Mridul Wadhwa - Male CEO of Edinburgh Rape Crisis

MaizieD you are totally right. I have been reading other things she has written or said and it is a shocking viewpoint to have as CEO of a Rape Crisis organisation for women. These women have been traumatised for god’s sake. They are not bigots.

She has along and succesful history of working in the field of women and violence. I would imagine if she had actually upset or in any way dealt badly with women having counselling she would at some point have been reported and disciplined. It seems to me that a lot of people on here are posting because of their personal opinions about transwomen-particularly the OP which misgenders her quite deliberately. Those people should ask themselves if their prejudice should prevent someone being appointed who has the experience and skills to do the job.
As for the remark, what I believe she is saying is that women surviving violence have to live in the real world where they will encounter all sorts of people and their counselling should make them able to do that and confront their fears and prejudices.

25Avalon so are bigots never traumatised?

MW omitted to mention a very important detail in their job application. Surely that nullifies the appointment?

Or maybe they weren't really after the position, but were applying for it to make a campaigning point? If that is so, they are NOT such a perfect choice for it, which is demonstrated by the quote by Doodledog Thu 12-Aug-21 02:16:37. If someone were savaged by a dog, would a counsellor advise getting a pet for comfort - a rottweiler, perhaps?

But she didn't say that "women surviving violence have to live in the real world where they will encounter all sorts of people and their counselling should make them able to do that and confront their fears and prejudices." she said that " if a female rape victim objects to being counselled by a man she is a bigot who needs to ‘re-frame her trauma’." ie, that the rape victim is at fault for still being traumatised.

I'm posting on here having heard from deeply distressed traumatised women who just want a safe place and with staff they are comfortable with. This is a matter of practice not theoretical abstraction.

Anyone who receives counselling for trauma should have the essential right to say “This counsellor is not right for me. They cannot help me” without being accused of bigotry, prejudice or anything else.

The whole focus should be on the needs of the person who has sought help. Nobody else’s agenda is relevant at that point.

As CEO, Wadhawa should understand that and should be focused on the needs of the clients. The inability to understand client need is sufficient reason for her to be relieved of the post.

maisieD no, she hasn't
"been quoted as saying that if a female rape victim objects to being counselled by a man she is a bigot who needs to ‘re-frame her trauma’."

Please can you send me a link as I have looked all over the place today trying to find this and I think it is a MIS-quote.

She has said that all sorts of women can need services and that by using the services they offer, they can change their minds about (say) trans women.
She said women with all sorts of different beliefs need the services- not just one sort and that even victims can be bigoted.

Having worked in refuge I can certainly tell you this is true. All humanity passes through the refuge door.
Too too to many.
Unfortunately.

This was discussed on the ‘Woman’ thread, so I’m guessing that I am included in the ‘those people’ who are assumed to be prejudiced against transwomen, which I am not.

It is not, in my opinion, remotely unreasonable (much less ‘bigoted’) for a woman to want to be counselled by another woman after she has been raped.

I would also suggest that someone who has grown up as a woman would be more likely to understand why talking to a man about her rape could traumatise a victim further, for reasons that have nothing to do with bigotry. Rape counselling is very specialised and requires intensive training. I can’t begin to understand how anyone who has undergone such training could have views like this.

Peasblossom

Anyone who receives counselling for trauma should have the essential right to say “This counsellor is not right for me. They cannot help me” without being accused of bigotry, prejudice or anything else.

The whole focus should be on the needs of the person who has sought help. Nobody else’s agenda is relevant at that point.

As CEO, Wadhawa should understand that and should be focused on the needs of the clients. The inability to understand client need is sufficient reason for her to be relieved of the post.

Exactly.

Trisher a woman who has been raped and had her person and personal space violated does not need to be called a bigot or made to feel guilty. That is the last thing she needs if she is to make any kind of recovery. Fear of anybody male goes with the territory. If you have been run over by a bus you will in all likelihood flinch whenever you come near one for some time.

That does not make me transphobic. I have every sympathy for trans people who have a tougher time than many of us are aware of, including dreadful online abuse. They too can suffer rape but I don’t think treating them with ciswomen who have been raped is the answer.

As CEO, Wadhawa should understand that and should be focused on the needs of the clients. The inability to understand client need is sufficient reason for her to be relieved of the post.

Exactly this. Thanks, Peasblosson.

