The definition of a woman refers to biological sex, the SNP government has finally been forced to accept in landmark new guidance.
For the first time, the Scottish Government has set out its new position in formal guidance published in the wake of its Supreme Court defeat on the issue.
In an update about laws around gender quotas on public sector boards, it states references to woman or women in the legislation ‘are references to a biological woman or women'.
It issued the new approach after being threatened with legal action unless it implemented the Supreme Court's ruling on the definition of a woman. Now ministers have been urged to ensure that all relevant guidance and legislation is updated.
Maya Forstater, chief executive of human rights charity Sex Matters, said: ‘The Scottish Government's clarification that the word "woman" refers to biological women in its guidance concerning public boards might look trivial to a casual observer, but its impact will be outsize.
‘As we have outlined in our letter before action, the Scottish Government must now act to bring all its policies in line with the law - and biological reality.'
The Gender Representation on Public Boards Act was meant to create a 50:50 balance of women and men on quango boards.
It originally defined a woman as ‘anyone living as a woman', including biological males with or without a gender recognition certificate (GRC).
Maya Forstater, chief executive of human rights charity Sex Matters, said it is time the Scottish Government brought all its policies 'in line with the law - and biological reality'
For Women Scotland successfully challenged this in Scotland's courts and ministers dropped the definition from their law, but the revised guidance continued to say ‘woman' included a trans woman with a GRC.
After For Women Scotland appealed to the Supreme Court, judges ruled the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex người lớn.