UN Women has been criticised for saying that women’s rights activists were “falsely” trying to claim that transgender people pose a threat to single-sex spaces.
The organisation, which has had advocates including the Duchess of Sussex, had made several statements about gender on Instagram for Pride month.
It said there was an “anti-rights movement” which was seeking to “falsely portray the rights of LGBTQ+ people as competing with women’s rights”.
UN Women added: “Some try to frame the human rights of transgender people as being at odds with women’s rights.
“For instance, asserting that trans women pose a threat to the rights, spaces and safety of cisgender women.”
UN Women is charged with working for gender equality and the empowerment of women.
Meghan has previously been an advocate for the group, while Emma Watson, the actress known for her role as Hermione in the Harry Potter films, was a goodwill ambassador.
UN Women also linked to a 1,300-word “explainer” titled
LGBTIQ+ communities and the anti-rights pushback: five things to know.
The document included the claim that “state and non-state actors” in many countries were attempting to roll back rights and entrench stigma, “endangering the rights and lives” of LGBT people.
The explainer said there was a long tradition in which anti-rights movements frame equality for women and LGBT people as a threat to “traditional” family values, which “gender-critical” campaigners have taken to extremes.
However, gender critical campaigners said last night that it was “outrageous” to label defenders of a “tidal wave of gender ideology” as “anti-rights” activists.
Sex is a protected characteristic under the UK’s Equality Act.
Fiona McAnena, director of campaigns at Sex Matters, said: “It’s a sad day when UN Women lectures women’s rights campaigners on the need to include men with transgender identities in our work.
“Labelling the grassroots campaigners and groups who are defending women’s rights against a global tidal wave of gender-identity ideology as an ‘anti-rights movement’ is outrageous.
“There is simply no way to defend the claim that trans rights don’t compete with women’s rights, so UN Women had to resort to conflating the rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual people with those of people who claim a gender identity in order to make its point.
“UN Women’s claim that campaigners are ‘putting lives at risk’ has been refuted time and time again — this is dangerous and irresponsible propaganda.”
UN Women
faced criticism for its response to the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, for failing to condemn alleged gender-based war crimes adequately.
It also waited seven weeks before issuing any statement of condemnation of sexual violence.
UN Women has been contacted for comment.
