Programme for Government Sex based rights of women and girls Equality legislation

Amending legislation likely to make women and girls feel more unsafe

Protecting men with a female "gender identity" from discrimination in our equality legislation risks the protection afforded to women and girls currently allowed on the "gender ground", which is defined as male or female

Women's Space Ireland

• 2 min read
Amending legislation likely to make women and girls feel more unsafe

Thread from 17th October 2021

Amending the gender ground in our equality legislation as promised in the Programme for Government risks making women and girls feel more unsafe.

"Disturbingly, a recent study found more than 93pc of women in Ireland feel unsafe when out and about."  

"Men may be statistically more likely to fall victim to street violence, but they don’t feel the fear in the same way, and it’s this fear that’s socially and psychologically damaging."    

Gender identity to replace sex
There are only two sexes, which hormones or surgery don’t alter. Amending our equality legislation to include males who claim a female “gender identity” risks losing the protections women and girls have on account of our sex. Please let Oireachtas members know your views.
Women's Space IrelandWomen’s Space Ireland

"More than half of those consulted in Dublin felt girls and young women were 'never' or 'hardly ever' included in decision-making"

Were women and girls consulted before a commitment was given to amend the gender ground and include "gender identity"?  

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/7e05d-programme-for-government-our-shared-future/

page 77

Please send your submission to the Public Consultation on amending our equality legislation which ends November 29th and encourage other women to do the same.    

Should the Government give men the right to use women’s spaces?
If our equality legislation is amended to include “gender identity” it may effectively abolish women’s and girl’s right to single-sex provision of services or spaces. Why should the demands of some men override the rights of women and girls?
Women's Space IrelandWomen’s Space Ireland