Call to action - Manchester City Council refuses to protect women’s single sex services

[fromorbit]

Women's Rights Network Manchester and Labour Women's Declaration have got legal advice which shows Manchester Council's declaration that women do not exist as a sex class is unlawful.

In Feb 2022 Manchester City Council decided that ‘Trans women are women’. This means that ANY man who simply says he is a woman is - in the eyes of the Council - a woman. Many were taken by surprise by this decision. The motion was passed without consultation with the public or its service users. Not one councillor asked about the potential impact on women's single sex services.

Akua Reindorf KC concludes that MCC did not comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in applying this motion to Council policies and services and is therefore at risk of acting unlawfully...

WRN Manchester women are determined to continue using all available mechanisms to challenge MCC - this is unfinished business and remains an ongoing campaign.

WRN Manchester have produced an Executive Summary with advice for WRN Members. Links to both the summary and the full Legal Advice are shared below, along with the MCC response which was commissioned from Dan Squires KC.

We hope that Akua Reindor KC’s Legal Advice will be of value to those fighting to protect women’s single sex spaces in other local authorities and organisations who provide services for the public. Please make use of it.

More details:
https://www.womensrights.network/post/a-captured-council-manchester-city-council-refuses-to-protect-women-s-single-sex-services

If you are a Manchester resident, please email your local councillor with your concerns. Or you can email the Council leader here [email protected]

Find your councillors here https://democracy.manchester.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?bcr=1…

Also contact your MP and the local press let them know a court case may be on the cards because women are actually real. I believe that Bristol Council similarly has unliterally decided women don't exist so the legal advice could be useful there too and other similar places.

I'm sure Norfolx CC(?) did something similar. Never has the phrase 'passed a motion' seem so appropriate.

Not one councillor asked about the potential impact on women's single sex services.

Of course they didn't.

Why do councillors need a KC to remind them of the need to consider PSED—a basic that should always be at the forefront of their thoughts when considering items.

Thought so

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4646775-norwich-city-council-votes-twaw

I haven't read this in full, but as I understand it the brief can be of use for anyone living in an area where a council says women only included TW.

So it is about more than Manchester.

Not sure that the thread title will get this info over to women this may be useful to.

“We have heard from women in other councils across the UK which, like Manchester, have policies on single-sex spaces that are likely to be in breach of the Equality Act 2010 and its Public Sector Equality Duty. As such, they are vulnerable to legal challenge. We recommend all councils check their policies now and avoid wasting tax payers’ money on futile legal cases defending the indefensible. The problem with Manchester City Council’s failure to uphold single-sex spaces, reinforces the importance of the appeal ruling for For Women Scotland vs Scottish Government and the need for government action to clarify sex in law.”