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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think it is outrageous to ban women and girls over 13 from a fun run?

328 replies

Lex345 · 14/10/2025 07:32

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1kwk1204jno

I just caught this on the news-the article isn't clear on the justification for this-but this isn't OK is it?

OP posts:
JamieCannister · 14/10/2025 12:17

Plantine · 14/10/2025 11:02

That's my entire point. This charity run is a MUSLIM one - if you are not a MUSLIM, your input is not needed.

Is it not racist to consider that muslim women don't deserve equality in law?

Do you think there is something inherently inferior about muslim women, or is it perhaps that you think women should be able to opt in to being victims of widespread sexism if they wish?

Tryonemoretime · 14/10/2025 12:26

AgreeToDisagreeSometimes · 14/10/2025 11:13

I don’t understand feminism! It’s perfectly legal to have women only running clubs but men are not allowed to have men only running clubs? There’s a bbc article from 2024 with the exact same club objective/idea but because it’s women excluding men, then that’s okay then?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx99e5ylyjpo

im a female who thinks gender equality must be fair for both genders. Not fighting for gender injustice when it favours females only.

Edited

Isn't the difference that no males of any age can join the women's running club? They are not specifically allowed when under 13 and then banned when they hit puberty?

IsEveryUserNameBloodyTaken · 14/10/2025 12:27

BruisedNeckMeat · 14/10/2025 11:05

I am not defending the rights of Muslim
women. If they want to stand on the sidelines and cheer on their own oppression and the oppression of their female children then there’s nothing I can do about that.

I am defending the culture, values and laws of my own country.

THIS.

Pharazon · 14/10/2025 12:45

UnicornLand1 · 14/10/2025 12:02

I think it's more about the government afraid to 'stir the nest' if you know what I mean rather than the country transforming into Gilead. UK is one of the most liberal country in the world that I know of and I've lived in a few. I doubt any of us would like to take part in that race, anyway. The government's thinking would be, if the women in that community don't care about it, then it's none of our business, really.

The government has no involvement in this, any more than it gets involved if you are discriminated against at work. If the Equality Act has been breached (and I suspect it has been), then it is down to an individual who has been discriminated against, such as a woman who has been denied entry to the race, to take it to courts. That's how the law works. We don't, thankfully, have governments deciding on whether a law has been broken.

Pharazon · 14/10/2025 12:48

Vaxtable · 14/10/2025 12:14

What’s the difference between this and a women’s only fun run?

A women's fun run uses the single sex exception for sporting events detailed in the Equality Act. There is no such exception that permits "boys, men, and U13 girls only".

TheCrenchinglyMcQuaffenBrothers · 14/10/2025 13:05

AgreeToDisagreeSometimes · 14/10/2025 11:13

I don’t understand feminism! It’s perfectly legal to have women only running clubs but men are not allowed to have men only running clubs? There’s a bbc article from 2024 with the exact same club objective/idea but because it’s women excluding men, then that’s okay then?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx99e5ylyjpo

im a female who thinks gender equality must be fair for both genders. Not fighting for gender injustice when it favours females only.

Edited

No, what you don’t understand is The Equality Act and the single sex exemption contained within it and the fact that this fun run wasn’t doing that…

Although, to be fair, I actually agree, you definitely don’t understand Feminism, so there is that.

JamieCannister · 14/10/2025 13:06

Pharazon · 14/10/2025 12:45

The government has no involvement in this, any more than it gets involved if you are discriminated against at work. If the Equality Act has been breached (and I suspect it has been), then it is down to an individual who has been discriminated against, such as a woman who has been denied entry to the race, to take it to courts. That's how the law works. We don't, thankfully, have governments deciding on whether a law has been broken.

I disagree.

When a house is burgled the victims job is to go to the police, and the police's job is to investigate the crime. The end result should be that the burglar ends up in prison, the victim gets justice AND AND AND the wider public benefits from the fact they are less likely to be burgled because there is one less burglar on the streets.

When an individual is discriminated against they should not have to sue. Their job should be to go to the police, or to a government body with enforcement powers, and that body should enforce justice for the benefit of the victim AND for the benefit of everyone else.

Humdingerydoo · 14/10/2025 13:09

Pharazon · 14/10/2025 12:48

A women's fun run uses the single sex exception for sporting events detailed in the Equality Act. There is no such exception that permits "boys, men, and U13 girls only".

*U12. Only girls under 12 were invited to join this inclusive family friendly event.

Pharazon · 14/10/2025 13:17

JamieCannister · 14/10/2025 13:06

I disagree.

When a house is burgled the victims job is to go to the police, and the police's job is to investigate the crime. The end result should be that the burglar ends up in prison, the victim gets justice AND AND AND the wider public benefits from the fact they are less likely to be burgled because there is one less burglar on the streets.

