Sometimes at our events, we run some workshops for women only and some for men only. This page explains why we do this and the legal justification.

What do you mean by “women” and men”?

We refer to the definition in Section 212 the Equality Act 2010, which defines a man as a male and a woman as a female.

Are sex-segregated workshops even legal?

Schedule 3 part 27 of the Equality Act 2010 allows for single-sex services if this is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

These workshops provide a space for discussion of the real-life impact of porn and the sex industry. We want everyone to feel able to honestly and intimately explore their feelings about their bodies, sexuality, and relationships, including issues that derive from their socialisation as girls or boys growing up in a pornified and hyper-sexualised culture, in a way that is unlikely to take place in the presence of the opposite sex.

For example, women might want to discuss how porn has impacted their relationship with their own bodies, or how it has influenced them to seek cosmetic surgery, or to explore past unhappy experiences with men who are heavy porn users, in a way that they might not feel able to if men were present. Men might want to talk about how porn makes them feel about women or what they want from sex, or how it or sex buying has impacted their enjoyment of sex with a real partner, in a way that they might not feel able to if women were present. In addition, both men and women from some faith-based communities might not feel able to participate in such discussions at all in a mixed sex environment.

As such, we offer these workshops in good faith under Schedule 3 part 27 of the Equality Act 2010.

Please note that transwomen are welcome at the men-only workshops and transmen at the women-only workshops.

What if I don’t want to attend a sex-segregated workshop?

Please attend one of the other workshops or panel discussions that are not sex segregated.