The @Commonswomequ today announced a call for evidence on reform of the Gender Recognition Act https://committees.parliament.uk/call-for-evidence/291/reform-of-the-gender-recognition-act?fbclid=IwAR2OBw5dDqd0oWBzQrZOjcxb7N0S34f_rEWw7QVnOuzeQfI55co_w0CvFsc

Select Committees are cross party groups of MPs.

This is not the government.

What they do is make recommendations to government, which the government have to respond to.

There is no formal template for inquiries. They can vary in length, with some published at short notice in response to high profile events.

This one is a tight timetable though.

Deadline is Friday November 27

(and it says it opened on October 6 )

The last time this Select Committee had an Inquiry on this topic was 2015 - Maria Miller's "Trans Equality" Inquiry in 2015 -2016

208 individuals and groups submitted evidence then.

Not many with a focus on women's rights

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmselect/cmwomeq/390/390.pdf

Some farsighted women did - @cwknews, Julia Long, @whywomen, Elaine Hutton, also Miranda Yardley, but mostly the evidence came from Trans Rights Activist groups and organisations that discounted women's concerns.

This time round I suspect that will be different.

You can respond to the call for evidence as as an individual or an organisation (including uncorporated organisations).

You can ask for it to be published anonymously if necessary

You should direct your response to the questions - but you don't have to answer them all.

The committee doesn't ask about impact on women, but these questions are particularly relevant

Are there challenges in the way the GRA & EqA interact? For example, in terms of the different language and terminology used across both pieces of legislation?

Are the provisions in the Equality Act for the provision of single-sex and separate-sex spaces and facilities in some circumstances clear and useable for service providers and service users? If not, is reform or further guidance needed?

Also on spousal consent

Does the spousal consent provision in the Act need reforming? If so, how? If it needs reforming or removal, is anything else needed to protect any rights of the spouse or civil partner?

There are questions on Self ID

Should the requirement for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria be removed?
Should there be changes to the requirement for individuals to have lived in their acquired gender for at least two years?

And one on children

Should the age limit at which people can apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) be lowered?

And on GRA reform in general

What else should the Government have included in its proposals, if anything?

Does the Scottish Government’s proposed Bill offer a more suitable alternative to reforming the Gender Recognition Act 2004?

Top tips on submitting evidence to select committees:

Start with who you are ‘Written evidence submitted by xxxxxx’

Keep it short - < 3000 words

Begin with an executive summary in bullet points

Include a brief introduction about yourself/your group https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/committees/how-do-i-submit-evidence/commons-witness-guide/

Don't submit material published elsewhere (but draw from it)

Use numbered paragraphs

Include *evidence*! factual information - use footnotes with hyperlinks to sources

Include recommendations for action by the Government or others

*Don't comment on matters currently before a court of law*

Once submitted u are not supposed to publish your evidence separately without permission

And you shouldn't publish it in advance or it might not be accepted

(But u can publish discussion of what you will recommend etc)

I suspect there will be a lot more input from groups concerned with women and children's rights this time

@Womans_Place_UK @fairplaywomen @Transgendertrd @SafeSchools_UK @ALLIANCELGB @legalfeminist @WomenUnitingUK @DeclarationOn @transwidows @FiLiA_charity @whywomen

@WeAreFairCop @WeAreRadical_ @LabWomenDec @WepWomen @CUPWomensPledge @ForwomenScot @FOVAS4 @mbmpolicy etc....