10/03/2026
Ten UN human rights experts have called on the UK Government to ensure its review of Equality Act guidance fully complies with international human rights law.
It follows a recent High Court judgment that has implications for how trans people access single-sex facilities.
The UN experts issued a statement last week that stressed trans people must be able “to live safe, dignified and liveable lives”
“The public debate has too often been framed as a stark choice between protecting women and girls and upholding the rights of trans people,the joint statement says.
“Comparative experience shows that this is a false choice.
"It is both possible and necessary to protect women and girls while upholding the rights of trans people, and rights-based legal systems demonstrate that strong protections for women and robust legal safeguards for trans people not only can, but do, coexist in practice.”
International human rights law — including the ICCPR, the European Convention on Human Rights, and CEDAW — requires both legal recognition and real-world equality, the statement said.
Unlike the UK, Australia’s S*x Discrimination Act has strong and clear protections against discrimination for trans people, and cases have made it clear that trans women can expect equal treatment.