About

Background:
For Women Scotland is a grassroots women’s group founded 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.

We therefore oppose the Scottish Government’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill (introduced on 02 March 2022) which seeks to remove any requirement for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria for applicants wishing to change their legal sex as well as lowering the age limit to 16.

We also challenge the ongoing push from Government-funded lobby groups to overwrite sex-based rights in legislation and public policy with the undefined and unscientific concept of gender identity. We work to highlight the devastating impact such policies have already had on the lives of ordinary women and girls in Scotland – in hospitals, schools, prisons, sports, public spaces and especially in women’s sector organisations such as Rape Crisis or Women’s Aid. Our work is informed by the experiences of frontline workers in these services and by the women and girls they provide for.

Who we are:
For Women Scotland registered as a not-for-profit company in July 2020 (Company number: SC669393). We do not receive any public money and are not aligned to any political party. We are all volunteers.

Directors:

Our aims are to:

  • Campaign on equality and human rights issues impacting on women and children in Scotland.
  • Work closely with central, devolved and local governments across the UK and with each of the main political parties in the UK to promote the interests and rights of women in Scotland.
  • Participate in cultural and education activities and seek to raise awareness of cultural, health, social and socio-economic issues specifically associated with ordinary women in Scotland.
  • Seek, among other things, to promote the welfare of ordinary women in Scotland in terms of their visibility and recognition and access to health and social services, as well as greater participation in civil society in Scotland.

We believe that there are only two sexes, that a person’s sex is not a choice, nor can it be changed. Women are entitled to privacy, dignity, safety and fairness. Our legal rights should be protected and strengthened.

We campaign on a positive, pro-women basis and call for evidence based discussion and legislation.

What we do:
Consultations After canvasing women’s opinions we submit responses to Scottish and UK Government consultations. These have included the Census Amendment Bill and the Hate Crime Bill, both of which we were invited to give oral evidence to the Parliament Committees.

Public Meetings We raise public awareness through holding well-attended public meetings and contributing speakers to panel discussions and other events throughout Scotland.

We speak with MSPs and all-party groups to promote women’s rights and campaign for consultation and amendments to Bills progressing through Parliament.

We initiated the #sixwords campaign that led to a change in the Forensic Medical Services Bill to allow victims of rape and sexual assault to request a medical examiner by their sex (and not gender).

Judicial Review In February 2022 we won the appeal of our judicial review. The Court of Session ruled that the Scottish Government exceeded its powers by including transwomen in the definition of woman in the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018. The judges restated that the protected characteristic of sex refers to either a male or a female and that provisions in favour of women must, by definition, exclude those who are biologically male. It confirms that sex is significant in law and that women’s concerns about the undermining of the protected characteristic are valid.

Please have a read of our blog posts and sign-up to our newsletter to keep up-to-date with our plans and how take part. We can always be contacted by email at info@forwomen.scot