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Read our submission to the Standing Committee on the Status of Women's study on Women's Shelters and Transitional Housing Our Submission to the Standing Committee on the Status of Women Re: Study on Women's Shelters and Transitional Housing In response to a call for written briefs , we submitted the letter below. June 11, 2026 Women's Space Vancouver welcomes the Committee's study on women's shelters and transitional housing. This submission focuses on the importance of maintaining accommodation that recognizes women's sex-based rights and needs, including access to female-only spaces. Women experiencing homelessness or fleeing domestic violence, sexual violence, trafficking, and exploitation are among the most vulnerable people in Canada. Many have experienced male violence, coercive control, sexual assault, and profound violations of their privacy and bodily autonomy. Some seek shelter with children who have also been affected by violence and trauma. Access to female-only accommodation is a critical component of recovery, dignity, and safety for both women and the children in their care. A significant gap in current policy discussions is the decreasing provision of female-only options within the shelter system. At one time the condition of women-only space was considered critical for all women’s shelters and transitional housing. There is no evidence that the need for this condition has changed. In some jurisdictions, women who request female-only accommodation have faced criticism, exclusion, and even allegations of discrimination. Publicly reported incidents demonstrate that some women have faced adverse consequences for requesting female-only accommodation or expressing concerns about sharing intimate shelter spaces with male individuals (no matter their identity). For example, Kristi Hanna left a Toronto women's shelter after objecting to sharing accommodation with a male resident who identified as a woman.(1) In another reported case, two women were removed from a Kelowna women’s shelter after raising concerns about sharing accommodation with a male resident who identified as a woman.(2) Women's shelters and transitional housing should not be required to give up spaces, beds, or services, for men. If other vulnerable populations require similar types of services, those should be created for those populations, and not at the cost of services for women. Forcing women to share their spaces and services with men undermines the primary purpose of women's shelters. The Committee cannot ignore the safeguarding implications of allowing men in women’s shelters and transitional housing. There have been publicly reported cases involving men identifying as women who were subsequently accused or convicted of sexual offences against vulnerable women. Examples include Christopher Hambrook (also known as Jessica Hambrook) (3), who sexually assaulted women after gaining access to women's shelters and support services; Michael Collins (also known as Mika Lin Katz)(4) ; Cody D'Entremont (also known as Desiree Anderson)(5); Shane Jacob Green (also known as Stephanie Green)(6); and Tyler Porter, who publicly described exposing his chest and a “bulge in [his] pants” in a women’s shelter.(7) The reasons for providing women-only spaces are clear and long established: safety - no one can tell or predict which men are predators; privacy – women should never have to worry about men observing them in vulnerable situations; dignity – women should be able to feel physically and psychologically safe, to heal, and to recover in an environment that does not put them at risk, given the vast majority have experienced violence and trauma at the hands of men. The lack of women-only shelters and transitional housing is creating a serious barrier for women who need to access critical services, putting women at further risk of harm, including injury or death. The recent BC Coroner’s Report illuminates the dire need to increase access to women’s shelters and the removal of any barriers. Women's Space Vancouver recommends that the Government of Canada: Recognize the importance of maintaining and expanding female-only shelter and transitional housing, ensuring safeguarding standards that prioritize the safety, privacy, and dignity of women. Collect and publish data regarding the impacts of shelter admission policies on women's safety, service utilization, occupancy rates, and outcomes. Ensure that sex and gender identity are recorded as distinct variables in data collection to ensure evidence-based policy development. Women experiencing homelessness or escaping violence deserve housing options that are safe, appropriate, and responsive to their needs. Preserving female-only spaces while expanding services for other vulnerable populations is not exclusionary. Public policy needs to recognize that different populations may have distinctly different needs and that effective public policy should seek to meet those distinct needs. We thank the Committee for the opportunity to contribute to this study. Respectfully, Kim Zander For Women’s Space Vancouver Women’s Space Vancouver works to maintain and advance women’s and girls’ sex-based rights. We advocate for women-only spaces as places for us to resist our sex-based oppression, to create culture, to participate in political organizing, and to seek safety and privacy. We assert that these spaces must be protected. References Mohamed, R. (October 18, 2024). Woman files human-rights complaint after being denied female-only shelter room. National Post. https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/kristi-hanna-human-rights-complaint-transgender-woman-toronto-shelter Van Emmerik, K. (March 10, 2017). Concerns over transgender client at Okanagan shelter. