Latest news with #Alsalem
Scoop
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Special Rapporteur Welcomes Landmark UK Judgment On Sex-Based Protections
Press Release – UN Special Procedures – Human Rights The judgment does not change the law but brings much-needed clarity, it also represents the triumph of reason and science in policy making and a return to basic truth and common sense, Alsalem said. GENEVA (2 May 2025) – The UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, welcomed the landmark judgment by the UK Supreme Court on 16 April 2025 in the case of For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers. In its judgment, the Court determined that, for the purposes of the UK's Equality Act 2010, 'sex' is binary, and must be understood as bearing its ordinary meaning as biological sex and that the terms 'woman' and 'man' are to be understood as referring to biological females and males respectively, Alsalem said. The Court also ruled that the Scottish Government is acting unlawfully by treating men who identify as women and who hold a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) as women for the purposes of a law aimed at improving the inclusion of women on public boards, the expert noted. 'The judgment does not change the law but brings much-needed clarity, it also represents the triumph of reason and science in policy making and a return to basic truth and common sense,' Alsalem said. 'Most importantly, it vindicates thousands of defenders of women's human rights, including lesbians, and their allies who have been vilified and attacked for asserting the biological reality of sex, the material definitions of 'woman' and 'female', and the centrality of all these issues to their human rights and lived experience,' she said. The Special Rapporteur appreciated the clear way in which the Court explained how the Equality Act resolves tensions between the rights of different stakeholders by providing single-sex exceptions for biological women, in settings where such provisions are legitimate, proportionate and necessary, without negating the right of transgender persons to fair treatment. 'The Court demonstrated an extraordinary understanding of the UK's obligations under international human rights law toward women, and their rights to equality and non-discrimination based on sex,' she said. Alsalem also welcomed announcements by the UK, the Scottish, and Welsh Governments that they will abide by the ruling as well as the timely move by the UK's Equality and Human Rights Commission to publish an interim update explaining the implications of the judgement as a forerunner to more comprehensive guidance. Alsalem said she regretted attempts by some actors to wilfully distort the ruling and spread disinformation. She also expressed her concern at the continued, relentless, and alarming attacks on the Court; the women and women's organisations that brought the case, and their supporters. She called on government authorities, the judiciary, and law enforcement agencies to maximise efforts to protect them against the abuse, violence and threats. The expert said she supported calls for lawful and dignified solutions for everyone, including transgender persons, in implementing the Court's ruling. 'These could include, for instance, adding mixed-sex spaces alongside single-sex ones, but should not entail the removal of single-sex spaces which are vital for the protection of the rights of women and girls,' she said. Alsalem called on all public and private institutions, including employers, healthcare providers, such as the National Health Service and other institutions, such as prisons, to uphold the ruling. She further urged regulators to provide necessary support and guidance to all segments of society to increase understanding of the implications of the ruling and the rights and responsibilities arising from it. She expressed hope that other countries facing similar tensions between rights and/or claims based on sex and gender identity will reflect on the Court's reasoning and draw useful parallels for their own legal and policy contexts.
Scoop
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Special Rapporteur Welcomes Landmark UK Judgment On Sex-Based Protections
GENEVA (2 May 2025) – The UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, welcomed the landmark judgment by the UK Supreme Court on 16 April 2025 in the case of For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers. In its judgment, the Court determined that, for the purposes of the UK's Equality Act 2010, 'sex' is binary, and must be understood as bearing its ordinary meaning as biological sex and that the terms 'woman' and 'man' are to be understood as referring to biological females and males respectively, Alsalem said. The Court also ruled that the Scottish Government is acting unlawfully by treating men who identify as women and who hold a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) as women for the purposes of a law aimed at improving the inclusion of women on public boards, the expert noted. 'The judgment does not change the law but brings much-needed clarity, it also represents the triumph of reason and science in policy making and a return to basic truth and common sense,' Alsalem said. 'Most importantly, it vindicates thousands of defenders of women's human rights, including lesbians, and their allies who have been vilified and attacked for asserting the biological reality of sex, the material definitions of 'woman' and 'female', and the centrality of all these issues to their human rights and lived experience,' she said. The Special Rapporteur appreciated the clear way in which the Court explained how the Equality Act resolves tensions between the rights of different stakeholders by providing single-sex exceptions for biological women, in settings where such provisions are legitimate, proportionate and necessary, without negating the right of transgender persons to fair treatment. 'The Court demonstrated an extraordinary understanding of the UK's obligations under international human rights law toward women, and their rights to equality and non-discrimination based on sex,' she said. Alsalem also welcomed announcements by the UK, the Scottish, and Welsh Governments that they will abide by the ruling as well as the timely move by the UK's Equality and Human Rights Commission to publish an interim update explaining the implications of the judgement as a forerunner to more comprehensive guidance. Alsalem said she regretted attempts by some actors to wilfully distort the ruling and spread disinformation. She also expressed her concern at the continued, relentless, and alarming attacks on the Court; the women and women's organisations that brought the case, and their supporters. She called on government authorities, the judiciary, and law enforcement agencies to maximise efforts to protect them against the abuse, violence and threats. The expert said she supported calls for lawful and dignified solutions for everyone, including transgender persons, in implementing the Court's ruling. 'These could include, for instance, adding mixed-sex spaces alongside single-sex ones, but should not entail the removal of single-sex spaces which are vital for the protection of the rights of women and girls,' she said. Alsalem called on all public and private institutions, including employers, healthcare providers, such as the National Health Service and other institutions, such as prisons, to uphold the ruling. She further urged regulators to provide necessary support and guidance to all segments of society to increase understanding of the implications of the ruling and the rights and responsibilities arising from it. She expressed hope that other countries facing similar tensions between rights and/or claims based on sex and gender identity will reflect on the Court's reasoning and draw useful parallels for their own legal and policy contexts.
