Womankind including 'transwomankind'?

[Ofcourseshecan]

I've received a leaflet from Womankind Worldwide, asking for donations to protect girls from female genital mutilation (FGM). Great cause. But I checked on Mumsnet FWR and found that in 2020 they were including transwomen in 'womankind'.

I tried their site today and found they're still at it`: So many women, girls, trans and intersex people are still denied their rights and freedoms, while recent progress made in gender equality is under threat.

I have no problem with supporting both men and women, as most of my donations do.

But I won't knowingly donate to anything that encourages the breaking of women's boundaries, or the removal of their rights to single-sex spaces. Where males are allowed into women's spaces, women no longer have single-sex privacy and safety. So my donation could actually be undermining women's safety. (Transwomen offend at the same rate as other males.)

Does anyone know a charity that specifically and only supports women, especially against FGM? Thanks.

So irritating. I know its not FGM, of course, but there are obstetric fistula charities and it's completely impossible for a male to have such a fistula. Would that be a possibility for you to donate to?

Thanks for the idea, Rightsraptor. I already do Hamlin Fistula, which works in Ethiopia, but there are others in different areas. So that's a possibility if I can't find a women's charity, in developing countries, that only works for women and girls (I know, who do we think we are to have people defending us?).

But I would love to do my bit against FGM without accidentally undermining women's single-sex rights.

How many transwomen are there outside the western world? Beyond Brasil what are we really talking about?

This is kinda relevant.

Where is their money going matters.

If they are raising money for women and transwomen worldwide that makes me wonder who is really benefiting and whether they fully understand what they are raising money for.

Sex based rights and gender based rights are actually fundamentally different.

Any charity that beats on about trans women in Africa is to, my mind, more bothered about its employees than its targeted beneficiary. That's a problem for me as it suggests it's on the charity gravy train where very little money actually gets to front line initiatives and instead goes on the chain of NGOs etc.

Women desparately need support throughout the world but if you fail to centre sex based rights I don't see how you can achieve that goal.

Perhaps try to contact Hibo Wardere see if she has any ideas ? (Anti fgm campaigner fell foul of the TRAs)

So many women, girls, trans and intersex people are still denied their rights and freedoms, while recent progress made in gender equality is under threat.

Do they mean transwomen or was that supposed to be inclusive language for trans females?

If they are against genital mutilation/sterilisation of young males that's good too, though obviously not FGM.

I think you will find most of the UK charities working with women in other countries are all trans inclusive. Most of them aren't specifically feminist, but more of the old school overseas aid type of group who have slected women as their good cause.

Have you ever looked at the web site of the group FORWARD? They are one of the oldest African women's charities based in the UK, and long before media friendly young women got promoted as individuals, were working against FGM as part of a campaigning against violence against women. See www.forwarduk.org.uk/

There is also the Orchid Project www.orchidproject.org/

This is a different sort of group. I think they are more about strategy and law about FGM in EU (and elsewhere?) but might be worth a look. www.endfgm.eu/

Thanks, Dorothea, good idea.

Errol - I'm pretty sure they meant males. I can't find the 2020 Mumsnet thread now, but it showed tweets by Womankind Worldwide that said lesbians and transwomen faced violence because of their gender, sexuality and gender identity.

Though I don't want anyone facing violence, I still don't accept some males being allowed to feel more comfortable in women's spaces. The women feel (and are) less safe.

Hiba Wardee cofounded Educate not Mutilate.. linktr.ee/educatenotmutilate

Hibo Wardere has set up a non profit called Educate not Mutilate, they train doctors, teachers, social workers etc on how to spot signs that girls may be at risk of FGM.
She spoke about it at Filia and was amazing.

Hibo is a fantastic woman and a tireless campaigner.

If you're open to looking outside the UK, the German charity Terre des Femmes has FGM as one of its main areas of work and so far works from a sex-based definition.
www.frauenrechte.de/index.php

Although for the sake of full disclosure, there's currently an almighty battle going on, with part of the board wanting to move towards greater trans inclusion against the will of the majority of members.

Female Genital Mutilation. Where else have you heard about that.

Trans activists campaigned AGAINST banning FGM in the USA, which I doubt those well-meaning/virtue-signalling charities are aware of.

Trans Activists Protest Bi-Partisan Bill to Protect Girls From Barbaric Practice of Female Genital Mutilation | Women Are Human. Read more at: www.womenarehuman.com/trans-activists-protest-bi-partisan-bill-to-protect-girls-from-barbaric-practice-of-female-genital-mutilation/

@264MyShirt WtF??? just when you think the TRA outlook on life couldn't get anymore bizarre then you post this info. And as usual, protecting women and girls as a point of principle, is just ignored.

Not just ignoring it - actively trying to stop women protecting little girls from injury and assault because it suggests male people are male which makes some male people sad.

Another instance where life destroying physical injury to females is seen as better than male people having to experience emotions they find uncomfortable.

I totally forgot about this group, even though I get news of them through facebook!

Beyond FGM charity is made up of a group of UK midwives and friends who got together to help end FGM within the Pokot community following one of their members having worked as a midwifery tutor at a school of nursing in Pokot and witnessing FGM as a social norm with all the inherent dangers and trauma caused to young girls and women.

It is a UK registered charity working at grassroots with the Kenyan C.B.O. (community based organisation) C.I.C.R. (centre for indigenous child rights) and the social enterprise AfriReuse, both of which organisations were founded with support from Beyond FGM.

www.beyondfgm.com/

The is also The Five Foundation which was founded by Nimco Ali. I've seen her interviewed and she definitely does not thinks humans can change sex.

thefivefoundation.org/nimco-ali-obe/

Thanks, everyone. Lots of useful info here. And some that's frankly mind-boggling: Trans activists campaigned AGAINST banning FGM in the USA, which I doubt those well-meaning/virtue-signalling charities are aware of