WI expresses deep regret' as it bans trans women after Supreme Court ruling

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"Transgender women will be banned from joining the Women's Institute from April next year, with the organisation saying it had had no other choice following the Supreme Court ruling. The decision, which overturns a 40-year-old policy, has been taken "with the utmost regret and sadness", it said, adding that it retained the "firm belief that transgender women are women". The U-turn had been made in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling earlier this year on biological sex, The National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI) said."

"It comes just a day after Girlguiding announced it would also ban trans girls from joining. NFWI chief executive Melissa Green: said: "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."

The Independent appeals for donations to fund on-the-ground reporting and maintains free access to journalism. Transgender women will be banned from formal membership of the Women’s Institute from April 2026 following a Supreme Court ruling on biological sex, overturning a 40-year-old policy. The NFWI expressed regret and stated it still believes transgender women are women while saying it had no other choice. The decision follows Girlguiding’s move to ban trans girls. NFWI chief executive Melissa Green framed the change as painful and unprecedented after four decades of welcoming transgender members.

Read at www.independent.co.uk