Review of 2024 - For Women Scotland

What a year it’s been! Dominated, for us, by the court case on the definition of “sex” in the Equality Act. #WeKnowWhatAWomanIs. You can read the background to the case and updates here!

But, of course, there was more – much more!

January saw Roz Adam’s employment tribunal. Eventually, this resolved in a huge vindication for Roz and a review of the stewardship of Mridul Wadhwa at Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre. We wrote up several reports outlining how we got to this point.

In February, we were granted leave to appeal to the UK Supreme Court.

*The Times: Supreme Court to rule on legal definition of ‘woman’ in Scotland*

In March, we marked IWD by remembering our friend @fatblackcatspaw, Mary Gordon, a filmmaker, crafter, and top yarn bomber, who died on International Women’s Day in 2023. We urged everyone to #BeMoreMary.

And you rose magnificently to the challenge!

*International Women’s Day 2024 #BeMoreMary*

We were also interviewed by @holyroodmandy We loved this interview and the joyful pictures! #WomenWontWheesht

*Holyrood: The women who wouldn’t wheesht – For Women Scotland on gender reform*

April saw the Hate Crime Act come into force and, with it, a hastily arranged (and massively oversubscribed) gig by @UnleashedComedy and an epic thread by a certain Edinburgh author @jk_rowling. We spoke to the BBC Woman’s Hour about it:

And BBC Anti Social:

*BBC AntiSocial: Misgendering and Hate Crime*

And too many other interviews to mention! We wrote about it here as well:

*The Critic: No joke – Scotland’s Hate Crime Act is absurd, but nobody’s laughing*

It was called the most “absurd law since Henry VIII’s beard tax” and, naturally, we were holding up signs!

*Daily Mail: Two weeks in and Scotland’s already riven by mutiny and chaos over the most absurd law since Henry VIII’s beard tax*

Meanwhile, the marvellous @sewingwithsteel created a muppet version of @HateMonsterScot and a cult hero was born!

May saw our report on Scottish schools, revealing the shocking extent of gender ideology which ran counter to the newly published Cass Report.

*Report 1: What’s Happening in Your Child’s Classroom? / Report 2: What’s Happening to Your Child’s School Toilets?*

June was all about the launch of #WomenWhoWouldntWheesht, the fantastic Sunday Times bestseller from @EthelWrites, @LucyHunterB and @DalgetySusan.

*@EthelWrites: The Women Who Wouldn’t Wheesht*

We also got a lovely cake for FWS’s 6th Brithday! (Photo by Lloyd Smith)

The Scottish Gov also helped us celebrate by passing the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Amendment)(Scotland) Bill which removed the unlawful definition of “woman” from the Act as a result of our first judicial review win.

More serious news in July, as Wadhwa was placed on leave pending an investigation, and questions were raised about Cameron Downing, a former SNP equalities officer, who was jailed for 6 years for domestic violence and sexual assault, and who had used Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre.

*Ex-SNP Minister demands probe into sex attack activist who wanted to ‘beat the f*** out of terfs’ after warnings ignored*

August was dominated by the Olympics – especially the row about the two boxers who had previously failed sex tests.

*The Telegraph: Finally sport is fighting back against cult of gender self-identification*

We managed to slot in an event for the book, however!

In September, Wadhwa finally resigned. Sandy Brindley, however, refused to accept her role in the problem.

*Edinburgh Rape Crisis, Rape Crisis Scotland, Mridul Wadhwa and Sandy Brindley*

More data from the census was released in October, including news of a growing new religion. Our census campaign exceeded all our expectations and included the marvellous @jk_rowling as a convert!

*Holyrood: Almost 3,000 people declare religion as ‘believer in biology’ in Scottish census*

We also enjoyed our customary appearance at the Academy of Ideas #BattleFest.

In November, of course, we headed south to the Supreme Court, but before that, we squeezed in a launch event for the brilliant @msjlindsay and her fantastic book Hounded.

We got a fair bit of interest and press coverage!

*The Times: Meet the Scottish women taking the gender battle to Britain’s highest court*

BBC World Tonight:

Susan’s high-point was being interviewed by @AndrewMarr9 on LBC alongside @RosieDuffield1. She is still buzzing!

We thought we might get a rest in December, but the first week back saw us arrange a meeting in Parliament with @PamGosalMSP on violence in the workplace for 16 days of activism.

The following night, we were back for the Beira’s Place event on strangulation arranged by @TessWhite4NE and @clairebakermsp, and hosted by the incredible @JohannLamont.

And the day AFTER THAT, we had another @UnleashedComedy gig!

The year was rounded off with a lot of rather lovely coverage!

*The Times: How a handful of outraged Scottish women changed our world*

Especially after we and others called out some silly comments by a certain former First Minister!

*The Herald: Grassroot feminists groups call on Sturgeon to clarify comments*

Women of the year! We’ll have to think of how to top that in 2025!