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Save Women's Sport Australasia (SWSA), a leading advocate for fairness, safety, and inclusion in women's sports, today issued a strong rebuke of a recent ABC News report on transgender participation in women's sports. The taxpayer-funded broadcaster's segment, aired without a single interview from a female athlete and ignoring mounting evidence of unfair competition, exemplifies how ideological activism is undermining the integrity of female sports across Australia. The ABC piece, titled "Transgender athletes in women's sport: The debate continues," featured prominent voices from transgender activists and advocates but conspicuously omitted any perspective from the women and girls directly impacted by these policies. No female athletes – from community levels to elite competitions – were given a platform to share their experiences. This glaring imbalance perpetuates a narrative that prioritises one group's access over the fairness and safety of female participants, who have fought for decades to secure sex-segregated categories in sport." ABC News has chosen activism over journalism," said Nerissa Pace, Co Spokeswoman of SWSA. "By silencing female athletes and cherry-picking sources, they dismiss the lived realities of girls and women losing opportunities, scholarships, and podium places to male-bodied competitors. This isn't balanced reporting; it's advocacy funded by Australian taxpayers, at the expense of half the population." SWSA highlights the ABC's failure to reference even a fraction of the growing body of evidence documenting the disadvantages faced by females in mixed-sex competitions: • In October 2025, an 11-year-old girl in Victoria, Emily, missed out on a spot in her regional track and field championships after the gifted runner placed third after a male student with a “trans” identity at her school’s inter-school competition (only first and second place advanced to the next stage). • In 2024, a 15-year-old girl in New South Wales lost a regional swimming title to a transgender female competitor, sparking widespread community backlash and calls for policy reform.• At the 2023 Australian Open table tennis championships, female players were outperformed by transgender entrants, leading to multiple withdrawals and protests from affected athletes. • The ongoing controversy surrounding Flying Bats FC, a Sydney-based women's football team with five transgender players, which dominated the 2024 Beryl Ackroyd Cup (winning every match, including a 10-0 thrashing where one trans player scored six goals) and the North West Sydney Women’s Premier League (finishing undefeated with a 5-4 grand final win). Parents and coaches reported fears for girls' safety, with one trans player allegedly breaking an opponent's leg in two places during a prior match, leading to over 24 player withdrawals, forfeited games, and crisis meetings where forfeits were threatened with disciplinary action as "discrimination." • Community netball leagues in Victoria and Queensland have reported over 20 instances in the past year where girls aged 12-16 were injured or displaced by stronger male-bodied participants identifying as female. These are not isolated anecdotes but part of a national pattern substantiated by sports governing bodies, including World Athletics and the International Rugby League, which have restricted transgender participation in women's categories to protect biological fairness. Yet ABC's report glossed over these facts, offering no counterpoints or data-driven analysis. As a not-for-profit dedicated to preserving sex-based categories in sport, SWSA calls on the ABC to: 1. Issue an on-air correction and commit to inclusive journalism that amplifies all stakeholders – especially the female athletes whose rights are at stake. 2. Immediately cut all formal and informal ties with ACON, the activist organisation whose Pride in Sport program has embedded gender-identity ideology into Australian sporting codes, media, and public institutions, compromising journalistic independence and fair play. 3. Urge the Australian government to review public broadcaster funding guidelines to ensure taxpayer dollars support objective reporting, not ideological agendas. For more information on SWSA's campaigns or to support our work in safeguarding women's sports, visit www.savewomenssport.com.au . View the bias report here: Save Women's Sport Australasia Condemns ABC News for Biased Coverage That Erases Female Athletes' Voices in Transgender Inclusion Debate Save Women's Sport Australasia Condemns ABC News for Biased Coverage That Erases Female Athletes' Voices in Transgender Inclusion Debate

Save Women's Sport Australasia (SWSA) applauds the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) impending announcement of a full ban on male advantage in female Olympic events, expected early in the new year. This landmark decision, informed by a rigorous scientific review, unequivocally confirms that physical advantages from being born male persist even after testosterone suppression, rendering fair competition in the female category impossible.   "The IOC's long-overdue reversal is a victory for science and fairness that has been hard-fought by women around the world," said Ro Edge, New Zealand Spokeswoman for Save Women's Sport Australasia. "For too long, female athletes have been forced to compete against males under the guise of inclusion. This ends now at the Olympic level – and it must end in New Zealand and Australia too."   The IOC's shift marks a decisive end to a flawed era that began at the Olympic level. Its previous guidance – heavily influenced by a single controversial study authored by a trans-identifying male – opened the door to male advantage in women's sport. This policy trickled down to every level worldwide, including community and school events in New Zealand and Australia. Females have paid the price: lost opportunities, compromised safety, shattered records and dreams, and eroded pathways.   "Now, the reversal must start at the top and cascade down once again. The Olympics led the charge into this injustice; it must now lead the way out," SWSA Australian Spokeswomen Nerissa Pace declared. SWSA calls on all New Zealand and Australian stakeholders to act immediately and follow the IOC's evidence-based lead:   The New Zealand Government must honour its coalition agreement with NZ First without delay. Fully enact commitments by directing all publicly funded sporting bodies to protect the female category. This must explicitly extend to the education system, banning male inclusion in female school sports at primary and secondary levels to safeguard young girls' rights to fair play, privacy, and safety from the earliest ages. The Australian Government must urgently develop and enact national policies to protect the female category in sport. With no current plans in place, we demand immediate action to direct all publicly funded sporting bodies – including the education system – to ensure fair competition free from male inclusion. Explicitly ban males from girls' school sports at primary and secondary levels to safeguard fair play, privacy, and safety from the earliest ages. Sport NZ and Sport Australia and the Australian Institute of Sport to step up as guardians of sporting integrity.  