Women and Equalities

The ALBA Women’s Conference adopted the following declaration which is of such importance as to be included in full in this manifesto.

The ALBA party recognises that by dint of birth and happenstance, we are not all created nor do we live our lives as equals. Scotland’s history involves multiple injustices where chance or privilege have dictated outcomes, and today, poverty continues to be the biggest driver of inequality and a blight on our society. These days should by now be past. Surely this modern world and an independent Scotland can cater for all without loss to any.

The Scotland ALBA strives to create envisions a level playing field where we can become truly equal to each other and where everyone’s rights are respected and protected, but, vitally, not at the cost of others.

ALBA undertakes to protect and preserve women’s rights, not at any expense to others, but as a safeguard for women and girls.

ALBA believes women have the right to discuss all policies which affect them, without being abused and silenced.

ALBA believes women have the right to maintain their sex based protections as set out in the Equality Act 2010. These include female only spaces such as changing rooms, hospital wards, sanitary and sleeping accommodation, refuges, hostels and prisons.

ALBA believes women have the right to refuse consent to males in single sex spaces or males delivering intimate services to females such as washing, dressing and counselling.

ALBA believes women have the right to single sex sports to ensure fairness and safety at all levels of competition.

ALBA believes women have the right to organise themselves according to their sex class across a range of cultural, leisure, educational and political activities.

ALBA acknowledges and promotes all of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010 which are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation and sex.

Crucially, ALBA understands the controversy and pain which have characterised Scotland’s recent attempts at reform; there has been much heat and at times little light.

ALBA invites and will endorse a Citizens’ Assembly on how best to reform the Gender Recognition process in a respectful, sensitive and positive fashion.

ALBA acknowledges that no single protected characteristic is more virtuous or more worthy of recognition and safeguarding than another. They are all fundamentally important, each on their own, and as a collective.

We’re all equal in ALBA.