The Equality and Human Rights Commission Consultation

Have your say in the EHRC Consultation.

This is your chance to ensure policy makers protect single-sex sports.

The deadline to respond is June 30th 2025

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is the independent statutory body with the responsibility to encourage equality and diversity, eliminate unlawful discrimination, and protect and promote the human rights of everyone in Britain.

In April 2025, the Supreme Court ruling (SC Ruling) provided clarity on the Equality Act 2010 (EA 2010) that sex means biological sex. For our guide on the implications of this for sport, please click here. The key points, which the EHRC should make clear, are as follows -

The EA 2010 states that for reasons of fair competition or safety, all males (including males with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment, whether or not they have a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC)) can be lawfully excluded from a female sports category or event. This is NOT unlawful discrimination based on gender reassignment. This is lawful discrimination based on sex.

If even one male uses a female single-sex service, it is no longer single-sex.

Following the SC Ruling, the EHRC has made some changes to its “Code of practice for services, public functions and associations”. This is an important guidance document which can be used by many organisations including sports governing bodies, leisure centres, local councils, gyms and sports clubs to inform their policies. This can influence the single-sex provision for services and sports which is likely to affect you.

You can have your say on the changes made to this code of practice. The EHRC consultation is open for anyone to respond to, whether you respond as an individual or as an organisation (such as a business, charity, service provider, association, public body or sports club). The deadline for feedback is June 30th 2025.

The EHRC consultation asks questions about specific chapters in the code of practice which have been changed. You do not need to provide feedback for every chapter, only those that you think are relevant to you.

SEEN in Sport gives guidance with particular relevance to sport.

We recommend you open our guidance and read it while completing the EHRC Survey.

The main chapter on sport is Chapter 13 but there are other chapters which may have relevance on sport or other activities. It can take approximately 15 minutes to give a detailed response to the consultation describing your own experiences.

If you only have 5 minutes, please use our guidance and focus on Chapter 13.

If you only have 2 minutes, just comment on 13.1.18 in Chapter 13

Dos and don’ts:

• Do give short examples from your own experience.

• Do use clear sex-based language.

• Do praise sections that you think are clear and reflect the law.

• Do use your own words, if possible. If you are short on time, cut & paste answers from the SEEN in Sport guidance that you agree with.

• Don’t answer with how you think the law should be changed.