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Marks & Spencer's changing room policy puts girls at risk of voyeurism, campaigners say

Marks and Spencer - AFP
Marks and Spencer - AFP

Marks & Spencer’s policy of allowing men who identify as women to use female changing rooms is putting girls at risk of voyeurism, campaigners have said.

The supermarket has faced protests from customers for opening its female changing rooms to anyone who describes themselves as a woman.

In a letter to to the retailer’s chairman Archie Norman, Baroness Emma Nicholson, a Conservative peer who advocates single-sex spaces, warned that allowing anyone who says they are a woman to enter female changing areas puts women and girls at risk of being spied on and photographed by sexual predators, according to the Mail on Sunday.

‘Since changing of clothes can lead to voyeurism, newer legislation (the upskirting law) calls this laxness of provision into question" she wrote.

The supermarket has defended its approach, insisting ‘as an exclusive retailer and in line with most other retailers, we allow customers the choice of fitting room in respect of how they identify themselves.

M & S said it had assured Baroness Nicholson its fitting rooms provide secure and private spaces with individual lockable cubicles.

Ms Nicholson warned Mr Norman that the supermarket’s position is at odds with law after the Equalities Minister Liz Truss said the government is rejecting ‘trans-inclusive’ policies over concerns they may threaten women’s rights.

The paper reported that Ms Truss has made clear that shops and service providers are legally entitled to deny male-born people access to female spaces and plans to issue new guidance.

In a letter published by her office, she said:

‘I have made my commitment to protecting single-sex spaces for woman and girls clear. As part of this work I will ensure that Government guidance gives a clear message to service providers,s schools and others, putting their ability to provide single-sex spaces beyond doubt.’

Baroness Nicholson claimed that M & S had ‘misunderstood’ the law on equality and single sex space and told the chairman ‘I believe you may wish to follow the Government’s line and resume single- sex spaces for the changing rooms in your stores.’

Customers and feminist campaigners have protested against the supermarket’s policy, arguing shops and other organisations have been misled by trans rights activists who claim equality laws mean they must accept male-born ‘self identifying’ woman as female or face allegations of illegal discrimination.