Tackling violence against women means standing with trans people too

Throughout my life, even before coming out as trans, I have faced sexual assault, harassment, and misogyny – like almost every woman I know. 

And on Trans Day of Visibility, I want to remind people that being trans does not shield me from the realities of being a woman, in fact, it often worsens them. 

Some of the worst abuse I’ve endured has been precisely because I am a woman who is also trans – including being sexually assaulted by more men than I can count, being stalked, fetishised, and receiving unwanted sexual comments and pictures. 

People don’t know I am trans unless I tell them, and I am perceived as a woman everywhere I go – for better, or for worse. This is how I live my life, and my experiences reflect that.

Without getting into detail about those experiences, all of them have left a lasting impact on me – and are a horrifying reminder of how easy it is for men to abuse women and get away with it.

That’s why, as we as a society continue our efforts to combat violence against women and girls (VAWG) – we must include all women, including trans women and anyone presenting femininely.

The fight against gender-based violence must be intersectional – without this, we may as well give up. 

Women’s experiences are shaped by racism, ableism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of oppression – and in turn, that shapes the forms in which sexual harassment and abuse happens and impacts us.

Ignoring these intersections means ignoring the full reality of gender-based violence. And that ignorance is not only unhelpful, it could be deadly. 

Research consistently shows that trans people – especially trans women like me – are particularly vulnerable to violence. 

A 2021 US-based Williams Institute study found that, in the year 2017-18, trans people are four times more likely than cis people to experience violence, including sexual assault and rape. 

Research in the UK from the Crown Prosecution Service suggests that 62-73% of trans people face harassment and violence as a result of their gender identity. 

Specific hate crimes are also rising. At least 4,780 transphobic hate crimes were reported in England and Wales in the year 2023/24, up from 2,799 in the year 2020/21. 

These stats don’t come as a surprise to me, and is a harrowing reminder of how vulnerable trans people are to violence. 

This is why it’s so frustrating and offensive when people diminish our experiences, refuse to believe us, and willingly want to exclude us from services and support.

It’s why I will continue to raise awareness and fight against gender-based violence for all. 

For myself as a survivor, and all those survivors who are not believed, pushed aside and excluded.

In the U.S., Black trans women are disproportionately affected, facing violence and murder at alarming rates compared to their white counterparties – showing us quite clearly how racism, transphobia and misogyny make the violence they face even more extreme. 

The murders of UK trans women Naomi Hersi (2018), Amy Griffiths (2019), and 16-year-old trans schoolgirl Brianna Ghey (2023) underscore the urgent need for action. 

In January, an 18-year-old trans girl was brutally beaten and stabbed by a group of her peers. Thankfully, she survived, but this attack highlights the escalating violence against trans people in the UK. 

And that cannot be separated from the wider epidemic of violence against women and girls. 

It’s a scourge we must all work together to eradicate. 

Recorded cases of VAWG in England and Wales rose by 37% in the five years between 2018 and 2023. 

That’s 3,000 offences a day. And many more are suspected to go unreported. 

Despite efforts from authorities, greater commitment is needed to end violence against all women and girls, and give more support to survivors who have already suffered. 

As someone who has worked with a sexual abuse survivor centre – and as a survivor myself – I know firsthand how vital these services are. 

Yet they are often underfunded and inaccessible to many, including trans women. 

Denying a survivor help simply because she is trans is not just discriminatory, it contradicts the very purpose of these services. 

Trans women experience domestic violence and sexual abuse like any other woman, and we deserve the same support, respect, and dignity. 

We are not less than anyone, and it’s inhumane to deny us the same support.

Because we are all in this fight together. 

In Iceland, where I am from, trans women receive strong support within the women’s rights movement and I feel much better supported there, where trans women are included and listened to. 

Instead of being wrapped up in a toxic debate about less than 1% of the population like in the UK, and spending valuable energy, resources and time fighting each other for no real reason, we need to wake up and identify the real problem – which is male violence, perpetrated by cisgender men. 

Solidarity and allyship with each other are crucial. 

Compassion and kindness should not be the exception – it should be the founding principle within our society and within the women’s rights movement. It is absurd that some argue trans women do not deserve the same recognition and protection as other women. 

That doesn’t help anyone except the perpetrators of VAWG.

The truth is simple: None of us are free until we are all free. Ending violence requires an intersectional approach that demands safety, dignity, and respect for all women – trans or otherwise.

No one can be left behind.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. 

Share your views in the comments below.

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