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Summarised by Centrist
A bill defining “woman” and “man” in law has passed its first reading in Parliament, reopening a debate over whether sex-based rights should be grounded in biological sex or gender identity.
The Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill, introduced by NZ First MP Jenny Marcroft, would define a woman as “an adult human biological female” and a man as “an adult human biological male”.
Supporters say the bill is about legal clarity and protecting women’s spaces. Marcroft told Parliament: “What it means to be a woman is under attack.”
She also criticised councils over female changing and showering facilities, saying: “Our councils are captured by ideology and don’t give a hoot about the privacy and dignity of women and girls.”
ACT’s Karen Chhour said the bill was about “safeguarding vulnerable women and girls” and preventing discrimination against them.
The proposal has been strongly criticised by opponents, who say it targets transgender people and could affect existing rights. The article says NZ First leader Winston Peters told RNZ the bill would “replace” a 2021 law that made it easier for transgender, non-binary and intersex people to change the gender recorded on their birth certificates.
The bill was opposed by Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori. Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said it was part of “incessant, well-funded political messaging that paints a bogeyman of migrants and trans people.”
The Law Commission last year recommended stronger legal protections for transgender people, including access to public bathrooms and single-sex facilities matching their gender identity.
The debate now turns on whether Parliament should prioritise biological definitions in law, or preserve the wider gender identity framework developed under previous legislation.
