Single sex services • Page 4
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Send our new guidance to a school you know
Schools are calling out for clear guidance on sex and gender to answer questions such as what should they do when they face demands to socially transition children or to keep the secrets of a child who identifies as trans.
25th April 2022
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Sex matters in changing rooms
A story was reported in the media last week about Charlie, a “non-binary teenager”, being excluded from the fitting rooms of the women’s clothing retailer Monsoon in Birmingham. According to the report, Charlie (for avoidance of doubt, a young man) was told to leave the cubicle and then the...
20th April 2022
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Girlguiding settles gender-critical case
Girlguiding UK has released a statement saying it has settled its legal case with Katie Alcock. Katie Alcock and fellow guide leader Helen Watts were expelled from Girlguiding after an investigation into their social-media activity when they raised safeguarding concerns about Girlguiding’s policy of admitting male children and adults...
19th April 2022
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A letter to the Fawcett Society
Dear Fawcett Society Your response to the EHRC guide for separate and single-sex service providers is dismaying. You say “there are occasions where services, in particular those for trauma survivors, should be able to make the decision” . Which services do...
6th April 2022
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Single-sex protected: toilets, refuges, changing rooms can remain single-sex
Mercy Muroki and Patrick Christys talk to Maya Forstater of Sex Matters on To The Point about the 'harassment' she received from trans lobbyists.
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Statement on EHRC guidance
Sex Matters welcomes new guidance on single-sex services and calls on EHRC to revise the statutory codes of practice.
4th April 2022
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Separate and single-sex service providers: a guide on the Equality Act sex and gender reassignment exceptions
Advice from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, released on 4th April 2022. Read our statement about it.
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Launch of #RespectMySex campaign
Together with Heather Binning of the Women’s Rights Network and Caroline ffiske of Women Uniting, on Saturday 2nd April Maya Forstater, the executive director of Sex Matters, launched the “Respect My Sex if You Want My X” campaign.
3rd April 2022
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What happens when we talk about single-sex services and the law
On 24th March, Sex Matters Director Rebecca Bull presented at the A Woman’s Place is in Manchester event, on single-sex services and the law, in a session chaired by Sex Matters Director Dr Emma Hilton. She spoke alongside Cathy Devine, Judith Green and Maggy Moyo. Here is Rebecca’s presentation,...
28th March 2022
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By and for women
Aurora New Dawn runs services supporting victims of male violence. This research supports Aurora’s commitment to the use of ‘by and for women’ support.
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Human-rights campaigners call for new statutory guidance on single-sex services
Over the past week the Women’s Aid Federation and the Women’s Resource Centre have released strong statements defending single-sex services. They follow the example of nia, which was the first women’s refuge provider to openly and proudly defend single-sex services. Sex Matters supports and applauds the leadership taken by the...
24th March 2022
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Karen Ingala Smith talks about single-sex services
“I have heard leaders of charities that are supposed to support women who’ve been subjected to men’s violence say that it is ‘not safe’ for them to speak about this. That makes me so angry. How can they talk about their safety and accept those salaries when we are...
23rd February 2022
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Do crime victims deserve respect?
We think crime victims deserve respect, dignity, sensitivity, compassion and courtesy, as specified in the Victims’ Code.
10th February 2022
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Will the Joint Committee on Human Rights defend the EHRC?
Sex Matters has written to the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) to urge it to write to the United Nations to confirm its parliamentary role in overseeing the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and stating its confidence in the EHRC, after recent attacks which have sought to...
9th February 2022
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What does case law say about single-sex services?
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is planning to release new guidance on single-sex services imminently. Kishwer Falkner, Chair of the EHRC, agreed when Joanna Cherry QC MP asked her: “Would you agree with me that all guidance issued by EHRC should be grounded in statute and case law,...
3rd February 2022
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Recent cases – implications for single-sex and separate-sex services
This briefing considers the implications of the cases of Green v Secretary of State, for Justice, AEA v EHRC, Taylor v Jaguar Land Rover, Forstater v CGD and FDJ v Secretary of State for Justice for understanding the law in relation to single-sex services.
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Principles for clarity and respect in developing guidance for single-sex and separate-sex services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is planning to release new guidance on single-sex services. We set out three questions and ten principles that it should base its guidance on – and explain why what’s needed are clear, simple rules in everyday language.
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Principles for clarity and respect
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is planning to release new guidance on single-sex services imminently. To support this Sex Matters is publishing two briefings. The first one sets out principles for clarity and respect for single-sex services. From everyday facilities such as toilets and changing rooms to...
28th January 2022
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The EHRC steps up
Sex Matters welcomes its statements on Gender Recognition Act reform and conversion therapy.
26th January 2022
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Clear rules and girls’ schools
Why the Girls' Day School Trust's single-sex policy is lawful and important.
11th January 2022
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Clear rules and girls’ schools
Why is the Girls’ Day School Trust’s new policy important and what are the implications for other charities and regulators in protecting human rights?
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Simple guidance for single-sex services
The Women and Equalities Committee has issued a new report that calls for guidance on the interaction between sex and “gender reassignment” in relation to single sex services. In other words, it wants clarification on whether it is legal to provide a service that is just for women and...
20th December 2021
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Single-sex services: model policy
If you want to run a single-sex service, our model policy lets you fill in the gaps – it’s tailored for women’s charities in England and Wales, but can be adapted by other organisations covered by the Equality Act 2010.
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Single-sex services: doing an equality impact assessment
If you want to provide a single-sex service for women only (or for men only), an equality impact assessment can help you show that your decision to provide a service for one sex only, or separately for women and men, was evidence-based.
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Single-sex services – providing a women-only service
We explain how charities, public services and commercial businesses can provide a single-sex service for women only (or for men only), with guidance about the Equality Act 2010.
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No need for sex data on domestic abuse?
Yesterday the Domestic Abuse Commissioner launched a survey for survivors of domestic abuse about their experience of using domestic abuse services across England and Wales: “We are running this survey so that we can understand what is good about domestic abuse services in different areas of the country, and...
7th December 2021
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EHRC to issue guidance on single-sex and separate-sex services
Baroness Falkner, Chairwoman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission has told ministers that the body is acting on a request by MPs to issue hospitals, schools, prisons and private firms with “worked examples and guidance” that will “provide clarity … on the provision of single-sex services.” It is...
18th October 2021
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The EHRC must step up and provide clarity on single-sex services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is consulting on its strategic plan for 2022–2025. We have made a submission in the form of a letter to the incoming head of the EHRC, Marcial Boo. Sex is one of the nine protected characteristics for which the EHRC is responsible. Fostering...
5th October 2021
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Truth and reconciliation
How should the public sector leave the Stonewall Champions Scheme?
6th June 2021
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Time to #LeaveStonewall
This is the letter we have sent to the CEOs of the 850 organisations that are members of the Stonewall Diversity Champions Scheme. Re: Leaving the Stonewall Diversity Champions Scheme We are writing to call on you to withdraw from the scheme, both for the sake of your own...
29th May 2021
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Are single-sex services legal?
Does the judgment in AEA v EHRC (where permission for a judicial review of the EHRC Statutory Code of Practice was refused) mean that the legality of single-sex services has changed? The answer is no. The Equality Act still allows single-sex services in a range of common everyday and specialist...
19th May 2021
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Sex Matters influences toilets policy
As reported in The Telegraph today the Government in England is going to amend building regulations and planning guidance to ensure separate sex toilet facilities are installed in new buildings or those being developed. This is good news. Sex Matters was amongst the many gender critical organisations and individuals...
16th May 2021