ABOUT WRN
Who Are We?
We are a feminist group. We are a network of women from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland with one main focus: to defend the sex-based rights of women.
We are not aligned to any political party - we are women of all political persuasions and none. Our position is "Respect My Sex" - we support candidates who understand the rights and needs of women, regardless of party.
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WRN has around 60 geographical groups and in the region of 3000 members. Our members are of all ages, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability, employment status and socio-economic backgrounds. Some of us are parents and/or carers. We have differing religious beliefs. But, we are all committed to free speech and to putting the sex based needs of women and girls first.
And we are all women - adult human females.
Our groups offer a safe space to talk freely and compassionately. We provide support to one another and campaign for evidence-based solutions to stop the erasure of our sex-based rights.
Our Values
RESPECT – Members engage with others respectfully. We discuss, propose and oppose ideas. We do not attack individuals. Disagreement does not equal hate. We do not condone, endorse, or encourage any abusive or discriminatory behaviour towards any group or individual.
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SOLIDARITY – We work collaboratively, standing together, sharing information, and building connections with like-minded groups and individuals, curating community and resilience, to achieve positive outcomes.
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EVIDENCE – Facts matter. Our approach is to consider the evidence to make informed decision and communicate in a factual and honest way. Legislation, policy and guidance must also be based on evidence.
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CLARITY OF MEANING – We communicate ideas, and engage in debate, based on clear and accurate definitions. We uphold the legal and scientific definition of sex and sexual orientation.
REALITY OF BIOLOGY – We recognise that sex is binary, female and male, and that sex is determined at conception, observed at birth (or in utero) and recorded. We reject the co-opting of rare medical Differences in Sexual Development (DSDs) in order to cast doubt on the binary nature of sex.
INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM - We support women’s reproductive rights and bodily autonomy. We stand with lesbians in rejecting pressure to accept as sexual partners, or admit into lesbian spaces, males who identify or define themselves as
women.
NON-PARTISAN – We engage with organisations and publications with diverse political views. However, we do not, and will not, forge links with or accept funding from any organisation that does not share our values or whose aims we consider to be fundamentally hostile to the rights of women.
RELIGION – We favour no one religion over another, and welcome members of all faiths and none.
WRN Objectives & Aims
​​1. To retain and advance the rights of women ensuring existing rights are not diminished, subsumed or otherwise reduced across all facets of society. Our primary focus is the sex-based needs of women and girls across (but not limited to) health and social care, justice, education, safeguarding issues, single-sex services, workplace equality and fairness in sport.
​We will do this by exercising our rights to freedom of speech to inform public debate, challenge, advocate and educate on topics and issues that do or could infringe, curb or alter the sex-based rights of women and girls.
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2. To ensure adherence to the Equality Act 2010 (following SC judgment of 16 April) that sex as a protected characteristic means biological sex, and that where sex is referred to in wider legislation, this too means biological sex, and includes lobbying the NI Assembly to adopt the principles of the EA2010 in this regard. This includes seeking alignment across all current legislation, policies and guidance, and clarification where sex and gender have been used as synonyms to promote a clear understanding that sex is a specific legal category.
We will do this through advocacy, engagement and education of politicians and organisations, and in collaboration with other partners who align to this objective.​
3. To promote and uphold the rights of children to be safe ensuring their health and development is not impaired or damaged. We adopt the findings of the Dr Hilary Cass Report and hold to account any agency, school or body that acts in a contrary way when it comes to the safeguarding of children.
​We will do this by engagement with our membership to identify any such situations and using an evidence-based approach challenge and advocate for change.
4. To promote and advocate for the use of simple and clear sex-based language. This includes advocating for the collection of data based on sex, particularly as it relates to health and social care, science, justice, schools, sport and the workplace.
​We will do this by identifying situations where sex is omitted or replaced by other/non-specific characteristics, and challenge and advocate for change.
Women's Rights Network - England, Wales, Scotland & NI ​
Join Us!
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In recent months we have begun to make real progress, but our fight is not over. Why not come and join us because we are stronger together. New groups are still forming and new members are always welcome.
Simply complete the Join WRN form.
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Dont forget, you can also join our mailing list.
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In the words of Millicent Fawcett
"Courage calls to courage everywhere, and its voice cannot be denied"
Why do people call you the "Shopper Groups"?
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The Women's Rights Network grew out of every day women connecting on social media, discussing and sharing concerns on sex-based rights issues locally to them.
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They decided to meet in person, to make their presence known and in doing so faced online harassment when discussing meeting.
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So, instead, they talked about going to meet to go "shopping". Other women around the UK noted that they wish they knew women local to them to "go shopping with" and the shopping groups were born.
From those initial groups, a countrywide network of women have joined forces to actively and respectfully discuss our sex-based rights. We offer support to one another. We make our concerns known and push for workable solutions.
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We shrug off stereotypes and turn name calling into humour.
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We know what is REALLY important.
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Follow @WomensRightsNet on Twitter to find out more or join our mailing list.
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PS: Bring your own shopping bag!
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