New guidance on single-sex spaces – here’s what the government and campaigners have said
Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson (Getty)
New guidance on single-sex spaces has been introduced to Parliament, with the Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson stating it will uphold “people’s rights across our country”.
The updated code follows a Supreme Court ruling in April 2025, which clarified that “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological women and biological sex, while still protecting trans people under “gender reassignment”.
The government states the new code offers “clear, workable guidance” for organisations like hospitals and leisure centres to make “pragmatic” decisions on single-sex provisions, such as toilets.
While women’s rights campaigners view the code as an “important turning point”, trans rights activists have emphasised the need to protect trans people’s “participation in public life”.
The code of practice, updated for the first time since 2011 and covering nine protected characteristics, has been laid before Parliament for 40 days of scrutiny before it can be enacted.