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/3300518/concerns-over-transgender-client-at-okanagan-shelter/ Pazzano, S. (February 26, 2014). Predator who claimed to be transgender declared dangerous offender. Toronto Sun. https://torontosun.com/2014/02/26/predator-who-claimed-to-be-transgender-declared-dangerous-offender News Staff. (January 25, 2025). Edmonton man faces additional sexual assault charges after new victims come forward. CityNews Edmonton. https://edmonton.citynews.ca/2025/01/24/edmonton-man-faces-additional-sexual-assault-charges-after-new-victims-come-forward/ Chen, D. (August 22, 2024). Acquittal for person accused of sexual assault at a Windsor women’s shelter. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/cody-dentremont-desiree-anderson-women-sexual-assault-1.7299486 Hunter, B. (October 18, 2022). HUNTER EXCLUSIVE: Sex offender who IDs as woman busted for shelter attack. Toronto Sun. https://torontosun.com/news/provincial/hunter-exclusive-sex-offender-who-ids-as-woman-busted-for-shelter-attack Guest contributor. (September 26, 2019). Male transgender boasts of harassing women in crisis shelter. Women Are Human. https://www.womenarehuman.com/male-transgender-boasts-of-harassing-women-in-crisis-shelter/

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Tools and guidance to contact your MP or MLA about policies affecting women’s rights in Canada. Contact your BC MLA Abbotsford-South - Liberal bruce.banman.MLA@leg.bc.ca Abbotsford-Mission - NDP pam.alexis.MLA@leg.bc.ca Abbotsford-West - Liberal mike.dejong.mla@leg.bc.ca Boundary-Similkameen - NDP roly.russell.MLA@leg.bc.ca Burnaby-Deer Lake - NDP anne.kang.MLA@leg.bc.ca Burnaby-Edmonds - NDP raj.chouhan.MLA@leg.bc.ca Burnaby-Lougheed - NDP katrina.chen.MLA@leg.bc.ca Burnaby-North - NDP janet.routledge.MLA@leg.bc.ca Cariboo-Chilcotin - Liberal lorne.doerkson.MLA@leg.bc.ca Cariboo-North - Liberal coralee.oakes.MLA@leg.bc.ca Chilliwack - NDP dan.coulter.MLA@leg.bc.ca Chilliwack-Kent - NDP kelli.paddon.MLA@leg.bc.ca Columbia River-Revelstoke - Liberal doug.clovechok.MLA@leg.bc.ca Coquitlam-Burke Mountain - NDP fin.donnelly.MLA@leg.bc.ca Coquitlam-Maillardville - NDP selina.robinson.MLA@leg.bc.ca Courtenay-Comox - NDP ronna-rae.leonard.MLA@leg.bc.ca Cowichan Valley - Green sonia.furstenau.MLA@leg.bc.ca Delta-North - NDP ravi.kahlon.MLA@leg.bc.ca Delta-South - Liberal ian.paton.MLA@leg.bc.ca Esquimalt-Metchosin - NDP mitzi.dean.MLA@leg.bc.ca Fraser-Nicola - Liberal jackie.tegart.MLA@leg.bc.ca Kamloops-North Thompson - Liberal peter.milobar.MLA@leg.bc.ca Kamloops-South Thompson - Liberal todd.stone.MLA@leg.bc.ca Kelowna-Lake Country - Liberal norm.letnick.MLA@leg.bc.ca Kelowna-Mission - Liberal renee.merrifield.MLA@leg.bc.ca Kelowna-West - Liberal ben.stewart.MLA@leg.bc.ca Kootenay-East - Liberal tom.shypitka.MLA@leg.bc.ca Kootenay-West - NDP katrine.conroy.MLA@leg.bc.ca Langford-Juan de Fuca - NDP john.horgan.mla@leg.bc.ca Langley - NDP andrew.mercier.MLA@leg.bc.ca Langley-East - NDP megan.dykeman.MLA@leg.bc.ca Maple Ridge-Mission - NDP bob.deith.MLA@leg.bc.ca Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows - NDP lisa.beare.MLA@leg.bc.ca Mid Island-Pacific Rim - NDP josie.osborne.MLA@leg.bc.ca Nanaimo - NDP sheila.malcolmson.MLA@leg.bc.ca Nanaimo-North Cowichan - NDP douglas.routley.MLA@leg.bc.ca Nechako Lakes - Liberal john.rustad.MLA@leg.bc.ca Nelson-Creston - NDP brittny.anderson.MLA@leg.bc.ca New Westminster - NDP jennifer.whiteside.MLA@leg.bc.ca North Coast - NDP jennifer.rice.MLA@leg.bc.ca North Island - NDP michele.babchuk.MLA@leg.bc.ca North Vancouver-Lonsdale - NDP bowinn.ma.MLA@leg.bc.ca North Vancouver-Seymour - NDP susie.chant.MLA@leg.bc.ca Oak Bay-Gordon Head - NDP murray.rankin.MLA@leg.bc.ca Parksville-Qualicum - NDP adam.walker.MLA@leg.bc.ca Peace River-South - Liberal mike.bernier.MLA@leg.bc.ca Peace River-North - Liberal dan.davies.MLA@leg.bc.ca Penticton - Liberal dan.ashton.MLA@leg.bc.ca Port Coquitlam - NDP mike.farnworth.MLA@leg.bc.ca Port Moody-Coquitlam - NDP rick.glumac.MLA@leg.bc.ca Powell River-Sunshine Coast - NDP nicholas.simons.MLA@leg.bc.ca Prince George-Mackenzie - Liberal mike.morris.MLA@leg.bc.ca Prince George-Valemount - Liberal shirley.bond.MLA@leg.bc.ca Richmond-North Centre - Liberal teresa.wat.MLA@leg.bc.ca Richmond-Queensborough - NDP aman.singh.MLA@leg.bc.ca Richmond-South Centre - NDP henry.yao.MLA@leg.bc.ca Richmond-Steveston - NDP kelly.greene.MLA@leg.bc.ca Saanich-North and the Islands - Green adam.olsen.MLA@leg.bc.ca Saanich-South - NDP lana.popham.MLA@leg.bc.ca Shuswap - Liberal greg.kyllo.MLA@leg.bc.ca Skeena - Liberal ellis.ross.MLA@leg.bc.ca Stikine - NDP nathan.cullen.MLA@leg.bc.ca Surrey-Cloverdale - NDP mike.starchuk.MLA@leg.bc.ca Surrey-Fleetwood - NDP jagrup.brar.MLA@leg.bc.ca Surrey-Green Timbers - NDP rachna.singh.MLA@leg.bc.ca Surrey-Guildford - NDP garry.begg.MLA@leg.bc.ca Surrey-Newton - NDP harry.bains.MLA@leg.bc.ca Surrey-Panorama - NDP jinny.sims.MLA@leg.bc.ca Surrey-South - Liberal stephanie.cadieux.MLA@leg.bc.ca Surrey-Whalley - NDP bruce.ralston.MLA@leg.bc.ca Surrey-White Rock - Liberal trevor.halford.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-Fairview - NDP george.heyman.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-False Creek - NDP brenda.bailey.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-Fraserview - NDP george.chow.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-Hastings - NDP niki.sharma.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-Kensington - NDP mable.elmore.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-Kingsway - NDP adrian.dix.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-Langara - Liberal michael.lee.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-Mount Pleasant - NDP melanie.mark.mla@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-Point Grey - NDP david.eby.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-Quilchena - Liberal andrew.wilkinson.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-West End - NDP s.chandraherbert.