, very interested in the trans men and NB females who are damaging their health by taking cross sex hormones. I am outraged about the 3 dead women a week, murdered by men - and the shameful near silence about this in the press and my parliament. I worry about the women in North Lanarkshire who now have no refuge to escape male violence because the funding was removed because the refuges, rightly, refused to admit male people or provide services for perpetrators. I am angry that my Muslim neighbour will no longer swim because we lost our women only swim sessions. I am upset that the women who require care and who would prefer for that to be done by a female person are now seen as bigots if they refuse a male bodied carer. I am incandescent that you put male people with penises, who are convicted of violent crimes in jail with vulnerable women - without even considering the impact on those women.

I noted which of you voted against the amendment to the rape bill, which of you would deny a traumatised woman the right to request a female forensic doctor. I don't think that a person who would make a raped woman's life more difficult than it needs to be deserves the steam off my piss, never mind my vote.

I am not an original thinker. Susan B Anthony was argued about this, "No self-respecting woman should wish or work for the success of a party who ignores her sex" might be a quote from a different country and a different time, but it is relevant to Scotland today and what your party is doing to my sex class.

Ignore my sex and I'll ignore your party. Women tend to cast their vote and as we are 51% of the population, well, you are very likely to have a problem in May.

Please consider the needs of women as a sex class.

Couldn’t have put it better myself. Agree with every word.

Exactly (Vote ISP)

I don't think there is anyone to vote for this year, not if you value Women's Rights above everything else. And if you are a woman, why wouldn't you?

That quote would make a nice sticker for an organised mass vote spoil.

Brilliantly put. If I were Scottish I'd be asking to nick it.

I worry about the women in North Lanarkshire who now have no refuge to escape male violence because the funding was removed because the refuges, rightly, refused to admit male people or provide services for perpetrators

This is a misunderstanding.

Change of provider does not mean the service is no longer provided, or that it operates on a different basis to previously. The funding was not 'removed', the contract for supply was given to a different organisation.

The new organisation does not provide a single sex space, or have the expertise the current providers do.

I think we absolutely should provide refuges for male people and for perpetrators of violent crime. I don't think that a women's refuge should be obliged to provide those services, they are quite busy as it is.

Agree viva

When we have a government actually redefining the word women

And we have a justice secretary who can’t confirm that there are 2 sexes

None of them are getting my vote the weasely cowards

Whole lot of them

Completely agree Viva.
What can we do?

The new organisation does not provide a single sex space

Has this been confirmed? I've not seen the specifications in the contract, but I would like to know if Sacro intends to house/employ both female and male people in the same premises

or have the expertise the current providers do

Agreed. I see a natural atrophy in expertise every single time one third sector organisation takes over a contract from another. It invariably results in a rise is dissatisfaction for a proportion of end users, even where the change is regarded as successful overall.

I don't think that a women's refuge should be obliged to provide those services, they are quite busy as it is

Again, I agree, however if the commissioners expressly tender for a non-gendered service, and you bid on the basis of providing an exclusive service, then it can't really be a surprise when your bid fails. I thought it was interesting that the Brighton Rise spokesperson said that they'd made it clear to the LA that they were both capable and willing to expand and take on the extra provision, but still lost their contract. That, I don't really understand, but then the entire procurement process down there seems utterly bizarre, apparently being handled by a third-party on the behalf of the LA.

Agree entirely, Viva.

From responses I've had when writing to politicians on this matter, though, they just don't give a fuck.

I daresay they are yet to realise that I have raised these issues with everyone in my family, many friends. I see more and more people waking up to the issues all the time. This is way beyond 'just' a women's rights issue, now.

The trouble is that there is nobody fucking NOBODY standing up for women's rights, and I suppose they all know that. If any one party stood up and clearly said they were there for women, they'd instantly gain a good chunk of votes.

Yes to all of this! 🙌🙌🙌

I’m not going to talk about this with anyone in real life but I am going to spoil my vote on polling day. Unless some one or some party comes forward that offers me, as a woman, and my daughter hope, then I’ve had it. I have totally had it. I don’t know what it will achieve but I can’t go on enabling this shit.

Those are fair points, XDownwiththissortofthingX . I am just so angry that there are women today, in Lanarkshire, facing a weekend of fear and uncertainty about where to bolt to if she gets a chance.

I saw on twitter that there are normally 4 people looking for refuge for every one available space. In lockdown it is 9 people. It's just unthinkable.

A civilised society would properly fund refuges and also organisations who help perpetrators and male victims. Not this.

Of course, a very civilised society would do something about the scourge on society that is male violence.

What can we do?

Have a look at For Women Scotland and do what they ask us to do, dig where needs to be dug, email MSPs and MPs and Lords.

Raise our sons to be better than their dads and raise our daughters to expect more than we did.

And, I suppose, nurture our wrath to keep it warm.

👏👏👏

I left the Scottish Greens, after a long membership, on their GRA proposals and their #nodebate on twaw. Awful. I will vote to maximise the chances of independence i.e. SNP 1 and probably Green 2 ... I disagree with the SNP on loads and loads of stuff not just the GI issue, but we really need a massive regeneration of the political system both in Scotland and in rUK, and indy is one of the very few tools available. Post indy we will have to "work as if we live in the early days of a better nation". It won't be easy but it's the best chance of building something better ... nothing great is on offer atm that's for sure, especially for women. Meantime, keep emailing MSPs and MPs ...