Full Transcript of the meeting with Mridul Wadhwa about rape crisis centers

[ChristinaXYZ]

For Women Scotland have the full transcript of this meeting on their website

forwomen.scot/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Mridul-Wadhwa-Building-Intersectional-Inclusion-in-Rape-Crisis-Services-14Sep2021.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1nWY9_l4DrpSo5spLHokK5_NBBDF8yJMigurcrvVbBTTgjXkmTkwS2kfU

Interestingly if you look them up on the charity register the object of the charity is:

"In particular the Objects shall be: 5.1 to relieve the distress of women, men, boys and girls aged over 12 years who have been raped or who have experienced sexual violence and of their partners, friends and families through the provision of emotional and practical support, information, advice and advocacy; and 5.2 to advance education, through the provision of information, advice and advocacy, among professional bodies and the general public about the causes, nature, extent and effects of rape and sexual violence against women, men, boys and girls aged over 12 years, and ways of preventing or relieving the suffering it causes."

and the purpose ( and this is the shocking bit)

"The promotion of equality and diversity","The relief of those in need by reason of age, ill health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage"

www.oscr.org.uk/about-charities/search-the-register/charity-details?number=6208

Why does a rape crisis centre have equality and diversity promotion as its first purpose?

Has the object been recently changed to include boys and men? to help remove the women only aspect of staffing?

Has the purpose recently been change to justify appointing Wadhwa?

Does anyone know?

Also, does anyone know if this rapid change in direction has happened if monies given under its previous remit, donated in good faith, can be reclaimed?

It's been posted on the other MW thread but I agree it deserves its own.

Major (and very public) lack of equality and diversity thinking however, every single time it comes to women's protected characteristics getting in the way of centering male ones.

Basic trades description issues there.

Indeed, Artichoke

Yes @Ereshkigalangcleg I just thought the transcript at the top of a discussion means we can all see what was actually said and people can use quotes from it more easily to make their arguments.

Here's a report they published in 2016 giving a survivor's account of her rape and the aftermath. It includes this text, members of the trans community mentioned but no mention of "men":

Established in 1978, Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre is a specialist support, advocacy and information service for women, members of the transgender community and young people aged 12 and over in Edinburgh, East and Midlothian who are affected by sexual violence, including rape, sexual assault and childhood sexual abuse. All our services are free and confidential.

www.ercc.scot/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Edinburgh-Rape-Crisis-Centre-A-Womans-Story-230516.pdf

Equality, for women, means allowing organisations centering women because men have physical and structural power over us.

Sure a rape crisis centre can cater for males who have experienced rape (by other males) too. But separately and not by deception and coercion and using one's privileges to campaign against women's rights.

In this description (probably from their press team or website) when Wadhwa was appointed earlier this year they have added "non binary people":

Established in 1978, ERCC is the largest rape crisis centre in Scotland, providing therapeutic and emotional support, information and advocacy for women, non-binary people, members of the trans community and young people aged 12 and over in Edinburgh, East and Midlothian who have experienced sexual violence. ERCC also works in schools and with young people across Edinburgh and the Lothians to raise awareness of sexual violence and deliver prevention workshops.

theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2021/05/new-boss-for-edinburgh-rape-crisis-centre/

Equality, for women, means allowing organisations centering women because men have physical and structural power over us.

Exactly. I despair at the lack of recognition of this by many "feminists".

@Ereshkigalangcleg

Equality, for women, means allowing organisations centering women because men have physical and structural power over us.

Exactly. I despair at the lack of recognition of this by many "feminists".

Which becomes painfully obvious, when you see what happens when a male born person is permitted to take what was specifically advertised as a women-only post at the head of women-only services on the grounds that they identify as a woman.

In fact the position has been used to successfully refocus the services to meet male needs to the detriment and active exclusion of females. The primary requirement for a female in crisis trying to access this service is now not her need, but whether she is able to prioritise the feelings and needs of male users above her own and to conform with the personal political agendas of the service leaders. It's an appalling state of affairs.

