Schools in Northern Ireland will now be required to allow girls the option to wear trousers as part of their school uniforms, as well as during physical education and games, under newly revised guidelines. The change comes after a law passed last year, which aimed to cut uniform costs, gave girls the legal right to challenge schools that banned trousers. However, activists argued the law didn’t go far enough and pushed for stronger action. Paul Givan, Northern Ireland’s education minister, announced the revised guidelines, stating that schools will no longer be able to prohibit female students from wearing trousers. “I have listened carefully to young people, and the message is clear: girls want the choice to wear trousers as part of their school uniform,” Givan said in a statement to the BBC. The revised guidelines will not take immediate effect, giving schools time to update their policies and ensure compliance. Givan, a member of the Democratic Unionist Party, emphasized the need to balance school autonomy with the guidance provided by the education department. While he acknowledged the pressure from campaigners, he noted that his own daughters had worn skirts to school, highlighting the personal nature of the issue. Other political figures welcomed the decision but criticized Givan for the delay in implementing the change. Nick Mathison, an Alliance Party MLA and chair of the Stormont assembly education committee, praised the young campaigners who had fought for the right to wear trousers. “The fact that in 2026 young girls and women had to campaign for this at all will not be forgotten,” he said, adding that public funds had been spent on correcting what he called the minister’s initial misjudgment. Cathy Mason, a Sinn Féin MLA, argued that the issue should not have been controversial in the first place. “It should not have required further legislation to force movement on something so basic,” she said. Cara Hunter, a Social Democratic and Labour Party MLA, acknowledged the efforts of young people who had challenged the existing rules. “The department must now deliver. This cannot be a right that exists on paper but becomes an argument at the school gate,” she said, emphasizing the need for clear action to ensure the policy is fully implemented.