Women Talk Back! ♀️🧙🏾‍♀️

Statement on the Protection of Single-Sex Services and Spaces

Sometimes this gets lost, but it the most important: On Friday night, a room full of overwhelmingly women heard superb and engaging speakers. The discussion was lively and moving. Everyone left feeling inspired & energised. And that's why we do what we do.twitter.com/GreenZoeHatch/…

@BristolUni @akuareindorf @Grays_Ink @JoPhoenix1 @SVPhillimore We are grateful to our speakers, attendees, backup venue & a wonderful security team. Special thanks to @SpeechUnion for stepping in to ensure women's rights to free speech & freedom of assembly was upheld in Bristol. We remain undeterred & look forward to our next public event.

Despite significant opposition by @BristolUni, our #FeministLawyersTalkBack! event on April 28th was successful. Thank you to our speakers @AkuaReindorf and @Grays_Ink, plus @JoPhoenix1, @SVPhillimore & #WendyStephenson who stepped in to discuss their advocacy for women's rights.

When university bosses ordered Bristol's Feminist Society to fund security for a panel discussion on protecting women's rights, the event nearly fell through—but the FSU has now intervened to fund a new venue off campus under our Mactaggart Programme! telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/04/2…

Let's hope this is the last time an English university is able to use the excuse of "security costs" to effectively grant its own intolerant student activists a heckler's veto over perfectly lawful events that they happen not to like for political reasons.

As Education Minister @ClaireCoutinho pointed out to The @Telegraph, the Higher Education (#FreedomOfSpeech) Bill, which returns to Parliament next week, will ensure that event organisers can no longer be forced to pay for security costs, apart from in exceptional circumstances.

“A backlash to the conditions imposed by the University of Bristol has been led by Claire Coutinho, education minister, who told The Telegraph: “Learning how to have civil discussions about things we disagree upon is central to the university experience.” telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/04/2…

🔴 The University of Bristol has banned the public from a feminist society’s event with a lawyer critical of the contentious charity Stonewall telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/04/2…

"By allowing student protestors to dictate what restrictions are put in place for events held on campus, the University of Bristol is giving their misogynist protestors a heckler’s veto." Excellent quote by @8RosarioSanchez telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/04/2…

Shame on you ⁦@BristolUni⁩. Why would anyone want their child to attend an institution that will not defend their right to free speech and beliefs, from an angry aggressive mob. Check out Edinburgh University’s professionalism on this issue. telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/04/2…

It’s 2023 and to attend an event to exercise my fundamental rights to freedom of speech and association, we have to have security at the door. This is very wrong. But it’s a beautiful evening and no sign of any AWA.

Offering thanks to the Unitarians for being willing to host women @8RosarioSanchez #WomenTalkBack

Want a feminist movement where all women feel welcome, key element to invite the public and the University said ‘No’ due to fear of student protest - thus giving them the power of veto. This is a disgrace.

First speaker @akuareindorf author of the groundbreaking Reindorf Report. Then @Grays_Ink who has ‘been through a lot’ as @8RosarioSanchez’s lawyer! Me, Wendy Stephenson and @JoPhoenix1

Either St Paul’s is a bit spicey of an evening or the muffled shrieks of protest are heard on the spring air. And that’s fine. Protest all you like - but let us speak and let others listen.

We are all ‘human rights defenders’ says @akuareindorf. 2013 UN resolution about female human rights defenders who are subjected to threats and harassment and the curtailment of freedom of expression. Grave concern that violations have impunity.

Online harassment can be evidence of systemic discrimination. Work of female human rights defenders should not be impeded and states should take action to protect us. Repeated in 2018 declaration.

The barriers women face re access to justice - example of trafficked and exploited women in the domestic sphere. Law also stacked against them as women - not entitled to minimum wage in domestic sphere.

If we are women’s human rights defenders we must find the bandwidth to defend these women who are truly the most vulnerable.