Prioritise fairness, safety, opportunities, and pathways for female athletes with immediate policy updates excluding males from female categories in all funded programmes and high-performance pathways. All New Zealand and Australian sporting bodies – from grassroots clubs to national federations – to prove they value female participants.  You followed the IOC's flawed guidance before; now follow its corrected direction. End male inclusion in female competition without exception – prioritise science over ideology. "The science is clear and has been for years: no amount of testosterone suppression – or the delusional pretence that self-identification alone could magically erase them – can undo the permanent physical advantages of being born male," Ms Edge said. "We've seen the heartbreaking damage done to girls and women at all levels of community sport, from intermediate school level upwards. Enough is enough. The New Zealand and Australian Governments, Sport NZ, Sport Australia, and every sporting body must act today to protect female sport at every level."   The IOC's review, presented by Dr Jane Thornton, lays this out "scientifically, factually, and unemotionally." New Zealand and Australia cannot lag behind. Female athletes deserve protection from school fields to Olympic podiums.   Save Women's Sport Australasia stands ready to support implementations. The time for excuses is over. Protect women's sport now. SWSA Welcomes IOC's Upcoming Ban on Male Advantage in Female Olympic Events and Demands Immediate Action in New Zealand & Australia SWSA Welcomes IOC's Upcoming Ban on Male Advantage in Female Olympic Events and Demands Immediate Action in New Zealand & Australia

24th July 2025   Save Women’s Sports Australasia (SWSA) welcomes the decision by Sport NZ to dump a policy framework that supported boys and men playing in girls and women’s sport.   “We have fought against this ideological policy for years as, while the intent was honourable, it was obvious that an objective to include males who identify as female in women’s sport could not be done without compromising fairness and safety in sport for our female participants,” SWSA spokeswoman Ro Edge says.   “It’s great that this government has finally recognised that inclusion was incompatible with fairness and safety and thrown out the  Guiding Principles .”   Ms Edge says the landscape of transgender inclusion in sport has also evolved significantly since the  Guiding Principles  were first introduced in 2022.    “Most international sporting federations have updated their eligibility criteria to balance inclusion with fairness and safety, and have typically enabled transgender athletes to compete in the category aligned with their biological sex or in mixed-sex teams.”   Last month the International Olympic Committee announced it will take a leading role in protecting the female category, after previously supporting flawed policies that “treated females as nothing more than men with lower testosterone levels. And this week t he United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee updated its eligibility rules to bar trans identifying males from competing in Olympic women’s sports.   Ms Edge says Sport NZ’s  Guiding Principles  had become outdated. “Unfortunately, their continued existence created unnecessary conflict for national sporting bodies, particularly those reliant on Sport NZ funding, which may have felt pressured to adopt these guidelines despite their misalignment with their international federation policies.”   She says it had been frustrating to witness the expectation from organisations that women should be kind and include men in their sport.    “Trans activists have pushed the inclusion mantra and targeted those of us brave enough to speak up. The reality is that it is only women who are negatively impacted by inclusion policies.”   She says sports categories are created for good reason, and that is to ensure fairness and safety. As an example, the under 85kg weight grade in rugby allows players under 85kg to compete, but not anyone over that weight. Likewise, a heavyweight boxer does not compete against a lightweight and able body athletes don’t compete against para-athletes.   “Keeping males out of female sport is the only way to ensure women can have fair competition."   “We are all diverse and have different body shapes and sizes, but biology matters in sport as we play with our bodies, not our identities.”    Ms Edge says it is great that common sense has prevailed. Ends. Common Sense Prevails in Women’s Sports Common Sense Prevails in Women’s Sports

8 th July 2025   Attention:  Hon Mark Mitchell Minister for Sport and Recreation   Open Letter: Time to Dump Sport NZ’s Guiding Principles for Transgender Inclusion   Dear Minister,    We are writing to express our deep concern regarding the ongoing delays in updating Sport New Zealand’s Guiding Principles for the Inclusion of Transgender People in Community Sport , and to request that you act decisively to dump these guidelines as they are no longer necessary.   On 7 October 2024, the former Sports and Recreation Minister, Chris Bishop, directed Sport NZ CEO Raelene Castle to update the guidelines to prioritise fairness and safety. However, as of 7 July 2025— nine months later—no updates have been released, nor has consultation with stakeholders, including Save Women’s Sport Australasia, commenced. This delay persists despite Sport NZ’s assurance in their recent OIA response that the finalised guidelines would be released last month, which you will find attached.   We are concerned that Sport NZ’s inability to revise the Guiding Principles  in a timely manner stems from the document’s ideological foundation, which prioritizes transgender inclusion and affirmation above all else. We believe this framework is fundamentally incompatible with the directive to prioritise fairness and safety, as it cannot adequately address the need to protect the integrity of the female category while ensuring equitable and safe participation for all athletes.   