- Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies appeals to UN to keep women’s sports fair – and female-only
- U.S. college athlete Chelsea Mitchell testifies of having lost trophies and opportunities due to male competitors
- UN Rapporteur on violence against women and girls speaks out for female athletes losing out on opportunities – and being forced to share locker rooms with men
- ADF International convenes UN event advocating for human rights of female athletes
GENEVA (25th June 2024) – Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics next month, female athletes have called on the international community to protect women and girls from having to compete against males under ideological policies eroding female sports categories across the world.
More than 100 elite British sportswomen told the BBC in March that they would be uncomfortable with males competing in female categories in their sport. However, many have expressed fears over sharing their opinion publicly because of concerns they would be seen as “discriminatory”.
Addressing government and UN officials during a side event at the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies compared the inclusion of men in women’s sports to the drug-enhancement scandal of the 1980s. Davies lost out on winning gold due to an East German competitor who had been given an unfair advantage, having been supplied with testosterone as a teenager to improve her performance.
Davies explained that many of the female winners who had been injected with testosterone in the 1980s went on to suffer long-term health problems, which also impacted the next generation with birth defects. Furthermore, their female competitors who lost out on medals due to cheating were never recognized for their rightful achievements.
“Having lived through the injustice of my time, I know the importance of ensuring fairness for female athletes today. We know that the physical attributes caused by testosterone give males an unfair and irreversible advantage – yet time and time again, they are given a ticket to compete in female-only events, causing worthy female competitors to lose out.
“This is the sporting crime of the 21st Century. What is happening to women and girl athletes is a far-reaching human rights abuse."
This is the sporting crime of the 21st Century. What is happening to women and girl athletes is a far-reaching human rights abuse with egregious implications for not only fairness and safety, but also for their opportunities to succeed in sports, scholarship opportunities, and beyond.
As this issue comes to a head, it is imperative that the international community do all it can to defend the basic human rights of women and girls in sports.”
The sports panel, highlighting the risks that including males in women’s sports can pose to the safety and opportunities of women, was co-hosted by ADF International and the Permanent Mission of the Gambia.
US Government throws out protections on female-only sport
In the United States, the Biden Administration is attempting to radically redefine “sex” in the Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 to include “gender identity,” gutting equal opportunities for women and girls, threatening privacy and safety, and eliminating fairness in women’s sports.
College athlete Chelsea Mitchell joined Sharron Davies on the sports panel on the sidelines of the UN Human Rights Council, testifying as to her experience losing out on opportunities and awards to male competitors. Mitchell lost the Connecticut state championship title four times to a male athlete.
"It tells me that I’m not good enough; that my body isn’t good enough; and that no matter how hard I work, I am unlikely to succeed, because I’m a woman. Girls everywhere need to know their value."
With support from Alliance Defending Freedom, Mitchell has filed a lawsuit against her state’s sports authority, on the basis of unfair competition.
“I’ve lost four women’s state championship titles, two all-New England awards, and numerous other spots on the podium to male runners. I was bumped to third place in the 55-meter dash in 2019, behind two male runners. With every loss, it gets harder and harder to try again.
That’s a devastating experience. It tells me that I’m not good enough; that my body isn’t good enough; and that no matter how hard I work, I am unlikely to succeed, because I’m a woman. Girls everywhere need to know their value, which is why I have come to the United Nations to stand up for the human rights of women and girls in sports across the world,” reflected Mitchell.
Girls’ locker room safety at risk
Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, joined the calls to protect female-only sports at the event, remarking:
“To ensure effective equality, international human rights law allows at times differentiated treatment … differentiation in treatment does not always constitute discrimination if it is based on reasonable and objective criteria aimed at achieving legitimate purposes. This nuanced understanding is crucial in the context of sports, where fairness and equal opportunity must be balanced.”
In December 2023, Alsalem publicly warned the Biden Administration that altering the definition of women in “Title IX” would result in “loss of privacy, an increased risk of physical injury, heightened exposure to sexual harassment and voyeurism, as well as a more frequent and accumulated psychological distress due to the loss of privacy and fair and equal sporting and academic opportunities.”
Sharon Davies, who will commentate at the Paris 2024 Olympic games in July, referred to the testimonials of girls involved in the class-action lawsuit against sporting authorities in the US, who had been forced to share changing rooms with biological males without giving consent:
“Female college athletes were not only told to stay silent when they’d been exposed to male genitalia in the changing rooms twice a day, but were instructed to seek psychological help and re-educate themselves. They did not give informed consent. Their feelings were unimportant. This is a severe violation of their rights and must not be allowed to continue.”
Giorgio Mazzoli, Director of United Nations Advocacy for ADF International who moderated the panel discussion, said:
“Female sports and spaces belong to women and girls. Sports federations, national governments, and the United Nations can no longer ignore the voices of women and girls whose achievements have been directly affected by male participation in female sports categories. Female athletes have equal rights to fairness, safety, and privacy, both on and off the playing field. Authorities must follow the science and steadfastly uphold the integrity and fairness of female sports.”
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Pictured: Chelsea Mitchell (college athlete); Sharron Davies (Olympic swimmer); Reem Alsalem, UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls; Giorgio Mazzoli (ADF International); Rachel Rouleau
