Category: Voluntary sector

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Voluntary sector

Men are male and women are female, and those are real conditions in the world

This matters to me because men are male and women are female, and those are real conditions in the world. That has consequences that matter especially for women individually and collectively.

I’ve posted on Facebook and Twitter, I’ve campaigned with Speak Up For Women NZ

I brought Meghan Murphy to New Zealand to speak at events and on television.

I’ve fundraised for SUFW. I’ve organised ground campaigns including delivery of leaflets throughout New Zealand

I’ve had my employer tagged by a transactivist claiming SUFW supports pedophilia and was investigated twice by my employer.

I was made to unfriend and block all work colleagues.

Jenny Whyte, Feminist trade unionist

Categories
Healthcare Voluntary sector

I witnessed first hand the destruction of Women’s only space

I care because I witnessed first hand the destruction of Women’s only space that had been so essential to my own healing.

I’ve posted on Social media, spoken in front of city council, attended a protest against the teaching of gender ideology to children, conducted meetups and events with other women to raise consciousness.

I have been harassed and threatened by a small mob and kicked out of communities that were important to me.

Ana H, Canada

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Voluntary sector

Most of the women we support feel safe knowing we only support women

I work with women who have suffered abuse in a women’s only service. Most of the women we support feel safe knowing we only support women. I worry they will feel less safe or be put at risk if people are simply able to self ID. Predators will take advantage of anything and this seems like a way for them to access vulnerable women and limit the ability of organisations to protect women.

I have followed feminists on Twitter, conducted research and shared information- admittedly not too much as worried about fall out at work.

Lauren, Domestic abuse support worker

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Healthcare Voluntary sector

I have watched too many abused women and their children walk out of services …because they are no longer being treated as single sex spaces

I care because I have spent more than 20 years providing advocacy and support for victims of male violence and for the last few years have watched too many abused women and their children walk out of services other women fought tooth and nail to have provided for them, safe spaces away from men and the risk of abuse

They are walking out because they are no longer being treated as single sex spaces and the main services providers for some reason want to pretend this is OK women are being made to feel unsafe and uncomfortable by the services meant to help them.

I have where ever possible challenged the TWAW rhetoric and the women shouldn’t be scared of other women nonsence.

I’ve been threatened with violence both online and in real life.

T

Categories
Voluntary sector

This matters to me personally because of the way some TRAs treat survivors of abuse/rape

This matters to me personally because of the way some TRAs treat survivors of abuse/rape who are unwilling to share female spaces with those who are physically male. More broadly I’m also concerned about safety in prisons and hospital wards and the effects on women’s sports.

I have spoken out anonymously online and there have been some rather heated debates in my workplace.

IC, Cat person, feminist, abuse survivor

Categories
Healthcare Voluntary sector

This is for you mum

This matter was brought to my attention when my mum died suddenly in Nov 2019. She was banned from plaid cymru for stating the biological facts

I spoke about things when my mum first died, but I was afraid of the impact on my non profit.

I feel that Facebook has picked up that I sometimes write on the likes of Standing for Women, Fair Play to women, Resisters, and UK woman Facebook groups. not hundred percent sure, but I notice when I’ve not posted on these groups our posts tend to get seen more, who knows, but as I’ve seen how the activists attack the likes of JK Rowling on her children posts, it worries me they do the same to our small not for profit.

Speako, this is for you mum

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Healthcare trans familiy Voluntary sector

My sister is transitioning into a transman

I care as a woman who has been raped about maintaining safe spaces for women. I care as the mother of a girl that she will be able to fully participate in sports without being edged out by a man who was subpar against other men. I care because my sister is transitioning into a transman and I feel that she, as someone who has struggled with mental health since early teens was taken advantage of by online pressure groups and a medical system hell bent on capitalising on her pain.

I have released videos on twitter, spoken out on twitter and in person and most of all I helped found a new political party that is for Scottish independence and also pro women’s rights (Independence for Scotland Party) @IndyScotParty

I have been called a terf by my own sibling. It has caused immense pain and difficulty in my family. I have had death threats. I am contemplating moving out of the country for the safety of my children so I can continue my advocating but keep them safe from those who may do me or us harm.

