we are quite literally talking about laws here
We're not talking about laws at all.
No by-law has been passed, nor Act of Parliament, nor is there a common law precedent for convicting people who harrass women as a hate crime.
One police force is classing harrassment towards women as a hate crime, but until CPS prosecutes people for it (most arrested people aren't prosecuted), and a court convicts someone for it, this news means forget all.
People will still be getting arrested for the same stuff. This police force is just changing a label.