Women and girls are being physically injured as a direct result of males in their sport. This red line has already been crossed too many times. Because once is one time too many.
If anyone needs evidence, there have been two very recent incidents that require immediate attention and action.
At the beginning of November 2023, a female hockey player suffered a life-changing injury in the US after bearing the brunt of a full-force penalty shot to her face. The noise she made is haunting, the horror on the faces of her team-mates spoke volumes.
We heard in the last few days that a female football player in the Sheffield and Hallamshire Women’s League (England) has a season-ending knee injury resulting from a shot taken by a male player. The coaches have thankfully taken action and teams are refusing to play against this male.
Some pictures really do tell their own story
What will it take? When is it enough?
How many more times must a woman or a girl suffer an injury due to the presence of a male in her sport?
Why are so many National Governing Bodies, Sports Leagues, Clubs and grass-roots organisations willing to risk the safety of women and girls on a regular basis?
Why would any coach or safeguarding lead support a policy of self-ID in female sport, that allows males to self-identify as a women or girls?
Why are sporting bodies sitting back and watching girls self-exclude or walk away from recreational activities and grassroots sport?
A reminder to all those responsible for the safety of females in their sport:
The Equality Act 2010 Section 195 states that IT IS LAWFUL to allow “separate sporting competitions to continue to be organised for men and women where physical strength, stamina or physique are major factors in determining success or failure, and in which one sex is generally at a disadvantage in comparison with the other. It also makes it lawful to restrict participation of transsexual people in such competitions if this is necessary to uphold fair or safe competition, but not otherwise”.
The UK's Sports Council’s Guidance for Transgender Inclusion in Domestic Sport concludes that “the inclusion of transgender people into female sport cannot be balanced regarding transgender inclusion, fairness and safety in gender-affected sport where there is meaningful competition. This is due to retained differences in strength, stamina and physique between the average woman compared with the average transgender woman or non-binary person assigned male at birth, with or without testosterone suppression”.
Fair Play for Women have published guidance on what the law says about female-only sport.
If you are responsible for the safety of women and girls in sport:
Do not wait for an injury,
Do not wait for the headlines,
Do not wait for your governing body to review their policy on the participation of males in female sport.
Act now.
Contact your governing body and ask them why they are risking the safety of women and girls.
For more information and links to National Sporting Body policies, visit the WRN website.
No to Self ID
Save Women’s Sport