A gender critical feminist group has supported a Senedd committee’s call for a Bill aimed at creating a gender-balanced Welsh Parliament to be referred to the Supreme Court.
... Bill relates to the creation of a gender-balanced Senedd. It was separated off from the main Bill because of fears that it could be overruled by Westminster because it encroaches into non-devolved policy areas like equality.
Welcoming the decision of the committee scrutinising the Bill to recommend that it be referred to the Supreme Court to see whether it lies within the powers of the Senedd to pass it, Cathy Larkman, from the Women’s Rights Network in Wales said: “We note the outcome of Stage 1 of the Electoral Candidates Lists Bill, which seeks to introduce mandatory ‘gender quotas’ for Senedd elections in Wales.
“This is despite the fact that the representation of women as members of the Senedd is close to parity and has previously achieved 50% without any such legislation. This will now proceed to Stage 2 of the process and a plenary debate will take place at the Senedd on June 18.
“We gave evidence to the committee on April 24, outlining our many concerns about this Bill. We note that these concerns are shared by other groups and individuals, including the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
“Not least of our concerns is the sleight of hand being deployed by the Welsh Government around ‘gender statements’ whereby a candidate will state whether they are a ‘woman’ or ‘not a woman’. This is clearly open to abuse. It risks a process of unchallenged self-identification of sex, whereby men claiming that they feel they are women will be able to stand for political office as ‘women’.
“The move to introduce at least 50% women could also therefore mean 100% men are elected. Self-identification of sex is not the law in the UK and the Welsh Government do not have the power to meddle with that. Equality law is a reserved matter – as the Scottish Government also found out.”
Continues at https://nation.cymru/news/feminist-group-backs-referral-of-gender-balance-senedd-bill-to-the-supreme-court/
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