WHO will put women at risk with trans plan, says UN expert

THE United Nations’ most senior expert on violence against women has accused the World Health Organization of putting women’s “dignity, safety and security” at risk after the news that it is set to call for people to have the right to self-identify as the opposite sex.

Reem Alsalem has written to WHO to say that the approach could undermine the legitimate requirement for women and girls to have access to female-only spaces, such as toilets, changing rooms and rape crisis centres. The UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls said checks are vital on people who change gender, to ensure females can expect a “life in dignity, safety and security that is free from violence”.

It comes after WHO, which is an agency of the UN, was accused of choosing a group of “blatantly biased” activists and medics to develop its first global guide to transgender care. It is calling together 21 experts to meet at its headquarters in Geneva next month to work on the guidance, which will focus on the “provision of gender-affirming care, including hormones” and also “legal recognition of self-determined gender identity”. But in her letter to WHO, Ms Alsalem highlighted serious questions about the use of hormones in gender care – and that those harmed by hormones should have their voice heard.

She criticised the health body for relying on advice from Gate (Global Action for Trans Equality), which has conducted research concluding that “improved access to legal gender recognition” is a “required intervention”.

She said: “It is not sufficient to assert that this is a ‘required intervention’ without considering the human rights-related impacts of legal recognition of self-identified gender identity on wider affected groups, such as women and children, including girls, including the legitimate need in some circumstances to maintain access to female only spaces, and to ensure the right of all women and children, including girls to a life in dignity, safety and security that is free from violence.”