How battle over spaces was fought

THE battle over single-sex spaces and the rights of women and transgender people has lasted for almost a decade in Scotland.

- Author JK Rowling

It first erupted in 2017 when the Scottish Government introduced plans to reform the Gender Recognition Act to make it easier for transgender people to change their gender without the need for medical intervention or psychological assessment.

Gender-critical campaigners said the changes could pave the way for predatory men to gain access to women-only spaces, such as changing rooms and refuges, by simply declaring themselves a woman.