Women and girls deserve female-only changing rooms for our safety, privacy and dignity. Unfortunately, Southwark Council allows (some) men into female changing rooms in its eight leisure centres, despite complaints – and the law. The Supreme Court clarified the law in April 2025, meaning single-sex spaces, such as female changing rooms, should not be open to any men, as per the Equality Act.
Southwark Council is guilty of careless breaches in safeguarding. They also neglect to inform women and girls that we might encounter a man undressing or watching us undress in what we believe is a female-only changing room.
HOW LEISURE CENTRES ENABLE SEXUAL PREDATORS
See information from the Women’s Rights Network on why single-sex spaces are vital for the safety, privacy and dignity of women and girls.
SPEAK UP
Share your objections to this unfair and illegal policy.
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE
CLICK HERE TO EMAIL MIRANDA TO SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE OR ARRANGE A CALL TO DO SO
SOUTHWARK COUNCIL
Please be respectful – no harassment or threatening communications.
CLICK HERE TO EMAIL THEM ALL
1. Althea.Loderick@southwark.gov.uk CEO Southwark Council
2. Richard.Leeming@southwark.gov.uk Deputy Cabinet Member for Leisure & Sports
3. Toni.Ainge@southwark.gov.uk Director of Leisure, Southwark Council
4. Ian.Gallagher2@southwark.gov.uk Head of Leisure, Southwark Council
5. Natalie.Davies-Lane@southwark.gov.uk Leisure Commercial and Business Manager, Southwark Council
SOUTHWARK MPs
SELECT YOUR MP – OR CLICK HERE TO EMAIL THEM ALL
Please note: Parliament takes MP safety and wellbeing very seriously. Any contact which is threatening or offensive may be passed to the police for action.
Neil.Coyle.mp@parliament.uk, Labour MP, Bermondsey and Old Southwark: 020 7219 7650
Florence.Eshalomi.mp@parliament.uk Labour and Co-Operative Party MP for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green 0207 219 6552
Helen.Hayes.mp@parliament.uk Labour MP, Dulwich and West Norwood: 020 7219 6971
Ellie.Reeves.mp@parliament.uk Labour MP, Lewisham West and East Dulwich: 020 7219 2589
Miatta.Fahnbulleh.mp@parliament.uk Labour and Co-operative Party MP, Peckham: 02072197634
Marina.Ahmad@london.gov.uk London Assembly Member, Lambeth and Southwark
UK Active
info@ukactive.org.uk (They are asking for input to inform their ‘working group’ on the matter, so very important – tell your friends).
SOUTHWARK POLICY –
AND MY BAN
Share your thoughts.
Southwark Council’s policy on men in female spaces offers a case-by-case visual assessment to “make a professional and impartial decision” as to whether a man LOOKS feminine enough to be permitted into a female changing room. This policy does not comply with the Equality Act and threatens the safety, privacy and dignity of women and girls.
They have also imposed a one-year ban on member Miranda Newsom (me) – a whistleblower who told a man he didn’t belong in the female changing room. They say my reaction was not ‘appropriate’, but if Southwark policy was in compliance with the law, the ‘incident’ would never have happened, so I would not be banned.
If you’d like to encourage Southwark to re-instate me as a full member, please do so.
Thank you,
Miranda Newsom
GET INVOLVED
Together, we can change things for the better.
Helpful organisations working to protect the rights of women and girls.
Women’s Rights Network: Contribute or join your local group. They have been so supportive to Miranda throughout the past few months.
Sex Matters: Contribute or join the mailing list
Women’s Sports Union A not-for-profit organisation of like-minded people passionate about fair and safe sport for women and girls.
Seen in Sport: Championing women’s sport