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The Women's Declaration International (WDI), formerly the Women's Human Rights Campaign (WHRC), is an international advocacy organisation founded in the United Kingdom. WDI has published a ''Declaration on Women's Sex-Based Rights'', and has developed model legislation to restrict transgender rights that has been used in state legislatures in the United States. The organisation has been described as gender-critical,
anti-trans Transphobia consists of negative attitudes, feelings, or actions towards transgender or transsexual people, or wikt:transness, transness in general. Transphobia can include fear, aversion, hatred, violence or anger towards people who do not co ...
, anti-LGBTQ+,
anti-gender The anti-gender movement is a global phenomenon that opposes concepts often referred to as "gender ideology" or "gender theory". These loosely-defined terms are commonly used by the movement to critique a range of issues related to gender equ ...
, trans-exclusionary, trans-exclusionary radical feminist (TERF), and as a
hate group A hate group is a social group that advocates and practices hatred, hostility, or violence towards members of a race, ethnicity, nation, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other designated sector of society. Acc ...
, and in several countries the group has been linked to the
far right Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and Nativism (politics), nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on ...
. The
Southern Poverty Law Center The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, it is known for its legal cases against white ...
consider it part of an "anti-LGBTQ+ pseudoscience network". The largest U.S. feminist organisation, the
National Organization for Women The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization. Founded in 1966, it is legally a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and in Washington, D.C. It ...
, described WDI as "anti-trans bigots disguised as feminists." In 2025, WDI became a founding member of Women's Platform for Action International (WoPAI), an international network founded to promote " sex-based rights" and oppose what they call a "pro-gender movement," a " queer agenda," and the concept of 
gender identity Gender identity is the personal sense of one's own gender. Gender identity can correlate with a person's assigned sex or can differ from it. In most individuals, the various biological determinants of sex are congruent and consistent with the in ...
.


History and structure

The Women's Human Rights Campaign (WHRC) was founded by
Sheila Jeffreys Sheila Jeffreys (born 13 May 1948) is a former professor of political science at the University of Melbourne, born in England. A lesbian feminist scholar, she analyses the history and politics of human sexuality. Jeffreys' argument that the " ...
and Heather Brunskell-Evans. In February 2018, Brunskell-Evans had been removed from her role as
Women's Equality Party The Women's Equality Party (WEP) was a feminist political party set up in the United Kingdom in 2015. The idea was conceived by Catherine Mayer and Sandi Toksvig at the Women of the World Festival, when they concluded that there was a need f ...
spokesperson and resigned from the party after the party opened an investigation into comments she made to the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
about the parents of transgender children. In March 2018, Jeffreys attended a "Transgenderism and the War on Women" event at the
Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace ...
sponsored by Conservative MP David Davies, and during her presentation, said: "when men claim to be women and parasitically occupy the bodies of the oppressed, they speak for the oppressed. They become to be recognised as the oppressed. There's no space for women's liberation".
Mauro Cabral Grinspan Mauro Cabral Grinspan, also known as Mauro Cabral, is an Argentinian intersex and trans activist and researcher. He coordinates the project on intersex depathologization at InterAction for Health and Human Rights. Previously, he served as the Seni ...
, Ilana Eloit,
David Paternotte David Paternotte (born 1982) is a Belgian sociologist and gender studies academic, who is associate professor of sociology at the Université libre de Bruxelles. He is known for his research on the anti-gender movement The anti-gender movem ...
and Mieke Verloo described WDI as "one of the key players of anti-trans feminism at a global scale".


