Seven Hills Women’s Institute (WI) in Sheffield has announced it will close, becoming one of a growing number of WI groups to shut down following the national decision to restrict membership to biological women.
The move comes after the National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI) confirmed it could no longer lawfully admit transgender women as members if it wished to retain its status as a single-sex charity.
This follows the UK Supreme Court’s ruling in 2025, which ruled that “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 refers exclusively to biological sex.
This meant that trans women, even those holding a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC), are not considered women under the Act’s definition, legally defining “woman” as referring to biological sex.
The policy change has triggered resignations, venue cancellations and the dissolution of long-standing branches across the UK. At least 12 groups have closed or are considering closing.
The Seven Hills WI’s committee stepped down after concluding it could not implement the new rules in good conscience, and no new board members came forward to continue the group.
Clementine Dexter, vice-president of Seven Hills WI, described the hostile reaction the group received after announcing its closure to the Guardian. “Out of 250 comments, there were just 30 that were supportive,” she said. “The rest were really abusive and awful.”
Dexter warned the decision could have lasting consequences for the organisation’s future. She said the policy had risked reinforcing what she called a “toxic culture,” adding that the WI would “struggle even more than it already does to attract younger members.”
Since giving this statement, Dexter informed us that Seven Hills WI as a group have decided to pull back from speaking publicly due to concerns for members’ safety.
In a statement responding to the policy, Seven Hills WI said that transgender women could no longer be offered formal membership and stressed the change reflected legal requirements rather than group values.
The group has stressed that they do not want to lose the social aspects of the community and may form a new social community.
These alternative meetings would aim to preserve the social and educational activities that defined the branch while remaining outside the WI’s formal membership structure.
Supporters of the national policy argue that it protects single-sex spaces and provides legal clarity.
Critics, including members of closing branches, say it undermines the WI’s historic mission of inclusion and risks fragmenting local communities built on mutual support.