The landscape of transgender inclusion in sport has evolved significantly since the Guiding Principles  were first introduced. At that time, they aimed to provide guidance to sports grappling with inclusion policies. However, most international sporting federations have since updated their eligibility criteria to balance inclusion with fairness and safety, typically enabling transgender athletes to compete in the category aligned with their biological sex or in mixed-sex teams. Last month the International Olympic Committee announced they will take a leading role in protecting the female category. Given this global shift, Sport NZ’s Guiding Principles  are now outdated and redundant. Their continued existence creates unnecessary conflict for national sporting bodies, particularly those reliant on Sport NZ funding, who may feel pressured to adopt these guidelines despite their misalignment with international federation policies. Dumping the Guiding Principles  would empower New Zealand’s national sporting bodies to adopt their international federations’ guidelines, ensuring consistency, fairness, and safety across all levels of sport. This step would also align with your government’s coalition agreement with NZ First, which commits to ensuring that publicly funded sporting bodies support fair competition uncompromised by rules relating to gender. With your term now halfway through, and despite Minister Bishop’s commitment in June 2024 to uphold this agreement, we are concerned that progress remains stalled. Retaining the Guiding Principles  risks undermining this commitment, leaving female athletes vulnerable to unfair and unsafe competition conditions.   Fairness, safety, and the integrity of the female category are critical at every level of sport. We urge your government to act decisively by dumping Sport NZ’s Guiding Principles for the Inclusion of Transgender People in Community Sport , thereby enabling national sporting bodies to align with global standards and fulfil your coalition’s promise to prioritise fair competition. We look forward to your response and to working with your office to ensure that New Zealand’s sporting policies reflect the values of fairness and safety for all athletes, particularly female competitors.   Kind regards Ro Edge & Candice Riley New Zealand Spokeswomen Save Women’s Sport Australasia www.savewomenssport.com

April 22, 2025 Save Women’s Sport Australasia (SWSA) applauds Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and New Zealand First for introducing a new member’s bill that would ensure the biological definition of a man and woman are defined in law. The Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill seeks to define “woman” as “an adult human biological female” and “man” as “an adult human biological male” in the Legislation Act 2019. “This Members Bill, aimed at ensuring legal clarity and protecting sex-based rights, reinforces the need for Sport New Zealand to prioritise the fairness and safety of biological women in its Transgender Guiding Principles, as mandated by the coalition agreement between NZ First and National,” SWSA Spokeswoman Ro Edge says. “We are deeply concerned that the updated guidelines, expected in June 2025, may fail to meet this requirement, continuing to prioritise ideology over biological reality,” Ms Edge says.  “A recent UK Supreme Court ruling further supports this push by affirming that “sex” refers to biological sex—a standard Sport NZ must adopt to safeguard female athletes.” She says the importance of biological sex in sport is undeniable, particularly in high-intensity and contact sports where physical differences can impact safety and fairness. Last week the UK Supreme Court ruled that “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological women and sex, confirming that single-sex sports should be reserved for biological women to ensure fairness and safety, while trans individuals retain protections under gender reassignment provisions. “As a member of the Commonwealth, New Zealand can draw on this precedent to interpret “sex” in our Human Rights Act 1993 and sporting policies as biological. Peters’ bill aligns with this global trend, supporting the coalition’s commitment to fair competition.” SWSA fears Sport NZ’s updated guidelines may not address the competitive disadvantages and safety risks biological women face when competing against athletes born male. “The current review of the Transgender Guiding Principles, directed by the government, must reflect the coalition agreement’s focus on fairness. Peters’ bill provides a legislative framework to ensure policies, including those in sport, are grounded in biological reality, further emphasising the need for Sport NZ to act decisively. “We call on Sports Minister Hon Mark Mitchell and the New Zealand government to ensure Sport NZ aligns with the UK ruling and Peters’ bill by adopting a clear, biology-based definition of sex in its policies, ensuring women’s sports remain a safe and fair space for female athletes at every level,” Ms Edge says.  Save Women’s Sport Australasia Applauds Bill to Define Biological Sex Save Women’s Sport Australasia Applauds Bill to Define Biological Sex Sporting champs seek review of Sport NZ transgender guidelines

Press Release March 7, 2025  Save Women’s Sport Australasia proudly commends Sky News Australia for its powerful documentary ‘Fair Game | The Fight for Women’s Sport’, which aired on March 6, 2025. The documentary exposes the alarming consequences of policies that prioritise transgender inclusion over the safety and fairness of female athletes, spotlighting the struggles faced by women at all levels of sport. The program highlights a range of issues, from injuries and unfair competition to silencing and legal repercussions for those who speak out. “This is just so unfair and unjust. Why did I get drug tested for 20 years to prove I had no advantage to then get to this point?” asked Olympic weightlifter and Save Women’s Sport Australasia spokesperson Deborah Acason. Deborah was forced to compete against transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, who was 50kg heavier, ultimately abandoning her dream of setting a World Masters record after Hubbard raised the record by an unattainable 20kg. At the amateur level, the documentary features Vanessa, a soccer player who faced a team with five male transgender players, noting the clear strength disparity: “It was quite obvious when those players would run and kick the ball that there was a different level of strength.” New Zealand Roller Derby player Monique Murphy also shared her experience of injury and exclusion for raising concern about biological males being allowed to compete in women’s games solely on the basis that they self-identified as trans or as gender-expansive. She was later suspended from one of her teams for doing do and is now preparing a complaint to the New Zealand Human Rights Commission against the club that sanctioned her. The documentary also reveals a troubling lack of accountability from sporting leaders, with one football manager admitting he didn’t care how many males played in women’s teams as long as they paid their registration fee, despite reported injuries. Binary Spokeswoman Kirralie Smith, who has faced eight legal actions for calling male transgender players male, stated, “I don’t want to live in a country where you cannot speak the truth for fear of legal action.” Exercise and Science Professor Helen Parker provided a scientific perspective, stating, “It would be so simple to state that girls and women’s sports is for those who are born female