Dear Sir Ian,

We are a group of women writing to you with our concerns about the 2021 Census for England and Wales. Our concerns relate to the sex and gender identity questions.

We first became aware of the issue as a result of a letter in the Times newspaper from some of the country’s leading statisticians and researchers. The letter explained that, according to the guidance on your website, respondents to the Census may answer the sex question in terms of their self-identified gender. (“The sex question on the census will be mandatory, so will need to be answered by all. However, for those whose gender is different from their sex registered at birth, who may find the question difficult to answer, the answer they provide does not need to be the same as their birth certificate.”)

This transforms the sex question into one about gender identity. The Census will no longer provide accurate information about sex and so its usefulness for any form of sex-based data and analysis will be undermined.

There is no science behind the concept of gender - or gender identity. Most people in this country have not heard of the concept; if anything they understand gender to be just another word for sex. However, many of us who have come across the concept regard it as sexist, regressive, and damaging.  Please see below our questions and concerns.

What assurance can you give that you will not conflate and confuse sex and gender?

A major concern is that if people are allowed to respond to the sex question with their ‘gender-identity’ then the ONS will have no way of knowing who has done what. You will not have accurate information about sex. But we are also concerned that you might claim instead to have accurate information about gender identity. However, many of us do not regard ourselves as having a gender identity and find the concept sexist and offensive. 

1. What assurance can you give people that you will not interpret the entire sex question as a statement of people’s genders or gender identities? And that the ONS will not use the resultant data in any way to make statements about people’s gender identities? (For example ‘X% of adults in the UK have the gender or gender identity ‘female’).

Will you provide an opportunity for people to object to ideology within the Census?

The ONS, by making the sex question about gender identity, and also including a voluntary question about gender identity, has transformed a scientific and data driven exercise into an ideological one. You are a vehicle for driving gender identity ideology into every household in the country. We consider the ideology harmful, encouraging vulnerable children to explore risky and life-changing medical interventions, and men to determine that they can ‘self-identify’ into women’s spaces.

2. Can we have your assurance that you will provide capacity within the Census for people to object to this ideological roll-out?

What is the opportunity cost and when was the consultation with impacted groups?

Each new question in the census has a direct cost and an opportunity cost. There is a limit to how much new material can be added. There are many competing research issues that could be included in each Census.  Many women believe it is women who have most to lose when policy is driven by gender identity rather than sex. We fear the loss of our single sex spaces and the resulting loss of dignity, privacy, safety. However we missed any consultation that the ONS undertook with women’s groups about the gender identity question.

3. Can you outline which scientific and policy communities were consulted to determine that gender identity was the highest priority over anything else that could have been asked? Most importantly can you provide evidence of consultation with Women’s Groups regarding these questions?

What is the justification for the format of Gender Identity question?

We understand that the voluntary gender identity question will be open ended. People will be able to respond however they want to, with an invitation to explore their inner sense of self within the Census. We don’t understand how this provides information of scientific and policy value. We are also concerned that, although it is voluntary, it is somewhat intrusive.

4. Can you provide evidence of your estimation of the usefulness of the question to the population as a whole in terms of research and data analysis? What is the ethical basis for including the question?

If the Census rolls out contested ideology should it be made voluntary?

The guidance to the sex question, and the gender ideology question will roll out gender ideology to every household in the country. Yet it has no basis in science. It is an unproven and highly contested ideology which many people argue damages science and challenges women’s rights. The state surely has no democratic right to roll this ideology into every home. Many people will object strongly. Do you think it would therefore make sense to make the Census voluntary? Women should certainly not be penalised for refusing to participate in something they regard as harmful. We must have a way of registering our deep concern.

Could you meet with us as well as a number of other Women’s Groups to discuss?

Thank you for reading,

Conservatives for Women