Women in prison
Women in prison are much more likely to self-harm than men.255 In 2017, there were two self-inflicted deaths in the female estate, compared with 12 in 2016. In 2015, two widely reported cases of self-inflicted deaths highlighted the particular issues transgender women face in prison. Both women had been held in male prisons. The
UK Government has since conducted a review of the care and management of transgender offenders, recognising the importance of identifying mental health needs.
In the 12 months ending September 2017 there were:
• seven self-harm incidents per individual in female establishments, compared with
3.4 in male establishments. This number is the highest since 2011, and
• 292 self-harming individuals per 1,000 prisoners in female establishments,
compared with 124 in male establishments.
The EHRC recommends that the UK and Welsh governments should:
• improve the provision and availability of mental health services in prison, including for transgender women, recognising the different issues women experience while in prison, to prevent suicide or self-harm.
Mental and physical health
Women with particular protected characteristics have different health
outcomes. [...] The Committee has also highlighted that trans women face a range of significant problems in using general health services and accessing gender identity services.411 There is currently
no transition-related healthcare provision in Wales. Trans people in Wales must travel to London to access services. The Welsh Government announced the creation of an adult gender identity service for Wales in August 2017. 412 However, this is yet
to be realised.
Access to sexual and reproductive health services
In 2017, we shared concerns that people who are undergoing, or are planning to undergo gender reassignment treatment, which may render them infertile, are being denied access to gamete extraction and storage by some CCGs in England.437 This treatment is likely to be freely provided to other patients in comparatively similar circumstances.438
Recommendations
The EHRC recommends that the UK and Welsh governments should:
ensure that transgender women are able to access gamete storage services, free from discrimination
The report is 109 pages long and these are the bits to do with transpeople. It doesn't really help in trying to address concerns about how to balance the rights of women and trans people, which seems a missed opportunity. Advice on when it's acceptable to invoke single sex exemptions, in light of the women's library event being cancelled for example, would have been useful.