East London Mosque has been forced to review its policies on gender segregation in relation to a charity run following widespread backlash labelling them as “regressive” and “sexist”.
East London Mosque (ELM), which hosted a 5km charity run event in east London’s Victoria Park last month for “men, boys of all ages and girls under 12”, has yet again been made to review its policies after resurfaced backlash.
The Muslim Charity Run was organised by ELM and the London Muslim Centre and was said to have attracted hundreds of runners and supporters, all raising money for charity.
The run attracted widespread criticism from mainstream British media, as well as from Muslim women’s groups, with one saying that the event should have been more inclusive to avoid reinforcing “negative stereotypes”.
However, in an update on Sunday 17 November, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said that it would not be taking any further action on the matter.
A spokesperson for the EHRC said: “We recognise that the organisers have committed to reviewing their policies and the format of the event in advance of the next Muslim Charity Run.
“If we are made aware of any further complaints about the event, we stand ready to re-examine the concerns and take action where appropriate.
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“We also have guidance available on compliance with the Equality Act 2010 to help the organisers avoid unlawful discrimination and ensure their events are inclusive.”
ELM reviews its policies
Despite the potential for a re-examination from the EHRC, there are certain exceptions to be made under equality law that apply to religious organisations and events restricted to one sex only.
The Daily Mail reported that a spokeswoman for the EHRC said that the organisers, East London Mosque, had made a “U-turn” and promised to allow women of all ages to participate next year.
5Pillars couldn’t find any information to verify this, as ELM has issued no recent statement on the matter since 15 October. However, it is possible that the mosque will be organising a separate run for women to make it more balanced.
The gender segregation of the run was labelled “plainly unlawful” and “regressively sexist” by campaigners.
Shadow Women and Equalities Minister Claire Coutinho praised The Daily Mail for “exposing the unfairness”.
However, the Muslim community are not the only ones to hold gender-segregated events, as ELM pointed out.
An ELM spokesman said last month after the backlash they received: “The suggestion that our event breaches the Equality Act is entirely incorrect.
“Single-gender sporting events are lawful under Section 195 and Schedule 23 of the Act, and are common across the UK, including the Women’s Run Series, Nike Women’s 10K, and gender-segregated swimming sessions at Orthodox Jewish facilities like Manchester Jewish Community Centre.
“The Muslim Charity Run operates under the same legal framework as these established events.”
