News and events

Our response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on adding the characteristic of Sex into hate crime legislation

We are disappointed with the proposal to add sex as a characteristic to existing hate crime legislation.

The Scottish Government committed to implementing the recommendations of the Independent Working Group on Misogyny, published in ‘Misogyny: A Human Rights Issue’, for a standalone Misogyny Bill. Adding the characteristic of Sex into hate crime legislation is an ineffective response to rising misogyny and fails to protect and ensure the rights of women and girls.

Reasons for a standalone Misogyny Bill

• A Misogyny Bill better protects women as a majority group, as opposed to hate crime legislation, which is designed to protect minorities
• A Misogyny Bill better recognises the complexity and nuance of misogyny, which is not only portrayed by acts of hate but also of prejudice and inequality
• A Misogyny Bill will better protect the rights of trans women who experience misogyny and transphobia at the same time
• A Misogyny Bill recognises that the issue of misogyny is not gender neutral - women experience misogyny because we are women. The approach outlined by the government does not recognise this. 

Misogyny is on the rise in Scotland.

We call on the Scottish Government to heed the evidence which has been laid out by equalities organisations since 2018, and bring a Misogyny Bill to Parliament.

Read our full consultation response.