I don't really care if it's trans or not. I care that what was said was spectacularly, indescribably, inappropriate and cannot ever be unsaid or atoned for. Anyone who thought and said that should be nowhere near that particular job.

MaizieD

^As CEO, Wadhawa should understand that and should be focused on the needs of the clients. The inability to understand client need is sufficient reason for her to be relieved of the post.^

Exactly this. Thanks, Peasblosson.

I don't really care if it's trans or not. I care that what was said was spectacularly, indescribably, inappropriate and cannot ever be unsaid or atoned for. Anyone who thought and said that should be nowhere near that particular job.

I agree

MaizieD

What is even more mind boggling is that you're asking us to be sensitive to 'her' feelings when she has demonstrated not just oblivion to, but intolerance of natal women's feelings.

This the crux of the matter I think.

I don’t know the story specifically, but I don’t think we can say that any ‘ natural’ woman would never say these things. I’ve encountered quite a few hard nosed women in my life time, many of them were, and still are, in the caring professions!

shelflife
this woman is a woman , she has no doubt endured prejudice and certainly massive surgery , people do not go through that on a whim!

"Massive surgery"?
That's a massive assumption.
There is no reason to believe this, unless MW tells us it is a fact.

Males are being accepted as women, simply on their own say-so, although the law has not changed.

Well put Peasblossom.

I have done the freedom program with Women's aid and there is specialist provision for women from black, Asian and ethnic minority groups. There seemed to be a suggestion that that didn't happen with respect to rape crisis, yet I googled and there are lots of links that come up like this organisation for example Why do we always have to be accused of bigotry because we want female only spaces to stay that way? Maybe more focus needs to be put on accessible services for those who are transgender

It's not simply counselling by a man, that RSS & MW want to re-educate traumatised women about.
It's counseling by a man whom women are told to believe is a woman.

Rape Crisis Scotland should be doing everything possible to help traumatised women.
They are not.

Anyone who colludes with this pretence is in my view treating traumatised women with contempt. I

,The trauma involved in transitioning is massive , please let us be a little more compassionate and remember ‘ there by the grace of god’ anything can happen to anyone and to those we love.

No-one is questioning that - just questioning whether or not they are the best person to be CEO of an organisation set up to help biological women who have been traumatised by rape.

I would say they are not. Nothing will persuade me otherwise.

It is political correctness gone berserk.

MaizieD

What is even more mind boggling is that you're asking us to be sensitive to 'her' feelings when she has demonstrated not just oblivion to, but intolerance of natal women's feelings.

Yes, just that.
Well said MaizieD

Those people should ask themselves if their prejudice should prevent someone being appointed who has the experience and skills to do the job.

Working with traumatised people who have suffered sexual assault is specifically given, in the Equality Act 2010, as an example of a situation where only one sex of person can be required.

Nothing has changed, except a political wish to force 'trans inclusion' on absolutely everyone, regardless of the results.

(Let's suppose I wanted to work as a counselor in a young people's organisation.
If I was turned down because it has been found that most young people respond best to counselors who are not old, would I start making a fuss about my rights etc?
Of course not.)

Does anybody object to the service in JaneJudge's post, whereby women from BAME backgrounds can be guaranteed that they will even have the telephone answered by a BAME woman? Would anyone classify the BAME women as bigoted racists for wanting to speak to a woman of colour?

Alex Drummond is a psychotherapist lesbian transwoman who has declined surgery or hormones, but is "broadening the bandwidth of being a woman". shelflife do you honestly immediately see a woman when you look at Alex, if you haven't been told that is their identity? I don't know if Alex does anything close to rape counselling but if so would a rape victim be a bigot for wanting somebody else?

Campaigners say because Ms Wadha has no gender recognition certificate and has not undergone gender reassignment surgery she does not meet Scottish requirements to legally be considered a women.
It is not the first time Ms Wadhwa has been at the centre of controversy. Last October there was backlash when she made it to the SNP’s all-women MSP shortlist to contest the Stirling seat at the May elections.
Washwa then left the party in December after MSPs overwhelmingly backed a law to allow victims of rape and sexual assault to choose the sex rather than gender of the person examining them.
She tweeted at the time she “could no longer call it home”.

www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/scottish-news/7133029/trans-mridul-wadhwa-edinburgh-rape-crisis-snp/
Yes, I know it's The Sun which I would never buy but it seems to be factual.

This person seems to be more interested in challenging stereotypes than caring about traumatised women.
It seems to be all about her, not those in need of help