and then look at other solutions to include the broader gender-diverse individuals in our community. Biologically they are still healthy men and it should be up to male athletes to accept their gender diverse brothers into their sport.” Despite such expert warnings and public support for measures like Donald Trump’s recent executive order banning male transgender athletes from women’s sports, most Australian and New Zealand political and sporting leaders remain silent. “Sky News Australia has given a crucial platform to female athletes who have been silenced for too long,” said Ro Edge, New Zealand spokesperson for Save Women’s Sport Australasia. “We call on our sporting bodies in both Australia and New Zealand to implement sex-based eligibility criteria to ensure fairness, safety, and dignity for women in sport, and on our political leaders to ensure that publicly funded sports support this.” Save Women’s Sport Australasia encourages the public to watch Fair Game | The Fight for Women’s Sport on Sky News Australia and join the movement to protect women’s sports at  www.savewomenssport.com . Media Contacts: Deborah Acason Australian Spokesperson Email:  savewomenssportsau@gmail.com Ro Edge New Zealand Spokesperson Email:  savewomenssports@gmail.com Watch Fair Game | The Fight for Women’s Sport here: Sky News Documentary "Fair Game | The Fight for Women’s Sport” Exposes Growing Crisis in Female Sport

Wednesday September 11th An open letter signed by nearly 60 former New Zealand Olympians and sports representatives asks the government to ensure fairness is the cornerstone of sport at all levels.   “We owe our next generation of female athletes a fair, safe future in sport whether at community or elite level. Our shared obligation is to provide objective, science-informed opinion above subjective ideology,” the letter states. The group of 59 athletes includes former Olympians Barbara Kendall, Lorraine Moller and Dean Kent, former Olympic Chef de Mission and Emeritus Professor David Gerrard, and former Silver Ferns captain Anna Stanley. The letter was presented to Minister of Sport Hon Chris Bishop today by former Olympic cyclist Gary Anderson, professional ironman athlete Candice Riley, and Save Women’s Sport Australasia (SWSA) co-founder Ro Edge, requesting he urgently reviews the Guiding Principles for the Inclusion of Transgender People in Community Sport .   Ms Edge says the current guidelines ignore the rights of every female athlete to fair and safe competition and enable the participation of males who self-identify as female in girls and women’s sport at all levels in New Zealand. “It gives transgender athletes the right to play sport in the gender they identify with and requires no explanation or transition.” Dr Gerrard says “If we accept an ideology of self-identification of gender as the criterion for inclusion, we disrespect the science, and we disrespect female athletes.”   Mrs Stanley stated “I think as a country we don’t get it right all the time, and when it comes to the transgender debate we need to be better around our policies. We need to listen to what the research is telling us and it’s clear that trans women are at an advantage when they are competing at any level in sport.” Ms Edge says SWSA believes everyone has the right to play sport, but no one should have the right to play in any category they choose. “We owe our next generation of female athletes a fair, safe future in sport, whether at community or elite level.” New Zealanders agree, with research showing growing opposition to trans women competing in women’s sport. “Unlike other social issues where support has grown over time, such as gay marriage, the more people see this unfairness in female sport, the less they like it.”   Since SWSA first polled in 2022 opposition to males who identify as females competing in women’s sport has grown from 55% to 72%. Ms Edge says Sport NZ is out of step with the majority of New Zealanders who recognise that biological and physiological differences of sex matter in sport. “It’s time to ensure the guidelines for transgender inclusion in sport prioritise fairness and safety.” A copy of the open letter to Minister Bishop is available here: SWSA's Curia Research latest poll is available here: Sporting champs seek review of Sport NZ transgender guidelines Credit: Sport NZ Sporting champs seek review of Sport NZ transgender guidelines

Sandra Moreno, Jurist, PhD in Law, @ConSandramoreno The recent landslide victory of the Australian soccer team The Flying Bats  has generated a great deal of controversy after winning their city's Women's Premier League with 65 goals scored and only four conceded . This formidable performance has a very simple explanation: they have achieved it because, of the eleven members of the women's team, five are trans self-identified males. That is, we are talking about people who, because they have passed male puberty, are taller, stronger, faster, have greater lung capacity, greater physical endurance and muscle mass, longer limbs and, among others, are more competitive, more aggressive and compete with the conviction that their female opponents cannot beat them and that they will even be afraid of injury. The triumph of The Flying Bats has reopened the debate in Australia about the impossibility of guaranteeing the fair play that should govern women's sport, because the law that protects 'gender identity' allows trans-self-identified people to compete against women, despite their notorious competitive advantages, validating cheating by law. In Australia, as we have seen in the recent judgment in the Tickle Vs. Giggle case, this group has more guarantees than women, because they are protected on the basis of both gender identity and sex. Regarding the case of the Australian soccer team, in this article we are going to analyse some of the main rights of women and girls that are violated when they have to compete with natural born males who have gone through male puberty in women's sports competitions. Dignity and equity: the basis of Human Rights in sport Dignity is a fundamental principle in international human rights law, on which all other rights are built, enshrined in the CEDAW . This treaty recognises the right of women to participate in sporting activities on equal terms (Article 10). And this is precisely the problem with the inclusion of athletes who have gone through male puberty in women's sport: an inherently unfair and unjust competitive environment is created. The physical advantages acquired by those with male bodies result in a situation where women are forced to compete under conditions that are not equal. This situation affects results from the outset due to the demoralisation of female athletes, a direct product of the well-founded perception that, regardless of their skills, talents and efforts, women are doomed to lose on a playing field tilted against them. This injustice is compounded in contact sports, such as soccer, because the risks of injury are higher, as