Equality Act
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Anneliese Dodds must listen to women
Anneliese Dodds, the Minister for Women and Equalities, has said in response to a written question asking whether the government plans to amend the legal definition of what a woman is: “We are proud of the Equality Act and the rights and protections it affords women. The Government does...
9th September 2024
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What about pronouns at school?
Sex Matters has published a model policy for schools to help them communicate clear expectations to staff, pupils and parents and let them respond lawfully and safely to children who are “gender questioning”. We are calling on the Department for Education to provide a similarly clear policy for schools...
6th September 2024
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A model policy that protects all children’s wellbeing
Teachers and pupils in England are going back to school this week, and are still lacking finalised guidance or a model policy from the Department for Education on what to do if children ask to be allowed to “socially transition” and be treated as the opposite sex. Sex Matters...
2nd September 2024
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Stand up for single-sex services – why it’s time to make the Equality Act clear
Women and girls depend on female-only services, spaces, sports and associations for privacy, dignity, fairness and safety. The Equality Act 2010 allows for single-sex provision and protects against sex discrimination and harassment. It is time for the government to step in and make the Equality Act 2010 clear so...
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The new deal for working people and the definition of sex
We expect the government to take action in the first 100 days on its new deal for working people, and that we will see something about this in the King’s Speech on 17th July, when its immediate legislative programme is announced. Before the election the Labour Party said that,...
12th July 2024
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New poll finds voters want to make the Equality Act clear
As reported in the Telegraph, Daily Mail, Express and Sun today, voters across the political spectrum are more supportive of making the Equality Act clear than making it easier for people to change their birth certificates. Sex Matters commissioned a representative survey from an independent polling company to find...
1st July 2024
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It’s time to make the Equality Act clear
For the past 18 months Sex Matters has been calling for the government to make a simple one-line amendment to clarify that “sex” in the Equality Act really does mean biology, and not self-identification or paperwork. The Conservatives’ announcement today that they would do this if elected is hugely...
3rd June 2024
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Will you ask your MP to support a bill to protect women and children?
This Friday a private member’s bill in the House of Commons presents MPs with a chance to discuss changing the law to clarify the meaning of “sex” in the Equality Act, stop the social transitioning of children in schools and ban healthcare providers from prescribing puberty blockers and cross-sex...
11th March 2024
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Is a GRC really a licence to search?
FairCop has published an advice from a KC on the lawfulness of the National Police Chiefs’ Council policy that tells forces that officers who transition can search (including strip-search) members of the opposite sex. The policy (currently withdrawn for review) states that: “once a transgender colleague has transitioned, they...
1st February 2024
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Gender-critical civil society submits report to GREVIO on sex and the law
Sex Matters, Fair Play For Women and Transgender Trend, together with LGB Alliance, the Women’s Rights Network, For Women Scotland and Merched Cymru, have submitted a report on the UK’s implementation of the Istanbul Convention. The Istanbul Convention is about violence against women The “Istanbul Convention” is the Council of...
31st December 2023
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Sex and the law at the end of 2023
This blogpost is based on a briefing sent to the Women and Equalities Committee in advance of its session with the Women and Equalities Minister, Kemi Badenoch.
15th December 2023
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Sex and the law in December 2023 – a briefing
Briefing from Sex Matters for a meeting of the Women and Equalities Committee on 13th December 2023
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Section 35 appeal rejected
The Court of Session has rejected the appeal by the Scottish Government against the UK Government’s Section 35 order to prevent the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill becoming law. The Scottish Government’s argument that the Secretary of State for Scotland “acted irrationally by failing to acquaint himself with the...
8th December 2023
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Resisting violations of women-only spaces
The chair of Sex Matters’ board, barrister Naomi Cunningham, was asked to speak at a conference in Edinburgh on Tuesday 5th December to celebrate the first anniversary of the opening of Beira’s Place. Beira’s Place, based in Edinburgh but covering the whole Lothian region, is a trauma-informed service for...
7th December 2023
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Kemi Badenoch brings sense to the sex and gender debate
The era of “No Debate” is finally over. And it came to a spectacular close in the most important debating chamber in the country, if not one of the most important in the world.
6th December 2023
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It’s time to act
Following the judgment in the For Women Scotland appeal, it is time for the government to act.
2nd November 2023
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Court rules that GRC changes sex for the Equality Act
For Women Scotland’s appeal against the Haldane judgment that a GRC changes a person’s sex in relation to the Equality Act has been rejected. In the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers CSIH 37 the Court of Session has handed down a judgment that: “a person...
1st November 2023
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Sex Matters at FiLiA
The Sex Matters team had a fantastic time at the FiLiA conference in Glasgow from 13th to 15th October. Over 1,400 delegates from all over the world gathered to talk about women’s rights. Hundreds came to talk to us about the next stage of our campaign to clarify the...
17th October 2023
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Letter to the EHRC about its technical guidance on the Equality Act
Our letter to Kishwer Falkner and Marcial Boo flags the concerns raised in our post.
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Submission (written intervention)
Part of Sex Matters’ submission to the Judicial Review of the revised statutory guidance produced by the Scottish Ministers under Section 7 of the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018 – see also Authorities and Productions.
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Productions (second inventory of productions for the applicant)
Part of Sex Matters’ submission to the Judicial Review of the revised statutory guidance produced by the Scottish Ministers under Section 7 of the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018 – see also Submission and Authorities.
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Authorities (list of authorities for the applicant)
Part of Sex Matters’ submission to the Judicial Review of the revised statutory guidance produced by the Scottish Ministers under Section 7 of the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018 – see also Submission and Productions.
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Sex Matters to intervene in For Women Scotland case
Sex Matters has been given permission, as a human-rights organisation, to intervene in the For Women Scotland case being heard by the Court of Session Inner House in Edinburgh on Wednesday 4th October. Our submission will urge the court to consider whether Lady Haldane’s interpretation of the meaning of...
2nd October 2023
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What is new in the EHRC guidance?
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has today released updated technical guidance on the Equality Act for schools in England and in Scotland. We look at what has changed. Clearer definitions: no child under 18 can change sex The new guidance is more careful and precise about the legal...
22nd September 2023
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Campaign update and appeal
Sex Matters is campaigning for the government to make a one-line change to the law to make clear that the protected characteristic of “sex” in the Equality Act means sex. This would make it easier to protect single-sex services, sports and associations. Read about the story so far, from...
22nd September 2023
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EHRC to correct inaccurate schools guidance
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has written to us to confirm that it is undertaking a rapid review of its 2014 technical guidance for schools and intends to publish a revised version within the coming weeks, correcting the inaccuracies that have been highlighted: “We recognise that since that...
17th September 2023
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Keeping children safe as girls and boys in education
The first review of the UK's legal framework on sex and gender in education shows that thousands of schools and colleges in England are in danger of breaching legal requirements due to lack of government guidance and faulty existing guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
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Dear Kemi: will you tackle the technical guidance?
Sex Matters has written to the Minister for Women and Equalities calling on her to ask the Equality and Human Rights Commission to urgently finish its review of the 2014 Technical Guidance For Schools (in England and Scotland) and make clear its conclusions. If the EHRC no longer believes...
3rd September 2023
