reports

In our 2021 report, we urged urgent clarification of the meaning of “sex” under the Equality Act 2010, warning that the conflation of sex with “gender” or “gender identity” was undermining women’s legal rights to same-sex services. The report recommended that NHS trusts restore “sex” as the relevant category of identification, especially in Equality Impact Assessments and safeguarding protocols, and uphold the lawful “occupational requirement” exception that permits female-only care. It further called on the UK Government to review the conflicts between the Gender Recognition Act 2004 and the Equality Act 2010, which were causing widespread confusion in public services and preventing organisations from lawfully protecting women and girls. The 2025 Supreme Court ruling in favour of For Women Scotland,  has now confirmed in law that “sex” means biological sex, vindicating the need for the reforms proposed in this report.  

​

Over 200 volunteers helped us produce this report, and I want to thank each and every one of them. It was truly overwhelming to witness so many people coming together to expose the systemic dismissal of women’s rights and bodily autonomy in our public services.

What we uncovered was stark: the NHS and police consistently prioritise the needs and identities of men who identify as women over the legal rights of women and girls.

This report lays out the evidence clearly:

• Out of 220 NHS trusts, only 4 trusts (2%) acknowledged the lawful exception under the Equality Act 2010 that allows services to be limited by biological sex when it is an occupational requirement. Only these four were prepared to offer female-only care when requested.

• Out of 48 police forces, 0 apply any restrictions preventing male officers who identify as women from conducting intimate searches on female detainees.

These findings are not theoretical — the consequences are real and immediate. We’ve seen it in Darlington, where women were denied the assurance of female nurses. We've seen it in the Sandy Peggie case, where the rights of a female patient were dismissed in favour of an ideology. These are not isolated incidents — they are symptoms of a wider institutional failure.

Back in 2021, Standing for Women warned of this danger and called on the UK Government to provide urgent legal clarification on the definition of “sex” in public policy. That call has only grown more urgent. Now, in 2025, the UK Supreme Court ruling in the For Women Scotland case has provided much-needed clarity: “sex” in the Equality Act means biological sex. Public institutions can no longer hide behind confusion or ideological lobbying.

​

What you can do next:

➡️ Download and read the full report, 2025 version.
➡️ Send a copy to your MP, Chief Constable, Police and Crime Commissioner, council leader, NHS trust governors, and local media.
➡️ Include a short personal letter, summarising the key findings and explaining why it matters to you that women have the legal right to request same-sex care and searches.

​

This is your chance to stand up for dignity, safety, and lawful equality for women and girls. Let’s make our voices heard.