is the fear of injury. This is not only a violation of the principle of equity  in sport, but it is also an affront to the dignity of women and girls , who are marginalised, limited and even excluded from their own category, discouraged and withdrawn from sport, seeing their legitimate expectations disappointed by not being able to compete on equal terms . And this is precisely what has happened in Australia, where six of the Flying Bats' triumphs came from the abandonment of the contending women's teams, including the two semifinal games. Fair play: the golden rule under threat Sex-segregated sports require that biological differences between women and men be taken into account to ensure that all athletes have an equal chance of success within their category. Allowing born males to compete in female categories directly violates the principle of fair play on which sport is founded, because, as Beth Stelzer of Save Women's Sports points out, you compete with your body and not with your gender identity. From the beginning of modern sports competitions, fair play became the cornerstone of sport, which is based on honesty, fairness and mutual respect. When women and girls are forced to compete against people with the disproportionate advantages derived from their male biology, fair play is impossible. It has been shown that the advantages are not eliminated or significantly diminished by the decrease in testosterone levels , since bone structures, lung capacity, muscle mass, among many other factors, are largely permanent. As Martina Navratilova says, they are still men and they keep their biological advantages. Helplessness and silencing of women's voices Inclusion policies that force the entry of people born male into the female categories have created an environment of certain hostility, in which female athletes often feel defenceless, intimidated, and even violated when they have to share locker rooms and private environments, which is a violation of various fundamental rights and freedoms of women and girls, among them, the right to privacy and security. Not only do they have to compete at a clear physical disadvantage, but they are often prevented from expressing their well-founded fears, protesting the injustice of seeing their rights, spaces and opportunities usurped and from exercising the legitimate defence of their interests, under penalty of being accused of transphobia. As this is considered a hate crime that usually carries very high sanctions and fines, the accusation of transphobia constitutes an intrinsic violation of freedom of speech and the right of defence of women and girls. Moreover, in some cases, such as that of the Flying Bats team in Australia, women players and the public have been prohibited from taking photos or videos of the matches , to prevent them from documenting the situation and sharing their experiences. These abusive restrictions violate women's freedom of speech and reinforce the helplessness  they suffer, exposing the treachery that underlies policies that limit women's rights. Unable to speak out about the injustices they face, female athletes are silenced and deprived of the opportunity to stand up for their rights, to influence public debate, to make their voices heard. In Afghanistan, women are silenced and subdued by the power of arms; in the West, by the power of misogynistic laws that claim to be egalitarian. This silencing is a form of oppression and violence  against girls and women, preventing them from fighting for their rights and demanding a fair, equitable and transparent environment, in accordance with the rules and principles that govern sport. If the inclusion of trans self-identified people coerces, violates, silences and excludes women, it is discrimination  and it is our human rights that are violated, violating the norms that protect us. Need to establish policies of inclusion among equals As we can see in the case of the Flying Bats, the forced entry of trans-self-identified people into women's sports competitions is evidence of serious injustices. In order to ensure that women and girls can participate in sport safely and fairly, their other human rights must be respected: dignity, privacy, non- discrimination ,  freedom of speech, self-defence, the right to live free from fear and violence. However, current policies that force the colonisation of women's spaces and rights by born men undermine these rights, creating an intimidating, hostile and unsafe environment, which prevents fair play and threatens to end women's sport. For these reasons, it is imperative that the IOC, sports federations and parliaments of different countries review their policies to ensure that women's sport remains an exclusive space for women and that they can compete among equals. This implies the creation of a third category, or else to compete according to biological sex, for which measures must be implemented to ensure that diverse males  are respected by their hegemonic peers, as this is the true meaning of inclusion and the only fair competition among equals. For violating the human rights of women and girls, 'inclusion' is illegitimate . For this reason, the Women's Forum organisation has raised before the Federal Parliament of Australia the initiative to protect women's sport according to sex, which I encourage you to join to defend women's rights. Inclusion, the concept that destroys women's human rights. man rights

By Monique Murphy  As the dust settles from the exhilarating chaos of Slamrock 2024, I find myself reflecting on what was undoubtedly one of the most memorable Derby events I've ever participated in. The energy, the camaraderie, and yes, even the thrill of the game with a 70-point differential as a jammer, made it a highlight of my year. However, amidst the joy, there's a shadow of sadness as I announce my withdrawal from Team NZ and, more broadly, from high-level roller derby. My decision isn't just about personal health, though that plays a significant role. Chronic illnesses, from recurring glandular fever to debilitating migraines, have frequently sidelined me, impacting not just my performance but my team's as well. Yet, there's another, more contentious reason that has compelled me to step back: the inclusion of biologically male athletes in women's tournaments. This year, playing in several major tournaments in Australia, I encountered numerous athletes who, despite no longer identifying as male, retained the physical attributes of males, including male levels of testosterone. This isn't merely about identity; it's about the physical realities of sport. This isn't a trivial difference in a full-contact sport like roller derby. The tipping point came six weeks ago when a hit from a male skater resulted in a grade 2 AC joint sprain. The pain lingers, but more than the physical injury, it was the response to our complaint that struck me. The implication was clear: if you can't handle the physicality, don't play. But when "the physicality" involves