Stonewall: Good Governance Disclosure

Invest Northern Ireland did not have the information requested.

Dear Invest Northern Ireland,

RE: Stonewall WEI: research into Private Voluntary Regulation and the SDG.

This is a request under the FOI Act.

Throughout 2021, many public bodies have released info on their Stonewall Workplace Equality Index applications, and feedback from the charity Stonewall. Some replies seem to be long overdue.

In July 2021, Stonewall released a statement stating that "the number of organisations who are part of the [Diversity Champions] programme has grown by 30 in total in the year to 1 June 2021".

This growth in numbers is despite numerous public bodies publishing their WEI applications and feedback, including full disclosures from the Scottish and the Welsh Government's. So, this clearly indicates that there is no threat to Stonewall's commercial interest from transparency by public bodies.

In 2017, Judge Ranzoni pointed out, in his dissenting opinion on an ECHR case, on coercive sterilisation as a pre-condition of legal gender recognition,: “In this regard the judgment highlights the existence of a “trend” towards the abolition of this requirement [sterilization]. I acknowledge that there exists a certain trend in Europe, but it is, as demonstrated above, only recent. Is this sufficient justification for narrowing considerably the margin of appreciation, which is in principle a wide one? I doubt it. Societies are moving only gradually towards abolishing sterilisation as a prerequisite for legal recognition of the gender identity of transgender persons.”

Yet, across the Council of Europe, 22 countries continue to enforce a sterilisation requirement.

This is despite the landmark 2017 opinion, Garcon and Nicot v France, when the Court held that, by conditioning gender recognition on submission to ‘a sterilisation operation or medical treatment creating a high probability of sterilisation’, France had violated the applicants’ right to private life under Art. 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

That context is worth repeating: It was only in 2017 that more than twenty member states of the Council of Europe were obliged to reform their legislation with regard to legal gender recognition, in order to remove the compulsory condition of sterility.

Ranzoni said that there was “an absence of consensus among the member States on this specific aspect”.

He stated that, to the extent that gender recognition rules might obstruct or destabilise a coherent family law system, there would be a compelling justification for circumscribing, or appropriately limiting, those rules. For example, after a huge national debate, the Swedish Parliament passed a law abolishing the sterilisation requirement with effect from 1 July 2013.

On 6 November 2015, a bill to allow transgender people to legally change their gender without the need for sex reassignment surgery and forced sterilisation was approved by the French Senate.

In light of these developments, would you please release:

- Any dates of submissions made to, and any feedback received from, the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index in the three most recent years.

- The complete dates of your membership of any Stonewall schemes, and if you intend to continue membership in the future.

- If your submission was evaluated anonymously by Stonewall, or any communications that indicate otherwise.

Yours faithfully,

Rosie Cochran

FOI Invest Northern Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland

Dear Ms Cochran

FOI 1269

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

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Clodagh

Clodagh Claxton
Information Governance officer
Information Governance Team
Invest Northern Ireland, Bedford Square, Bedford Street. Belfast. BT2 7ES.
Direct T: +44 (0) 28 9069 8864
Email: [1][email address]
[2]www.investni.com [3]www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk
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From: Ro Cochran <[FOI #792386 email]>
Sent: 17 September 2021 00:17
To: FOI Invest Northern Ireland <[Invest NI request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Stonewall: Good Governance
Disclosure

 

Dear Invest Northern Ireland,

RE: Stonewall WEI: research into Private Voluntary Regulation and the SDG.

This is a request under the FOI Act.

Throughout 2021, many public bodies have released info on their Stonewall
Workplace Equality Index applications, and feedback from the charity
Stonewall. Some replies seem to be long overdue.

In July 2021, Stonewall released a statement stating that "the number of
organisations who are part of the [Diversity Champions] programme has
grown by 30 in total in the year to 1 June 2021".

This growth in numbers is despite numerous public bodies publishing their
WEI applications and feedback, including full disclosures from the
Scottish and the Welsh Government's. So, this clearly indicates that there
is no threat to Stonewall's commercial interest from transparency by
public bodies.

In 2017, Judge Ranzoni pointed out, in his dissenting opinion on an ECHR
case, on coercive sterilisation as a pre-condition of legal gender
recognition,: “In this regard the judgment highlights the existence of a
“trend” towards the abolition of this requirement [sterilization]. I
acknowledge that there exists a certain trend in Europe, but it is, as
demonstrated above, only recent. Is this sufficient justification for
narrowing considerably the margin of appreciation, which is in principle a
wide one? I doubt it. Societies are moving only gradually towards
abolishing sterilisation as a prerequisite for legal recognition of the
gender identity of transgender persons.”

Yet, across the Council of Europe, 22 countries continue to enforce a
sterilisation requirement.

This is despite the landmark 2017 opinion, Garcon and Nicot v France, when
the Court held that, by conditioning gender recognition on submission to
‘a sterilisation operation or medical treatment creating a high
probability of sterilisation’, France had violated the applicants’ right
to private life under Art. 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

That context is worth repeating: It was only in 2017 that more than twenty
member states of the Council of Europe were obliged to reform their
legislation with regard to legal gender recognition, in order to remove
the compulsory condition of sterility.

