WPUK Statement in solidarity with Australian women.

womansplaceuk.org/2023/03/18/wpu…

This statement is in response to reports from Australia of members of the far-right National Socialist Network attending a Let Women Speak event in Melbourne today. 1/13 We stand in solidarity with women’s right to speak about the issues that affect them without the threat of violence. 2/13

This time last week we were in the opening plenary of #Ed4WomensLib. Chaired by @ProfAliceS of @UCLwomenslib, we were welcomed by @ProfessorBlitz on behalf of @ucl @IOE_London We then had the privilege of hearing the brilliant @akuareindorf speak about women's rights, human rights, free speech and academic freedom #Ed4WomensLib

Introduction by @rebelyarns. It's important and necessary for feminists to discuss strategy. Where better than FiLiA. #WPUKFiLiA. We are making a space for respectful disagreement. It's a skill to be able to disagree well - let's not waste the opportunity. #WPUKFiLiA

🧵 🎂 Woman’s Place UK is 5 years old today 🎂

#WPUK was founded in 2017 by grassroots volunteers in response to proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act. Our campaign aimed to ensure that women's evidenced concerns were heard & our sex-based rights upheld. #WPUKfivetoday 🧵 🎂 Woman’s Place UK is 5 years old today 🎂

15,810 tickets sold
31 public meetings
8 webinars
1 Conference
438,924 you tube views
215 blogs
251 talks
Evidence submissions, consultation responses, campaigns & more

#WPUKfivetoday

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🧵
“To make legislation in a climate where women have been silenced, esp women of faith & women of colour? You will never get good legislation” @ProfAliceS
Equalities, Human Rights & Civil Justice Gender Recognition Reform Prof Alice Sullivan responds to @kevin_guyan previous evidence that social scientists are split on the need of sex based data.

‘Guyan is a research fellow in Theatre Film & TV studies…he does not have peer reviewed work..’

Thread:

We are hopeful that the discussion on issues around sex and gender is opening up. Such discussion is essential if we are to find solutions that meet the needs, and uphold the rights, of everyone.

#moreincommon #SexMatters #FairPlay 1/n

https://twitter.com/Moreincommon_/status/1537373915504336898

Since November 2017, Woman’s Place UK has organised 30 public events and nearly every one has been hosted in the face of substantial obstacles including aggressive and intimidating protests. womansplaceuk.org/2021/10/27/rec…

Our campaign is routinely misunderstood and misrepresented – most recently today in statements made during the Allison Bailey tribunal. You can find out all about us, and what we are campaigning for here womansplaceuk.org 1/6 There was however considerable laughter here at WPUK at the idea that Pink News is a reputable news source. We have had cause to challenge their representation of the ‘news’ - for example their ‘reporting' on our Brighton meeting in 2019 womansplaceuk.org/2019/09/26/pnk… 2/6

THREAD: We have now published our submission to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee on the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. womansplaceuk.org/2022/05/24/wpu… /1 .@scotgov "has repeatedly been presented with serious, well-founded concerns about the potential impact of introducing a self-declaration model of legal sex change on women’s sex-based rights, first in its 2017 consultation and more recently in its 2019 consultation." /2

Fantastic opening address from Katherine Hales for @WeAreWithWomen talking about the rights of women to sex-based language. #WPUKWithWomen And rousing applause for @8RosarioSanchez who is chairing the meeting tonight here at University of Bristol #WPUKWithWomen

How to submit evidence on the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. Anyone can submit evidence. There are many unanswered questions about the potential cross-border effects of changing the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) in Scotland. womansplaceuk.org/2022/04/30/how… 1/2 All evidence must be submitted via the Scottish Parliament’s online platform. There are two forms of response: a short survey or a more detailed response.
yourviews.parliament.scot/ehrcj/gender-r… 2/3

THREAD: Please see this template email from @sexnotgenderNM for you to adapt. Make sure your voice is heard in the @NHSEngland review of single-sex accomodation. /1

https://twitter.com/sexnotgenderNM/status/1520808991294644225

This letter organised by @sexnotgenderNM about the influence of Stonewall on policy and practice was sent to the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the four chief nurses for the UK. It makes reference to the importance of single-sex accomodation. womansplaceuk.org/2021/12/02/sto…

This is the WPUK written submission to the review of NHS mixed sex accomodation.

