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Welsh Women's Aid - Trans Inclusion Statement

36 replies

AnitaLovesVictor · 12/04/2018 13:13

They seem to be upholding the need for women-only spaces under the EA exemptions.

Welsh Women’s Aid’s transgender policy (updated in 2016) commits to supporting the realisation of rights for trans people, and the delivery of trans inclusive services and support, on the basis of self- identification. In Britain, more than a quarter of trans people in a relationship in the last year faced domestic abuse from a partner. Specialist services in Wales receive policy guidance, training and support to ensure trans people who have experienced abuse are supported to access services that best meet their needs. This means that anyone identifying as needing women-only or men-only support services (e.g. refuges) or as needing any form of support and advocacy in the community, should be offered a service that meets their need for support to access safety and to recover from abuse.

Welsh Women’s Aid recognises that all forms of violence against women share characteristics that are linked to gendered social norms and expectations. Providing a gender-responsive service that is sensitive to the gendered dynamics of violence is a crucial component of specialist services. As such, this includes offering women-only services where needed, providing safe spaces that are only accessed by women, and putting all survivors of abuse at the centre of the response provided.

Welsh Women’s Aid recognises the global and national evidence that perpetrators of violence towards women and men are, in the vast majority of cases, men, and that violence against women, including domestic abuse and sexual violence, is a cause and consequence of inequality between women and men. Victimisation and perpetration of such abuse reflects and reproduces the gender order, and is a fundamental barrier to achieving equality between women and men.

Welsh Women’s Aid supports the continuing need for the provision of specialist services that offer women-only or BME-only support, which is vital to alleviating violence against women, as a form of discrimination, and which is lawful under the Equality Act 2010. This doesn’t detract from the need for support, safety and justice for all survivors of abuse.

Good news, I think?

OP posts:
Original poster
AnitaLovesVictor · 12/04/2018 14:09

Considering they don't let male children over a certain age stay in refuges - but have introduced a policy where a 6ft fully male bodied man identifying as a woman gets in?

Or would they exercise the exemption then?

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flowersonthepiano · 12/04/2018 13:59

Not good news then.

Woman has officially lost it's meaning. If women's aid are on board with the new world order it makes me seriously worry that I have got this all wrong. Someone please explain to me why we're not wrong and bigoted in refusing to accept that men are actually women...Confused

pombear · 12/04/2018 13:48

I agree, there seems to be total confusion in the word 'woman', unless you agree that it's meaningless.

In this case, I think the organisation has decided that women and girls need re-educating, rather than protecting.

If you read their Transgender Policy, it sets out what they include in the 'transgender definition' including 'poly-gender', 'cross dressers' and 'other ways of identifying gender'.

It then states: "The Equality Act 2010 highlights that single sex/gender specific services can only provide a different service or refuse a service to transsexual people under exceptional circumstances and these circumstances are individual to each case - it is illegal and not acceptable to instate a blanket ban.

Whilst this legislation only applies to transsexual people, this policy extends to all who identify as transgender.

If circumstances arise in relation to other service users’ discomfort around sharing services with transgender people, services will work to support and educate them in the same way as they would around equality issues generally, such as ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation."

UpstartCrow · 12/04/2018 13:40

This illustrates why the word 'woman' matters.

HaruNoSakura · 12/04/2018 13:38

Yeah, I'm not entirely sure that the statement is as supportive as it seems:

"Welsh Women’s Aid’s transgender policy (updated in 2016) commits to supporting the realisation of rights for trans people, and the delivery of trans inclusive services and support, on the basis of self-identification. . . This means that anyone identifying as needing women-only or men-only support services. . ."

WhereYouLeftIt · 12/04/2018 13:38

"Welsh Women’s Aid welcomes proposed reforms to the Gender Recognition Act to ensure that current processes to change birth certificates and other identity documents operate as smoothly as possible without pathologising or discriminating against trans people. We are committed to working with our sister umbrella organisations in the UK and with other equality organisations in Wales to ensure that any new processes are appropriate, fair and have no unintended consequences. Trans people’s rights and women’s rights are human rights which intersect, and we stand united against our shared experiences of misogyny and male violence. We support the need for full discussion about the impact of proposed reforms and for consultation with women’s services, including on how proposals will impact on existing exemptions which allow for single sex services and on the need for disaggregated data to monitor sex and gender-based discrimination." (my bolding)

That's the only bit that might mean they back single-sex services. Honestly, the rest of it is woolly enough that it could mean for or against.

CharlieParley · 12/04/2018 13:34

It's the last paragraph that is the most important - women-only services and saying this is legal under EA.

Original poster
AnitaLovesVictor · 12/04/2018 13:32

That's what's a bit worrying, OldCrone.

Now I've read it again: This means that anyone identifying as needing women-only or men-only support services (e.g. refuges) or as needing any form of support and advocacy in the community, should be offered a service that meets their need for support to access safety and to recover from abuse.

So does that mean that anyone that says they are a woman, can gain access? Or is it leeway to treat on a case by case basis.

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Original poster
AnitaLovesVictor · 12/04/2018 13:24

Meant to link to the full statement:

www.welshwomensaid.org.uk/2018/04/transgender-inclusion-statement/

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OldCrone · 12/04/2018 13:24

The first sentence:

Welsh Women’s Aid’s transgender policy (updated in 2016) commits to supporting the realisation of rights for trans people, and the delivery of trans inclusive services and support, on the basis of self- identification.

Doesn't that mean that they think 'self-identifying transwomen are women'?

CharlieParley · 12/04/2018 13:18

Don't see anything wrong with this statement. I think it's good news, it includes trans people who need the service and upholds the EA which means TRAs are probably going to be all over this. Which would - incidentally - confirm what you're thinking.