Statement by the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, Reem Alsalem.

Given the two experts have very different views, how will this play out? Which one will be listened to I wonder?

Both, ideally? Is that terribly old-fashioned? Why can't you have a women's representative and a TQ representative? Obviously it would be nice if they had an LGB one too...

Completely agree though @nilsmousehammer .

Reminded me of ‘Every time a bells rings…’

An excellent statement should be compulsory reading for all MPs.

Given the two experts have very different views, how will this play out? Which one will be listened to I wonder?

Every time a woman says she believes in reality, somewhere another TQ+ political ambition falls down dead.

@nilsmousehammer ’worldwide anti gender campaign attacking trans people's existing rights is a threat to women's rights too (somehow) and pretending otherwise is a lot of word salad’

😂

We're returning to the Victorian era it seems. Pompous men - politicians, barristers, lecturers, sports governing bodies etc along with entitled young males (accompanied by foolish young women) all determining what women are allowed to speak about, meet with, take part in and undress in front of.
The patriarchy in action 🙄

A quick glance through:

arguments so far:

She may possibly be somehow being financed by anti abortionists

worldwide anti gender campaign attacking trans people's existing rights is a threat to women's rights too (somehow) and pretending otherwise is a lot of word salad

Nazi

protecting transphobes right to be transphobic, gender critical ideology is trans eliminationist (again somehow)

women and girls obviously includes male people identifying as women and girls

imperative to survival to drown out and fracture the skulls of those calling for eradication (by wanting equality, access, that kind of thing)

You get the gist.

Because we’re women. No, sorry, scrap that we can’t define that term.

No, I’ve got it now - it’s because we identify as women! Actually, nope scrap that as males can identify as women.

Argh, shucks it’s because we don’t have a penis isn’t it.

Well said, that woman!

Arabella. Sorry, I can’t get on Twitter - long shot, is anyone explaining why women shouldn’t be allowed to talk about things that affect them?

The Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts and Working Groups are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

...

https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures-human-rights-council

How do special procedure mandate-holders make a difference? Special procedure mandate-holders help advance human rights in ways both small and large. They contribute to:

Legislative reform
Improve access to mechanisms of redress
Policy reform
Human rights mainstreaming
Contribution to government/judicial processes
Human rights standard setting
Raising human rights awareness
Facilitating dialogue/coalition setting
Preventing/cessation of violations

Hallelujah

Apologies for my ignorance. My knowledge of the workings of the UN are somewhat limited.

I obviously welcome this statement wholeheartedly - we should be able to debate these issues without being abused. But in practise, how much difference will this make?

Is this a game changer? I mean not with TRAs - but with organisations in society? How much clout does this statement have?

The usual hyperbole.

Good idea to send to MPs.

Twitter responses are predictable. Alsalem is accused of 'overt bigotry'.

https://twitter.com/UN_SPExperts/status/1660601329394278401

Thanks for starting the thread, WarriorN, and posting links to the statement - it makes for excellent reading. I think I’ll send a copy to my MP when I contact him about the June debate.

For heaven's sake, the thread title is fine.

Had hoped this would be on FWR but had also hoped that the actual reason for the statement had been in the title, not just to attract comments from FWRs, but to alert public.

not sure the lure of a "statement" is going to be very strong :(

The title is:

Allow women and girls to speak on sex, gender and gender identity without intimidation or fear: UN expert

which hopefully to the world at large will mean something. Assuming it is ever seen or its intent made clear.

A powerful statement. Now let's wait for the wails from those against free speech, against freedom of association for women and in favour of harassment & censorship.

Counting down ....

https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-violence-against-women/reem-alsalem

'Reem Alsalem is an independent consultant on gender issues, the rights of refugees and migrants, transitional justice and humanitarian response. She has consulted extensively for United Nations departments, agencies and programmes such as UN-Women, OHCHR, UNICEF and IOM, as well as for non-governmental organizations, think tanks and academia. Previously, she worked as an international civil servant, serving with the UNHCR in thirteen countries. During her service, she has planned, implemented, and monitored programs that served to protect persons that were survivors of gender-based violence, particularly women and girls.
She has also been a visiting professional with the Prosecutor’s Office of the ICC from January to March 2009 and a visiting researcher with the Feinstein International Center of Tufts University in December 2008. Visiting Professional, Investigation Unit of the Prosecutor Office, International Criminal Court, the Hague, the Netherlands, January 2009-March 2009.
Reem has a Master’s in International Relations from the American University in Cairo, Egypt (2001) and a Masters in Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (2003).'

YES!!! Come on, REEEM!!!!!