Review into violence against women and girls finds most frequent theme to be support for single-sex spaces with female-only staff

A Scottish Government review into the funding of violence against women and girls (VAWG) services has found that the most frequent theme among respondents to a call for evidence was support for single-sex spaces with female-only staff.

The Review asked a question on what services should be available to women experiencing any form of VAWG and received 285 responses, 211 by individuals and 74 by organisations. Respondents highlighted that single-sex services should be made into law, widely available, clearly advertised and co-exist with non-single-sex options. Responses suggested that single-sex spaces are vital to ensuring victims of VAWG feel safe and protected and responses also suggested that single-sex spaces are “key to ensuring women would not self-exclude due to religious or cultural reasons”.  

Additionally, respondents who expressed the need for single-sex spaces, frequently mentioned that police and health workers should also be all female.

One individual respondent said: “Women and girls need single-sex, female-only services to heal from male violence. We need access to refuge, justice advocacy, initial crisis support, support groups and longer-term trauma therapy. This has to be delivered by females for females which is a trauma informed way that had worked for decades.”