MEDIA RELEASE: Only Eight Councils Provide Female-Only Facilities, New National Data Reveals

1 day ago
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April 30 2026

A nationwide review of council-owned swimming pool facilities has revealed that only a small number of Councils in New Zealand are clearly providing female-only spaces for women and girls.

The Council Score Sheet, based on responses from City and District Councils across the country, shows a consistent and concerning pattern.

Only eight councils clearly provide female-only changing and showering facilities.

Nearly 9 out of 10 either do not—or cannot clearly say that they do.

“If a space is labelled female, it should mean female,” said Suzanne Levy, spokeswoman for Speak Up for Women.“What we’ve found instead is widespread confusion, inconsistency, and in many cases, the quiet removal of female-only spaces.”

Female only facilities at Council pools are few and far between.

A Gap Between Labels and Reality

Across the country, many Councils continue to label facilities as “female” while operating policies that allow access based on gender identity.

In practice, this means that many spaces described as female are not female-only.

Other Councils were unable to clearly explain their policies at all, relying on vague language such as “case-by-case” decisions or providing no clear rules.

“Women and girls should be able to rely on clear signage and straightforward rules,” Levy said.“Right now, in many places, they can’t.”

Systemic Failure and Confusion

The data reveals three consistent issues across councils:

Failure: 35 councils do not provide genuine female-only spaces
Confusion: 17 councils could not clearly explain what they provide
Clarity: Only eight councils provide clear, workable single-sex provision

This means that the majority of councils are either failing to provide female-only spaces or are unable to clearly state whether they exist.

“If councils cannot explain their own policies, the public cannot understand or rely on them,” Levy said. “No policy means no protection.”

Policy by Advocacy, Not Law

A further concern is the extent to which councils are relying on external advocacy guidance to shape their policies.

At least 19 councils referenced the Trans and Gender Diverse Guidance for Exercise and Recreation Providers when explaining their approach. This document is not law, but rather what advocacy organisations promote as the law..

The Guidance presents the untested position that discrimination on the basis of “sex or gender identity” is unlawful. It then uses this proposition to promote access to women-only spaces on the basis that sex and gender identity are both ways to be a woman. This is an unjustifiable leap. If discrimination on the basis of gender identity is unlawful then people can’t be denied goods or services or housing or jobs for having one, or because of what it is. But they are still the sex they were born as.

Women-only spaces arose out of the needs of females for privacy and dignity, which are sex-based needs. Councils need to decide if they are abandoning the sex basis for separate facilities, in which case people can use the facilities they prefer to use. If this is the Council position, then signage should make it clear and the public should have the opportunity to give feedback on this change.

“Councils are treating guidance as if it were law,” Levy said.“This is an untested legal interpretation being applied as public policy.”

What Good Provision Looks Like

Councils have clear options to provide facilities that work for everyone.

A functional and transparent approach includes:

Clearly defined and accurately labelled single-sex communal spaces
Adequate single-occupancy changing and shower facilities
Consistent, publicly-accessible policies

Where access is based on gender identity, this should be clearly communicated so users understand what to expect.

Transparency and Accountability

The Council Score Sheet provides, for the first time, a national picture of how councils are managing these issues.

It allows communities, parents, and ratepayers to see exactly what their council is doing—and to decide whether it meets a reasonable standard.

“This is about transparency and accountability,” Levy said.“If councils are not providing female-only spaces, they should at least be honest about it.”

Call to Action

The campaign is encouraging members of the public to review their local Council’s policies and engage directly where concerns arise. Contact details for each Council are provided on the campaign website.

✅ Check your council.

✅ See what they provide.

✅ Ask questions.