In a recent controversial move, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has banned transgender athletes and athletes with differences in gender development (DSD) from participating in women’s sports.
In the wake of the unfair ban, human rights experts and scientific groups have slammed the IOC’s new gender eligibility guidelines as a “blunt and discriminatory response that is not supported by science and violates international human rights law”.
According to the IOC, under newly released guidelines it is mandatory for all athletes participating in its female categories to undergo genetic gender testing.
Since the IOC abolished mandatory gender testing in 1999, athletes from these categories have been allowed to compete in Olympic events. However, this practice was criticized as arbitrary, inaccurate, costly, and discriminatory, but has been reversed under the leadership of President Christy Coventry.
This change represents a significant departure from the organization’s 2021 framework on fairness, inclusion and non-discrimination policy.
According to Professor Paula Gerber, an international human rights lawyer at Monash University, “Mandatory genetic sex testing and rigid biological criteria as a condition for participation in the ranks of women violate fundamental and universal human rights… including the right to equality, non-discrimination, dignity, privacy and bodily autonomy.”
Additionally, binary definitions of sex are also responsible for reinforcing discriminatory stereotypes and harming progress toward gender equality, Gerber said.
Dr. Ada Cheung, professor of endocrinology at the University of Melbourne, said, “The IOC’s move to mandate gender testing in the women’s category risks undermining both evidence-based policy and athlete well-being, while distracting from the real priorities in women’s sport.”
Human rights lawyer and former Olympic swimmer Nikki Dryden also described the decision as unfair as it would impact every girl playing Australian sport today. Unfortunately, reversing the policy will create a miserable culture where every parent or coach faces inappropriate questions related to the female body.
Australian Olympic Committee president Ian Chesterman said he supported the new guidelines, saying, “Without any doubt, this is a challenging and complex topic and at the AOC we approach it with empathy and understanding.”
