Single-sex spaces review concluded by EHRC

EHRC released interim guidance on single-sex spaces [Image: Unsplash]

Back in February, the UK’s top human rights regulator confirmed that it had shuttered a policy review commissioned by the Conservative government in 2024.

The Conservative Government, led by Rishi Sunak, called for the EHRC to look into examples of policy guidance that allow trans individuals into single sex-spaces.

The review was completed in August last year, claiming that policies which weren’t trans-exclusionary had “misrepresented” the 2010 Equality Act, arguing that the legislation did not give the trans community the “legal right” to access gender-specific facilities.

EHRC reached out to several organisations, demanding that they update their policies to restrict single-sex spaces to “biological sex” only.

On 19 February, a spokesman for the EHRC confirmed it had concluded this review after all organisations “removed the policies in question”.

Halfway through the policy review, the UK Supreme Court ruled on the For Women Scotland vs Scottish Ministers case, concluding that the Equality Act’s definition of a ‘woman’ referred to cisgender women only.

"This is what failure looks like" [Image: Getty Images]

The EHRC responded by starting a public consultation on proposed updates that called for the exclusion of trans people from single-sex facilities. The consultation lasted for six weeks and received a total of over 50,000 responses.

However, a lot of trans activists are still sceptical.

Trans+ Solidarity Alliance have said that while the closure was a small relief, it was still likely that the EHRC would continue its broader controversial work on trans rights.

“The EHRC’s witch hunt of inclusive organisations brought shame on the institution, but it ending is only a small relief,” a spokesperson said. “The EHRC continues to approach the trans community as a group of people to be excluded, rather than protected. This is what failure looks like: an equalities body that can’t focus on the real human rights issues facing us all.

“This one regulatory action may be over, but until we have real leadership from the government to protect trans people- this mess will continue.”

Trans+ Solidarity Alliance have previously strongly advised the Labour government not to approve any acts or provisions that would exclude trans people from public spaces as this would give them the reputation of being an anti-trans political party.