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vernon-Monashee - NDP harwinder.sandhu.MLA@leg.bc.ca Victoria-Beacon Hill - NDP grace.lore.MLA@leg.bc.ca Victoria-Swan Lake - NDP rob.fleming.MLA@leg.bc.ca West Vancouver-Capilano - Liberal karin.kirkpatrick.MLA@leg.bc.ca West Vancouver-Sea to Sky - Liberal jordan.sturdy.MLA@leg.bc.ca Contact your BC MP Abbotsford - Conservative ed.fast@parl.gc.ca Burnaby-North Seymour - Liberal Terry.Beech@parl.gc.ca Burnaby-South - NDP Jagmeet.Singh@parl.gc.ca Cariboo-Prince George - Conservative Todd.Doherty@parl.gc.ca Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola - Conservative Dan.Albas@parl.gc.ca Chilliwack-Hope - Conservative Mark.Strahl@parl.gc.ca Cloverdale-Langley City - Conservative tamara.jansen@parl.gc.ca Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam - Liberal Ron.McKinnon@parl.gc.ca Courtenay-Alberni - NDP Gord.Johns@parl.gc.ca Cowichan-Malahat-Langford - NDP Alistair.MacGregor@parl.gc.ca Delta - Liberal Carla.Qualtrough@parl.gc.ca Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke - NDP Randall.Garrison@parl.gc.ca Fleetwood-Port Kells - Liberal Ken.Hardie@parl.gc.ca Kamloops-Thompson Caribo o - Conservative cathy.mcleod@parl.gc.ca Kelowna-Lake Country - Conservative Tracy.Gray@parl.gc.ca Kootenay-Columbia - Conservative Rob.Morrison@parl.gc.ca Langley-Aldergrove - Conservative Tako.VanPopta@parl.gc.ca Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon - Conservative Brad.Vis@parl.gc.ca Nanaimo-Ladysmith - Green Party Paul.Manly@parl.gc.ca New Westminster-Burnaby - NDP peter.julian@parl.gc.ca North Island-Powell River - NDP Rachel.Blaney@parl.gc.ca North Okanagan-Shuswap - Conservative Mel.Arnold@parl.gc.ca North Vancouver - Liberal Jonathan.Wilkinson@parl.gc.ca Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge - Conservative Marc.Dalton@parl.gc.ca Port Moody-Coquitlam - Conservative Nelly.Shin@parl.gc.ca Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies - Conservative Bob.Zimmer@parl.gc.ca Richmond-Centre - Conservative alice.wong@parl.gc.ca Saanich-Gulf Islands - Green Party Elizabeth.May@parl.gc.ca Skeena-Bulkley Valley - NDP Taylor.Bachrach@parl.gc.ca South Okanagan-West Kootenay - NDP Richard.Cannings@parl.gc.ca South Surrey-White Rock - Conservative kerry-lynne.findlay@parl.gc.ca Steveston-Richmond East - Conservative Kenny.Chiu@parl.gc.ca Surrey-Centre - Liberal Randeep.Sarai@parl.gc.ca Surrey-Newton - Liberal Sukh.Dhaliwal@parl.gc.ca Vancouver-Centre - Liberal hedy.fry@parl.gc.ca Vancouver-East - NDP Jenny.Kwan@parl.gc.ca Vancouver-Granville - Independent Jody.Wilson-Raybould@parl.gc.ca Vancouver-Kingsway - NDP don.davies@parl.gc.ca Vancouver-Quadra - Liberal joyce.murray@parl.gc.ca Vancouver-South - Liberal Harjit.Sajjan@parl.gc.ca Victoria - NDP Laurel.Collins@parl.gc.ca West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky - Liberal Patrick.Weiler@parl.gc.ca

Read our letter addressing concerns about Bill C-6 and its implications for law, language, and safeguarding. Our Letter to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights Regarding Bill C-6 Please use any part of this letter for your own use. Dear Members of Parliament, It is unfortunate that Bill C-6 conflates lots of good research and medical statements on the harms of conversion therapy related to sexual orientation with treatment of gender dysphoria. As a supporter of the bill, you appear to be unaware of the potential harm of Bill C-6 to prevent people with gender dysphoria, particularly young people, from getting the psychotherapy help they need before they proceed to irreversible and lifelong medical intervention. Please read this just-published article carefully critiquing the dishonest and politically-motivated research that is now widely cited purporting to support “affirmative care” for people presenting with gender dysphoria as the only option . One Size Does Not Fit All: In Support of Psychotherapy for Gender Dysphoria (Oct 2020) The caveat in Bill C-6 that "These new offences would not criminalize private conversations in which personal views on sexual orientation, sexual feelings or gender identity are expressed such as where teachers, school counsellors, pastoral counsellors, faith leaders, doctors, mental health professionals, friends or family members provide affirming support to persons struggling with their sexual orientation, sexual feelings, or gender identity,” is unclear. In the current political context, where therapists who did or do not immediately “affirm” a child or youth who is questioning their gender identity fear they will be or have been fired (reference Dr. Kenneth Zucker in Toronto), this is no assurance that they will not be accused of “transphobia” for providing the kind of careful psychological therapy many patients need. The politicized singular focus on “affirming therapy” is a gross disservice to children and youth who need thoughtful, evidence-based treatment for their distress. In many cases they need to be supported to accept their homosexuality, or bisexuality, which is still stigmatized, rather than be put on a path to lifelong medicalization as transgender. Yes, there are still religious groups and others who are homophobic. Yes, conversion therapy as it is properly understood — trying to change a person’s sexual orientation — is unacceptable and deserving of a prohibition. In the government’s news release the links to evidence of the need for this legislation are mostly about homosexuality — yet gender identity is included in this bill at a time when the debate over appropriate treatment for the increasing number of youth presenting as gender dysphoric is polarized, ill-informed and highly politicized. I urge you to read this article and think carefully about amending the bill to either remove gender identity or more specifically insert an assurance that medical practitioners will not be subject to spurious and intrusive accusations of providing ‘conversion therapy’ when they are not. The authors argue, "We believe that exploratory psychotherapy that is neither “affirmation” nor “conversion” should be the first-line treatment for all young people with GD, potentially reducing the need for invasive and irreversible