Rishi Sunak pledges to safeguard girls’ and women-only spaces for biological females by re-writing equality laws – if he wins the election
Rishi Sunak promised last night to rewrite equality laws to define sex as biological if he wins the election.
This groundbreaking change would help protect biological female spaces for girls and women by preventing gender alignment sex identity, the Prime Minister said.
It would essentially rewrite part of the Equality Act transgender Women may be barred from entering female-only areas such as male and female hospital wards, rape crisis centers, prison cells and toilets, and from participating in women’s sports.
This includes transgender women who have undergone reconstructive surgery and those who have a gender recognition certificate stating that they have changed gender. The new law would apply across Britain.
Currently, if organizers try to deny transgender women access to women-only spaces, they face legal challenges and face discrimination charges.
Mr Sunak would start the process for new primary legislation to clarify the law within days of a Conservative government being re-elected.
Rishi Sunak last night vowed to rewrite equality laws to define sex as biological if he wins the election
This groundbreaking change would help protect biological female spaces for girls and women by preventing the conflating of sex with gender identity, the Prime Minister said.
Gender-critical campaigners, including former British Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies, welcomed the pledge as a victory for ‘common sense’.
The move is the Tories’ latest attempt to clear the water between them and Labor ahead of the July 4 election day.
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer has previously suggested such a change in the law was not necessary, after declaring in 2022 that ‘trans women are women’ and that it is wrong to say ‘only women have a cervix’.
Health Minister Victoria Atkins writes in today’s Mail: ‘Labor would take this back to square one. For years they have aided and abetted those who put ideology above scientific fact.”
In August last year, the Mail revealed how shocking guidelines drawn up by NHS chiefs led to patients who only occasionally identify as women being allowed to share female-only wards. This was regardless of whether they had undergone surgery or legally changed gender.
The project to rewrite part of the Equality Act based on biological sex rather than gender identity was initially proposed by Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch.
Last night she said: ‘Whether it is rapists being locked up in women’s prisons, or cases where men participate in women’s sports and have an unfair advantage, it is clear that public authorities and regulators are confused about what the law says about sex and sex. gender and when to act – often out of fear of being accused of transphobia or not being inclusive.
In today’s Mail, Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said Labor would take us back to square one
“That is why we pledge today that if we form a government after the elections, we will clarify that sex in law means biological sex and not new, redefined meanings of the word.”
Mr Sunak added: ‘The safety of women and girls is too important to allow the current confusion around definitions of sex and gender to continue.’
In April last year, the Equality and Human Rights Commission backed the proposed change.
Ms Davies, who has campaigned to ensure trans women cannot compete in women’s sport, said: ‘I am extremely pleased. There is a very big difference between wanting to be something and actually being something.
‘I very much hope that when it becomes clear, we can now tackle all sporting organizations that discriminate against biological women by not providing equal opportunities for success in their own competitions, by allowing men into female categories.’
Stephanie Davies-Arai of Transgender Trend said: ‘This is a return to common sense and reality in government.’
Heather Binning of the Women’s Rights Network said: ‘We welcome any party that promises to protect sex-based rights.’
The gender of those with a gender recognition certificate will still be in accordance with their acquired gender in law outside the Equality Act, for example marriage law, such as the status quo.
