Statement about the emergency evidence session by the EHRCJ Committee

[ArabellaScott]

14 women's rights organisations have written to protest at bias in the Scottish Government's GRR Bill - I'm guessing it's okay to reproduce large parts of this statement, as it's public:

'Women – in particular those with concerns about the potential impact of this bill on women who have experienced male violence – have been treated with contempt throughout this process, first by the Scottish Government, and now by the majority of the Scottish parliamentary committee. Their concerns have been belittled, misrepresented and dismissed.'

...

'The following questions should all be asked of Mr Madrigal-Borloz:

Is it your view that women and girls around the world are singled out for discrimination and disadvantage, such as female infanticide, education denial, forced marriage, restrictions on their liberties and rights, and multiple other legal, social and economic disadvantages, on the basis of something other than their physical sex?

Which countries that have introduced self-declaration systems for legal gender recognition have undertaken evaluations of the impacts on women and girls? Please provide MSPs with details of any such reports, the scope of the evaluation undertaken, date published etc.

How is the monitoring of effects of such laws on women and girls possible where datasets have ceased collecting data on sex, in favour of collecting data on self declared gender identity?

How do you define harms against women and girls? Is it your view that harms should be confined to physical and sexual assaults?

What analysis have you undertaken to assess the degree of reluctance women and girls experience in reporting any incidents? For example, concerns about accusations of committing a hate crime.

What importance do you place on ensuring women and girls’ privacy, dignity and psychological safety?

You claim that women objecting to this law change believe that all transwomen are predators. Please can you provide specific examples of organisations that have made such statements in Scotland.

How would you expect evidence to be found about the change in the incidence of non-contact sexual offences committed by males in women-only spaces, such as voyeurism, after changes in the law and policy?

In countries that have introduced self-declaration systems for legal gender recognition, what measures have been put in place to quantify the numbers of women and girls self-excluding from women-only spaces and services that are now open to transwomen?

Is it your view that safety and fairness matter for women and girls in sport?'

This statement is signed by:

Evidence-Based Social Work Alliance
Fair Play For Women
For Women Scotland
Frontline Feminists Scotland
Keep Prisons Single Sex
MurrayBlackburnMackenzie
Scottish Feminist Network
Sex Matters
Women and Girls Scotland
Women’s Rights Network
Women Voting With Our Feet
Woman’s Place UK
Women Speak Scotland
FiLiA
Johann Lamont (former MSP)
Elaine Smith (former MSP)
Jenny Marra (former MSP)
Marlyn Glen (former MSP)

forwomen.scot/18/12/2022/emergency-evidence-session-by-ehrcj-committee/

RA - of course the GRA should be reformed, it's too slow, cumbersome, but it's going from one extreme to the other

Yes, thank you so much Arabella.

I'm crying here. I doubt the arseholes in scotgov will change their minds, but oh man, they cannot in the future, when the killings start, pretend they didn't know it was a possible outcome for their INSANITY.

Emma Roddick - current system needs reform?

RA - as I said, making it easier of course is fine, as long as we take into consideration impact othre members of the population that also have needs.

Clear evience majority of violence comes from males, maj of sex offenders are males, they will use opportunities to exercise this...

if opprtunity presents because safeguarding is not tight enough ...

In my 20s woke up from surgery to find male nurse 'holding my boobs' - horrific experience - did not report.

Reem.

RA - prisons - there have been incidents of rape and violence in women's prisons. Has anyone done a study to ask how female prisoners feel about having TW in their spaces?

It comes back to 'there is no evidence because we didn't ask the women'

RA - not good enough to leave these decisions to ad hoc decisions (talking about prison authorities left to make these decisions)

"We didn't ask the women."

JFC. That should be on the headstone of Sturgeons final resting place, whenever the inevitable happens to that eejit.

Listening to this discussion, and Reem's arguments and then her personal disclosure, it makes me even more certain in my journey from 'oh, marginalised group, let me help in by own work and sector' to 'eh, this doesn't seem right' to 'no, I will fight this with every bone in my body'.

Every time we're told 'educate ourselves' whether it's on an individual, political or workplace/sector level basis, we do, and many of us say 'no', this isn't right.

Is there a way of sending a thank you message to Reem that will reach her quickly? She’s doing an amazing job of setting it all out.

She was amazing!!!

Emma Rodick - you say this is 'rushed' - 2 years, how much more would have to be done to consider it not rushed through

RA - it's not my place to comment on that, but if after 6 years there is still lthis level of polarisation, feelings of exclusion, this si a good sign there is still work that needs to be done. Maybe has to do with how proposals are being addressed. I would agree there's to be still v v strong opinions about this. Of c there were discussions in other countries. It's a question for Scottish constituents. It seems 2/3 are opposed to teh bill - indication there is still work to be done.

this is riveting, another thank you for @ArabellaScott

Rachel Hamilton repeatedly trying to get convener's attention. He ignores her.

Half the faces on that zoom call looking like slapped arses.

/End.

Thank you so much for doing this @ArabellaScott - RA just sounds amazing. Well, common sense is amazing now.

"It comes back to 'there is no evidence because we didn't ask the women'"
Exactly. What the absolute fuck!

Thank you @ArabellaScott

I don't know, I did look before for an email or something but couldn't find one. She seems ready to 'get her teeth into this' and wants to hear from UK women.

She has a Twitter: twitter.com/unsrvaw

Thank you so much for summarising this here.

Reem is incredibly impressive.

Thank you so much Arabella. This was amazing. What is the process now? Does this get heard in parliament?

Here's the Merriam Webster dictionary definition of unhinge. Reem may have been using unhinged in this context

Cheers, all. Incomplete transcription, (bits missing when I was off cooking dinner etc) - there will be a proper one up on the govt website in a day or two I think.

In summary, VMB did what his job is, which is to push for the rights of LGBTQ people, it seemed to me explicitly excluding 'non transwomen'.

Reem Alsalem seems to understand all of the issues and context very, very well.

And those on the Scottish Govt in support of self ID were very, very unhappy at being told about all the issues they've worked so hard to ignore.

They've been telling women they're ignorant bigots for so long I think it's genuinely hard for them to listen to an expert. It was excruciating to hear them try to bloody argue with an expert volunteering her opinion. And then sit in petulant silence when she eloquently laid out the problems, loud and clear.

Ending with - '2/3 of the population don't agree with you; it's you that's out of step'.

Reminds me a bit of another evidence session where women with expert relevant experience were dismissed, belittled and insulted - was it Caroline Nokes on the self ID bill down south?

The final vote on Stage 3 of the bill is on Wednesday.

It's expected to pass with great ease. Despite all of this. I'm not sure the exact mechanism, whether there's a vote from all of the House or what - so far it's been I think 7 people (the relevant committee) voting on amendments - so 7 people deciding it. Several times the votes were down to one or two people.

www.parliament.scot/bills-and-laws/bills/gender-recognition-reform-scotland-bill

This! Thanks so much for your hard work, Arabella.

My thanks also to Arabella. I'm so glad they won't have plausible deniability that they weren't aware of the potential issues.