medical procedures. This is especially critical now, when we are witnessing an exponential rise in the incidence of young people with GD who have diverse and complex mental health presentations and require careful assessment and treatment planning.” This clause in the bill’s preamble is also problematic: “Whereas conversion therapy causes harm to society because, among other things, it is based on and propagates myths and stereotypes about sexual orientation and gender identity, including the myth that a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity can and ought to be changed ;” This is inconsistent with the reality that many young people explore different gender identities over time and can decide to change to something new or to detransition. You owe it to the young people of this country to do no harm to them. In reviewing this bill, please call in medical professionals on all sides of this issue and create a safe space for dialogue to inform your decision. In your zeal to protect the human rights and dignity of all people, please don’t shy away from examining unintended consequences. Additional recommended reading: Submission on Bill C-6 from homosexual and bisexual Canadians Some excerpts: "With Bill C-6, gender therapy will become the primary form of gay conversion therapy in Canada. The Bill as currently drafted prevents therapists from making good-faith inquiries about whether gender dysphoria could actually be rooted in a negative reaction to same-sex attraction. Someone struggling with internalized homophobia won’t be aware of, or will deny, this fact. But the threat of criminal prosecution at the hands of homophobic parents or distressed clients will have a chilling effect on therapists’ ability to provide appropriate, culturally competent, gay-positive therapy to help clients struggling with their sexuality.” “Personal testimonials from our members demonstrate the profound consequences of not treating some of the mental health issues that commonly accompany gender dysphoria, including sexual abuse, bullying, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and more. Therapists need to be able to assess and apply the appropriate treatment intervention for their clients without risking criminal prosecution.” "The definition of conversion therapy in this Bill is clear in allowing invasive transition-related medical interventions to continue with no limits on how young the child might be." Also: Letter to Justice Minister re Bill C6 (Conversion Therapy)

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Highlights and reflections from International Women’s Day 2022 events and advocacy efforts in Vancouver. International Women's Day 2022 - Letter to BC Legislative Assembly Dear Member of the Legislative Assembly, Happy International Women's Day! We are Women's Space Vancouver, writing on this important day of international solidarity for women to raise a concern with you regarding women's safety. Recently, the BC Government implemented a change to allow men or women to identify as the opposite sex (or neither) on official government documents . This change was enacted without consultation or consideration of its consequences on the safety of women. Women have good reasons to have safety concerns. In Canada, one woman dies every three days at the hands of an abuser. Rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and violence from men are prevalent in the daily lives of many women, particularly in the lives of Indigenous and Asian women. The government may have had good intentions, but this change in government policy has given sex offenders and predatory men a welcome mat into women's intimate spaces. The threat posed now is that any predatory male who feels entitled to women's bodies can access all spaces reserved for women by a simple self-declaration. There are solutions to ensure the safety of everyone, such as providing gender neutral as well as male and female designated washrooms. The government's change of policy is not acceptable because their effort to provide safety for some has resulted in a lack of safety for many others. We enclose our brochure outlining other problems inherent in this ill-conceived policy change that affects the rights, needs, safety and sensibilities of women. We would like to discuss this situation further and request a meeting with you at your earliest convenience. Download our brochure on Gender Self-Declaration

Exploring self-identification policies and their implications for women’s spaces, law, and public policy. Response to the BC Government change in law allowing anyone, by self-declaration, to change their sex designation on all BC identification On Friday January 14, 2022, the BC NDP Government announced a change in legislation that now allows any person to self-identify as the opposite sex by simply filling out a form to have their sex changed on all BC legal identification documents: BC Services Card Driver’s License BCID Card Birth Certificate Women’s Space Vancouver condemns this action as another nail in the coffin of women’s human rights. This change is driven by gender identity ideology with its ill-defined and subjective concepts of gender, in contrast to science and fact. This will further impede the lives of women and girls and make a mockery of our material reality, endangering services, programs, and all spaces designated for women only. Women and girls are human females with immutable characteristics, a protected class under provincial, federal, and international human rights law. The discrimination and oppression we face is based on the reality of our biology, not because we ‘think’ or ‘feel’ we are women. This move shows contempt for women and the public, as the Provincial NDP government has, once again, made major changes to law and policy by focusing on the demands of a small interest group without consulting all of those affected. We understand they have made no assessment on the impact of these legal changes, including no Gender Based Analysis (GBA) intended to safeguard equality rights, which would be critical to share with the public. The NDP government calls this support for the ability to be true to a person’s gender. However, the document conflates gender with sex. The Vital Statistics form reads, “my gender designation captured as "Sex” …”male” or ”female“ or “X” . Sex is a fact – observable and immutable. Gender has no one definition and has been described as a ‘feeling’, as socially constructed stereotypes for roles, relationships, behaviours, and other traits that society ascribes to women and men. “We are not a costume or a feeling”, said Kim Zander, Chair for WSV. “Our human sex-based rights took a long time to be recognized, and we continue to face sexism, systemic discrimination, and horrific misogyny in BC, Canada, and around the world, on the basis of our biology. Women and girls are being sentenced to further vulnerability at every level of our lives by allowing men to declare they are women and therefore access washrooms and showers, counselling and programs, sports, prisons, medical care, and other services, and facilities that are meant to address and protect our dignity and our rights.” The BC government said, “This announcement will make it easier for people to have their true genders reflected on their B.C. identification documents.” This raises a number of concerns, but most importantly, why does the government think it is important for individuals to express their personality traits on legal identification, in place of a factual piece of data often used for statistics. Zander added, “It is possible to respect gender identity while also acknowledging that all trans/non-binary people were born male or female. Allowing a subjective expression of personality to replace a factual and protected characteristic is unnecessary and harmful to women and girls.” The Minister of Citizen’s Services said, “By removing the medical requirement for a change of gender designation, this is part of our continued commitment to making this government, its services and the province increasingly accessible for people of all genders.” This move does not support the acknowledgement of gender diverse people, but rather hides them under the incorrect or no sex category. This will compromise the integrity of important statistics upon which government and organizations base the development of programs and services for specific populations, including those who consider themselves “gender diverse”. The government did not provide information about services that are not currently available to gender diverse individuals or how this change to identification will address accessibility to services. “We believe the intent is to allow access to female-only services and spaces. This gender identity ideology driven change will only put human rights in conflict and women and girls at risk”, said Zander. The consequences of allowing men to self-declare they are women on legal documents is huge. Women and girls are already experiencing a violation of our human rights as government allows and facilitates access to our spaces to men who self-identify as women. Men will be able to enter spaces, services, and programs meant only for women, such as public and school washrooms and showers, transition houses, counselling services, training programs, equity programs, women’s committees and organizations, including those created to heal from and combat male violence, and those organizations, programs and services meant for Lesbian women. Women will have no space without male interference and influence. Male criminals will be allowed, without question, to be placed in women’s prisons, threatening the well-being of women prisoners. Already, with the few males claiming to be women that the government has allowed into women’s prisons, women prisoners have reported abusive behaviour, assault, rape, a diminishing of their mental well-being, and a fear of participation in prison counseling programs. Men will now be included as women in statistics and data collection, skewing the real-life experiences of women. They will be able to speak for women in surveys, focus groups, government working groups, and in every area data is gathered to understand and address women’s experiences, needs, and goals. Their crimes will be counted as women’s crimes. Their violence and rape will be counted as acts committed by women. Men claiming to be women, and their advocates, have already harassed and bullied women who have spoken up for women’s and girls’ human rights, calling them intolerant and hateful, transphobic, and fascists. They have targeted women who will not conform to the language of gender identity ideology but instead insist on scientific material reality. They have already tried to skew sexual orientation by saying that gay men and lesbian women are “same-gender” attracted, when sexual orientation is based on biology, not what someone thinks or feels. They have harassed Lesbians who will not accept men who claim to be women as intimate partners, calling them transphobic. They attempt to compel speech/language that is confusing, lacks fact, and distorts reality. And they demand this ideology be taught and enacted in our schools. Women speaking up for our human rights have been threatened with and experienced job loss, censorship, and violence. Men self-declaring they are women will misrepresent women’s experiences and the rights women are entitled to. Those claiming to be women, and their advocates, have put a lot of energy into doing as much harm as possible to women who won’t ‘behave’. Men who self-identify as female have been and will continue demanding that the medical and healthcare system conform to language that includes their male bodies as women. They demand that women as biological beings be referred to by body parts, that women-only bodily functions be renamed, and that the system assert that men who claim to be women can also carry out these functions. They have and will continue to demand they be medically treated