WHRC weekly newsletter

Sex-based rights around the world

Wi Spa incident - charges filed against trans-identified man

Police in LA have filed indecent exposure charges against Darren Agee Merager, a registered sex offender, after an incident at the WISpa on Wilshire Boulevard. 

Sonia Appleby wins case against Tavistock gender clinic

Sonia Appleby, a social worker and psychotherapist who was child safeguarding lead at the Tavistock gender clinic in London. has won her case in the Employment Tribunal. The panel agreed her professional reputation had been damaged and she had been prevented from carrying out her safeguarding work after she made a number of protected disclosures about the treatment of children presenting with gender issues. 

Safe access zones for abortion clinic agreed in Western Australia

The Public Health Amendment (Safe Access Zones) Bill passed recently in Western Australia. It is now official law that anti-choice picketers cannot intimidate and harass women, girls and staff at reproductive health clinics. Read the media statement from Western Australians for Safe Access Zones and follow their campaign on Facebook. 

Nurses request that UK health organisations withdraw from Stonewall

A group of anonymous nurses in the UK have written a request that health and nursing organisations withdraw from Stonewall's Diversity Champions scheme, stating that 'there is specific risk to the reputation of nurses and our ability to work within our code of conduct from continued affiliation with Stonewall.'

20 states sue US department of education over Title IX guidance

20 states in the US have sued the department of education over its guidance that Title IX discrimination includes discrimination on sexual orientation and gender identity. 

Men now eligible for NSW Woman of the Year  

The New South Wales government in Australia has released eligibility criteria for its Woman of the Year award, indicating that it is open to 'self-identifying' women. 

Puerto Rico includes men in anti-femicide law

The government of Puerto Rico has brought in a new law intended to tackle violence against women. Under the new law, 'gender-related' killings will be codified as first-degree murder. The law includes women and 'people whose gender identity is not the one assigned at birth.'

Resources

Trauma and Prostitution - European anti-prostitution resource

'Trauma and Prostitution - Scientists for a world without prostitution' is a network of European experts specialising in trauma and the effects of prostitution. Visit their website for a wide range of articles, courses and other information in German, English, French, Spanish and Italian. 

Women in Afghanistan - 4W series

4W is running a series of articles on the situation facing women in Afghanistan. Read Andreia Nobre's article on the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, including information on ways to help and Phyllis Chesler's article about Afghan feminists.  

Latest videos from Vaishnavi Sundar

Watch Vaishnavi's interview with Japanese feminist Uno Ishigami and her work on the untold stories of the Covid-19 pandemic, Displaced.

Campaigns

Keep Prisons Single Sex WA

Single Sex Prisons WA was founded on November 26th, 2020 after the Western Australia Department of Justice announced the implementation of a policy which removed sex-segregation provisions from within WA penal facilities. Please sign their petition and follow on Facebook. 

Say No to Sex Self-ID in New Zealand

Please help support Speak Up For Women NZ by responding to the NZ government consultation on sex self-ID. Submissions from overseas will be accepted and SUFW have an easy-to-use submission builder on their website. 

Events

Conferencia virtual “La diferencia sexual: motivo de opresión y potencia liberadora”

Las esperamos para charlar con las compañeras de Oaxaca sobre la "DIFERENCIA SEXUAL: MOTIVO DE OPRESION Y POTENCIA LIBERADORA"
A cargo de María José Binetti. Modera la titular de la Secretaría de las Mujeres de Oaxaca, Ana Isabel Vásquez Colmenares Guzmán. 
Jueves 9 de Septiembre 11:00 horas (MEXICO) - 13 hs (ARGENTINA). Regístrate aqui. 

Education opportunities

Human Rights for Non-Lawyers (by a Lawyer)

A human rights law expert has been running courses on human rights law for non-lawyers, attracting women from all over the world. This valuable and interesting course starts again this week and is free to attend. Sessions cover some of the essential human rights bodies, including the UN and its international Conventions at the beginning, but then really drill down on certain important issues, at both the legal and political level. If you are interested in attending please contact us and we will put you in touch with the tutor. 

CEDAW for Change – WHRI and Oxford Virtual Learning Program

This program offered by the Women’s Human Rights Education Institute will provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against women (CEDAW) as a living document as well as women’s human rights (WHR) frameworks and mechanisms to promote and realize gender equality. The program was originally planned to be held in Oxford in June, 2020 and is being moved online due to the pandemic. Fill out the application form.