The Supreme Court in the UK ruled that the country’s equalities law defines a woman as someone born biologically female, meaning that transgender individuals should not be considered women for equality purposes. The case stemmed from a 2018 Scottish law that included transgender women in its definition of women for the purpose of achieving 50% female representation on public boards. The women’s rights group, For Women Scotland, successfully challenged this law as being beyond parliament’s powers, leading to a dispute over the definition of “woman” in the law. The group argued that the definition of sex should refer to biological sex and be understood in everyday language. However, opponents, including Amnesty International, argued that excluding transgender individuals from sex discrimination protections conflicted with human rights. The Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling clarified that sex is determined by biological factors and should not be redefined to include transgender individuals. The case has broader implications for sex-based rights and single-sex services in the UK. The women’s rights group’s challenge was supported by author J.K. Rowling, who has emphasized the importance of protecting the rights of individuals born biologically female. Amnesty International expressed concerns about the potential impact of the ruling on the rights of transgender individuals and argued that a blanket policy excluding trans women from single-sex services is disproportionate and conflicts with human rights principles.
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