Today’s indication that the government has dismissed calls to reform the Gender Recognition Act is good news for Women and Girls. We look forward to reading the full report in due course, and welcome moves to safeguard Women only spaces and protect our sex-based rights.

FiLiA thanks all those Women who recognised the importance of speaking out, and bravely stepped forwards knowing they were committing to shouldering the burden of speaking out loud. Their courage has been fundamental in reaching this point

We know that there is still much work to be done. We hope that the announcement enables and encourages others to publicly join in the discussions. FiLiA calls on all political parties to finally step forward in support of the critical issue of Women’s sex-based rights.

We now need to reverse the damage created by organisations who put funding before consideration of the rights of Women (particularly Lesbians). They must be held accountable for moving ahead of the law in dismantling our rights.

The principle that any oppressed group must be able to organise autonomously against their oppression is not negotiable. Women’s right to self-organize and to meet in Women only spaces are fundamental to our liberation and will not be compromised. We will not be silenced and we will not stand by whilst others are being vilified for simply demanding a discussion about proposed changes to the law.

We consider the erosion of Women’s sex-based rights to be a targeted global campaign, and note that Sisters are mobilising across the world and lending support to each other in their resistance. FiLiA commits to being a part of that global mobilization.

Finally; the current consciousness raising around the politics of liberation must be harnessed in order to fight in all other areas. The issue of Women’s sex-based rights is embedded within the subjugation of Women and Girls: FGM, sexual exploitation industries, forced marriage, sexual reproductive rights among others. Women are murdered because they are women and sold because their sex is seen as a commodity to be traded. These are just a few examples of how we are oppressed because of our sex, and why we must maintain an analysis of Women as a sex class. Only by asserting Women’s sex-based rights on all fronts will we ever be free.

Feminist activism works. No more waves.

Sisterhood and Solidarity,

FiLiA

FiLiA is a Women-led volunteer organisation. Our aim is to contribute to the Women’s Liberation Movement by:

• Building Sisterhood and Solidarity

• Amplifying the Voices of Women

• Defending Women’s Human Rights

You can support our work by becoming a Friend of FiLiA. Every penny goes directly towards supporting Women to participate who otherwise would not be able to.