Women’s organisations speak up against the EHRC updated Code of Practice

NION Women is proud to stand alongside a growing coalition of women’s organisations, networks and community groups from across the UK in publishing a joint statement on the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)’s updated Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations.

Together, we represent organisations that work to support women, strengthen communities and advocate for women’s rights, safety and wellbeing. While we come from different backgrounds and focus on different issues, we are united in our concern about the direction these changes represent.

The updated Code, published following the recent Supreme Court judgment, introduces some of the most significant changes to how sex and gender are interpreted in public life for over a decade.

As the statement says:

“These changes are being presented as necessary to protect the safety, rights and dignity of women. In reality, as women’s organisations, we believe these changes do nothing to address the actual causes of violence and inequality that women face every day. Rather, they are another example of our voices and experiences being exploited to justify the introduction of policies that promote restriction and exclusion.”

The statement also highlights concerns that the Government’s own Equality Impact Assessment identifies potential unintended consequences for many cisgender women, particularly those who are gender non-conforming, as well as the impact these changes could have on organisations that have successfully brought cis and trans women together for many years.

The coalition also rejects the idea that protecting women and respecting trans people are competing objectives:

“We reject the false choice between protecting women and treating trans people with dignity, and believe women’s rights are best advanced when we stand in solidarity with our trans siblings.”

We hope this statement demonstrates that many women’s organisations share these concerns and want a different conversation, one that focuses on the real challenges facing women while building a society that is safer, fairer and more inclusive for everyone.

You can read the full joint statement, including the current list of signatories here.

If you are part of a UK women’s organisation, network or community group that would like to add your organisation’s name to the statement, please email nionwomen@gmail.com