Ranzoni said that there was “an absence of consensus among the member
States on this specific aspect”.

He stated that, to the extent that gender recognition rules might obstruct
or destabilise a coherent family law system, there would be a compelling
justification for circumscribing, or appropriately limiting, those rules.
For example, after a huge national debate, the Swedish Parliament passed a
law abolishing the sterilisation requirement with effect from 1 July 2013.

On 6 November 2015, a bill to allow transgender people to legally change
their gender without the need for sex reassignment surgery and forced
sterilisation was approved by the French Senate.

In light of these developments, would you please release:

- Any dates of submissions made to, and any feedback received from, the
Stonewall Workplace Equality Index in the three most recent years.

- The complete dates of your membership of any Stonewall schemes, and if
you intend to continue membership in the future.

- If your submission was evaluated anonymously by Stonewall, or any
communications that indicate otherwise.

Yours faithfully,

Rosie Cochran

-------------------------------------------------------------------

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FOI Invest Northern Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Cochran

 

FOI 1269

 

Please find attached our response to your recent request for information.

 

Regards

Clodagh

Clodagh Claxton
Information Governance officer
Information Governance Team
Invest Northern Ireland, Bedford Square, Bedford Street. Belfast. BT2 7ES.
Direct T: +44 (0) 28 9069 8864
Email: [1][email address]
[2]www.investni.com [3]www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk
Text Relay Number: 18001 028 9069 8864
If you are calling using a textphone from outside the UK please call: +44
151 494 1260 028 9069 8864

For details on how we use your personal data, including your rights,
please visit: [4]investni.com/privacy

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.

 

From: Ro Cochran <[FOI #792386 email]>
Sent: 17 September 2021 00:17
To: FOI Invest Northern Ireland <[Invest NI request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Stonewall: Good Governance
Disclosure

 

Dear Invest Northern Ireland,

RE: Stonewall WEI: research into Private Voluntary Regulation and the SDG.

This is a request under the FOI Act.

Throughout 2021, many public bodies have released info on their Stonewall
Workplace Equality Index applications, and feedback from the charity
Stonewall. Some replies seem to be long overdue.

In July 2021, Stonewall released a statement stating that "the number of
organisations who are part of the [Diversity Champions] programme has
grown by 30 in total in the year to 1 June 2021".

This growth in numbers is despite numerous public bodies publishing their
WEI applications and feedback, including full disclosures from the
Scottish and the Welsh Government's. So, this clearly indicates that there
is no threat to Stonewall's commercial interest from transparency by
public bodies.

In 2017, Judge Ranzoni pointed out, in his dissenting opinion on an ECHR
case, on coercive sterilisation as a pre-condition of legal gender
recognition,: “In this regard the judgment highlights the existence of a
“trend” towards the abolition of this requirement [sterilization]. I
acknowledge that there exists a certain trend in Europe, but it is, as
demonstrated above, only recent. Is this sufficient justification for
narrowing considerably the margin of appreciation, which is in principle a
wide one? I doubt it. Societies are moving only gradually towards
abolishing sterilisation as a prerequisite for legal recognition of the
gender identity of transgender persons.”

Yet, across the Council of Europe, 22 countries continue to enforce a
sterilisation requirement.

This is despite the landmark 2017 opinion, Garcon and Nicot v France, when
the Court held that, by conditioning gender recognition on submission to
‘a sterilisation operation or medical treatment creating a high
probability of sterilisation’, France had violated the applicants’ right
to private life under Art. 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

That context is worth repeating: It was only in 2017 that more than twenty
member states of the Council of Europe were obliged to reform their
legislation with regard to legal gender recognition, in order to remove
the compulsory condition of sterility.

Ranzoni said that there was “an absence of consensus among the member
States on this specific aspect”.

He stated that, to the extent that gender recognition rules might obstruct
or destabilise a coherent family law system, there would be a compelling
justification for circumscribing, or appropriately limiting, those rules.
For example, after a huge national debate, the Swedish Parliament passed a
law abolishing the sterilisation requirement with effect from 1 July 2013.

On 6 November 2015, a bill to allow transgender people to legally change
their gender without the need for sex reassignment surgery and forced
sterilisation was approved by the French Senate.

In light of these developments, would you please release:

- Any dates of submissions made to, and any feedback received from, the
Stonewall Workplace Equality Index in the three most recent years.

- The complete dates of your membership of any Stonewall schemes, and if
you intend to continue membership in the future.

- If your submission was evaluated anonymously by Stonewall, or any
communications that indicate otherwise.

Yours faithfully,

Rosie Cochran

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[5][FOI #792386 email]

Is [6][Invest NI request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Invest Northern Ireland? If so, please contact us using this
form:

[7]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[8]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:

[9]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. file:///tmp/www.investni.com
3. file:///tmp/www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk
4. file:///tmp/www.investni.com/privacy
5. mailto:[FOI #792386 email]
6. mailto:[Invest NI request email]
7. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...
8. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...
9. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...