(A thread from Women's Space Ireland Twitter account 10th May 2021)

How does legislation get changed yet the public know nothing about it?

Perhaps through EU legislation which well resourced lobbyists manage to get submissions in to in good time?

Here's one for which the Public Consultation closes tonight at 11 pm

Transgender Europe and ILGA made submissions to the "Violence against women and domestic violence – fitness check of EU legislation" at the roadmap stage which closed in August 2020.

Most of the 90 submissions are from Italy (64%) and appear to have a similar theme.

There's only one from Ireland.

Just 8 (9%) of the submissions came from NGOs, including Transgender Europe, which seeks to have EU legislation adhere to the Yogyakarta Principles:

Feedback from Transgender Europe

The much cited Yogyakarta Principles are not binding on States, as our Department of Foreign Affairs confirms, see

What are the Yogyakarta Principles and what do they seek to achieve?
A set of principles, which are not binding on the State and which the Irish public has never had a chance to discuss or vote on, are being cited in Irish government reports on gender with far reaching consequences for women and children.
Women’s Space IrelandWomen's Space Ireland

In addition, one of the signatories of the original Yogyakarta Principles, Professor Robert Wintemute, has recently said that "Women's rights weren't raised" when these human rights principles were drafted in 2006.

The trans rights that trump all | Julie Bindel and Melanie Newman | The Critic Magazine
Julie Bindel and Melanie Newman say women’s rights were not considered in legislation that allows trans people to effectively decide their own gender…
Julie Bindel and Melanie NewmanThe Critic Magazine

ILGA adds "..many LGBTI children and young people also experience violence on the hands of family members or co-habiting person because of their SOGIGESC, including exposure of LGBT children to so-called 'conversion therapy' by their parents."

Feedback from ILGA Europe

The Public Consultation ending tonight aims to "assess whether current EU legislation has helped prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence, and whether there are gaps in the legislation."

Source

Many women in Europe only became aware of this fitness check of EU legislation which affects women especially and the Public Consultation on it yesterday (Sunday 9th May 2021).

Why?