Who counts as a woman? This question lies at the heart of many public debates about sex and
gender today. While we increasingly recognise the desire of some to eliminate the sex binary in
law a particular boiling point emerges through conflicting demands over women's spaces. Which
should govern access to these - sex or gender identity? Karen Ingala Smith a veteran
campaigner for women's and girls' rights opts for the former. In this trenchant critique of
inclusivity politics she argues that we cannot ignore the wealth of evidence which shows that
people of the female sex have a unique set of needs which are often not met by mixed-sex
spaces. Drawing on her 30 years of experience in researching and recording men's violence
against women and girls she outlines how certain spaces including refuges benefit from
remaining single sex - and what they stand to lose. Written with sensitivity and respect for
all concerned this book nevertheless dismantles the idea that we have reached a post-sex
utopia.