as women and deny the distinct differences in male and female bodies. Healthcare for women will be dehumanizing, distorted and confused, particularly in the area of education about our unique bodies. There is no such thing as a ”girl penis”. Allowing men to self-identify as women will create huge difficulties for law enforcement when they need to describe suspects, to forewarn the public of dangerous criminals, or to keep accurate statistics. Already we see Stats Can and policing records conflating sex and gender, and therefore crimes committed by men are attributed to women. Men self-identifying as women will destroy women’s sports. The very basis of competition in sports is based on physical attributes. It is well documented that male bodies have distinct differences and advantages over female bodies. Sports will no longer be fair, safe, and inclusive for women. It has and will ruin opportunities for hardworking women athletes to find acknowledgement of their achievements. Already, several female sports records have been broken by men claiming to be a woman. Lastly, when government is complicit in the conflation of gender and sex, it has and will have an impact on our schools and education of children, resulting in the denial of basic biology. Children are becoming more confused about material reality. This creates an opening for harmful ideas that children who do not conform to the gender-based stereotypes expected from their sex need social and medical interventions to correct the ‘wrong sex’. The B.C. NDP government has been fully captured by this ideology, showing disregard for basic science, and the rights of parents. It boasts of the number of mastectomies done on youth and young adults for gender reassignment surgery (often called “chest masculinization”). Generations of children will pay for our government allowing society to be steeped in a political ideology. We demand the NDP government commit to the following: Uphold women’s sex-based human rights and Canada’s commitment to the standards the United Nations have developed through CEDAW. The collection and registry of objective data and statistics based on science and clear and meaningful language. Stop using the tenets and language of gender identity ideology. Remove provisions for self-declared identification using selected gender stereotypes. Removal of the word ‘gender’ as a synonym for ‘sex’ and retrospectively update all official documents that conflate the two terms. The government can always collect additional data rather than replacing data with inaccurate terms. Democratic processes that involve the public and affected populations in the development of law and policy. This is a key element to ensuring an engaged, respectful, and respected civil society and that no stakeholder groups are disenfranchised in the law and policy making process. Prevent a conflict of human rights. Women and girls and those who are gender diverse have human rights that are equally important. No one group’s human right need be sacrificed for another. Women won’t sit idly by while our rights are destroyed by a government that has submitted to ‘woke’ politics. These letter has been written by an ally in support of our actions. They have allowed us to share them here. Please feel free to use the content of these letters for your own submissions. Self-declared gender on all BC legal identification documents Dear Adam Walker, Jinny Sims, Ellis Ross, and Nathan Cullen, I wish you all good health and courage in the debates this term. I am writing to you because of the January 14th announcement by the NDP government that anyone can now self-declare that they are the opposite sex (or no sex) on all government identification, including a birth certificate. The change can be made by simply filling out a form. I ask that you consider this proposition very carefully before proceeding. This is a shocking move and done with no analysis of the consequences. I am very concerned about the consequences of this action and lack of public consultation. I oppose this move. Why was such an important issue kept quiet. This is a serious misuse of power that will have harmful consequences to women. You may ask why I’m writing to you in particular. Adam Walker, you are my MLA, and I want you to represent this area well. Jinny Sims, I’ve worked with you for many years, we’ve shared concerns and worked hard on issues relating to the Status of Women. Ellis Ross, you would be my MLA if I were still living in Kitimat and I know that you share concerns about women’s issues, along with Nathan Cullen, as we all know the shattered lives of women that have occurred in the north and along Highway 16. We must do better. I thank you all for reading my concerns and the attached letter. This is a universal issue. Women’s rights must still be attended to. If you have daughters, sisters, mothers, granddaughters and nieces, think about how safe they’d feel if this law passes. Without any notice to or consultation with the people of BC, the NDP government went ahead with this action that will drastically alter the lives of women and girls. If anyone can self-identify as a woman (“female”), any man will be able to enter any and all women’s spaces, from changerooms and showers, transition houses for those who’ve experienced male violence, counselling programs, to sports, women’s prisons, and organizations meant for women to discuss our experiences and defend our rights. Youth can make this change with permission from parents – boys will have access to all spaces meant for girls. Women’s human rights will become meaningless. I would direct you to Women’s Space Vancouver, an organization that is presently working on this issue and will provide more information as you need to reconsider the steps you have started. For a first step, the government must initiate public hearings, consultations and listen to the women of British Columbia. Please read and consider the following statement which was published by Women’s Space Vancouver in response to the Jan 14th announcement by the NDP government before rash decisions are made by the government. Download our brochure on Gender Self-Declaration

