WPUK Statement on the resignation of Nicola Sturgeon
In voting through gender self-ID, the Scottish parliament has wilfully ignored the evidence of women and girls, as well as the advice of legal experts and advocates for women’s rights, including that of Reem Alsalem, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls. MSPs have shown that they care more for the rights of sex offenders to change legal sex than they do for the rights of women and girls to be protected from predatory males. This is not the end of the matter, however. Women in Scotland will continue to fight against this shameful piece of legislation, and we will be with them every step of the way.
Kiri Tunks Woman’s Place UK
WPUK statement on the resignation of Nicola Sturgeon
Although, in her resignation announcement, Nicola Sturgeon sought to deny the impact of what she euphemistically called ‘short term pressures’, it can not be denied that the SNP handling of the Gender Recognition Reform Bill under her leadership has been hugely damaging.
The consequences of self-ID have already been sharply felt across the UK, news stories emerging only weeks after the GRR Bill passed have brought the reality of self ID into sharp relief for politicians and the electorate.
Woman’s Place UK feel hugely frustrated that Scottish Labour under Anas Sarwar has so far failed to read the political landscape and the real life implications of this bill. Labour’s proposed amendments to the GRR were indicative of trying to hold UK Labour’s contradictory line; that transwomen are women, and women have the right to single-sex spaces.
We urge Labour and Scottish Labour to take heed from the disastrous political mess in Scotland and consider that those earnestly pushing unwanted and dangerous reforms may not be reflective of need, equality principles or the electorate.
Sturgeon listed a number of achievements during her tenure including legislative protections for those subject to domestic abuse, such as Domestic Abuse Protection Scotland Act. Yet the GRR effectively removes women’s rights to single-sex spaces and thus is a huge step backwards.
Sturgeon suggested that fixed opinions about her had become a barrier to reasoned debate. In reality it is her government which has put up barriers to reasoned debate in relation to self ID. For the future of the SNP, we hope the next party leader takes a more inclusive approach to their handling of the #GRRBill. Marginalising voices including policy advisors, feminist women, women’s groups and the UN Rapporteur for the elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls has led to bad law and unworkable policies.
Now is the time to put this right.
#BinTheBill #WomenWontWheesht #ThisIsMyNo #GRRBill #Section35 #DefendingWomensSpaces
WPUK statement on the resignation of Nicola Sturgeon media links
The Times: Scotland’s chief mammy lost out to second wave feminists
The Spectator: how self ID helped bring Sturgeon down
The Observer: Stoking a culture war? No, Nicola Sturgeon, this is about balancing conflicting rights
The Telegraph: Nicola Sturgeon’s downfall came as she failed to recognise madness of her trans law
The Express: Nicola Sturgeon hit by new nightmare as support for Scottish independence and SNP plummets
LBC: SNP prepares to rip up gender bill
MSN: Gender reforms could be sidelined
We believe that it is important to share a range of viewpoints on women’s rights and advancement from different perspectives. WPUK does not necessarily agree or endorse all the views that we share.