Women’s groups have condemned a senior South Australian health official’s focus on gender inclusivity during stillbirth inquiry testimony.
A parliamentary committee examining the impact of stillbirth on mothers has prefaced its evidence by acknowledging that men who have transitioned or are transitioning to become women should also be part of the conversation around the loss of babies during labour and pregnancy.
Despite the medical impossibility of former men ever becoming pregnant or enduring the hardship of miscarriage, one of South Australia’s most senior health bureaucrats opened her evidence to an SA parliamentary committee by reassuring that her use of the terms “women” and “woman” was not intended to be exclusionary in the context of stillbirth.
The select committee has been formed after lobbying from groups representing affected and grieving mothers to examine ways to make the health system more attuned to the needs of women who experience the trauma of miscarriage.
But SA Women’s and Children’s Health Network chief executive Rebecca Graham used her opening statement to the committee last week to reassure intersex and transgender women that they should also feature in discussion around stillbirth.
“In our discussion today, the terms ‘woman’ and ‘women’ will be used, and this is in line with the current research and evidence,” Ms Graham said.
“It is intended to include those with diverse sexualities as well – intersex women and transgender women too.
“SA Health seeks to acknowledge inclusivity and individual family and community preference and identity in what we are describing.”
The comments have puzzled and upset women’s groups campaigning for stillbirth awareness who believe the encroachment of transgender issues distracted from the focus of the committee.
Ms Graham sought to clarify her remarks when contacted by The Australian. “It is important to acknowledge that anyone can be impacted by the loss of a child through stillbirth,” she said in a statement.
“My definitional explanation of the inclusive language used did not intend to imply that a transgender woman could give birth, simply that the perspectives of everyone impacted are considered.”
Health Minister Chris Picton also defended Ms Graham, saying: “I really don’t think Ms Graham was suggesting that men can give birth. I have spoken to the chair of the committee who told me that Ms Graham gave two hours of evidence on this important issue with a passionate focus on the impact on the women and families,” Mr Picton said.
But other state MPs and groups advocating for mothers affected by miscarriage questioned the fact that trans issues were raised at all in the context of the hearing.
Founder of Still Aware Claire Foord told The Australian she supported inclusiveness but questioned it being raised in the specific context of stillbirth.
“I am all for equality and respect but this does seem a bit weird, to be honest. The reality is that if you don’t have a womb you are not going to be affected by this issue,” Ms Foord said.
“It does make you wonder why they call it the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. They’re going to have to change the name. If you don’t have a womb, and aren’t going to give birth to a baby, they won’t admit you to the hospital.
“My main concern is that it just seems a bit selfish in distracting from the main issue of the committee, which is raising awareness around stillbirth and improving the support for those mothers who experience it. It also distracts from the fact that the Women’s and Children’s Hospital has done a poor job in making changes to improve the care for women who have lost babies.”
It is not the first time SA Health has been embroiled in controversy over trans issues. Two years ago, it was forced to withdraw a press release advising that a new winter flu vaccine was safe for use by “pregnant people”.
At that time, Health Minister Chris Picton explained the press release was written at the departmental level without his office’s oversight or authorisation and that the term “pregnant women” was the only one he had ever used.
Opposition health spokeswoman Ashton Hurn said she was baffled by the trans reference at a committee examining miscarriage.
“It’s a bizarre point to raise at the stillbirth committee when surely everyone in the health sector would agree only a biological woman can give birth to a baby and experience the trauma of a stillbirth first hand,” Ms Hurn told The Australian.
Liberal senator Alex Antic went further saying Ms Graham’s comments to the committee reflected a broader national problem surrounding the definition of men and women.
“The Labor government created confusion in 2013 when the Sex Discrimination Act was amended to remove the statutory definitions of “man” and “woman”,” Senator Antic told The Australian.
“During the last sitting week of parliament I attempted to introduce an amendment to that act to restore those definitions but that attempt was shot down by Labor and the Australian Greens.”
Senator Antic said the intrusion of trans issues into a space as unique for women as the discussion of stillbirth demonstrated his point.
“A parliamentary committee which has been formed to examine the prevalence, causes and effects of stillbirths should not be distracted from its objectives in this manner,” he said. “Will Premier Peter Malinauskas amend the committee’s terms of reference to provide a definition of “woman” or will he allow it to freelance in radical gender theory?”
The furore came as the Premier spoke in a podcast about public exhaustion with culture war battles over “woke” politics.
“We want to populate the political mainstream. We just have to act in concert with where the mainstream is and make it perfectly clear where the opportunity presents itself,” Mr Malinauskas said on the Curtin’s Cast podcast released on Wednesday.
“But that far left and far right, well, that is not us and actively denunciated. I actually have a bit of optimism that the tide is turning here. I actually think now, when people hear the whole woke thing, they turn off.”
by David Penberthy
Source: The Australian
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