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Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill Submission Guide:

  • Jun 9
  • 6 min read

Updated: Jun 11

Submissions close: 11:59pm, Thursday 2 July 2026


Save Women’s Sport Australasia has lodged a strong submission on the Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill. We strongly support the Bill’s intent to restore biological reality in New Zealand law — but it needs clearer, more robust definitions of sex, girl, and boy to fully protect single-sex sport at community, school, and club level.


Every submission counts. The Social Services and Community Committee needs to hear from parents, athletes, coaches, and supporters who want fairness and safety for New Zealand girls and women in sport.


Below you will find:

  • A link to our full final submission (use as-is or as a base)

  • Copy-and-paste template sections to make your own submission quick and easy

  • Simple step-by-step instructions


Important: Submissions can be made anonymously.

This means if you (or a girl/woman in your life, or her family/friends) have a personal story about the impact of trans-identifying males in female sport, you can share it safely. The Committee will read it, but it will not be published or shared further. And if you feel able to share your story with us (confidentially and securely), we would be deeply grateful. These real experiences help us strengthen our advocacy. You'll find the details on how to make an anonymous submission at the bottom of this page.



Use Our Full Submission For The Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill


Use our submission below in full or as a base for your own by clicking on the PDF link below to copy and pasting what you need and submitting it directly here.



Alternatively, on your submission you can simply say “I support Save Women’s Sport Australasia’s submission and urge the Committee to strengthen the biological definitions”.



Copy-and-Paste Template Sections


Use these pre-written, evidence-based sections to build your own personalised submission. Mix and match, add your own story or reason for submitting, and submit in your own words. Remember you can ask for your submission to be anonymous if you wish to share your own experience, or that of a friend or family member, and are concerned about the ramifications of doing so.


1. Opening – State Your Position  

I support the Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill because New Zealand law must restore biological reality. However, as currently drafted, the Bill is insufficient. It defines only “woman” and “man” but fails to explicitly define “sex” itself as an immutable biological reality based on reproductive function. It also omits definitions for “girl” and “boy”.

While New Zealand’s Human Rights Act 1993 provides clear exceptions for single-sex sport (including section 49), the Solicitor-General’s 2006 opinion has enabled self-identification policies across government agencies, including Sport NZ. This has had devastating consequences for females playing sport at all levels of sport, including community, school and club level.

2. Recommended Definitions (The Key Amendment)  

I recommend the Committee strengthen the Bill by including the following clear, biologically grounded definitions that apply across all legislation (including the Human Rights Act 1993 and New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990):

• Sex means an individual’s immutable biological sex at birth — either male or female — determined by reproductive function: females are the sex organised around the production of large gametes (ova); males are the sex organised around the production of small gametes (sperm). Sex cannot be changed by gender identity, self-identification, or amended birth certificates.  
• Girl means a human biological female child; boy means a human biological male child.  
• Female and male are defined consistently with the above reproductive criteria.

3. Why This Matters for Community Sport  

Sport is defined by strength, speed, power, and endurance. Male sex confers performance advantage in all sports and events that rely on strength, power, and/or endurance. For the overwhelming majority of New Zealand girls and women, sport happens at community, school and club level. Early experiences in sport shape lifelong participation. The unfairness of having male athletes in female sport should not be one of the barriers girls must overcome.

4. Real-World Impacts (Add Your Own Story Here)  

The following examples from New Zealand communities, schools and clubs show why clear biological definitions are urgently needed:

• [Share your own story, or copy any or all of the specific bullet points from the full submission — football, cross country, cricket, cycling, netball, roller derby, swimming, etc.]

As documented both in New Zealand and internationally, many women and girls withdraw from sport quietly rather than challenge policies due to a real fear of speaking up for their feelings, their fairness and their safety. This self-exclusion leads to reduced participation, loss of confidence and disengagement from sport.

5. What the Bill Will Achieve (Strong Closing)  

By embedding clear biological definitions of sex, woman, man, female, and male into the Legislation Act, this Bill will:
• Give sports bodies, schools, and clubs a clear legal foundation to maintain separate categories based on biological sex.  
• Strengthen the existing Human Rights Act exceptions for single-sex sport (including s 49) so they are applied according to biological reality rather than the 2006 misinterpretation.  
• Protect the next generation of New Zealand girls from being excluded, out-competed, made to feel unsafe in the very spaces created for them at community, school and club level, and gaslighted into accepting that as the norm.

I urge the Committee to support the Bill and strengthen it with explicit biological definitions based on reproductive function so there can be no judicial misinterpretation.

How to Make Your Submission (Takes 5–10 Minutes)


  1. Go to the official Parliament submissions portal:

    Make a Submission Now

  2. Enter your name and contact details (you can submit anonymously if you prefer - In the submission body, comments box, or a covering note, clearly request anonymity or privacy and explain why (e.g., personal safety, sensitive experiences, fear of repercussions).

  3. Paste the full submission or your customised version into the text box (or upload as a Word/PDF file).

  4. Submit before 11:59pm on Thursday 2 July 2026.


Tip: Even a short submission saying “I support Save Women’s Sport Australasia’s submission and urge the Committee to strengthen the biological definitions” is valuable.



Step-By-Step Instructions For Making An Anonymous Submission


  1. Email the committee secretariat to request anonymity

    Send an email to ssc@parliament.govt.nz with the subject line something like:

    “Request for anonymous/private submission – Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill”

  2. In the email, politely explain:

    • That you wish to make a written submission on the above bill.

    • That you are requesting the submission be treated as anonymous (no name published) and/or private (not published on the website at all).

    • Briefly why (e.g., “for personal safety/privacy reasons” or “sensitive personal information” — you do not have to give full details).

    • Whether you also want to make an oral submission (optional).

    They will reply with instructions on exactly how to submit.

  3. Prepare your submission document (while waiting for their reply)

    • Keep it clear, concise, and focused on the bill.

    • Include your views, reasons, and any recommendations.

    • Do NOT put your real name, address, phone number, or email inside the submission document itself (keep contact details only in the email/form).

    • Recommended format: PDF or Word document (see Parliament’s formatting guide: https://www.parliament.nz/media/2019/makingasubmission2012-2.pdf).

    • You can also write a short submission directly in the online form later if they prefer.

  4. Submit exactly as the secretariat instructs

    Most likely options they will give you:

    • They will ask you to complete the online form (the link you provided) but note in the form (or in a covering email) that anonymity has been pre-requested.

    • OR they will ask you to email the submission directly to them.

      Follow their instructions precisely — this is the only reliable way to get anonymity approved.

  5. After submission  

    • You will usually receive an automatic confirmation.

    • The committee may contact you (using the private details you supplied) if they need clarification.

    • If approved as anonymous, your name will not appear when submissions are published.



This is not a left-versus-right issue — it is a right-versus-wrong issue.


Clear biological definitions will protect fairness and safety for the next generation of New Zealand girls in sport.


Please submit today — and share this page with your sports club, teammates, friends and family and ask them to do the same.


And if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch. 



Ro Edge & Candice Riley

NZ Spokeswomen

Save Women’s Sport Australasia


Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill Submission Guide

Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill Submission Guide


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