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South African Delegation Attempts to Undermine Gender
Differences with Deceptive Definition in UN Resolution

Geneva, Switzerland – In a recent proposed resolution, the South African Delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Council is attempting to erase gender differences by proposing a dangerously broad definition of “women” and “girls,” which would allow men and boys to compete in female sports. This definition would set a dangerous precedent in the United Nations and multiple UN documents recalled or reaffirmed in the resolution would be deemed to incorporate the definition as well—thereby making it applicable across most facets of UN oversight.

“Under the guise of eliminating ‘discrimination against women and girls in sport,’ this resolution does the opposite—it discriminates against women and girls in sport by insisting that gender-confused men and boys who want to compete as women and girls, despite their physical advantage, must be allowed to do so,” says Family Watch President, Sharon Slater.

The resolution deceptively refers to gender-confused males as “women and girls with a specific set of differences of sexual development, androgen sensitivity and natural testosterone levels.” In other words, the very terms “women” and “girls” are now to be understood as referring to those born as biological males—that have penises and testes—regardless of the fact that these biological men have higher natural testosterone levels, thereby giving them an unfair physical advantage over females in sports.

Of utmost concern to Family Watch is the potential harm that the resolution could cause women and girls—as, if adopted, it would:

1. 1. Allow men and boys identifying as females to enter women’s locker rooms and showers and compromise the modesty, privacy, and safety of women and girls—leaving them vulnerable to assault and sexual exploitation.
   2. Rob women and girls of sports opportunities and scholarships that will instead go to men and boys identifying as female.
   3. Severely compromise the safety of women and girls, especially those in contact sports. 
   4. Redefine the terms “women” and “girls” in UN documents to encompass men and boys who claim to be women or girls.
   5. Extend this dangerous definition to all of the UN documents “recalled” or “reaffirmed” in the resolution, including the UN’s 2030 Agenda—which has broad coverage for areas of UN oversight.
   6. Define discrimination against “women and girls” to mean discrimination against transgender “women” and “girls.” 

“Family Watch calls on all member nations to emphatically reject this proposed resolution,” says Slater. “The use of underhanded and misleading tactics by the South African delegation is deplorable. These actions undermine the value of womanhood and put our mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters at risk to perpetuate the transgender agenda. If the South African delegation would like to debate the inclusion of transgender women in the current, more narrowly defined definition of women and girls, then it should do so openly, not attempt to slip something in under everyone’s nose. However, it is clear by their deceitful attempt to hide the provision that they understand most member states would reject this new definition.”

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Family Watch is a U.S.-based non-religious, non-profit organization that promotes family-based solutions to world problems, and the essential role of the family in helping nations achieve sustainable development. Family Watch works at the United Nations (with consultative status) and in countries around the world to promote and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society. With members in over 170 countries representing diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, Family Watch works closely with government, religious, and community leaders, and responsible citizens worldwide to protect traditional marriage, life, parental rights, religious freedom, and the health and innocence of children. For additional information, visit: FamilyWatch.org

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