EIGHTEEN months after the Supreme Court’s ruling on biological sex, the EHRC’s guidance is in place. Laura Anne Jones MS says some public bodies in Wales are still failing to protect women’s single-sex wards, toilets and changing rooms.

Reform UK’s Deputy Leader in Wales welcomed that some sporting bodies that have already changed their rules to protect fairness in women’s competitions, but was clear that not all have made that change yet.

Following a Reform Senedd debate, Ms Jones said, “Ministers said through gritted teeth that they’d uphold the law. But our Welsh NHS, Welsh policy and some sporting organisations are still not complying with it. The ruling had been been made that “sex” means “biologically sex”, there is guidance from the EHRC, there is no excuse now not to uphold the law. It is not up for negotiation.”

According to the ruling, obtaining a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) does not change your legal sex for Equality Act purposes.

“Any public body or organisation that takes taxpayers’ money but isn’t putting protections for women and girls in place, shouldn’t get a penny.

“Language matters in the NHS too,” she said. “Women and girls menstruate, Men don’t. Women and girls get pregnant and suffer from endometriosis, Men don’t. This nonsense has to stop.”

Her comments echo those of local Reform MS Paul Marr when he said: “Reducing women to the term “pregnant people” isn’t more inclusive, it is unnecessarily insulting. Women is not a controversial word. Why is this Welsh Government so afraid to use it?”

Ms Jones continued:

“Plaid and Labour voted down Reform’s Senedd motion to ensure urgent protections are put in place for women and girls in Wales. Safety, fairness and dignity for them are important. Unfortunately, there seems no urgency or drive for Plaid or Labour to ensure the law is upheld.”