New UN row over gender reforms

THE Scottish Human Rights Commission has criticised an intervention by the UN’S special rapporteur on violence against women and girls on reforms of Scotland’s gender recognition laws.

In a letter last month, Reem Alsalem raised concerns that the changes - which scrap the need for trans people to have a medical diagnosis to get a gender recognition certificate - could “potentially open the door for violent males” who would abuse the process.

“This presents potential risks to the safety of women in all their diversity,” she added.

But SHRC chair Ian Duddy told Holyrood’s equality committee he was “not convinced that she has presented new evidence that has not already been debated at length” at parliament.

He said the rapporteur had contradicted a letter sent in 2021, “where she appeared to support self-id with a number of other UN Special Rapporteurs”.

He told MSPS: “I am concerned as well about a sort of underlying narrative that’s been developed that trans people are sexual predators. I worry about that because they are a marginalised and vulnerable group.

“I recognise that this Bill is contested. It’s up to parliamentarians now to reach their conclusions, but our initial view is that we stand by the evidence that we gave in June and recognise that there is a range of opinions, including within the UN.”

The evidence session came as 29 individuals and organisations wrote to Ms Alsalem to welcome her intervention.

The letter also said women working in frontline services in Scotland “felt constrained from contradicting the position taken by organisations at national level.”

Signatories included

For Women Scotland, the Scottish Feminist Network, Woman’s Place UK, ex-prison governor Rhona Hotchkiss, and journalist Julie Bindel.