Growing up, Hadley Freeman was a good girl. She avoided conflict. She got on with her parents. She received excellent grades at school. She got into a good university and became a successful journalist and feminist writer. 

But now, Freeman is struggling to fit her good girl persona. After years of agreeing with the majority, she has begun speaking out. And the subject? Gender rights. 

Today is International Women's DayIWD originated in the socialist movement in the early twentieth century and was first adopted by the USSR. It became international in 1977 when it was adopted by the UN., a day for celebrating women and their achievements. It is also a day for calling attention to the challenges they still face: gender-based violence, inequality at work, restrictions on reproductive rights.

Yet in some Western nations, what has come to define the debate over women's rights is a growing tension with advocates for transgender rights. 

For "gender criticalA strain of feminism that argues womanhood is defined by biological sex, and that as such transgender women are not really women." feminists, the speed at which transgender rights are moving forward threatens the rights of cisgenderA person whose gender identity matches their sex assigned at birth. The term was first used in academic articles in the 1990s. women.

This was the case Freeman made in a recent column. One of her fears is that gender self-identificationGender self-ID is the principle that a person should be able to determine their own gender without any medical requirements. could put cisgender women at risk. She also worries that the use of inclusive languageSeveral NHS trusts have begun using transgender-inclusive language, for example, referring to "individuals with a cervix" as well as "women".  undermines some women's experiences.

Freeman warns that cisgender women like her are being silenced when they try to talk about biological aspects of womanhood, while men tend to be given a free platform. Yet she feels so passionately about the subject that she is happy to go against a lifetime of silently going with the crowd.

Freeman's critics argue that her view of feminism is dangerously narrow. They say transgender women must form a part of any women's movement: to reject somebody for not having an exact shared experience is illiberalLacking tolerance, bigoted.. 

Critics argue that rejecting transgender people puts them at increased risk. One of Freeman's arguments is that allowing a transgender woman to use women's facilities puts others at risk. Her critics argue that a transgender woman would be in danger in a men's prison or bathroom. 

They point out that transgender women and men - as well as cisgender women - face appalling violence. According to StonewallA lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights charity founded in the UK in 1989. It is the largest LGBTQ+ rights organisation in Europe. , 19% of trans people have experienced domestic abuse. 

In 2021, 2,630 hate crimes against transgender people were reported to police, yet 88% of transgender people say they do not report hate crimes, making the actual number much higher. 

They argue it is ridiculous to claim that institutions have been "captured" by transgender rights advocates. Almost every newspaper in the country, they claim, is on the "gender critical" side of the conflict.

And they criticise Freeman for claiming to have been silenced while she still has access to some of the biggest platforms in the world. In contrast, they say, few of the UK's major newspapers employ transgender journalists.

Yes: Transgender people need to use the facilities corresponding to one or the other sex. Either we risk letting predatory men into women's spaces, or we put trans people in danger. There is an obvious clash.

No: Cisgender women and transgender women face the same struggles: violence, marginalisation, lack of educational opportunities. They should work together to end their mutual oppression.

Or... The conflict between gender critical feminists and trans activists focuses on a few small areas. We can easily arrive at compromises in these areas while working together on everything else.