So this talk was on intersection stuff? Did the discuss the intersection between sex and religion in accessing rape services?

Why does a rape crisis centre have equality and diversity promotion as its first purpose?

So that Mridul Wadhwa can narcissistically abuse many, many women (not just users and potential users of ERCC, look how many of us are affected/bothered by this) at the same time under the guise of trans activism. I don't think MW really gives a toss about other trans people, they're just a handy tool to be used in MW's cause, which is control and abuse.

I don't need you to understand what it is like to be me, I just need you to accept me for who I am, believe what I am saying about myself, just as I believe what you are saying about your life.

Obviously that quote from MW above does not apply to female survivors of male violence who express their need for a female-only therapeutic environment.

When we tell you about ourselves, our needs, and explain that they arise from our experience of male violence, you don't believe us. Instead you smear us with these ugly judgements.

And the hostility towards female survivors is staggering. I cannot recall anyone in the history of the rape crisis movement in Scotland who worked for Rape Crisis Scotland so openly, so publicly and so emphatically condemn female survivors for their needs. And note this is no longer condemnation reserved just for those who express that need, but also for those of us who - without confronting anyone, without protest or complaint - simply self-exclude. A purely defensive measure for our own protection is now an expression of transphobia.

That is a record of some sort, I'm sure. Not one to be proud of, but a record nonetheless.

With her extensive background in telesales I'm sure MW will easily find other work.

Are they infringing their charitable remit? Is it worth complaining to the Scottish charity commission?

It was just a service for “women and girls” only (see changes from 2014 to organisation name) and until they changed their company name and articles of association in 2018.

You can follow the history on the companies house link on their charity profile on the OCSR.

Changes to articles of association have to be approved by directors/trustees and approved by the OCSR where the Objects are changed.

That's really helpful, thanks!

Does the whole statement seem garbled to anyone else? I feel different concepts are being mixed together and there’s no real clarity over what is actually being done and how it benefits those who need to use the service.

So the talk was on intersectionality so Mridul talked about... everything other than intersectionality? I doubt Mridul even knows what it means

For Women Scotland have posted an informative twitter thread alongside their article here.

An interesting comment there: lesbian, gay and bisexual were mentioned once. 64 mentions of transgender.

You would get the impression that the most important thing to do when engaging with a raped woman is ensuring that her politics and attitudes towards male people are what the service head would personally like them to be. And that the service is being very successfully refocused away from its primary purpose to a political focus on equality and inclusion (although only for trans people, and not for female people with incompatible or conflicting needs.)

For goodness sake Scotland.

Why does a rape crisis centre have equality and diversity promotion as its first purpose?

Mission creep.

Having read a couple of past annual reports, I strongly suspect that there were not enough female rape and domestic violence victims using this service to keep (government and lottery) funds rolling in, the staff in paid employment and the directors in enhanced linkedin profiles. The diversity and inclusion mantra is just a boondoggle to hide behind.

We as women have every right to be outraged but we also also need to ask hard questions. If a rape crisis centre is working at capacity why does it have to troll for new types of victims beyond its original remit? If it is not working at capacity why not? Where are the legions of satisfied clients standing up for this organization?

Having read a couple of past annual reports, I strongly suspect that there were not enough female rape and domestic violence victims using this service

You have no idea how much I wish that was the case. Unfortunately, they cannot provide services to all the women who need it. Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre's waiting list was a year long and closed to new women throughout most of 2020. The average waiting list is about nine months long.

You call them or get referred, you wait a few weeks for an assessment, and if they accept you, you get added to the waiting list. I waited 8 months and had I not be willing to try telephone counselling, I would have had to wait even longer.

If it looks as if not enough female people using this service from the reports, and the experience on the ground is that they are failing to provide sufficient capacity for females in need then what is actually going on?

I think it's a fairly obvious state of current affairs that female rape and domestic violence victims are not a sufficient source of interest for those running the service.