When an individual is discriminated against they should not have to sue. Their job should be to go to the police, or to a government body with enforcement powers, and that body should enforce justice for the benefit of the victim AND for the benefit of everyone else.

Well, the police would not be interested as discrimination is not a criminal offence.
Individuals can seek assistance from the EHRC but it typically only uses its enforcement powers against public bodies and doesn't get involved as a primary plaintiff in cases against private organisations unless they are particularly complex or high profile (although it can advise). It's basically down to the individual, same as any other civil case.

HorrorAndHaagenDazs · 14/10/2025 13:24

FOJN · 14/10/2025 08:17

Shame on you OP how dare you be incensed that in a liberal democracy in 2025 women can still be excluded from taking part in something purely because of their sex, it must mean you are islamophobic. (sarcasm obviously)

Nails it.

HansHolbein · 14/10/2025 13:25

Of course it’s outrageous. I wouldn’t expect anything less.

KitWyn · 14/10/2025 13:28

Plantine · 14/10/2025 10:59

It's not for women, it's a MUSLIM charity. Nothing to do with you, if you are not a MUSLIM. And you say women don't need permission to be angry, yet, slate me for being angry.

There were a depressingly large number of women in the UK in the early 20th century, willing to speak loudly against women being given the vote. Their traitorous arguments included:

  • Women were intellectually and emotionally inferior to men
  • Women were unable to understand political issues, and thus unable to make a rational decision as to who to vote for
  • Women were physically weaker, and the people who made the Law needed male strength to enforce these laws
  • Housework wouldn't be done, meals wouldn't be on the table, and children would be abandoned. Family life as the British knew it would end
  • Marriages would break up when the wife voted Liberal and the husband was Conservative
  • It would destablise the Commonwealth as non-white men would be very upset

This is a surprisingly lovely article published by the BBC in 2018, to celebrate a hundred years of women voting!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42704341.amp

It is fine, of course, for a British woman (or a Scandinavian woman!) to choose to not use her right to vote. She may possibly correctly believe that she (as an individual, not because she is female!) lacks the necessary critical thinking skills and is not rational. She may recognise that her opinions are largely based on blind clan loyalty or on religious indoctrination from birth.

At the same time, she has no right to deny the vote to other women in her country. And she is a self-hating fool if she tries to argue for this.

Women and girls have the right under UK law to be treated as full equals to men and boys. This includes access to Sports and Leisure activities, such as Fun Runs. Being primarily targeted at Muslim users/consumers does not exempt businesses or organisations (including charities) from the UK Equality Act 2010.

I very much hope to see a successful court case here. This isn't about you, it is about the rights of all British women and girls to full equality with males under UK Law.

Postcard showing ugly women

100 Women: The female protesters against giving women the vote - BBC News

In 1918 some eligible women over the age of 30 were given the right to vote in the UK - but not every woman was happy about it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42704341.amp

LadyGreyjoy · 14/10/2025 13:51

Plantine · 14/10/2025 10:16

I agree. But I don't see how this charity run doesn't.

All you're doing is blatantly advertising the fact that you don't understand the equality act.

It is illegal to exclude only women from an event. It's as simple as that. Being Muslim does not mean you can ignore this law.

SweetTalkinWookie · 14/10/2025 14:01

IsEveryUserNameBloodyTaken · 14/10/2025 12:02

Ah here we go, shout Islamophobia when you want to shut discussion down.
Nice try sunshine, it won’t work.

Have you read some of the comments on here? It didn't take long for the race to be forgotten and for people to just start declaring Islam as the issue.

Ddakji · 14/10/2025 14:04

LadyGreyjoy · 14/10/2025 13:51

All you're doing is blatantly advertising the fact that you don't understand the equality act.

It is illegal to exclude only women from an event. It's as simple as that. Being Muslim does not mean you can ignore this law.

Naomi Cunningham (who does know all about the EA) has posted in LinkedIn that while this is “thoroughly unattractive” (great phrasing!) it’s not clear that it’s unlawful.

AzurePanda · 14/10/2025 14:12

@Ddakji and Dr Anna Loutfi, a barrister specialising in equality and humans right law, has opined that it arguably is in breach of the Equality Act.