Discussion on gender nonconforming children, safeguarding, and evidence-based approaches to care. Gender Nonconforming Children Transgender Trend Stephanie Davies-Arai's UK based organization Transgender Trend is an excellent source of information for families of gender nonconforming children. She has graciously allowed us to share her information here: School resources for parents and teachers Resources for parents of trans-identified children Detransition Useful links Terminology Social Transition Puberty blockers Detrans Canada Another useful site for support and information is Detrans Canada: "Detrans Canada is an independent and non-partisan advocacy organization that supports detransitioning, desisting, and re-identifying Canadians. We seek to fill the gap in research, resources, and platforms available to those detransitioning, desisting, and re-identifying. We believe those who are in the process of questioning, ending or reversing a gender identify or gender transition process should be offered support, access to high-quality research, access to informed medical professionals, and the ability to advocate for themselves." You can also find them on X (formerly Twitter) @DetransCanada and on Instagram at detranscanada. Abigail Shrier and Posie Parker There is a very good interview between Posie Parker (Kellie-Jay Keen) founder of Let Women Speak (formerly Standing for Women) and Abigail Shrier author of Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing our Daughters wherein they have a deep conversation about the dangers girls are in from institutional trans ideology. It is available on YouTube. Erica Anderson Erica Anderson is a trans psychologist and former president of the United States Professional Association for Transgender Health and former board member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). Anderson is speaking out against the affirmation model of treating gender non-conforming children. The health establishment is failing young adults who question their gender When it comes to trans youth, we're in danger of losing our way A Trans Pioneer Explains Her Resignation from the US Professional Association for Transgender Health Top Trans Doctors Blow the Whistle on ‘Sloppy’ Care More Information The Swedish U-Turn on Gender Transitioning for Children Reconsidering Informed Consent for Trans-Identified Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults Sweden’s Karolinska Ends All Use of Puberty Blockers and Cross-Sex Hormones for Minors Outside of Clinical Studies

Information and analysis on women’s health, including the importance of sex-based data, research, and care. Women's Health The Issue: The medical system has historically discriminated against women The medical system has historically discriminated against women leaving them, misunderstood, mistreated and misdiagnosed. Over time, the limitations of a biomedical view of health as well as the concepts of sex and gender became central to advance our knowledge of women’s health, improve how research is conducted and make health research more impactful on the quality of life of women. Definitions of Sex and Gender Sex is defined as “biological and physiological characteristics that distinguish females from males” CIHR, 2010. Gender , on the other hand, describes “socially constructed roles, relationships, behaviours, relative power, and other traits that society ascribe to women and men.” The current gender ideology denies the biological reality of women, human adult females, by using language that deliberately creates confusion between sex and gender, as if they were interchangeable. This is harmful to women and girls in an alarming and growing number of ways. Why does women's health matter? By replacing sex with gender, the biological reality of women disappears as well as the social reality of being born women in a patriarchy and living our lives in societies designed and organized by men for men. Erasing biological sex, erasing women: language identifying female anatomy and biology no longer reflects the specific experience of women. We are menstruators, chest-feeders, uterus-havers, people who get pregnant and people who give birth. More and more health care institutions are using this language to signal “inclusion” when in fact they are promoting the gender ideology agenda that dehumanizes women. Replacing sex with gender, a concept, not a measurable and observable element, means that gathering and analyzing data will become impossible. Medical research is already biased against women, and now that anyone can identify with any gender they feel males will be able to participate in medical research and surveys as women. Without scientific rigor, based on biological realities, the physical well-being of women can be compromised and many of the gains made in the last decades in women’s health may be lost. Funding for women’s health research has always been lagging and will probably suffer more with the current push by governments and pharmaceutical companies to fund “inclusive” research. As women are gradually punished and chastised for using language describing their biological reality and for expecting female-centered care, the health care system is determined to impose the new policies and protocols. Women are expected to accept to share spaces with males who identify as women, or to accept intimate care from them. What can we do about women's health? Refuse language that dehumanizes us and takes away our biological reality. We are women, not menstruators or uterus-havers. Refer to yourself as a woman – not a cis-woman or a cisgender woman. We are not a sub-category, we are one of the two sexes, women (adult female human) or men (adult male human). We were not “assigned a sex at birth” our sex is observed and recorded. Read up on the differences between sex and gender to feel comfortable with the terms and be attentive to the ways that they are being used in society. Speak up and let people know how you feel about these issue – you can do it through discussion or by writing on social media, writing to politicians, newspapers, etc. Resources Our Letter to BC Centre for Disease Control

