JK Rowling has launched a new initiative, the JK Rowling Women’s Fund (JKRWF), to support individuals and groups involved in legal battles over what she describes as the protection of “sex-based rights.”
Announced over the weekend (24 May), the privately funded organisation will offer financial support to people in the UK and Ireland who are facing legal proceedings for holding or expressing gender-critical beliefs, particularly those who argue that biological sex is immutable and should form the basis of law and policy.
According to its official website, the fund will assist individuals or organisations who are:
- Facing employment tribunals due to gender-critical beliefs
- Contesting inclusion policies that permit trans women access to single-sex spaces
- Challenging legislation perceived to infringe upon women’s “freedoms or protections”
- Unable to afford legal costs to defend or pursue such actions in court
The fund is entirely financed by Rowling herself, whose personal net worth was estimated at over £820 million ($1.1 billion AUD) in 2021. The site explicitly states it is not a charity and cannot accept public donations.
Applications must pass an eligibility checklist and undergo a “rigorous assessment” by the JKRWF board. Applicants are required to clearly explain how their lives have been affected by their beliefs in biological sex and why they require financial assistance. Only cases with defined legal objectives and timeframes will be considered.
This announcement follows Rowling’s recent public support for For Women Scotland, the group that backed the Supreme Court case redefining “sex” under the 2010 Equality Act as “biological.” That ruling has since prompted changes across various UK institutions, including the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), British Transport Police, and sports governing bodies.
Rowling stated she believed a private fund was the “most efficient, streamlined way” to support those defending what she sees as women’s rights in legal contexts.
The launch comes amid growing concern over the direction of trans rights in the UK. Following the April Supreme Court ruling, the EHRC released interim guidance suggesting trans people be excluded from all public gendered spaces, regardless of whether the space aligns with their birth sex. Proposed updates to the EHRC’s Code of Practice also suggest trans people may need to carry legal ID (such as passports or Gender Recognition Certificates) to access gendered facilities.
In 2022, Rowling also launched Beira’s Place, an Edinburgh-based rape crisis centre that excludes trans women from its services — a move that drew significant criticism from LGBTQ+ organisations and advocates.
As legal and political tensions continue to escalate, the JK Rowling Women’s Fund marks a significant new chapter in the broader culture war over trans rights and gender identity in the UK.
