The group's creation was welcomed by Yes Scotland and by the Scottish Government's Deputy First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon. Women were a particularly important demographic in the referendum due to an increasingly large gender gap in opinion polling. In March 2013, a poll showed that while 47% of men supported independence, only 25% of women did; this gap had grown by seven points on the January beforehand. Ivor Knox, the director of Panelbase, said at the time that the poll showed a gender gap that "appears to be greater than ever, particularly among younger voters". By September 2014 there are more than forty local groups.