Transgender women will no longer be allowed to join two of the UK's leading groups for women and girls
Two groups will stop offering membership to trans women in the aftermath of an April Supreme Court ruling. (Reuters: Chris J Ratcliffe)
Transgender women will no longer be allowed to join two of the UK's leading groups for women and girls, in the aftermath of a Supreme Court ruling.
The Women's Institute and Girlguiding announced the changes within days of each other, noting the difficulty of their respective decisions.
In April, the Supreme Court ruled that a woman was someone born biologically female, excluding transgender people from the legal definition.
This judgment related to whether a trans woman with a gender recognition certificate (GRC), a formal document that gives legal recognition of someone's new gender, was protected from discrimination as a woman under Britain's Equality Act.
Both groups said their recent decisions were made with legal advice, and in the case of the Women's Institute, the group said the judgment meant it could "no longer legally offer formal membership to transgender women".
"As an organisation that has proudly welcomed transgender women into our membership for more than 40 years, this is not something we would do unless we felt that we had no other choice," The Women's Institute CEO Melissa Green said.
She said the organisation would continue to support trans women outside of formal membership.
The move was made with a "heavy heart", according to a joint statement from the Girlguiding heads.
"This is a decision we would have preferred not to make, and we know that this may be upsetting for members of our community," it read, noting adult helper roles were still open to all.
Both statements can be read in full below:
Girlguiding
From Chair of Trustees Denise Wilson, CEO Felicity Oswald, and Chief Guide Tracy Foster:
Following April's Supreme Court decision relating to sex and gender, many organisations across the country have been facing complex decisions about what it means for girls and women and for the wider communities affected.
Girlguiding's governing charity documents set out that the membership and people who benefit from our organisation are girls and women. The Supreme Court ruled that girls and women are defined in the Equality Act 2010 by their biological sex at birth.
Following detailed considerations, expert legal advice and input from senior members, young members and our Council, the Board of Trustees for Girlguiding has made the difficult decision that Girlguiding must change, following the Supreme Court's ruling.
From today, 2 December, it is with a heavy heart that we are announcing trans girls and young women will no longer be able to join Girlguiding. This is a decision we would have preferred not to make, and we know that this may be upsetting for members of our community.
There will be no immediate changes for current young members, but more information will be shared next week.
Most adult roles, including unit helpers, district helpers and administrative support, are already open to all, so we are confident that no volunteers will have to leave the organisation.
Girlguiding believes strongly in inclusion, and we will continue to support young people and adults in marginalised groups. Over the next few months, we will explore opportunities to champion this value and actively support young people who need us.
A new taskforce will explore ways to support everyone and create new opportunities. Members of all ages are encouraged to contribute to this taskforce to help us shape a future organisation that is inclusive.
Girlguiding is proud to be the UK's largest youth organisation dedicated to girls and is focused on creating an equal world for girls and young women. For over 100 years, we have been a welcoming space for all girls to have new experiences, support their communities, build friendships and grow their confidence.
While Girlguiding may feel a little different going forward, these core aims and principles will always endure and we remain committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect, particularly those from marginalised groups that have felt the biggest impact of this decision.
The Women's Institute
From CEO Melissa Green:
It is with the utmost regret and sadness that we must announce that, from April 2026, we can no longer offer formal membership to transgender women. As an organisation that has proudly welcomed transgender women into our membership for more than 40 years, this is not something we would do unless we felt that we had no other choice.
To be able to continue operating as the Women's Institute — a legally recognised women's organisation and charity — we must act in accordance with the Supreme Court's judgment and restrict formal membership to biological women only. However, this change is only in respect to our membership policy and does not change our firm belief that transgender women are women.
We know that many of our members will find this decision extremely painful. We have been actively seeking alternative ways — outside of formal membership — of continuing to extend fellowship, sisterhood, and support to transgender women, who have been such an important part of our WI family.
In April 2026, we will be launching a national network of local WI Sisterhood groups, which will offer monthly opportunities for all people, including transgender women, to come together to socialise, learn from each other, and share their experiences of living as women.
Our activity outside of formal membership has always and will continue to play a vital role in creating welcoming spaces where all women can come together to learn, share ideas, and work together to improve lives in our communities. We remain absolutely committed to delivering on that mission.
Move may be influenced by anti-trans campaigners
The interpretation of the ruling has been disputed by legal advocacy group Good Law Project, which says the law does not "require trans exclusion".
In the case of Girlguiding, the GRC is only available to over-18s.
Good Law Project's trans rights lead, Jess O'Thomson, believed the move came after intense lobbying from "anti-trans campaigners".
In 2018, anti-trans group Fair Play for Women launched a petition asking Girlguiding to review its policy for trans members.
"They thought after the Supreme Court decision in April that the whole world would suddenly agree with them," O'Thomson said, of trans opponents.
"But they have misunderstood the law, as well as human nature."
The legal charity said it was prepared to offer legal and financial backing to organisations willing to challenge the ruling's interpretation.
Exclusion a 'cruelty', advocates say
Helen Belcher, CEO of TransActual, a leading UK transgender advocacy group, said charities could not afford to fight legal claims surrounding the ruling's interpretation.
She added the decisions would have an innumerable impact on Britain's "beloved charities and national institutions".
"Our thoughts are with the people who may be outed by their exclusion, or lose access to their vital social groups and support networks at a time when those are more important than ever," she said.
"This government must be held responsible for the long-lasting damage they are doing to a generation of LGBTQ+ people.
"This is mere cruelty to exclude trans people from doing the things they love with the people who love them."
Around 41 per cent of trans individuals in the UK say they have experienced a hate crime due to their gender identity, according to the latest statistics on the prevalence.
Leading anti-trans campaigner and author JK Rowling said the Girlguiding announcement would "help girls".
"It reminds girls that the desires of boys do not supersede their feelings, their rights, their discomfort or their safety," she said on X.
Campaign group For Women Scotland (FWS), which is financially backed by Rowling, spearheaded the April appeal that determined whether transgender women were legally women under equality legislation.
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