The Women's Institute (WI), a cornerstone of British community life for over a century, has announced it will cease accepting transgender women as formal members from April 2026. The decision follows the UK Supreme Court's definitive ruling on the legal definition of 'woman' and 'sex'.
A Decision Made with 'Utmost Regret'
Melissa Green, the Chief Executive of the National Federation of Women's Institutes, stated the move was taken with the 'utmost regret and sadness'. She emphasised the organisation felt it had 'no choice' but to restrict membership to individuals registered female at birth, aligning with the court's interpretation of the Equality Act. New members and those renewing will be required to confirm they meet this criterion.
This development comes just a day after Girlguiding revealed a similar policy shift, also prompted by legal advice in the wake of the Supreme Court judgment. The ruling, issued in April of this year, clarified that the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act refer exclusively to biological sex.
Launch of New 'Sisterhood Groups'
In a bid to maintain inclusivity, the WI plans to launch new 'sisterhood groups' from April 2026. These groups will be open to all and are intended as a space to recognise transgender women as women and explore modern womanhood. Green expressed a fervent hope that trans women would remain 'part of the WI family' through these forums.
The organisation, which has over 175,000 members across 5,000 local groups, has welcomed trans women for more than 40 years. Green acknowledged the decision would provoke 'anger, sadness and disappointment', alongside some welcome. She confirmed that known transgender members within the WI's leadership circles had already been informed, describing their reaction as profoundly sad but respectful.
Navigating Legal and Social Challenges
The decision was ratified by the WI's 138-person council and board after extensive legal consultation. Green confirmed the organisation had received fewer than 100 communications on the issue, some referencing potential legal challenge, but stressed the primary driver was the Supreme Court ruling.
Green, who avoids social media to sidestep toxic debate, stated the WI's responsibility was to ensure the new sisterhood groups are safe spaces that do not exacerbate division. 'One of the really important things for us is to try and help ourselves as an organisation, but society more generally, to find a way to work through some of these discussions, to have differing views, to disagree better,' she said.
Despite the difficult year for the transgender community, Green hopes the message conveyed is one of continued solidarity, not betrayal. 'My hope is that when that anger subsides the transgender community will know that we stand with them,' she concluded, reflecting on the WI's 110-year history of navigating social change.
