A Week in the War on Women: Monday 28th November - Sunday 4th December GOOD NEWS SUPPLEMENT
Another jam-packed edition of good news stories from the gender beat this week. Enjoy!
Mermaids On The Rocks
The Charity Commission has launched a statutory inquiry, its most serious form of investigation, into Mermaids.
“The Commission opened a regulatory compliance case into the charity in September 2022 after safeguarding allegations were raised. It has now formalised its engagement by opening a statutory inquiry.”
As The Times points out, the launch of this new inquiry into Mermaids represents a significant escalation of the Charity Commission’s scrutiny.
The Telegraph also reported on the story.
“The statutory Charity Commission probe will examine the administration, governance and management of the charity by the trustees, as well as its leadership and culture. It will also assess whether the trustees have complied with charity law and whether there has been ‘any misconduct and/or mismanagement by the trustees’ and a report will be published.”
Wrong again, eh, Ben?
Women Won’t Wheesht
Yet again, challenges to the Scottish government’s gender reform legislation have been coming thick and fast.
Following her ‘devastating critique’ of the bill, Reem Alsalem, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, told The Times that she is offering to provide ‘expertise to the first minister’.
Scottish Conservative MSP, Rachael Hamilton, has written to Nicola Sturgeon to urging her to pause the bill so that Alsalem can speak to ministers and give evidence to the equalities committee. “Fundamental issues of human rights are at stake”, she said. “Experts say women’s safety will be compromised if the government gets this wrong.”
Sonia Sodha wrote on the this subject in a scathing piece for The Guardian.
“The most likely outcome is that Sturgeon, a self-professed feminist and nationalist, will leave the door wide open for a Conservative government in Westminster to step in to protect Scottish women, by updating the Equality Act to clarify its sex-based protections for women apply only to those who are biologically female.”
Kath Murray, Lucy Hunter Blackburn and Lisa Mackenzie wrote a brilliant piece for The Courier on the urgent need for Sturgeon to listen to the UN.
“The government is now suffering hard from its failure over many years to think seriously about what the Bill could mean for women and girls.”
Professor Robert Wintermute was once a co-signatory to the Yogyakarta Principles who has since admitted he was wrong and changed his position. He wrote for The Telegraph this week, condemning the SNP’s gender reform bill.
“Five years ago, I would have supported the Bill. But I have listened to the concerns of lesbian, bisexual and heterosexual women and changed my mind.”
Rebel Yell
A group of rebel SNP MSPs have, again, defied their leader and ignored the whip by refusing to vote with the party in the gender reform bill.
Huge respect and thanks to Ash Regan, Ruth Maguire, Michelle Thomson, Stephanie Callaghan, Annabelle Ewing and John Mason who all refused to vote with the party in Holyrood this week.
Scotland The Brave
How much do we adore this fabulous woman who called out Nicola Sturgeon at an event in Edinburgh?!
In our main feature, the War on Women, we reported on an event organised by charity, Zero Tolerance. Prior to the event, attendees had been warned not to mention single sex spaces or Scotland’s gender reform legislation, probably because Nicola Sturgeon was due to give the main speech.
But this absolute shero decided not to be complicit in the silencing of women and she disrupted Sturgeon’s address with a phenomenal intervention.
“Shame on you! You’ve cemented this culture in Scotland that basically tells women they’re bigoted for standing up for women’s rights. I see you. And thousands of women around Scotland see you as well.”
Zero Tolerance’s attempt to shut women up backfired in spectacular fashion.
It was reported in The Telegraph…
And by Sky News.
And in The Scotsman.
And on LBC.
And in the Scottish Sun.
And in The Daily Mail.
And in The Scottish Express.
And in The National
They See Her Rowling
Despite all the hand-wringing, garment-rending and narcissitic raging, JK Rowling is still impossible to cancel and just as popular as ever.
The Harry Potter audiobooks have now been listened to for over one billion hours on Audible.
The latest TV adaptation from the Strike & Robin series, Troubled Blood, hits our UK screens next week - Monday 11th November at 9pm.
No County For Old Men
Eddie Izzard has failed in his attempt to be selected as Labour’s next Parliamentary candidate for Sheffield Central.
Huge congratulations to Abtisam Mohamed, Sheffielder, human rights lawyer and local councillor, who has been selected.
Yes Pink News, a 'Trans Person' was beaten, but not in the way you'd like to report it!
Thanks JL, a lovely way to start the week.