''Declaration on Women's Sex-Based Rights''

In March 2019, the WHRC launched the ''Declaration on Women's Sex-Based Rights'' in New York, co-authored by Maureen O'Hara, Jeffreys and Brunskell-Evans. In 2019, the group appeared to "primarily exist as the organisation behind the declaration", according to ''
Pink News ''PinkNews'' is a UK-based online newspaper marketed to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning community (LGBTQ+) in the UK and worldwide. It was founded by Benjamin Cohen in July 2005, initially released in print, b ...
''. In advance of a planned event at the
Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( ; ) is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. It is located in the Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood area of Edinburgh, and is frequently referred to by the metonym 'Holyrood'. ...
hosted by MSP
Jenny Marra Jennifer Margaret Marra (born 6 November 1977) is a Scottish politician who served as convener of the Public Audit Committee. A member of the Scottish Labour Party, she was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the North East Scotland ...
and MSP
Joan McAlpine Joan McAlpine (born 28 January 1962) is a former Scottish journalist and former Scottish National Party politician. She was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the South Scotland region from 2011 to 2021. McAlpine is known for her ...
in November 2019, the group described the declaration as intended to be "a statement on the importance of keeping the current sex based definition of woman". The document refers to
trans women A trans woman or transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity and may experience gender dysphoria (distress brought upon by the discrepancy between a person's gender identity and their ...
as "men who claim a female gender identity". The
Association for Women's Rights in Development The Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID), formerly the Association for Women in Development, is an international feminist membership and movement support organization committed to achieving gender equality, sustainable development ...
has said the declaration co-opts the "
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is an international treaty adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly. Described as an international bill of rights for women, it was instituted ...
(CEDAW) framework to claim that 'sex' is an immutable category and 'gender' is not a legitimate concept", and the sex-based' rhetoric misuses concepts of sex and gender to push a deeply discriminatory agenda". Legal scholar and human rights expert Sandra Duffy described the declaration's concept of "sex-based rights" as "a fiction with the pretense of legality". The advocacy groups
LGB Alliance The LGB Alliance is a British advocacy group and registered charity founded in 2019 in opposition to the policies of LGBT rights charity Stonewall on transgender issues. Its founders are Bev Jackson, Kate Harris, Allison Bailey, Malcolm Clar ...
and
Women's Liberation Front The Women's Liberation Front (WoLF) is an American trans-exclusionary radical feminist organization that opposes transgender rights and related legislation. It opposed the Obama administration's Title IX directives which defined sex discrimina ...
(WoLF) signed the declaration in 2019, while the Equality Network and the Scottish Trans Alliance criticised it. Emma Ritch, executive director of the feminist policy organisation
Engender Engender is an anti-sexist organisation operating in Scotland and other parts of Europe. They aim "to make Scotland a fairer, safer place where women can flourish and contribute to both the social and market economies with dignity, freedom and ...
said that "this so-called ‘declaration on women’s sex-based rights’ ..doesn’t include women’s rights to housing, pay equality, access to justice, social security, education, or political representation. When it talks about violence against women, freedom of expression, and children's rights it does so entirely through the warped lens of antipathy towards trans people" and that "trans rights and women's rights are consistent with one another, and we call on Holyrood to continue to shape legislation and scrutinise policy in order to uphold the rights of all women, including trans women, in Scotland". Scottish Women's Aid said "We are immensely saddened that the Scottish Parliament, an institution we value and care so much about, would be used by those seeking to stigmatise and discriminate against trans women". The group says it is "female-only" and the ''Declaration on Women's Sex-Based Rights'' was created to "lobby nations to maintain language protecting women and girls on the basis of sex rather than gender or gender identity". In December 2021, the group changed its name to Women's Declaration International.


Supporting organizations

The "supporting organizations" that have signed WDI's manifesto include
Women's Liberation Front The Women's Liberation Front (WoLF) is an American trans-exclusionary radical feminist organization that opposes transgender rights and related legislation. It opposed the Obama administration's Title IX directives which defined sex discrimina ...
,
LGB Alliance The LGB Alliance is a British advocacy group and registered charity founded in 2019 in opposition to the policies of LGBT rights charity Stonewall on transgender issues. Its founders are Bev Jackson, Kate Harris, Allison Bailey, Malcolm Clar ...
, Deep Green Resistance, European Network of Migrant Women, Lesbian Rights Alliance,
Womad WOMAD ( ; World of Music, Arts and Dance) is an international arts festival. The central aim of WOMAD is to celebrate the world's many forms of music, arts and dance. History WOMAD was founded in 1980 by English rock musician Peter Gabriel, w ...
, and Let Women Speak, and websites Spinster and Ovarit.


