Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 21
21
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 170
Guidance on the application of the sports exception continues to be confused and inadequate, leaving...
Recommendation
Guidance on the application of the sports exception continues to be confused and inadequate, leaving many sports providers feeling unclear about its application. The Sports Council Equality Group has produced some guidance to try and bridge this gap. However, both the Government Equalities Office and Equality and Human Rights Commission have a responsibility to provide clarity in this area. We recommend that the EHRC and GEO work with the Sports Council Equality Group to publish supplementary guidance that clearly and correctly addresses some of the main concerns sporting bodies have in relation to this exception, including under what circumstances it is acceptable to use the sports exception. We believe it is absolutely essential that the integrity of women’s sport is maintained and not compromised, and that nothing should happen in this space which would undermine that. In addition, 76 Reform of the Gender Recognition Act the EHRC and GEO must work with trans rights groups and sports providers to develop clear, evidence-based guidance with practical examples for how to facilitate trans and gender non-conforming inclusive spaces in sports.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government notes that the EHRC is currently looking to update its guidance on single-sex exceptions in the Equality Act. However, it does not commit to the specific recommendation for EHRC and GEO to work with various groups to publish supplementary guidance or develop comprehensive guidance for trans-inclusive sports spaces.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
170
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government · verbatim extract
Acknowledged
42. In September 2021, the Sports Councils’ Equality Group published the Guidance for Transgender Inclusion in Domestic Sport4. The Sports Councils are currently working with a small number of sports to pilot some practical ways of using the Guidance, with the aim of then disseminating the learnings from the various approaches within the different sports. The National Governing Bodies (NGBs) involved in this pilot cover a broad range of sporting activity and the Sports Councils are confident at this time that the results will be translatable across the vast majority of other NGBs. The Sports Councils and the NGBs are committed to this for the next 6 months.
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