Updates • Page 9

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To see updates organised by topic, go to Where sex matters. Click on a tag at the end of any update to see other updates and resources with the same tag.

Sex Matters’ advice to companies on the FCA’s new reporting requirements

Last week, we reported that the Financial Conduct Authority had issued new rules about its requirements for listed companies to report on the proportion of women on corporate boards, scrapping its earlier proposal for this to be based purely on gender self-identification. The new regulations let companies choose whether to report...

29th April 2022
Single-sex services: the Survivors’ Network response

On 4th April 2022 the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) issued new guidance on the law on single and separate-sex services, making clear that services for women don’t have to include trans-identifying males. This has been widely welcomed by leaders of women’s organisations in discussions we have been having,...

27th April 2022
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
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
Financial Conduct Authority says corporate boards can use sex not gender

The Financial Conduct Authority has issued new rules requiring listed companies to report on the proportion of women on corporate boards, scrapping its earlier proposal to require this to be based on gender self-identification. 439 people and organisations (over 80% of respondents) raised the issue of gender vs sex...

20th April 2022
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
Respect My Sex campaign gathers momentum

There has been some amazing media coverage of the “Respect My Sex if you Want My X” local election campaign. This includes the front page of the Mail, a feature story in the Times and Heather Binning, Helen Joyce and Caroline Ffiske in a studio interview with GB News....

17th April 2022
Women’s cycling race saved after campaigns raise public support

UPDATE : Saturday 16th April
Sex Matters and Fair Play For Women welcome the announcement that the Women’s CiCLE Classic has been saved, with an offer of a three-year sponsorship deal being finalised by the race organiser.

13th April 2022
Most secondary schools now have trans-identified pupils: Sex Matters’ new survey

Anyone who interacts with young people will surely have noticed that trans identities are becoming more common – and varied. To get a measure of scale of this social shift, Sex Matters commissioned YouGov to poll secondary-school teachers about their experience of trans-identifying pupils. The findings provide the first...

11th April 2022
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
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
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
Helen Joyce joins Sex Matters as Director of Advocacy

Sex Matters is delighted to announce that Helen Joyce, author of Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality, is joining the organisation as Director of Advocacy.

1st April 2022
Sex Matters’ statement on conversion therapy law

Sex Matter praises decision to abandon fatally flawed “Conversion Therapy Bill”.

31st March 2022
British Cycling and Emily Bridges

Sex Matters welcomes the statement from British Cycling that Emily Bridges is not eligible to participate in the British National Omnium Championship on Saturday 2nd April 2022, following the application of Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) guidelines. British Cycling has chosen to recognise Emily’s disappointment, but not the distress, anger, and...

30th March 2022
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
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
The Cass Review’s interim report is out

The report shares initial conclusions that reflect many of the concerns raised by Sex Matters.

12th March 2022
Interview with Maya Forstater

Sex Matters’ Executive Director Maya Forstater won an important judgment in 2021 in her employment discrimination case. Now she is going back to court. Before her hearing begins next week on 7th March, Sex Matters interviewed Maya about her journey.

2nd March 2022
Independent counsel agrees with our guidance for schools

Last year Sex Matters, together with Transgender Trend, produced guidance for schools. The Good Law Project recently published legal advice by Dan Squires QC. His conclusions support much of our guidance, although he disagrees with us on one important point – how simple and straightforward it should be to...

1st March 2022
What does it take to get into Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index?

Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index (WEI) has had a revamp, with new “gold”, “silver” and “bronze” awards. Are these medals anything to be proud of?

25th February 2022
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
Sex in the Census: Reality v Paperwork

The Outer House of the Court of Session in Scotland handed down judgment last week in Fair Play For Women’s challenge to guidance on the census. National Records Scotland plans to tell members of the public that if they are transgender, they can choose how to answer the sex question. ...

22nd February 2022
A radically simpler system than gender self-ID

Critics of the Gender Recognition Act who call for gender self-identification say the current system is too much of an administrative burden. They are calling on the government to bring people together to find solutions.

21st February 2022
Responses to the government consultation on banning conversion therapy

The government's consultation on conversion therapy has now closed, and the responses are being analysed. More than a thousand people used the form on our website to send the government their own responses to the consultation.

11th February 2022
Government organisation leaves Stonewall over concerns about impartiality and cost

The government’s Insolvency Service is the latest organisation to leave Stonewall, stating in its internal communications: “Unfortunately, there are concerns around impartiality and upon review, we found that the contract did not represent value for money.” The Insolvency Service joins a growing list of companies and organisations who have...

10th February 2022
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
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
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
It’s not too late to talk to your MP!

Sex Matters supporters have been speaking to their MPs about the proposed legislation on conversion therapy. Their reports from face-to-face and telephone meetings highlight the need for a proper review of the proposals. Supporters who have managed to speak to their MPs tell us that some have been surprised...

2nd February 2022
Why UCL decided to leave Stonewall

UCL (University College London) has published the documents about its decision not to re-join Stonewall.

1st February 2022
Organisations unite to praise the EHRC

Twenty different campaigning groups from across the UK have come together in a statement of response on the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s recent communications – with the UK Government about conversion therapy and with the Scottish Government about reform of the Gender Recognition Act. The EHRC has come...

31st January 2022