For Women Scotland Supreme Court Victory
Photos by Kiri Tunks and Laura Pascal
On Wednesday morning, in a packed courtroom at the Supreme Court in London, the judgment in the For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers (FWS2) case was handed down.
The Supreme Court unanimously agreed that the terms ‘man’, ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 (EA2010) refer to biological sex. Holding a GRC does not change sex for the purposes of the EA2010.
“The unanimous decision of this court is that the terms woman and sex in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex.”
The court ruling makes clear to all what ordinary women across the UK have been saying for years: the law protects single-sex spaces and services.
Our huge gratitude and congratulations to For Women Scotland and the intervenors – Sex Matters, Scottish Lesbians, LGB Alliance, the Lesbian Project and all the other lesbians – who helped win this important legal victory!
You can read the BBC’s live coverage here and watch the ruling in full on the Supreme Court’s website.
Now we must see an end to policies that ignore the needs, rights, dignity and safety of women and girls. The UK Government, the Welsh and Scottish Governments, regulators and public bodies must now review and clarify their policies and guidance. It is their responsibility to ensure the law is understood and implemented.
This is a significant moment in the fight to protect women's (especially lesbians') rights. Women can continue to hold the powers that be to account using the Equality Act – read more about how in our article.
FiLiA will be taking this opportunity to ensure the voices and concerns of grassroots women across the country are heard by public bodies. If you haven’t done so yet, get involved and join the FiLiA Women’s Assembly! Email womensassembly@filia.org.uk for more info.