Representatives of WPUK also attended a meeting with other stakeholders which we were invited to at very short notice. womansplaceuk.org/2022/03/17/wpu… /1 #NHS #SexMatters As well as outlining concerns about any move away from single-sex provision, we raised concerns about the process of consultation and engagement with women stakeholders and organisations. /2

Today is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women #IDEVAW We are committed to campaigning for an to violence against women and girls, to ensure women can self-organise and that our voices are heard in policy/law-making and that the law works for women. /1 Here is a link to our manifesto which lists all our campaign demands. In this thread, we will post the actions we think are needed as a minimum to start to address the violence and abuse women and girls face on a routine and systemic basis. womansplaceuk.org/wpuk-manifesto… /2

Yesterday was the 4th anniversary of our first ever public event, A Woman's Place is on the Platform in Cambridge. You can watch films of the speakers here. youtube.com/playlist?list=… Our most recent event was a joint public meeting with @CrimeandJustice You can watch films of speakers Charlie Weinberg @BluskyeAllison @francescrook @JoPhoenix1 @RosieDuffield1 and @Mocha_Soul here youtube.com/playlist?list=…

Welcome to our new followers. This is who we are; this is what we stand for; this is what we want womansplaceuk.org Woman’s Place UK is a group of women from a range of backgrounds who are united by our belief that women’s hard-won rights must be defended. This is our manifesto womansplaceuk.org/wpuk-manifesto…

This time, four years ago, we were starting our meeting in Cambridge: A Woman's Place is on the platform. This event was organised to offer Linda Bellos a platform after she was 'uninvited' from speaking at a student event. This is the film of her speech Anne Ruzylo had recently been subjected to an orchestrated campaign against her, prompting the entire executive committee of her Constituency Labour Party to resign in solidarity. She spoke about this and her work in women’s prisons.

An anniversary thread

Today marks four years since our first meeting in Cambridge, 23rd November 2017.

Even at this very first event, we had to overcome significant and sustained attempts to obstruct our organising. /1

womansplaceuk.org/2021/11/23/wom… The impetus for this meeting came when Linda Bellos was ‘uninvited’ by a student society of a Cambridge college at which she had been due to speak.

We decided to invite her to speak in Cambridge and we were honoured when she agreed. /2
varsity.co.uk/news/13638

Thread. Yesterday Lords debated the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, including amendment that to record the sex and acquired gender of alleged victims and perpetrators of crime 1/4 hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2021-11-… We dispute government position from Baroness Williams, that recording sex of perpetrators would be unlawful. 2/4

Good to see this article on freedom of expression from @ucl President & Provost Dr Michael Spence: “UCL hosted the Woman’s Place UK Women’s Liberation 2020 Conference, which included gender-critical views that many in our community find unacceptable…” /1 uclporticomagazine.co.uk/spotlights-and… “The event was able to go ahead and those who opposed it were able to protest and be heard, and that seems to me to be a victory for free speech.” /2

There is a growing list of women who are being harassed/intimidated into silence or out of work/roles for speaking up for women's sex-based rights. Below are just a few examples. Thank you @jk_rowling and everyone who is speaking up for women. #womenwontwheest #IStandWithJKR /1

https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1462758716684611597

@jk_rowling Michele Moore, targeted because of her campaigning on rapid onset gender dysphoria (ROGD) and the rights and safeguarding of children. /2 womansplaceuk.org/2019/06/21/in-…

THREAD: Following the aggressive protest at our #WPUKPrisons meeting, we rushed out the films so that people could see for themselves what people were talking about inside. Now we are pleased to be publishing films of the speeches with improved audio. /1 Charlie Weinberg opened A Woman’s Place is NOT in prison on behalf of @CrimeandJustice with an explanation of why the issue of women in prison needs urgent action.
#WPUKPrisons