V, Mum of 4, adult human female

Categories
Voluntary sector

My organisation fights for the rights of all women and I don’t want to stop using the language I use to sound inclusive

My organisation fights for the rights of all women and I don’t want to stop using the language I use to sound inclusive. ALL WOMEN

I have set up a charity. Bintiperiod

On occasion I’ve been told I’m making things up

MKG, CEO and Founder

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Healthcare Voluntary sector

I have bought extra copies of academic books to share

This matters to me because freedom of speech , freedom of thought, freedom of belief and assembly are essential in a healthy  democracy.

2018 – I was in a major National museum  and noticed a Trans person (mtf) using  a very busy female toilet full of young schools girls, mums with babies/toddlers etc.  Unisex toilets were available on another floor. Later I respectfully  asked the info desk if toilet was ‘female ‘ as signed or ‘unisex’. Young male responded it was ‘female’ but ” anyone who identified as female could use it and he wouldn’t have a problem”. I asked him to record my comment inc. my awareness of the  provisions in the EQ Act .

After educating myself by reading books/blogs/research papers and attending events (secret and public) for the last  year consistently (once a week) I have invited individual professional female friends to my house for lunch with the specific purpose of raising awareness about the erasure of womens hard won sex based rights. Thats a lot of tea!

I have bought extra copies of academic books to share also used other guidance from Transgender Trend and followed up my informal conversations with updates about events etc.; met with my eight MSPs ; alerted contacts  to the GRA consultation; personally delivered hundreds of leaflets through doors; have left a political women’s group and wrote a letter explaining  my reasons and personally handed  it to two female MPs so they would know what was going on; spent a year trying to get issue raise at local level of an children’s organisation I volunteered with for 15yrs finally with help of a discussion paper for schools ( thank you  Transgendered Trend) I was able to raise issue as affects vulnerable children; was granted meeting with someone responsible for training volunteers after our meeting  I gave them the Prof Michelle Moore et al book to read; have spoken with my local Catholic parish members and priest.

I have been aware of feeling anxious / tense and worried when raising this issue and the need to be sensitive to each person and their level of understanding of all the issues. Probably lost a few ‘friends’.

Cactus club,  thick skinned, survives in harshest conditions, not troubled by pricks

Categories
Voluntary sector

It has been stressful and frustrating for myself and other staff

I care because in my organisation, I have found that the constant blurring of sex, gender and gender identity in organisational policies, blogs, guidelines and training materials at best undermines their effectiveness, and at worst installs regressive and harmful stereotypes.

I care because I value the power of data to advance the rights of all, and am deeply concerned about the quality of my organisations’ evidence when we use confusing terms like ‘non-man’ or ‘woman-identifed’ in staff or community surveys.

I care because women in the UK are losing their jobs or on ‘performance improvement plans’ for speaking up.

I care because I think there is real work that must take place to fight genuine anti-rights actors and human rights abuses around the world, and until we tackle head-on the issues of conflicting rights we cannot move forward.

I have rewritten guidelines, tools, research papers and strategic documents that: used gender identity instead of sex; included incorrect or problematic definitions of gender; did not use the word women in the name of inclusion and intersectionality. 

I have carefully spoken to staff across the organisation about this issue – always from a rights-based perspective – asking questions, sharing blogs or studies when relevant. I have repeatedly attempted to influence senior managers to follow correct Equality Act legislation rather than Stonewall guidance (with partial success). I have flagged reputational risks of alienating female supporters.

I have listened to women who have been told their feminism is ‘trash’ (by men) and spent time explaining to staff why calling other staff members ‘TERF’ is unacceptable, whilst trying my best to build bridges across staff communities. I have lobbied for spaces to discuss these issues in the workplace.

The negative consequences have been opaque and veiled warnings: be careful, get in line, be inclusive.

There have been impacts on workloads – without a serious policy framework language must be agreed on an exhausting and time consuming case-by-case basis. Hours have been spent drafting detailed policy recommendations that carefully address conflicts of rights which are swiftly ignored or rebutted with the mantra ‘we will be inclusive’ with no time spent engaging in any of the substance.

On an emotional level, it has been stressful and frustrating for myself and other staff. I know a number of staff who feel silenced, and unable to discuss openly on our online work platform because of the backlash, which has included warnings by senior managers. Meanwhile, potentially negative impacts of policy capture and new strategic direction on the communities we work with are yet unknown and unexplored.

Anonymous, Working on Women’s Rights for a UK INGO