Multi-Millionaire JK Rowling has pledged to bankroll legal cases for women who feel they have been discriminated against for their gender critical views.
Harry Potter author and prominent feminist Ms Rowling has set up a ‘vital’ ‘fighting fund’ to help women pursue action against employers and public services.
The private war chest – called the JK Rowling Women’s Fund (JKRWF) – is entirely financed by the outspoken author, who has a net worth of around £945m and was earlier this month ranked the 168th richest person in the UK and the 8th wealthiest in Scotland.
News of the fund, which has been operating under the radar since the end of 2024, will likely open the door to hundreds of applications from women who have lost their livelihoods or are facing employment tribunals because of their views on sex-based rights.
It comes after Ms Rowling has previously pledged to fund the legal campaigns of female prisoners who have been forced to share jails with biological men and women who have been strip-searched by transgender police officers.
It also follows The Mail’s revelations that nurse Sandie Peggie is suing her union, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), for failing to support her in her battle with NHS Fife and trans medic Dr Beth Upton.
Ms Rowling’s supporters became aware of the JKRWF on Friday evening and rushed to social media to hail the initiative.
In response to one X user writing: ‘Is this real?’, Ms Rowling responded: ‘It’s real, and has been for a while.’ Another fan simply wrote: ‘I could not love her more.’
For Women Scotland, the campaign group behind the Supreme Court clarification on sex in the Equality Act on April 17 said: ‘Thank you JK Rowling for this vital lifeline.
‘Too many bodies, organisations, and companies – including the Scottish Government – are dragging their heels over implementing the law. When we said court cases were coming, it wasn’t an idle threat!’
The author told followers she would not be accepting public donations as a ‘private fund is the most efficient, streamlined way for me to do this’.
She added: ‘Lots of people are offering to contribute, which I truly appreciate, but there are many other women’s rights organisations that could do with the money, so donate away, just not to me!’
A website for the war chest pledges it will be a ‘legal fighting fund for women protecting their sex-based rights’.
It stipulates it will not be providing legal services such as lawyers, rather it will give out money to help individuals and organisations to protect women-only spaces and views.
Those eligible to apply for a cash boost include those who have lost their livelihoods or face tribunals, are being ‘forced to comply with unreasonable inclusion policies regarding single-sex spaces and services’ and are ‘challenging legislation which takes away the freedoms or protections women are entitled to’.
The criteria covers those who ‘don’t have adequate means to bring actions to court or to defend themselves’ and all applications will go through a ‘rigorous assessment’.
The move comes after Scottish prisoner Jane Sutherley said she was considering suing the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) after she was forced to share facilities with transgender women.
The Harry Potter author responded to suggestions she might fund the fight saying: ‘Of course I’d give financial backing to any woman who wanted to sue because she suffered detriments through being incarcerated with a man.
‘Women being locked up with men is a human rights violation. Vulnerable women being forced to agree that a man is a woman is a human rights violation. A surgically altered man is not a “fully anatomical woman”. Saying these things is not hate, but truth.’
Earlier this month, Ms Rowling said she would also help those who want to take the police to court amid concerns the authorities were acting too slowly in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling.
Forces across the country have said they ‘will not rush’ to change their policies despite the bombshell judgment clarified that legal sex is based on biology, not gender identity.
In response the author, 59, told her 14million followers on X: ‘So the police are dragging their heels on stopping males strip-searching females, which, as the Supreme Court ruling confirmed, was illegal all along. I’m sure they hope no woman decides to sue.
‘Of course, I’ll fund her if she does.’
The Mail yesterday revealed Scots nurse Mrs Peggie had launched legal action against the Scottish arm of the RCN.
Last night a spokeswoman for Ms Rowling said the fund had been in operation for around six months.
She said: ‘We can confirm that a private fund set up by J.K. Rowling in order to manage her ongoing financial support for legal cases involving women’s and girls’ sex-based rights, has been in operation since late 2024.
‘The J.K. Rowling Women’s Fund is a privately run restricted fund, not a charity. The Fund cannot accept donations and has clearly defined criteria which can be found at www.jkrwf.org.
‘Funding is at the discretion of J.K. Rowling, who is supported in this by an advisory board, and funding details are confidential between the fund and applicants.’