Karen Ingala-Smith's Statement re: Comments About nia

[EmbarrassingAdmissions]

It is not correct that nia ‘specifically excludes transwomen’ from our services, as was stated by Pink News.

We utilise the single sex exemptions to ensure that our refuges, women’s centre and group work are women-only. This is lawful under Paragraph 27, Part 7, Schedule 3 of the Equality Act 2010.

A number of our services are commissioned to support women and men. In these cases, clients access services as individuals and do not meet other clients. We have supported a number of people who identify as transgender through such services over the course of several years.

In cases where nia is contracted to support male victim-survivors, including those who are transgender, they will receive the same high standards of support and advocacy.

niaendingviolence.org.uk/a-short-statement-from-our-chief-executive-karen-ingala-smith/]]

Richard Garside comments:

The single-sex provisions of the Equality Act, that nia_endingVAWG rely on to deliver women-only services, could also be invoked by the Justice Secretary in relation to women's prisons.

Instead, women's prisons are run as mixed-sex institutions.

That's a political choice.

twitter.com/RichardJGarside/status/1412763451743739916

Good point about prisons. There’s no legal reason why they shouldn’t be single sex, so why is the High Court not supporting men’s ‘right’ to be housed with women?

Grrr - why is the High Court supporting men’s …

As Garside says, it's political choices - and for some wholly random reason the choices seem to disadvantage women relative to other classes.

It's very disappointing that Karen Ingala-Smith has to defend the right to retain single-sex spaces and that others assume that men and transgender people lose out because of this (specifically designed to affect nia's funding).

And, I know why, but I'm sick of her having to justify the Counting Dead Women project (that is a personal project and not funded by nia). And, why is it left to Karen Ingala-Smith to have to discuss Counting Dead Men or other groups because it's not right for women to have a project that is just about women.

kareningalasmith.com/2021/04/21/counting-dead-trans-people/

It's incredibly telling that nia's services do support trans women. That tells me that genuinely supporting trans women in need of dv services isn't the real motivation for those denouncing Karen Ingala Harris.

There is a something sinister about a new agency that lies to discredit a service like nia.

Indeed. In which case it can only be to access the women. For whatever reason.

Which we all know anyway.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4290818-Petition-Parliament-for-Sex-to-be-recorded-for-all-Violent-Sexual-Offenders-throughout-CJS?msgid=108887804#108887804

Did you see the petiton by Clare B Dimyon MBE [L-G-B-T]) based on detailed research of 20 years of UK MOJ stats (2002-20) that with total consistency "more than 99% of all sexual offenders are MALE"
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/590123

Please sign & circulate, we have 6 months to make it to 100,000 and force a debate in the HOC. Any British resident or any British citizen can sign.

Signed.

Does nia operate in Scotland? DH and I are looking for somewhere to make a regular donation and want to support a women's refuge that doesn't get funding from Scot Gov because of their principles.

[email protected]

@Pommie69

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4290818-Petition-Parliament-for-Sex-to-be-recorded-for-all-Violent-Sexual-Offenders-throughout-CJS?msgid=108887804#108887804

Did you see the petiton by Clare B Dimyon MBE [L-G-B-T]) based on detailed research of 20 years of UK MOJ stats (2002-20) that with total consistency "more than 99% of all sexual offenders are MALE"
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/590123

Please sign & circulate, we have 6 months to make it to 100,000 and force a debate in the HOC. Any British resident or any British citizen can sign.

Thank you for mentioning Clare. She tends to get overlooked a lot and she's put years of blood sweat and tears into this particular subject.

It's a cause very close to her heart.

Petition passes 2,000 within 24 hours

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/590123

i served 3 prison sentences in 1984 and 1985. I went in with the worst prejudices about female inmates transformed as soon as I met them. And my 1st night inside was the 1st night I felt safe after an life threatening assault at greenham common in which my life almost ended with strangulation...but nevertheless she persisted and I fetch up teaching a mn consent while he was raping me...close to my heart and soul and spirit. I will NOT abandon these women who deserve our care the most.

PLEASE be aware signatures sometimes do NOT "take".
The only way to be SURE you have signed (at their end) is to go back and TRY again. It will NOT let you sign twice but feedback from others is that they go back and their 1st signature has NOT registered.

1. PLEASE go back and double check.
2. 6 months @ 30 days = 180 days for us to reach 100,000 IF you can bear it please consider reminding/sharing the link every week or two to keep drawing people in. VERY MANY THANKS

PLEASE be aware signatures sometimes do NOT "take".
The only way to be SURE you have signed (at their end) is to go back and TRY again. It will NOT let you sign twice but feedback from others is that they go back and their 1st signature has NOT registered.

1. PLEASE go back and double check.
2. 6 months @ 30 days = 180 days for us to reach 100,000
3. IF you can bear it please consider reminding/sharing the link every week or two to keep drawing people in. VERY MANY THANKS

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/590123