Equality Act • Page 2
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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
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It’s wrong to lie to children: The Department of Education should learn this simple lesson
Stephanie Davies-Arai for The Critic.
Davies-Arai traces the history of the government's continually delayed transgender schools guidance, originally due to be published in March 2018. -
Trans guidance for schools goes round in circles
The long-awaited guidance from the Department for Education on how schools should respond to children with gender issues in school has been delayed again. Schools leaders desperately need guidance on setting rules that are feasible, clear and comply with the Equality Act. The Equality Act 2010 protects people in...
5th July 2023
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Denise Fahmy v Arts Council England (case number 6000042/2022)
Press release from Didlaw, whose partner Elizabeth McGlone worked alongside Anya Palmer Counsel of Old Square Chambers to support Denise Fahmy in her harassment claim against Arts Council England (ACE).
Read the judgment. -
Westminster Hall debate on our petition to make the Equality Act clear
Monday 12th June 2023 For the full official transcription of the debate, see Hansard. In the Chair, Judith Cummins began by reminding everyone that the petitions being debated indirectly related to two ongoing legal cases in the Scottish courts, but that reference to those would be allowed. Tonia Antoniazzi (Gower)...
13th June 2023
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Maya Forstater: Today’s Common debate on sex, gender and the Equality Act. The Government must clear up this mess.
Maya Forstater for Conservative Home
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Campaigners reveal in new poll majority of Britons want trans ban in female spaces
Sarah O’Grady, Social Affairs Editor for the Daily Express
Feature on Sex Matters’ poll results, released on 5th June 2023. -
Less than third of Britons want transwomen allowed in female-only spaces
James Beal, Social Affairs Editor for The Times
Feature on Sex Matters’ poll results, released on 5th June 2023. -
Fewer than a third of Brits think trans women should be allowed to use female changing rooms and three-quarters want them excluded from women’s sport
Ryan Hooper for the Daily Mail
Feature on Sex Matters’ poll results, released on 5th June 2023. -
Less than a third of Brits say transwomen should be allowed in female-only spaces and sports
Sex Matters has today released the findings from a representative national poll. It finds that less than one in three Britons believe that transwomen – men who identify as women – should be allowed in women’s sports, changing rooms and toilets, or to provide ‘female-only’ intimate care. The lack...
5th June 2023
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Sex Matters poll results as graphics (for printing)
A six-page graphical summary of the figures from our poll: a nationally representative sample of over-18s, polled online on 15th May 2023 by PeoplePolling. Optimised for printing.
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Sex Matters poll results as graphics (for screen)
A six-page graphical summary of the figures from our poll: a nationally representative sample of over-18s, polled online on 15th May 2023 by PeoplePolling.
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Sex Matters poll results
Six questions about transwomen answered by a nationally representative sample of over-18s, polled online on 15th May 2023 by PeoplePolling.
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It’s time to make the Equality Act clear
This 20-page booklet explains why we have asked the government to consider clarifying the meaning of “sex” in the Equality Act 2010, and reveals the results of our poll asking a representative sample of the UK population what they think about sex-based policies. Links to source material referenced in...
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Sex and gender in legislation: the case against “legal sex change”
Understanding GRA2004 as making a "legal sex change" is erroneous and overstates the effect of a gender recognition certificate. "Legal sex” has been misconceptualised. Whilst clarification of the law is desirable, qualifying “sex” in legislation in any way is unnecessary, has undesirable consequences and carries significant risk throughout domestic...
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Equality Act and sex – important Scots cases on the horizon
Michael Foran for Scottish Legal News
Two cases concerning the meaning of sex within the Equality Act:
• the appeal of Petition of For Women Scotland CSOH 90 and the decision of Lady Haldane
• the Scottish government’s judicial review of the s.35 order used to prevent the Gender Recognition... -
How the public-sector equality duty was turned against women
This is the fourth in a series of blog posts in the run up to the debate on 12th June about clarifying the Equality Act. One of the most important places where it matters that sex clearly means sex in the Equality Act is the public-sector equality duty. This...
2nd June 2023
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Sex in the Equality Act: the Westminster Hall debate – webinar
On 8th June 2023, Helen Joyce talked to academic Michael Foran and barrister Naomi Cunningham on about the upcoming Westminster Hall debate on clarifying the Equality Act. Among the questions discussed: Watch the recording For other Sex Matters webinars, see our YouTube channel. Background To learn more about the...
1st June 2023
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Campaign update: make the Equality Act clear
Read Hansard’s transcription of the debate or our summary. There will be a debate on our petition on Monday 12th June. Here is an update on the things you can do to support the campaign. Share our video on Twitter and Facebook. Write to your MP If you haven’t written to...
1st June 2023
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Why sex must mean sex across the Equality Act
This is the third in a series of blog posts in the run up to the debate on 12th June about clarifying the Equality Act. Many people who have written to their MPs about the proposal have had a response that says something like this: “The current guidance from...
1st June 2023
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Why “sex” and “gender” mean the same thing in law
This is the second in a series of blog posts in the run up to the debate on 12th June about clarifying the Equality Act. The language of sex and gender is a confusing quagmire. The amendment we are proposing aims to clarify one particularly important thing: that the...
31st May 2023
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Why we don’t want “biological” added before “sex” in the law
This is the first of a series of blog posts in the run up to the debate on 12th June about clarifying the Equality Act. The word “sex” appears 268 times in the Equality Act 2010; “same sex” appears 48 times, “opposite sex” 28 times. Our petition says: Update...
30th May 2023
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Letter to the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI)
Our 12th May 2023 letter, signed by 24 organisations, to Katharina Rose, Geneva Representative of GANHRI, asking it to support Great Britain and its national human-rights institution, the EHRC, in protecting everyone’s human rights and fostering dialogue between organisations that also respect rights.
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Sex Matters in Edinburgh
Friday 16th June 7pm to 11pm SOLD OUT! If you bought a ticket, please check your inbox for an email from [email protected] which has all the details about the venue. Sex Matters is coming to Edinburgh! We promised we’d hold an event in the constituency that got the most...
9th May 2023
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Thank you, Kishwer Falkner
We have written to Baroness Kishwer Falkner, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission: Dear Kishwer Falkner Thank you for publishing your letter to the Minister for Women and Equalities setting out, with careful reasoning, why you support revisiting and clarifying the meaning of “sex” as a protected...
11th April 2023