Views and advocacy

In 2021, the group called for the repeal of the Gender Recognition Act in a submission to the Women and Equalities Select Committee for an inquiry chaired by Tory MP
Caroline Nokes Caroline Fiona Ellen Nokes (''née'' Perry; born 26 June 1972) is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Romsey and Southampton North since 2010. From 2014 to 2015 she was a Parliamentary Priv ...
. For
International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March, commemorating women's fight for equality and liberation along with the women's rights movement. International Women's Day gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive righ ...
in 2021, WHRC Norway (now WDI Norway) proposed the slogans "No to
heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy. Heresy in Heresy in Christian ...
in primary schools, girls and women do not have a penis" and "Only women are women," that were accused of being hateful and transphobic by the established feminist organisations. Christine Marie Jentoft, an advisor on gender diversity at the Norwegian Organisation for Sexual and Gender Diversity, described WHRC as a
hate group A hate group is a social group that advocates and practices hatred, hostility, or violence towards members of a race, ethnicity, nation, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other designated sector of society. Acc ...
that works to deprive transgender people of autonomy and rights. Gender studies professor Elisabeth L. Engebretsen described the group's Norwegian branch as
anti-gender The anti-gender movement is a global phenomenon that opposes concepts often referred to as "gender ideology" or "gender theory". These loosely-defined terms are commonly used by the movement to critique a range of issues related to gender equ ...
and part of a "complex threat to democracy" that "represent a reactionary populist backlash to basic human rights principles," and that seeks to "demonize the very basics of trans existence".
Kathleen Stock Kathleen Mary Linn Stock is a British philosopher and writer. She was a professor of philosophy at the University of Sussex until 2021. She has published academic work on aesthetics, fiction, imagination, sexual objectification, and sexual or ...
, who resigned from her position at the
University of Sussex The University of Sussex is a public university, public research university, research university located in Falmer, East Sussex, England. It lies mostly within the city boundaries of Brighton and Hove. Its large campus site is surrounded by the ...
in 2021 following accusations of transphobia, had been criticised by
student protest Campus protest or student protest is a form of student activism that takes the form of protest at university campuses. Such protests encompass a wide range of activities that indicate student dissatisfaction with a given political or academi ...
ers for signing WHRC's declaration. WHRC subsequently released a joint statement together with the
Women's Liberation Front The Women's Liberation Front (WoLF) is an American trans-exclusionary radical feminist organization that opposes transgender rights and related legislation. It opposed the Obama administration's Title IX directives which defined sex discrimina ...
(WoLF) in support of Stock. In June 2022 several groups opposing trans rights, including WDI USA,
Alliance Defending Freedom The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), formerly the Alliance Defense Fund, is an American conservative Christian legal advocacy group that works to expand Christian religious practices within public schools and in government. ADF is most known ...
,
Family Research Council The Family Research Council (FRC) is an American evangelical 501(c)(3) non-profit activist group and think-tank with an affiliated lobbying organization. FRC promotes what it considers to be family values. It opposes and lobbies against access ...
and
Women's Liberation Front The Women's Liberation Front (WoLF) is an American trans-exclusionary radical feminist organization that opposes transgender rights and related legislation. It opposed the Obama administration's Title IX directives which defined sex discrimina ...
, organized a rally called "Our Bodies, Our Sports" in Washington D.C. '' The American Independent'' noted that some of the organizers, but not WDI, are designated as hate groups by the
Southern Poverty Law Center The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, it is known for its legal cases against white ...
, and Lindsay Schubiner, an expert on extremism, said: "There has been a clear increase in organizing to promote anti-LGBTQ and specifically anti-trans bigotry and I think that we can see that trend line moving up. This event in particular looks like an attempt to legitimize and elevate and spread their transphobia and especially to build political power around specific anti-trans policy goals". The article also noted that WDI had tweeted in support of abortion rights. In September 2023, WDI USA organized their annual convention in San Francisco, drawing protests from local feminists and LGBT+ rights activists. In its 2023 report titled ''Combating Anti-LGBTQ+ Pseudoscience'',