Irish Examiner
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Online pornography telling teenage boys inflicting violence and degrading sex acts on girls 'is normal'
The normalisation and widespread availability of online pornography is 'cementing and solidifying' gender stereotypes and violence against women and girls, a UN expert has said. Reem Alsalem, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, told a webinar in Dublin that adolescent boys were being told by pornography that inflicting violence on girls, and degrading them, is 'normal and part of sexual relations'. She said countries should not tolerate a situation where they have laws against gender violence in the offline world, but a 'jungle free-for-all' online. Ms Alsalem also condemned the 'unfolding genocide' against Palestinians which, she said, involved the 'large-scale killing of Palestinian women' in Gaza. She said there were specific international protections for women under the Geneva Convention and other humanitarian laws and said Palestinian women in Gaza were being targeted to limit their 'reproductive capacity' to bear children that are Palestinian. The UN independent consultant said the level at which this was being done was 'unprecedented' in any conflict and was being used as a 'genocidal tool'. Speaking more generally, she told a webinar organised by the Institute of International and European Affairs, she felt the world had entered a worrying period for women and girls. 'I think we are actually in a phase where we seem to be cementing and solidifying gender stereotypes rather than undermining them or fighting them,' she said. 'Some of the most pernicious, sexist stereotypes that fuel violence against women and girls are those that objectify females, that sexualise them, that commodify females, eroticise violence, due to things like normalisation and immense dissemination of pornography and consumption of pornography and attempts to normalise the purchase of sexual acts and buying of women.' Ms Alsalem said a report she published last year put forward the proposition that 'pornography is actually online prostitution' and could be described as 'crime scenes'. She said there was 'no effective' age verification online in terms of what children could access. 'Adolescent boys, even younger boys, access pornography at liberty," she said. It creates views in their head that inflicting violence on girls, sexualising them, subjecting them to degrading and violent and humiliating acts — some of them life-threatening, like strangulation — is normal and part of sexual relations. 'And girls, on the other side, are feeling this tremendously, they are feeling hyper-sexualised, [that] this is a normal part of what society expects of them, to attend to male sexual needs.' She said a comprehensive approach was needed to combat the problem beyond regulation and criminalisation: '[We need a] lot more education, how to talk about gender equality, disseminate sex education [that] focuses more on equal dignified relationship between men and boys and women and girls. "I don't like the word 'toxic masculinity', [but] how to be male in a society that doesn't glorify violence and misogyny.' On trans' rights, she said everyone should be free and have the right to assume a gender identity that is different than what it was at birth. But she argued for the protection of women-only safe spaces, whether in sports, in changing rooms or quotas for political representation. She said while there were 'tensions in human rights', it was 'very clear' protections for women and girls against discrimination was 'based on sex' and that was understood to be biological sex. Read More GP: Women disclosing serious physical injuries due to sexual acts by partners
Scoop
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
UN Expert Concerned By Canada's Abolition Of Gender Equality Minister
Geneva, 22 April 2025 The Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, today expressed concern over Canada's decision to remove the position of Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth from its 30th Cabinet, warning that it could undermine progress on gender equality, and was at odds with its long-standing position as a global leader on the issue. On 14 March 2025, Canada restructured its cabinet, consolidating gender equality responsibilities into broader portfolios, citing economic pressures. Civil society and women's rights groups have criticised the move, stressing that achieving gender equality in all areas requires sustained and dedicated leadership and resources. 'The elimination of this dedicated ministerial role is deeply troubling and risks setting a negative global precedent,' Alsalem said. 'It appears to undermine Canada's commitments under its Feminist International Assistance Policy, its National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, the Beijing Declaration, and the recent, welcomed, signature of the Belém do Pará Convention.' The Special Rapporteur warned that the decision could disproportionately harm women and girls from marginalised groups, including indigenous women, black women, and persons with disabilities, who face higher rates of violence and discrimination. She urged Canada to maintain a dedicated department on women and gender equality, led by a minister, with adequate and dedicated funding to combat gender-based violence and promote women's rights. 'If this decision is maintained, it would be important for Canada to outline how it will mitigate negative impacts on women and girls and ensure gender equality remains a priority,' the expert said. Alsalem has been in contact with the Government on these matters.