the inherent advantages of male physiology in a women's game, the choice becomes stark. I want to clarify that this isn't a blanket condemnation. I've had the privilege of playing alongside and against a fully transitioned trans woman, and many respectful and considerate male athletes, especially those from NZMRD, who adjust their game to ensure safety for all. However, the presence of those who don't make these adjustments poses a significant risk. I anticipate backlash for voicing these concerns. In an era where diversity and inclusion are paramount, discussing the physical advantages of males in female sports can be seen as controversial or even transphobic. Yet, I believe many share my view, valuing safety and fairness in sports above all. This isn't about being against diversity; it's about recognizing where the line must be drawn for the integrity and safety of the sport. The silence around this issue is deafening. Many women have quietly left the sport, fearing the label of bigotry more than the physical injuries. It's time for open dialogue. Roller derby, a sport built on community and resilience, should not be a battleground for identity politics at the expense of its athletes' safety. As I step away from the track, I do so with a heavy heart but a clear conscience. Roller derby has been more than a sport; it's been a journey filled with incredible people and unforgettable moments. Thank you, and may the debate I leave behind foster a sport that remains true to its spirit of strength, strategy, and, above all, safety. The Collision of Sport and Identity

By Jonathan Macfarlane Debate is raging around the world about the relative fairness of biological males competing in sport against females. Many quickly send the discussion to technical aspects such as hormone levels, chromosomes, and more complicated questions, such as what to do with those who are inter-sex. The vast majority of the general public already know that males are generally stronger, faster, and more powerful than females. However, it has been my experience that many are shocked by how vast that gender gap is at the top levels of strength sports. I’ve had a front row seat to compete with some of the strongest and most powerful athletes in history. Upon my retirement from an over two decade career in a range of strength sports (7 to be exact), most of my fondest memories weren’t my own performances, but getting the privilege of sharing the stage with some true freaks of nature. Zydrunas Savickas from Lithuania is widely regarded as the greatest strongman ever, and my only hope of competing with him was at the breakfast table. “Big Z” polished off a platter of bacon and eggs before he made the rest of us look like children, sprinting across a Gold Coast stage with 450 kilograms on his back. I also won’t forget waiting in doping control in France with a disgraced Olympic Champion who was looking for a new sport after serving his own drugs ban. Then at 17 in high school, being able to spend a year training alongside the woman who would become the best shot putter in drug-tested history, Dame Valerie Adams. I never again worked harder than I did that year, and still only did a fraction of her training load. So I am not of the opinion that female athletes are just delicate little things. However, I do have enough of an opinion forged in the trenches to know males have extraordinary advantages in strength and power. I wish to share some anecdotal examples with figures from three strength sports to illustrate just how big the male advantage seems to be in Shot Put, Olympic Weightlifting, and Strongman. I held the New Zealand Schools Records for both Shot Put and Weightlifting and was National champion for both. A couple of years later I won the NZ Strongest Man Title at age 20, and narrowly missed out on an invite to the World’s Strongest Man contest. That's not to brag, but more to say I was pretty good at a lot of sports, but always chasing after the truly world-class. Shot Put: New Zealand have produced 3 immensely successful professional shot putters with overlapping careers, in Valerie Adams, Tom Walsh, and Jacko Gill. Valerie is the most well known. As a schoolboy in 2005, I spotted her on a 165kg bench press, which I maintain no drug-free woman was hitting worldwide. Valerie was preparing for her second Commonwealth Games, and not quite at her peak distance of 21.24 metres. She went on to win 4 Olympic Medals, including 2 Golds, and 8 Senior World Championships, doing so drug-free in a sport where steroids could give up to 4 metres benefit to a woman. As a high schooler I was throwing a little further than her, which meant we had regular training contests where I may have been imagined as a real-life Belarussian nemesis. Later, a 14year-old boy from Takapuna Grammar, Jacko Gill, would throw the 4kg shot put further than Valerie's all-time best. While women throw the 4kg/8.8lb shot, the men’s weights increase with age to 5, 6 and then top out at 7.26kg/16lbs. If you’ve held those shots, the difference is immense in the hand. Jacko won multiple age group World Championships, set the World Records for u/18 and u/20 groups, then recently threw an elite 22.12 metres with the men's 16lb shot. Tom Walsh, from Timaru, didn’t have as decorated a career as Jacko as a Junior, but has cemented himself as the most successful male shot putter in New Zealand, with a 22.90 metre personal best, 2 Olympic Medals, and 3 World Championship Golds. Which of those three is the better thrower? How do you compare men and women? I'm not convinced Valerie would have hit much over 15 metres with a men's shot. There are urban legends of Eastern European women in training going over 16 metres in the 1980’s while taking all the drugs, and to my knowledge, none are verified. American, Ryan Crouser, just threw 23.57 metres for a new World Record. The women’s record, still stands at 22.63 metres from the pre-drug testing era of 1987, with a shot nearly half the men’s weight. Video exists of Crouser in 2017 throwing a women’s shot a staggering 35 metres, or 115 feet. I have little doubt Gill or Walsh could send one out to 32 metres or more if they wished. Yet everyone with a lick of sense acknowledges that Valerie's competition record and Olympic Gold medals put her at a different level to those talented Kiwi men. Even Crouser is yet on his way to becoming the male version of Adams. There is no possible way to get a fair playing field if fourteen year old boys can outperform the women’s Olympic Champion. Olympic Weightlifting: After setting the New Zealand u/18 record, I set my goals on the Senior Men’s title and the Junior (u/20) record held by one Gavin Hubbard. Gavin was a world-class junior weightlifter, and I spectacularly bombed out at Nationals trying to break his records. Name sound familiar? After something like a 16 year break, Gavin transitioned and burst back on the scene as Laurel Hubbard, eventually winning a medal as a woman at the World Championships. Many have argued that Hubbard didn't win gold, and therefore didn't have an advantage as a biological male. I’d counter with five pieces of information: 1. Sarah Robles, who narrowly won, had just served a doping ban for a cocktail of steroids. 