Women-Only Gym Access and Equality Policy

 

Our Women-Only Environment

Our gym provides a women-only environment because we recognise that many women value the privacy, dignity, safety and comfort that a female-only exercise environment provides.

We believe women should have access to a welcoming environment where they can exercise without concerns about privacy, modesty or the presence of men, particularly in circumstances where members may be exercising in sports clothing, changing or otherwise experiencing a degree of undress.

We recognise that women may have different reasons for valuing a women-only environment, including personal, cultural, religious, privacy and safety considerations.

Supporting Our Muslim Community

We have particular regard to the needs of women from religious communities for whom exercising in the presence of men may conflict with sincerely held religious beliefs or practices.

This includes members of our Muslim community who observe requirements concerning modesty and covering, including hijab. For some Muslim women, exercising around men may make it difficult or impossible to exercise in the way they would wish while observing their religious requirements.

We therefore consider a women-only environment an important way of enabling Muslim women, alongside women from other backgrounds, to participate in physical activity in circumstances that respect their privacy, dignity and religious observance.

We recognise that religious practice varies between individuals and do not assume that every Muslim woman has identical requirements.

Equality Act 2010

Our women-only provision is intended to operate within the single-sex service provisions of the Equality Act 2010.

Schedule 3 of the Equality Act 2010 permits certain services to be provided separately to people of one sex where the relevant statutory conditions are satisfied and the restriction is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

Our legitimate aims include protecting the privacy, dignity, safety and wellbeing of women using our facilities, and enabling women to exercise in an environment that accommodates the particular privacy, modesty and religious needs of our membership.

In determining whether our women-only provision is appropriate and proportionate, we consider factors including:

• the privacy, dignity and safety of women using our facilities;

• the fact that members may exercise or change in circumstances involving a degree of undress;

• the needs of women who observe particular religious practices, including Muslim women for whom exercising around men may conflict with requirements concerning modesty;

• the needs and expectations of our wider membership;

• the nature of the facilities and services we provide; and

• the impact of our policy on people who may be excluded from the service.

We seek to apply our policy consistently, respectfully and in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and applicable guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Gender Reassignment and Individual Circumstances

We recognise that the Equality Act 2010 provides protection against discrimination because of gender reassignment, a statutory term that is sometimes described more generally as gender affirmation.

Where our women-only policy affects a person who is transgender or non-binary, we will consider the relevant provisions of the Equality Act, including the provisions concerning single-sex services and gender reassignment.

A person's gender identity, including identifying as non-binary, will not by itself be treated as the legal justification for exclusion. We will consider the nature of our women-only service, the legitimate aims it serves, the needs of our members and the circumstances of the individual concerned.

Where appropriate and reasonably practicable, we may consider alternative arrangements that enable an individual to access our services while maintaining the legitimate aims of our women-only provision.

General Access and Refusal of Service

We reserve the right to refuse membership, suspend membership or restrict access to our facilities where we reasonably consider that doing so is necessary to protect the safety, privacy, dignity, wellbeing or ability of our existing members to use the gym.

This may include circumstances where an individual's conduct, behaviour or presence materially interferes with other members' ability to use the facilities safely and comfortably, or where restricting access is necessary to maintain the legitimate aims of our women-only service.

We may also take action where a member or visitor:

• breaches our terms and conditions;

• behaves inappropriately towards members or staff;

• engages in harassment, intimidation or threatening behaviour;

• behaves in a manner that materially disrupts other members' use of the facilities; or

• otherwise undermines the safe, respectful and private environment we seek to provide.

Any decision to refuse or restrict access will be made in accordance with applicable law, including the Equality Act 2010. We will not refuse service simply because a person has a protected characteristic, and we will consider any relevant statutory exceptions and proportionality requirements.

 

Our Approach

We are committed to treating members and prospective members with respect. We will seek to handle individual access decisions sensitively, consistently and confidentially.

Our women-only policy is designed to provide an environment in which women can exercise with confidence, privacy and dignity, while taking account of the diverse needs and circumstances of our membership.

This policy is intended to explain the principles underlying our women-only service and should be read alongside our membership terms, code of conduct and other applicable policies.

We reserve the right to review and amend this policy where necessary to reflect changes in legislation, official guidance or the operation of our facilities.

Legal Notice

This policy is intended as a statement of our operating principles and is not intended to exclude or limit any rights or protections provided by applicable law. The application of the Equality Act 2010 to a particular individual or set of circumstances may depend on the specific facts and circumstances involved.

​

How Access Decisions Are Made

Access decisions are made by the gym's management team, or by staff members authorised by management to make access decisions on the gym's behalf.

We aim to make decisions consistently and respectfully. Where a person's eligibility to use the gym is unclear or disputed, the matter may be referred to a senior member of management before a final decision is made.

When considering whether to refuse, suspend or restrict access, we may take into account:

• the nature and purpose of our women-only service;

• the privacy, dignity, safety and wellbeing of our existing members;

• the circumstances in which our facilities are used, including changing and exercise areas;

• the legitimate aims underlying our women-only provision;

• relevant religious, cultural and privacy considerations among our membership;

• the individual's conduct and behaviour, including any actual disruption, harassment, intimidation or other inappropriate conduct;

• whether there is a reasonable and proportionate way of addressing a particular concern without refusing access; and

• the relevant provisions of the Equality Act 2010 and other applicable legislation.

We will distinguish between a person's identity or protected characteristic and their conduct or the circumstances of the service. A person's protected characteristic will not, by itself, constitute grounds for refusing access.

Where an access decision concerns a transgender or non-binary person, we will consider the relevant Equality Act provisions, including those relating to single-sex services and gender reassignment. The decision will be based on the circumstances of the service and the applicable legal framework rather than on assumptions about the individual.

Where reasonably practicable, decisions will be recorded together with the relevant reasons for the decision. We may ask only for information that is reasonably necessary to make or document an access decision and will handle such information confidentially.

Where a person is refused access or has their access restricted, we will, where appropriate, explain the basis for the decision and provide information about how they may request that the decision be reviewed.

Our objective is to ensure that access decisions are lawful, consistent, proportionate and respectful, while maintaining the women-only environment for which our gym is provided.