Ponderingwindow · 14/10/2025 14:18

Plantine · 14/10/2025 08:54

Here are my two cents as a Muslim woman:

We don't want or need saving from (usually) privileged white women that

  1. Have no real comprehension of Islam, Muslim communities, or Muslim women
  2. Seemingly have nothing better to do with their precious time than to disguise their disdain for our religion and our community behind a faux "worry" about us Muslim women, and about the ways we are supposedly oppressed and discriminated against. If you are genuinely that worried about us, how about telling YOUR men, white men, to stop harrassing us, to stop verbally abuse us, and to stop pulling our scarves off our heads? That, we would actually appreciate. Complaining about a charity run doesn't help us, or makes any difference to us in any meaningful way. If we, ourselves, really had a problem with this run, I can assure you that we, Muslim women, are more than capable of speaking up for ourselves - we don't want or need your "help", or for you to speak for us on this matter. I'm so sick and tired of women outside our community picking our battles for us...just, leave us alone! Let US decide what to fight for, not you! You have problems with female injustice and discrimination in your own communities, focus on that instead of on us.

Also, let's be honest: how many of you who are so outraged and angry on our behalf ACTUALLY had a genuine intention of participating in this run? None of you did. You clearly just want to be angry about something that relates to Muslims. Well done.

Please take your "worry", anger and battle elsewhere, we don't want it from you.

I’m not worried about saving you. Women make choices against their own best interests all the time.

i am concerned that this takes place in a public park with public resources.

i am concerned that this sends a societal message that segregation is acceptable.

there is a growing movement to impose rules on women in society. It comes from all the fundamentalist branches of religions, not just Islam. Branches of Christianity and Judaism are also sending messaging that women are to be othered. The problem is that some people outside of those fundamentalist groups are starting to think they are right. It is a new form of extremism that seeks to take away the rights of women.

this isn’t just about a fun run. It’s about women losing access to abortion in the United States . It is about the extremist voices telling women they belong in the home.

Every bit of discrimination needs to be fought because they want to take away everything our mothers and grandmothers achieved.

JHound · 14/10/2025 14:36

Shrugs.

If we can have charities that focus on girls, there can be DV hotlines for black and South Asian women and Stormzy can have a scholarship scheme just for black students who wish to attend Oxbridge I really cannot care about this.

I don’t know why we need 75 threads on the topic though.

eqpi4t2hbsnktd · 14/10/2025 14:57

Ban it. We are not a muslim country (yet).

MissKitty0 · 14/10/2025 15:12

SweetTalkinWookie · 14/10/2025 10:51

Have any women who wanted to take part in the race shown up yet, or is this still just a platform to flout thinly veiled Islamaphobia?

They are banned?? Why would they want to show up and have a confrontation with a gang on men?

EasternStandard · 14/10/2025 15:13

JHound · 14/10/2025 14:36

Shrugs.

If we can have charities that focus on girls, there can be DV hotlines for black and South Asian women and Stormzy can have a scholarship scheme just for black students who wish to attend Oxbridge I really cannot care about this.

I don’t know why we need 75 threads on the topic though.

With or without a bolded shrug there’s not 75 threads on it.

MissKitty0 · 14/10/2025 15:15

Plantine · 14/10/2025 11:02

That's my entire point. This charity run is a MUSLIM one - if you are not a MUSLIM, your input is not needed.

Except England is a CHRISTIAN country. We have a STATE RELIGION. We have every right to an opinion on what happens in our country.

JHound · 14/10/2025 15:16

EasternStandard · 14/10/2025 15:13

With or without a bolded shrug there’s not 75 threads on it.

Sigh....

Ok.

EasternStandard · 14/10/2025 15:18

JHound · 14/10/2025 15:16

Sigh....

Ok.

Sigh, shrug. All very compelling on why you don’t care.

Thankfully mn has pp who do post for women and girls.

JHound · 14/10/2025 15:18

Plantine · 14/10/2025 08:54

Here are my two cents as a Muslim woman:

We don't want or need saving from (usually) privileged white women that

  1. Have no real comprehension of Islam, Muslim communities, or Muslim women
  2. Seemingly have nothing better to do with their precious time than to disguise their disdain for our religion and our community behind a faux "worry" about us Muslim women, and about the ways we are supposedly oppressed and discriminated against. If you are genuinely that worried about us, how about telling YOUR men, white men, to stop harrassing us, to stop verbally abuse us, and to stop pulling our scarves off our heads? That, we would actually appreciate. Complaining about a charity run doesn't help us, or makes any difference to us in any meaningful way. If we, ourselves, really had a problem with this run, I can assure you that we, Muslim women, are more than capable of speaking up for ourselves - we don't want or need your "help", or for you to speak for us on this matter. I'm so sick and tired of women outside our community picking our battles for us...just, leave us alone! Let US decide what to fight for, not you! You have problems with female injustice and discrimination in your own communities, focus on that instead of on us.

Also, let's be honest: how many of you who are so outraged and angry on our behalf ACTUALLY had a genuine intention of participating in this run? None of you did. You clearly just want to be angry about something that relates to Muslims. Well done.

Please take your "worry", anger and battle elsewhere, we don't want it from you.

Are you SURE you don't want the White Saviours to swoop in and save you..?! 😁

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