2. Hubbard as a teen, had the experience of lifting more than any woman.The body remembers. 3. Hubbard was 39, at least 10 years older than the other medalists. Olympic Weightlifters tend to peak around the early 20’s, not much later than swimmers. Masters age group records are significantly lower in comparison. 4. Flexibility is crucial to weightlifting. Hubbard’s technique seemed significantly hampered by a comparative lack of flexibility and an inability to squat deeply. The difference being, it is much easier to power up 160kg for a medal than 240kg in the men's super heavyweight class. 5. New Zealand is not in the habit of producing World Championship Weightlifting medallists, Hubbard was the first. Were a peak male lifter allowed to transition in their teens or twenties, no amount of Russian illegal doping tactics could get close to that advantage. Strongman: The sport of Strongman brings an additional dynamic to the differences between male and female: that of an ‘anything goes’ environment without drug testing. Steroids are accepted, and many of the women in recent years have moved beyond peptides and oral steroids and even taken Testosterone, evidenced by strong jawline changes. A prominent strongman federation made an allowance for male to female transition, with a stand down period and hormone testing. At the time I realised as a man with a beard who is a bit bigger than an All Black front rower, I could still easily pass the hormone standards to compete as a woman. Ironically, my hypothetical female competitors weren’t required to pass a drug test. One all-time record holder in the sport of Powerlifting even disclosed her free Testosterone levels, at about 4 times a normal blokes. The log press is a famous event at the Worlds Strongest Man contest. It is a brute strength, minimal finesse event. The women's record has increased 12% in the last few years to 140kg/308lbs. Many of the top women in the 130kg region are clearly taking Testosterone. The men's record is 230kg/505lbs. 90kg more. A huge list have done over 200 including the current New Zealand champion. There isn't enough estrogen in a lab to stop top strongmen from being able to warm up with the women's world record. Final Thoughts: Anabolic steroids also are commonly understood to increase female strength performance more than amongst males. That shouldn’t be surprising given male Testosterone levels, and it can be easily demonstrated by how many track and field records still exist from the naughty 1980’s on the women’s side. The absurdity of the dream of a level playing field is seen by top womens performances without drug testing. We know what women achieve: 10.49s in the 100 metre Sprint 22.63m with the 4kg Shot put 76m with the 1kg Discus 310kg Deadlift, and so on. They're marks that elite 15 year old boys achieve. It doesn't mean the women are weak, or that they don’t work hard. They just shouldn’t be measured against men. The debate over whether biological males belong in women’s sports seems to be kept alive only by Sport Governing Bodies’ unwillingness to offend the privileged media class, progressive notions of equality, and the ability to hide behind the small sample size of male to female athletes who transition. Add to that, the focus of many policy makers is ultimately on increasing participation at the community level, with fair competition a secondary concern. We've yet to be confronted with many genuine world class biological males attempting to compete as women in strength sports. But we have more than enough evidence to know that the male advantages are astronomical. The heartbreak of ignoring this for female athletes should not be understated, let alone other considerations such as changing rooms and factors that others have far more ably pointed out. In combat sports, getting this wrong could be fatal. Simply, sport is for everyone, but women’s competition is for biological females. Jonathan Macfarlane is a recently retired strength athlete who has won New Zealand championships in Strongman, Athletics, Olympic Weightlifting, Powerlifting, Highland Games, and more obscure sports you’ve never heard of. New Zealand’s Strongest Man on Male vs Female Strength

Save Women’s Sports Australasia is concerned to see reports that the National-led Government is back-tracking on their policies to prevent males identifying as transwomen participating in women’s sport. Spokeswoman Ro Edge says the existing Sport New Zealand guidelines undermine fair and safe competition for half the population because it is only female sport that is impacted by them. In its coalition agreement with NZ First, the Government agreed to ensure publicly funded sporting bodies support fair competition that is not compromised by rules relating to gender. It appears that New Zealand First expect this agreement to stand with Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters saying: “Our government isn’t backing down on anything - not least of which is our stance on fairness and safety of women in sport.” “Women in New Zealand are entitled to have confidence and certainty that men will not be allowed to participate in their sports teams and competitions. This info-warfare from a media that is clearly heavily invested in pushing trans activist demands must be called out,” Mrs Edge says. “The new Government needs to clearly articulate their position and show that they haven’t been manipulated by officials and media,” Mrs Edge says. “Sport New Zealand wrote an entire set of guidelines that did not mention issues of fairness or safety to females of allowing males to be included in female sport - or the fact that single sex sport is provided for in the Human Rights Act. “Even worse, its guidelines advise sports to consider disciplining female participants if they raise concerns or objections to a male being allowed in their sport. This is misogyny plain and simple.” Edge says it is naïve and insulting for Raelene Castle to say there they haven’t received complaints so there must not be a problem. The climate of bullying directed at those who speak up about this matter has created an effective silencing. “The tragic aspect is that people are afraid to speak up and have been silenced.” Ms Edge says it’s important to understand what the Government and Sport New Zealand are enabling. The males, who are called transwomen, are mostly fully intact men who have had no surgery and few take hormones. All they need to do to participate in female sport is say they identify as female and according to Sport New Zealand’s guidelines they must be included. “Sport New Zealand is essentially allowing the colonisation of women’s sport by men – and it’s happening at every level of sport in New Zealand and from a younger and younger age.” Ends.

