FOR International Women’s Day this year, I think we needed to reflect rather than celebrate. Several things recently in Scotland show that, despite women defeating the gender recognition reform bill (albeit through the UK Government), we are still under attack as a class.

The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act goes live on April 1 without protection for women unless we double-qualify as religious, atheist, disabled, young or old. There is still no Anti-Misogyny Act on the books.

The Scottish Labour conference voted against women’s rights to single-sex spaces and single-sex intimate care despite constituency Labour Party delegates’ votes being nearly 70% in favour. Affiliate votes amounted to 77% of the tally, amongst others the block votes of GMB, Unison and Unite. Unison voted at their own conference in 2022 AGAINST women.

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Why are women putting up with this? Why not set up our own unions, excluding men? The men are giving us all the ammunition we need to be able to do this legally under the Equality Act, by showing us how women NEED our own representation as it is not there when we rely on men.

And lastly, the shameful case of Emma Caldwell raises a whole lot of other questions. Why were police so blinkered regarding a suspect who had not been cleared? Why did it take so long to get the right man behind bars? Hopefully, these questions will be answered in a public inquiry.

But prejudice against some classes of women is alive and well. There are “deserving” and “undeserving” victims. Girls who have drinks spiked are dismissed as “she had too much to drink, nothing to see here”. Except there is a growing body of evidence that it is a real menace. A drug addict dies? A prostitute? “Lifestyle choices”. A girl is raped? “No, it wasn’t’ rape, she just regrets it now she’s sobered up, in case her man finds out."

READ MORE: Why women in Scotland are still facing obstacles accessing justice

Who are the users of prostitutes? Men. Not monsters. Ordinary men who you and I know, with wives and children and respectable jobs. If men did not think it was okay to objectify women, use them like a piece of meat and throw them away, there wouldn’t be a “market” for prostitution. Same with lap-dancing, “gentlemen’s clubs” and porn. And we need to stop talking about “sex workers”, as if it is a career choice, as if the women are empowered. They aren’t. No six-year-old girl gets up one morning and says, “I know. When I grow up I’m going to be a drug-addled prostitute – career sorted”. Life happens and bad breaks happen, and it will be happening more and more as the social welfare net develops big gaping holes where there used to be support.

So don’t let’s think it’s over. And the next time a prostitute is killed, try and remember she was a daughter, sister, even wife, driven to desperation by life.

Julia Pannell
Friockheim, Tayside

MR Biden will build a new port to let more aid flow into Gaza. At the same time both the USA and UK have massive multi-million-pound arms deals with Israel.

Why is it so hard for all these men (predominantly men) to say the words “stop the killing and let’s talk”? Maybe then we could achieve a ceasefire.

READ MORE: Surgeon who worked in Gaza urges support for National's MAP emergency appeal

The senseless bombing and killing will not achieve peace. Generations of Palestinians and Israelis will live with the devastation of their countries for centuries. The injured men, women and children will face unthinkable challenges and consequences for as long as they live.

There are no winners – but the money men will line their pockets and clap each other on the back as they look to the next big deal.

What a world.

Jan Ferrie
South Ayrshire