Coverage of 2022 British Columbia's municipal elections and issues affecting women’s rights in local governance. Questions for MPs Regarding Sex-based Rights in 2022 These are the questions our group has put together for you to ask your municipal candidates before voting in the 2022 elections. We will be sending them out to all candidates in Vancouver. Please use and distribute as you like. If you are a candidate and would like to answer these questions and /or meet and discuss with us, please email womenspacevyr@gmail.com . Preamble: The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is an international bill of rights for women. Article 1 of CEDAW, explains discrimination is understood as "any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex.” The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms sets out equality rights. “Section 15 of the Charter makes it clear that every individual in Canada – regardless of race, religion, national or ethnic origin, colour, sex, age or physical or mental disability – is to be treated with the same respect, dignity and consideration. This means that governments must not discriminate on any of these grounds in its laws or programs.” Questions for Municipal Election Candidates – Council 1. Do you support women’s sex-based rights as outlined in CEDAW and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms? 2. In order to accurately include and represent all citizens in decision-making, it is critical to gather data that reflects material reality such as biological sex and sexual orientation. 3. Women’s (adult human female’s) sex-based representations in the civic processes must be preserved. 4. Political organizations should strive to have equal representation of women (adult human females) in leadership positions and as candidates. Questions for Municipal Election Candidates – Parks 1. In order to protect the dignity and safety of women and girls, washrooms and changerooms in all public venues must offer sex-segregated facilities. 2. Public venues should offer women-only programs such as women-only time in the gyms, girls-only sports, or teen girls-only activities. 3. Further, women have the right to request that some activities remain sex-segregated, when renting Park Board facilities for cultural, social, or sporting events. Questions for Municipal Election Candidates – School Board 1. Girls (female children and youth) have sex-based rights to safety and privacy, guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom must be supported. 2. What would you do to protect students from being lured into online sexual extortion and online luring for the purposes of prostitution, sex trafficking and pornography? 3. Some parents are concerned about whether materials and beliefs presented in the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity curriculum (SOGI) for students are age and developmentally appropriate. What would you do to protect the rights of parents and educators to bring concerns to the School Board, regarding curriculum, policy and/or practice? 4. Female students are reporting rape culture in BC’s elementary and secondary schools and a lack of protections or safety mechanisms in place at the municipal and school board levels. This is an urgent issue to address. The 2020 Convention of BCCPAC overwhelmingly passed the following resolutions to address peer to peer sexual harassment and sexual assaults in schools. See pages 45 to 49 . 2022.09 Action Against Peer-to-Peer Sexual Misconduct 2022.10 Action to Address Peer-to-Peer Sexual Harassment 2022.11 Action to Address Peer-to-Peer Sexual Assault/Exploitation - Data Collection & Analysis 2022.12 Action to Address Peer-to-Peer Sexual Assault - Response Protocol What will you do to support and implement these recommendations? Printable PDFs Council School Board Park Board

Information and commentary on UN Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem and her work on violence against women. Reem Alsalem on the definition of woman The definition of woman is common sense and been used for hundreds of years without a concern or question as to its meaning, legally or otherwise. However, in the era of gender ideology and its effort to insert new definitions to our language, adding confusion and uncertainty to the rights of women and children, sadly, such an assertion had to be made by the UN Rapporteur, Reem Alsalem. In fact, she went back into the history of the development of women’s rights at the UN level to find multiple sources to support the biological definition of women. Women worldwide are grateful for her vigilant work. Here’s her statement: April 4, 2024, Position paper on the definition of “woman” in international human rights treaties, in particular the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

Overview of the Cass Review and its findings on gender identity services for children and youth. The Cass Report Kamran Abbasi, Editor of the British Medical Journal provides an overview of the Report’s key findings. A key finding after a four year study is “the evidence base for interventions in gender medicine is threadbare, whichever research question you wish to consider — from social transition to hormone treatment.” In her report, Hilary Cass, sums up the major problem with affirmative care; "a too narrow focus on gender dysphoria, neglected other presenting features and failed to provide a holistic model of care." BMJ Review of the Cass Report The Full Cass Report Talk TV UK, April 10 2024 Bombshell Gender Report with NHS GP and CEO of LGB Alliance (UK) Talk TV UK, April 12 2024 with KJK (Kelly Jay Keen) on the Cass Report UK: Implementation of ‘Cass report’ key to protecting girls from serious harm, says UN expert