Trans women and girls excluded from Girlguiding and Women’s Institute

We are mothers, daughters, friends, colleagues – everyday women who stand together.

Today, we are deeply saddened that both Girlguiding and the Women’s Institute have been put in a position that has resulted in trans women and girls being excluded from their organisations.

These are institutions that for years have successfully included trans members as part of their commitment to creating spaces where girls and women can belong, grow, and thrive together.

We know these organisations are being placed in an impossible position, caught between their values of inclusion and legal pressures following the Supreme Court ruling. We recognise how difficult this is for them.

But this isn’t the path we should be taking as a country.

Trans girls and trans women are some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. They face discrimination, exclusion, and harm at rates that should alarm all of us. At a time when they need support and solidarity, they’re instead being shut out of spaces that could offer friendship, community, and belonging.

We know many women share concerns about safety in women’s spaces, and we understand why – we’ve all navigated a world where we’ve had to be vigilant, where we’ve experienced harassment or worse. That’s why we pay attention to the evidence about where harm actually comes from. Trans women simply aren’t a statistical threat – they’re far more likely to be victims.

Excluding trans people doesn’t make us safer; it just directs our attention away from the real harm – while causing real harm to people just trying to live their lives.

Trans girls are girls who deserve the same opportunities we had: to build confidence, make friends, and discover what they’re capable of. Trans women are women who deserve community, dignity, and the chance to participate in the spaces that matter to them.

Inclusion is not negotiable. Safety and dignity are not a zero-sum game. Every woman and girl deserves a place to belong.

As women committed to genuine inclusion and protection for all women and girls, we say: Not In Our Name. We will continue to stand with the trans community and their families, and we call on others to do the same. Show your support alongside 65,000 other women by signing and sharing our letter.