Southern Poverty Law Center The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, it is known for its legal cases against white ...
(SPLC) described WDI as part of "the contemporary anti-LGBTQ+ pseudoscience network" and said WDI's "Declaration on Women's Sex-Based Rights" promotes "anti-trans ideology" and has "become a model for anti-trans legislation." SPLC further said WDI engages in narrative manipulation. The largest U.S. feminist organisation, the
National Organization for Women The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization. Founded in 1966, it is legally a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and in Washington, D.C. It ...
(NOW), described WDI and WoLF as "anti-trans bigots disguised as feminists" and said WDI has a focus on "sex fundamentalism and hostility towards trans people". The
Association for Women's Rights in Development The Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID), formerly the Association for Women in Development, is an international feminist membership and movement support organization committed to achieving gender equality, sustainable development ...
(AWID) has described WHRC as a
trojan horse In Greek mythology, the Trojan Horse () was a wooden horse said to have been used by the Greeks during the Trojan War to enter the city of Troy and win the war. The Trojan Horse is not mentioned in Homer, Homer's ''Iliad'', with the poem ending ...
in human rights spaces and argued that WHRC "engages in sensationalism and fear-mongering" to "undermine and water down the progressions of human rights standards that protect the rights of trans and gender non-conforming persons," and that WDI promotes "extreme anti-trans misinformation". AWID and the Trans Safety Network have both described WHRC/WDI as "an extreme anti-trans group". Equity Forward discussed WHRC in the context of the
Trump administration Presidency of Donald Trump may refer to: * First presidency of Donald Trump, the United States presidential administration from 2017 to 2021 * Second presidency of Donald Trump, the United States presidential administration since 2025 See also * ...
's "anti-human rights multilateralism" and described it as anti-trans. The
Canadian Anti-Hate Network The Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN) is a Canadian nonprofit organization that monitors hate crime and Far-right politics, far-right groups. It was formed in 2018 in Toronto, Ontario and has received funding from the Government of Canada. CAHN p ...
described WHRC as a "
TERF Gender-critical feminism, also known as trans-exclusionary radical feminism or TERFism, is an ideology or movement that opposes what it refers to as "gender ideology". Gender-critical feminists believe that sex is biological, immutable, and ...
project". Fascism scholar Simon Strick writes that WDI’s "extremist" positions have "isolated the WDI from wider international feminism and brought them into strategic coalitions with conservative and extreme right organizations". According to ''
Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...
'' the group has promoted
conspiracy theories A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that asserts the existence of a conspiracy (generally by powerful sinister groups, often political in motivation), when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * ...
and false information. An article in the journal ' (Research Policy) noted that "WDI portrays itself as a women's rights organization, but spends almost all of its time persecuting trans women," including by "trolling trans people in social media". A 2023 report by
Transgender Europe Transgender Europe (TGEU) is a network of different organisations working to combat discrimination against trans people and support trans people rights. It was founded in 2005 in Vienna during the 1st European Transgender Council as "European Tr ...
described WDI as one of the main
anti-gender The anti-gender movement is a global phenomenon that opposes concepts often referred to as "gender ideology" or "gender theory". These loosely-defined terms are commonly used by the movement to critique a range of issues related to gender equ ...
actors targeting trans people in Germany, and stated that WDI's tactics include fostering open hostility towards individual trans people, encouraging conspiracy thinking, building connections with the far right and promoting "shitstorms" against selected targets. An article in ''
Der Freitag ''Der Freitag'' (English: ''The Friday'', stylized in its logo as ''der Freitag'') is a German weekly national newspaper established in 1990. It has a focus on politics, culture and economy, and is published in Rhenish format. The place of publi ...
'' argued that WDI openly promotes far-right views when it furthers the TERF cause. In Norway, WDI's leader and deputy leader Christina Eline Ellingsen and Tonje Gjevjon have appeared on the Youtube channel of the far-right anti-immigrant website Document.no. Cathrine Linn Kristiansen, the chair of the main Norwegian
radical feminist Radical feminism is a perspective within feminism that calls for a radical re-ordering of society in which male supremacy is eliminated in all social and economic contexts, while recognizing that women's experiences are also affected by other ...
