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MPs have just been confronted with what is supposedly the most vexed question of our times – what is a woman? One MP described even asking this question as “irresponsible and hateful”.
Here at Family First, we naturally disagree with this Labour MP’s assessment, and clearly know what a woman and man are, and encouragingly, a majority of MPs do as well.
Last week the parliament passed the Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill at First Reading. MPs from National, ACT and NZ First all voted for the bill, with Labour, Greens, and Te Pāti Māori voting against it. The bill is now being considered by the Social Services and Community Committee.
This bill is a direct response to our What is a Woman campaign, so we are very pleased to see it pass but we now need your help. We need you to make a submission to the committee and stress the importance of biological reality and the value and safety of single sex spaces.
According to the explanation of the bill, the proposed law ensures clarity and consistency in New Zealand law around the definitions of male and female – based on biological truth, not identity and feelings.
By establishing these definitions in the Legislation Act 2019, the bill provides a clear and biologically grounded meaning of “woman” and “man” across legislation. The purpose of this amendment is to uphold legal certainty, protect the integrity of sex-based rights, and ensure that language in law reflects biological reality. This definition will apply in all contexts where the terms “woman” and “man” are used, unless explicitly stated otherwise in specific legislation.
The bill is not perfect, but the intent certainly is. And this where we need your help – to write in support of the bill and also suggest how it can be improved.
WATCH: Bob and Simon discuss the bill after its first reading, analyse some of the speeches made by MPs, and rebut the arguments being used against the bill.
Make a submission here (closes 2 July 2026)
KEY POINTS TO CONSIDER (Please use your own words!)
- Most importantly – YOU SUPPORT THE BILL
- Sex is real and binary. You cannot change your sex.
- Fundamentally, there are two sexes – male and female. Our laws and institutions are based around this observable reality. If it becomes about ‘gender identity‘ or what a person ‘believes’ they are, then any discrimination laws will end up compelling people to act against biological truth, and against what they see and know.
- The purpose of the bill is to protect the health, safety, and privacy of individuals (especially women and girls), with respect to the following areas: schools, sports, prisons or other detention facilities, domestic violence centers, rape crisis centers, changing rooms, toilets, and other areas where biology, safety, or privacy are implicated that result in separate accommodations.
- The very small proportion of individuals born with a medically verifiable diagnosis of disorder/differences in sex development (intersex) should be provided appropriate legal protections.
- Laws based on ‘belief’ (that is, what you want to think of yourself or how you identify) – as opposed to empirical/observable reality – leads to problems for a cohesive society.
- Laws that allow ‘gender identity’ over sex will inevitably see women’s-only spaces and programmes being compromised, be this sports, health initiatives, single-sex education, scholarships, sex-specific changing areas and toilets, and many others spaces.
- Free speech is impacted, with anti-discrimination laws based on gender leading to compelled speech around pronouns, naming, and so on.
- How do we target specific women’s health issues or target the gender pay gap, or violence against women, or support the Women’s Refuge, or uphold our nation’s history of fighting for women’s rights if we can’t define the target audience in the first place?
STRENGTHENING THE BILL
Family First believes that while the intent of the bill should be lauded, the mechanics of the legislation need to be strengthened.
When we presented the petition calling for this bill, we wrote that an appropriate bill would state that:
- an individual’s “sex” means an individual’s sex at birth, either male or female;
- a “female” means an individual whose biological reproductive system is developed to produce ova; who has, had, will have or would have, but for a developmental or genetic anomaly or historical accident, the reproductive system that at some point produces, transports, and utilises eggs for fertilisation.
- a “male” means an individual whose biological reproductive system is developed to fertilise the ova of a female who has, had, will have or would have, but for a developmental or genetic anomaly or historical accident, the reproductive system that at some point produces, transports, and utilizes sperm for fertilization;
- “woman” and “girl” refer to human females, and “man” and “boy” refer to human males;
- “mother” means a parent of the female sex, and “father” means a parent of the male sex; and
- with respect to biological sex, separate accommodations are not inherently unequal.
These definitions would easily deal with the spurious argument around “age discrimination” used by opponents of the bill.
Importantly, these definitions would also apply to the Human Rights Act 1993 and the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990. Gender activists and government agencies have muddied the waters with their (flawed) interpretation of the Human Rights Act and the use of the word “sex” – expanding it to include “gender” and being “transgender”.
It is time to restore sanity to our policies by ensuring biological reality trumps gender identity.
Make a submission here (closes 2 July 2026)
Please:
- Take time to understand the issue. Spend some time reading the testimonies and the background info on our website WhatIsAWoman.nz. Talk to friends and family. Pray.
- Write what you want to say to the Social Services and Community Committee considering this bill, clearly stating that you SUPPORT the bill. Write as little or as much as you want, sharing your views.
- At all times, be positive, respectful and constructive. Avoid overly religious language, personal attacks, negative labels, or angry words. Highlight what you are FOR, and why you SUPPORT this bill.
- If appropriate, include a personal story of situations where you (or your children) have felt unsafe, confused, angered or even cheated (e.g., sports involvement) because of threats to women-only spaces.
- When you send your submission in, please consider also emailing or posting a copy to your local MP. You can find out who your local MP is (and their email address) at our website HaveYourSay.nz
- Share your submission with friends and family. It may inspire them to make a submission also.
WE MUST SPEAK UP FOR TRUTH
We would strongly encourage you to make a submission.
This article was originally published by Family First New Zealand.
