UK Court: 'Woman' Defined as Biological Female Only

The UK Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act refer exclusively to biological women. This decision follows a challenge by For Women Scotland against a Scottish law mandating 50% female representation on public boards, which included transgender women in its definition of women. The ruling clarifies that for the purposes of the Equality Act, only those born biologically female qualify as women, impacting the recognition of transgender women despite having gender recognition certificates. While the court's decision is a victory for gender-critical campaigners, it represents a setback for the Scottish Government, which had argued that transgender individuals should be protected under the Act. The judges also emphasized that transgender individuals still retain protection against discrimination under other aspects of the Equality Act. This landmark ruling is expected to have significant implications for sex-based rights and single-sex services across the UK.