THE CAMPAIGN of continued harassment against women and feminists who oppose gender ideology has been sharply criticised by Reem Alsalem, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls. She comments:
'I am disturbed by the frequent tactic of smear campaigns against women, girls and their allies on the basis of their beliefs on non-discrimination based on sex and same-sex relations. Branding them as “Nazis,” “genocidaires” or “extremists” is a means of attack and intimidation with the purpose of deterring women from speaking and expressing their views. Such actions are deeply troubling, as they are intended to instill fear in them, shame them into silence and incite violence and hatred against them. Such acts severely affect the dignified participation of women and girls in society.'
In the light of what occurred at Albert Park in Auckland on March 25, it will be of interest to see if the groups that prevented a lawful and peaceful women's meeting from occurring will take on board the comments of Reem Alsalem. Unfortunately, given that their activities have the not-so-tacit support of both the government and its allies and the mainstream media, it is likely that the comments made by the UN Special Rapporteur will be ignored. She may even be branded just another 'extremist'.
We are living in a country where there has been a concerted attempted to impose a narrow orthodoxy as it relates to sex and gender. We are living in a country where one of the organisers of the Albert Park protest, Shaneel Lal, was named 2023 Young New Zealander of the Year and was selected by Mental Health NZ as the ambassador for their anti-bullying campaign.
And we're living in a country where media organisations like RNZ and Stuff continue to describe women's groups like Speak Up for Women as 'anti-trans'. They either ignored or downplayed the violent conduct of protesters on March 25. But as Reem Alsalem rightfully observes:
'Women and girls have a right to discuss any subject free of intimidation and threats of violence. This includes issues that are important to them, particularly if they relate to parts of their innate identity, and on which discrimination is prohibited. Holding and expressing views about the scope of rights in society based on sex and gender identity should not be delegitimised, trivialised, or dismissed.'
REEM ALSALEM : 'I AM CONCERNED BY THE FREQUENT TACTIC OF SMEAR CAMPAIGNS..'
I am concerned by the shrinking space in several countries in the Global North for women and feminist organisations and their allies to gather and/or express themselves peacefully in demanding respect for their needs based on their sex and/or sexual orientation.
Law enforcement has a crucial role in protecting lawful gatherings of women and ensuring women’s safety and rights to freedom of assembly and speech without intimidation, coercion, or being effectively silenced. It is clear that where law enforcement has failed to provide the necessary safeguards, we have witnessed incidents of verbal and physical abuse, harassment, and intimidation, with the purpose of sabotaging and derailing such events as well as silencing the women who wish to speak at them.
I am disturbed by the frequent tactic of smear campaigns against women, girls and their allies on the basis of their beliefs on non-discrimination based on sex and same-sex relations. Branding them as “Nazis,” “genocidaires” or “extremists” is a means of attack and intimidation with the purpose of deterring women from speaking and expressing their views. Such actions are deeply troubling, as they are intended to instill fear in them shame them into silence and incite violence and hatred against them. Such acts severely affect the dignified participation of women and girls in society.
I am also concerned by the way in which provisions that criminalise hate speech based on a number of grounds, including gender expression or gender identity, have been interpreted in some countries. Women and girls have a right to discuss any subject free of intimidation and threats of violence. This includes issues that are important to them, particularly if they relate to parts of their innate identity, and on which discrimination is prohibited. Holding and expressing views about the scope of rights in society based on sex and gender identity should not be delegitimised, trivialised, or dismissed.
According to international human rights law, any restriction on freedom of expression should be carried out strictly in accordance with the human rights standards of legality, necessity, proportionality and to serve a legitimate aim. Those disagreeing with the views of women and girls expressing concerns related to gender identity and sex also have a right to express their opinion. However, in doing so they must not threaten the safety and integrity of those they are protesting against and disagreeing with. Sweeping restrictions on the ability of women and men to raise concerns regarding the scope of rights based on gender identity and sex are in violation of the fundamentals of freedom of thought and freedom of belief and expression and amounts to unjustified or blanket censorship.
Of particular concern are the various forms of reprisals against women, including censorship, legal harassment, employment loss, loss of income, removal from social media platforms, speaking engagements, and the refusal to publish research conclusions and articles. In some cases, women politicians are sanctioned by their political parties, including through the threat of dismissal or actual dismissal.
Reckon RNZ, TVNZ and commercial media will provide any coverage of Alsalem's comments? Even though she is speaking on behalf of the UN watch how RNZ and Stuff ignore her. Our free press? What a joke.
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