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/

'Stage 3 - Final changes and vote

MSPs can propose further “amendments” (changes) to the Bill. MSPs decide on each of these. Finally, they debate and vote on whether to pass the Bill.

The Bill is at Stage 3'

Current status: Due to be taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, December 21, 2022'

IDK what 'the Chamber' means.

Thank you Arabella

"there is no evidence because we didn't ask the women" I want that on a great big billboard

Reem is one heck of a woman ⭐️

I'd like Reem and JKR running the Scottish Govt please.

Reem was great!

Did you notice Rachael Hamilton was cut off? Ash Regan & Tess White were supposed to ask questions too.

Yes. Her sharing of her own personal history of being assaulted by a medic in that context was quite startling. What a horrible thing to have gone through. As she said, men just won't be aware of much of women's lived experience.

Here is Lucy Hunter Blackburn's tweet thread, for another voice/transcription:

twitter.com/LucyHunterB

I have just copied this to repeated at every opportunity!

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

Their faces were a picture - especially when it was sinking in they invited her to talk & we're not able to derail, dismiss, undermine or outright reject anything she said. The 'trans community' will be most displeased epic mantrums will be underway.

There'll be very intense last minute pressure being put on many MSPs to vote for the bill regardless of what RA said.

I think this achieved a spelling out of exactly what we've been saying for years & they've stuck their fingers in their ears over. And the dawning realisation that we can see their invertebrate behaviour & they can't hide it any longer.

They're still stupid enough to vote this through. Cos that's the caliber of political representation in Scotland. See interest with a large dose of virtue signalling.

Thank you Arabella

All laid out for them. They were told. They cannot say they do not know.

And all they are being asked to do is consider the best interests of female people equally to those of TQ+ male people. That is all. That is what they have such a huge great difficulty with. Equality.

Thank you @ArabellaScott really appreciate all
those updates.

Wonderful to have those words from RA on record.

Imagine if our MSPs actually listened to her.

That was a paraphrase, to be clear!

She talked about data collection several times. And was quite clear on the need for sex and gender to be clearly disaggregated.

Her point around the lack of evidence was excellent.

Effectively, they have made it impossible to collect the evidence because if someone did manage to collect it, they know what they'd find.

Completely agree.

A lot of big huffy sulks incoming.

Usually they are able to patronise and dismiss wee wimmin, because most of us are just not that important to them. They can label us ignorant bigots - just naebodies who don't matter - and indeed they often do.

And today at last they had an expert in international affairs tell them precisely what we've been saying for years. And reiterate that women's lived experience, privacy, dignity, wants, hopes and fears MATTER AS MUCH AS MENS'.

It was wonderful to see.

This is the political bottom line. Sturgeon ignores it at her peril. It's clear that the SNP look on politics as instrumental, a technique simply for getting what they want rather than a way of bringing people together and reaching agreements.

Thank you for the commentary . Sounds as though at least they HAD to listen…which is what they haven’t been doing up to now.
in Spain, they are also pushing through self ID for the over 14s, and want to impose massive penalties for those deemed “transphobic” . The only time feminists have been heard was in a session of the conservatives in Parliament the other day. Some brilliant speakers.

Thanks arabella

🍻🍻🥃🍾

This forever ❤️❤️❤️

Thank you Arabella.

Reem was so clear - surely they listened, instead of just sitting like a bunch of Potato heads .
Let's hope......

@ArabellaScott thank you so much Reem was very clear on points that have repeatedly been made.

It reminds me of a high ranking member of our LA whom made some statement about 'the people we govern' - upon which it was pointed out that they were there to serve the people, not govern them.

Seems a distinction the SNP might benefit from reminding themselves of.

If trans women are women and women are non-trans women doesn't that mean that trans women are non-trans women?

😆 translogic init?!

Nah everyone knows what a woman is & Truth Will Always Matter

Just stop that! You'll cause a logic implosion.

Thank you for doing this. Out of curiosity did that guy ever mention non-trans men or did he just focus on non-trans women?