UK Supreme Court says legal definition of 'woman' means biological female and excludes transgender people

In the UK, the Supreme Court has made a landmark decision regarding the legal definition of a woman.

According to the ruling, under the Equality Act 2010, woman refers exclusively to biological sex, excluding transgender people.

The unanimous ruling on Wednesday, local time, stems from a legal challenge by the feminist advocacy group For Women Scotland against the Scottish government's inclusion of transgender women in a 2018 law that mandated 50% female representation on public boards.

The Court ruled that the definition of woman should only include biological females.

It said that interpreting the definition to include individuals based on gender identity would make the Equality Act inconsistent.

However, the decision does not revoke existing protections against discrimination for transgender individuals.

Women's rights groups lauded the ruling as a reaffirmation of sex-based rights while LGBTQ+ organizations expressed concern and disappointment.