group, the
Women's Front The Women's Front () is a Norwegian radical feminist organization founded in 1972, and the country's oldest and largest radical feminist group. It was historically associated with the now defunct Workers' Communist Party, although its ties to the ...
(''Kvinnefronten''), described WDI, on behalf of herself and her group, as "transphobes, racists and sexists" and said that "we strongly condemn them". WDI Norway's first deputy leader Anne Kalvig said both the country's government-appointed Extremism Commission and the Norwegian Humanist Association had portrayed WDI as far-right and extremist. In 2022, WDI USA president Kara Dansky, who has served as a WoLF board member and co-chair, issued a statement of support on behalf of WDI USA for the Women's Bill of Rights developed by the
Republican Study Committee The Republican Study Committee (RSC) is a congressional caucus of conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives. In November 2024, Representative August Pfluger was elected as the chair of the RSC, ...
group of Republican Party members in the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
, stating it "would enshrine into law many of the principles outlined in the global ''Declaration on Women's Sex-Based Rights'', which we work to advance throughout U.S. law". By 2023, model legislation to restrict rights for transgender people had been distributed by Women's Declaration International USA to state legislatures in the United States. Proposed legislation with language similar to the WDI model legislation was introduced in some state legislatures that seek to develop laws to restrict access to
gender-affirming care Transgender health care includes the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of physical and mental health conditions which affect transgender individuals.Gorton N, Grubb HM (2014). General, Sexual, and Reproductive health. In L. Erickson-Schroth. ...
for youth under age 18. In August 2024 WDI along with several other gender-critical groups including
Women's Liberation Front The Women's Liberation Front (WoLF) is an American trans-exclusionary radical feminist organization that opposes transgender rights and related legislation. It opposed the Obama administration's Title IX directives which defined sex discrimina ...
and European Network of Migrant Women launched an open letter condemning
UN Women The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, also known as UN Women, is a United Nations entity charged with working for gender equality and the empowerment of women. UN Women is charged with advocating for the righ ...
for "demonizing and vilifying women who know that men are not women, and never will be," in response to a UN Women statement that anti-gender and gender-critical movements are
anti-rights movements Anti-rights movements are movements, groups or campaigns that actively work against the recognition, protection, and advancement of human rights. These movements can target a variety of rights and marginalized groups. They often use misinformation ...
that employ
hate propaganda Hate speech is a term with varied meaning and has no single, consistent definition. It is defined by the ''Cambridge Dictionary'' as "public speech that expresses hate or encourages violence towards a person or group based on something such as ...
and disinformation. In 2025, WDI became a founding member of Women's Platform for Action International (WoPAI), an international network founded on the initiative of the
Swedish Women's Lobby The Swedish Women's Lobby (; formerly ''Sveriges Kvinnolobby'') (SWL) is a Swedish organization that describes itself as a non-partisan and non-denominational independent umbrella organization for the Swedish women’s movement. It has increasin ...
and the European Network of Migrant Women to promote " sex-based rights" and oppose what they call a "pro-gender movement," a " queer agenda," and the concept of 
gender identity Gender identity is the personal sense of one's own gender. Gender identity can correlate with a person's assigned sex or can differ from it. In most individuals, the various biological determinants of sex are congruent and consistent with the in ...
.


See also

*
LGB Alliance The LGB Alliance is a British advocacy group and registered charity founded in 2019 in opposition to the policies of LGBT rights charity Stonewall on transgender issues. Its founders are Bev Jackson, Kate Harris, Allison Bailey, Malcolm Clar ...
*
Women's Liberation Front The Women's Liberation Front (WoLF) is an American trans-exclusionary radical feminist organization that opposes transgender rights and related legislation. It opposed the Obama administration's Title IX directives which defined sex discrimina ...
* FiLiA


References


External links

* {{official website, https://www.womensdeclaration.com/en/ Organisations that oppose transgender rights in the United Kingdom Advocacy groups in the United Kingdom Feminism and transgender topics 2019 establishments in England Organisations based in Suffolk Anti-gender movement Organizations established in 2019