Many women's organisations we've spoken to have been holding off on updating their policies after the Supreme Court ruling on the Equality Act last year. Many were waiting for the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have its' guidance approved by Parliament.
The EHRC's draft Code of Practice was laid before Parliament on 21 May 2026. The Code is not legally in force quite yet, though. After being laid before Parliament, it enters a 40-day scrutiny period, and it only takes effect once a commencement order is made by the Minister. The existing 2011 Code remains the applicable statutory code in the meantime, although it's worth noting that the Supreme Court ruling itself already legally binds organisations regardless.
So, if you haven't already done so, now is the time to embark on a thorough policy review for your organisation.
What the Code says
The Code follows the Supreme Court's April 2025 ruling in For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers, which confirmed that "sex" in the Equality Act 2010 means biological sex. The Code translates that ruling into practical guidance across a wide range of settings, including healthcare, hospitality, leisure, and community organisations.
For women's organisations, the key point is this: single-sex services are legally defensible, and the Code provides a clearer framework for operating them. Restricting access to a service or space on the basis of biological sex is lawful where it is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim, such as providing a safe environment for women who have experienced sexual or domestic male violence, or running refuge accommodation where women are living in a shared space.
Full article at https://www.wrc.org.uk/Blog/what-the-new-equality-guidance-means-for-your-organisation
(They also have a survey for groups linked to this, which depending on how many women's groups complete it should give a much clearer idea of how many groups are women only and how many are trans inclusive.)