Women to Protest Discrimination Outside Green Party Autumn Conference

Supporters of the Green Women’s Declaration for Women’s Sex-Based Rights (GWD), many of whom have been suspended or expelled from the Party, will gather outside the Green Party Conference from 6th-8th September at Manchester Central.

Launched in August 2023, GWD advocates for the rights of women as a sex, as protected in law. Current and former Party members have been appalled at the cavalier way in which women’s concerns about gender self-id have been treated within the Party. Over recent years:

• Five co-chairs of Green Party Women have been expelled

• Numerous founding signatories of GWD have been suspended or expelled for social media posts or promoting the group’s webinars  informing members about the discrimination against women and lesbians within the Party

• Green Party values of respectful debate, which apply to other contentious issues such as HS2 or nuclear power, seem not to apply to gender critical women raising our voices.

The GWD now has over 1,500 signatories who ask that the Green Party recognises that sex is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 and should not be confused with gender identity. Signatories include many longstanding, loyal and high-profile Green Party members.

Protesters will seek to engage with members attending conference to highlight how far the Party has strayed from its environmental roots and alert them to what GWD see as a corruption of the disciplinary system, which now uses its powers to stifle debate.

They are also concerned that the Green Party removed its statement endorsing the Cass Report from its website and has still not issued a replacement. See GWD’s statement here.

Whilst Conference rightly celebrates our four new MPs and the media is all ears for our leaders’ speeches, women who have done nothing more than advocate for our rights as a sex are locked outside.

Emma Bateman, former co-chair of Green Party Women, says:

“The Party removed women’s sex-based rights, and when we objected, the Party tried to remove us. But we will not be shamed or bullied into silence. We are going to Manchester to make sure Green members and leaders get that message loud and clear.”

Dawn Furness, former co-chair of Green Party Women, says:

 “I was assaulted at a previous conference for advocating that the Party recognise biological sex within its policies. Women, vital in environmental activism, are ignored by the party. This mistreatment wouldn’t be tolerated for other groups.”

Protesters will gather to lobby members from midday on Friday 6th September.