Sex matters in life and in law. It shouldn’t take courage to say so.

Fiona McAnena and James Esses before the Westminster Hall debate

MPs debate the puberty-blocker trial

More than 146,000 people signed a parliamentary petition set up by James Esses calling on the government to cancel the puberty-blocker trial and safeguard vulnerable children. This led to a Westminster Hall debate on Monday 23rd March. These debates are the chance to discuss...

Protests planned for one year later

It is nearly a year since the Supreme Court confirmed that the terms “man” and “woman” take their ordinary, biological meaning in the Equality Act. The law is clear, but, under pressure from internal networks and external lobby groups, many organisations are still clinging...

M&S warned mixed-sex changing rooms could be unlawful

Sex Matters has written to the senior leadership of Marks & Spencer (M&S) to warn the company that its policy of advertising male and female changing rooms but then operating them as mixed-sex facilities could amount to indirect discrimination and harassment towards women. As...

Crowdfund to keep men out of the Ladies’ Pond

Will you support us in the legal fight to reclaim Kenwood Ladies’ Pond?

Hampstead Ponds: judicial review going ahead

We didn't give up on the Ponds case – and now it's back on!

Women's and men's toilets clearly signposted

New poll shows most people prefer single-sex toilets and changing rooms

A new UK-wide poll shows that the vast majority of adults prefer single-sex provision of toilets and changing rooms in workplaces, gyms and leisure centres, and for public toilets to be single-sex. Women value this even more than men do. Sex Matters commissioned an...

A simple statement of the law on single-sex services and workplace facilities

The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s interim update of 25th April 2025.

Latest campaign

The law is clear – so get on with it!

The Supreme Court judgment in the For Women Scotland case made it clear that in law, sex-based words refer to biology and not to identities.

It’s time for organisations to get on with complying with the Equality Act, which protects everyone’s rights.

They need to adopt simple sex-based policies and make it clear that they expect people to follow them.

Find out more

Practical tools and guidance

For service providers, employees and service users

Know your rights – workplace toilets and changing rooms

We explain the legislation on workplace toilets, changing rooms and washing facilities; whose job it is to make sure...

3rd July 2025
Know your rights – changing rooms and toilets

How can you be sure that shared toilets or changing rooms that have a sign saying “women” are genuinely...

4th July 2025
Providing single-sex services with confidence

A guide for service providers – how to be confident in understanding and using the Equality Act to respect...

10th October 2025
Gender-critical belief discrimination – briefing

What “gender critical” beliefs are; how employees and others are protected from belief discrimination; and how employers should deal...

10th October 2025

Our principles

Reality

There are two sexes: female and male. People shouldn’t be afraid to say this.
Clarity

Organisations and governments should be clear about the sexes and where sex matters.
Human rights

Everybody’s human rights matter, including private life, freedom of beliefs and speech.
Democracy

A cohesive society depends on open debate and evidence-based policy making.