Senedd Cymru | Welsh Parliament
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol)| Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill
Ymateb gan Hazel Tarragon | Evidence from Hazel Tarragon
In principle it is a very good idea to increase political representation by women, for women.
As is noted in the accompanying documents, women's lives are different to men's. Our sex means we have responsibilities such as pregnancy & breastfeeding, etc which can make political participation more difficult, than for males. Likewise, females are vulnerable to male violence & sexual violence & suffer from disadvantage due to patriarchy & so may have different political priorities & needs. Thus an increase in representation by & for women is a good idea.
However, I note with concern that the documents repeatedly use the word "gender" to differentiate men & women. It is SEX, not gender which differentiates men & women, males & females.
I am concerned that the use of gender, rather than sex to define women, could result in political opportunities for females, going to trans identifying males (trans women). This would result in even less females in the Welsh Parliament & more males. This because trans identifying males, remain male & retain patriarchal advantage over females, irrespective of gender identity.
I note also that the proposal says candidates need to "declare they are women". This again suggests you are planning on allowing males who identify as women to take political opportunities for females, simply by "declaring" they are women. Being a woman is not a matter of declaration, it is a matter of fact, a matter of SEX. A woman is an adult human female, not anyone who declares or identifies themselves as a woman.
I am extremely concerned that the proposed change, will allow males to take political opportunities from females by declaring themselves to be women. I am worried that this proposal is in fact based on gender self identification, rather than sex.
If this is the case, the legislation would be detrimental to females, rather than helpful. The Welsh Parliament could end up with an even greater disparity between males & females. Trans identifying males are not & can never be women. They cannot represent women or speak for us.
This is an extremely disturbing proposal. Being a woman is not a matter of self declaration, it is a matter of fact, a matter of SEX.
If candidates are merely required to declare they are women, then males will be able to do this & take opportunities in politics from females. No man can be a woman. No man can represent women, know the issues we face or speak for women.
The wording needs to be changed to say, candidates need to be female bases on SEX.
If this does not happen, the legislation will be regressive, rather than progressive. It will result in fewer women in politics, not more.
This proposal, appears to be gender self identification, brought in by stealth.
It will negatively impact women, if it remains in its current form, with womanhood based on self declaration. Women are adult human females. We are not anyone who declares or identifies themselves as a woman.
This bill will bring in gender self identification, within Wales, by stealth. It is not within the power of the Welsh government to do this, as is the case with Scotland.
This bill is incompatible with maintaining the human rights of females. It will render the SEX based rights of women & girls meaningless, because males will be able to identify into womanhood, through a process of self declaration.
This bill will bring in gender self identification by stealth. It will negatively impact the sex based rights, protections & opportunities of females. This bill is in conflict with the UK Equality Act (2010) in which SEX is a protected characteristic.
N/A
The Welsh Government should NOT be trying to introduce gender self identification legislation by stealth in this way. This bill conflict with the Equality Act, it effectively removes women's sex based rights, protections & opportunities.