The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has published a guide for service providers (anyone who provides goods, facilities or services to the public) who are looking to establish and operate a separate or single-sex service.
Separate or single-sex service providers are those who provide a service where some element or all of the service is available:
- only to one sex, or
- separately to each sex, or
- differently to people of each sex.
This guide covers the exceptions in the Equality Act relating to sex which allow: services to be provided, or a policy to be applied:
- only to one sex
- separately to people of each sex.
- differently to people of each sex
It also covers the provisions in the Equality Act relating to gender reassignment which allow providers of separate or single-sex services to exclude, modify or limit access to trans people.
This guide provides information on:
- what the law says
- how to decide when to use the exceptions
- practical steps you can take.