Attention: James Johnson, CEO, Football Australia, and John Tsatsimas, CEO, Football NSW 4th April 2024 Dear James Johnson, John Tsatsimas, and the Board of Directors for Football Australia and Football NSW Save Women’s Sport Australasia calls on you to protect and support female football players and their right to fair and safe competition in Australia. We applaud Football Australia’s vision to ‘be a leading football nation where everyone is inspired to live and love the game’.  And we agree that the roaring success of the Commonwealth Bank Matildas in this century would not have been possible if it was not for some of the amazing and inspirational people that brought the women's game out of decades of obscurity in the 1970's. Which is why it is so disappointing that just as the Matilda’s has become one of the most popular national teams in Australia, the integrity of the female game is being undermined by policies that prioritise the inclusion of males who identify as transgender in the female category, over the fair and safe competition for women and girls at every level and stage of development, from recreational to professional and everything in between. Overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrates male-female performance differences exist from the earliest stages. Study after peer-reviewed study has shown clear performance advantages for males in sport pre-puberty. Further studies clearly show that male advantage continues to exist even after attempts to suppress testosterone. The only way sport can be fair and equal for women is with a protected female category that excludes competitors with male advantage. Currently in NSW there are several female football teams who are selecting and fielding male players.  Already female players who have been forced to compete against males in their sport have been injured and sidelined.  Concerned parents, some of whom have raised concerns with your organisations, have withdrawn their daughters from the league as they were unaware that they would be competing against males. This is a gross betrayal of these parents and their daughters, not to mention highly negligent. There are already existing men’s and mixed-sex competitions that these players could join, providing the opportunity for everyone to be included in football. The most recent incident involves “The Flying Bats” who are playing in a Football NSW female competition, despite fielding five males.  As you would be aware, club officials have contacted Football NSW to express their concerns, with some insisting that the Flying Bats should play in the mixed competition, which includes men. The Australian Sports Commission states that every person should be treated with respect and dignity and protected from discrimination, however, it appears this does not apply to females, who are continuing to be discriminated against in sports. Over the past few years Sport Australia has pushed new guidelines to promote the inclusion and participation of transgender and gender diverse people in sport in Australia, while ignoring the protection in sport women and girls should be afforded under existing State and Commonwealth legislation, and due to Australia's international treaty obligations. The Federal Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) s42 (SDA) states that it is NOT unlawful to discriminate on the basis of sex, gender identity or intersex status by excluding persons from participation in any competitive sporting activity in which the “strength, stamina or physique of competitors is relevant”.  This means that sports have the right to exclude males, based on their biological sex, from the female category, given that strength, stamina and physique are relevant for every sport.  The purpose of this provision was to acknowledge the biological differences between males and females. The UN Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women is enshrined in our federal legislation as a schedule in the SDA, which gives it the full force of any Commonwealth statutory provision. The treaty supports our position that the inclusion of biological males in the female category denies women the opportunity to participate safely and fairly in our own sports: Article 10 States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in order to ensure to them equal rights with men in the field of education and in particular to ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women: (g) The same Opportunities to participate actively in sports and physical education. Therefore, biological males can be excluded from the women’s category, regardless of these guidelines from Sport Australia. What you may not know, is that on October 9th, 2020, World Rugby announced that it would preserve the international women’s game for biological females - meaning biological males who are “transgender” —people born male, but who identify as women—are not permitted to play in the international women’s game. Women’s sport exists precisely to exclude males. That is true at both the elite level, where rewards are greatest, and at the recreational one, where most of the sport is played. Without it, half the population would be left struggling against an insurmountable advantage granted by mere biological chance to the other half. If testosterone suppression cannot remove that advantage, then it is unjust for those who still possess it to compete against those who never did. Advocates for transgender individuals argue that “inclusion” should take precedence over concerns regarding fairness and safety. But considering males possess a biological advantage, allowing them to compete risks depriving female athletes of victories they might otherwise have won, or a starting position they might otherwise have earned. It could also lead to a decline in female participation rate due to safety concerns, privacy issues or cultural/religious reasons which will see girls and women exclude themselves from sport. As you would know, a drop off during teenage years is already a major issue for young females. We now call on Football Australia to demonstrate the values you say you seek to cultivate in your players and your sport. Ensure safety for your female footballers and respect their rights to fair competition through ensuring the female category is for those born female. Have the courage to restore a level playing field for women and girls for their well-being.  Act with integrity. SWSA stands ready to support you in your efforts, we invite you to reach out with questions. Kind regards Nerissa Scott Spokesperson Save Women’s Sport Australasia Save Women’s Sport Australasia www.savewomenssport.com Founding Member ICFS www.icfsport.org