A minor party in New Zealand’s Coalition Government has proposed a bill seeking to legally define the genders “woman” and “man” based on biological sex.
The move comes a week after the UK Supreme Court ruled a woman is defined by biological sex under the law.
The New Zealand First Party (NZF) said the bill will ensure “the protection, progression, and safety of women”.
NZF proposed the draft law as a “member’s bill,” which means it needs to be drawn from a random ballot before it’s debated.
NZ First
New Zealand’s current Government, led by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, came to power in 2023.
It is a coalition of three parties: the National Party, the ACT Party, and New Zealand First (NZF).
NZF, led by Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, holds eight of the 123 seats in Parliament.
Under the coalition agreement, Peters must step down as Deputy PM next month, giving the role to ACT leader David Seymour.
The bill
Under the bill, the term “woman” would be defined as “an adult human biological female”, and “man” as “an adult human biological male”.
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NZF have said the bill’s proposal comes after receiving two petitions which called on “protecting the term ‘woman’ in legislation.”
NZF leader and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said the bill aims to provide legal “clarity and consistency” around “sex-based rights.”
“This is not about being anti-anyone or anti-anything. This is about ensuring we as a country focus on the facts of biology and protect the term ‘woman’ in law,” Peters said.
The proposal is a “member’s bill” — a type of draft legislation is introduced by a member of Parliament who is not a minister.
For these kinds of bills to be debated in parliament, they first have to win a random ballot. The ballot determines which bill will be considered.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has said his party will consider the bill if it wins the ballot.
Comment
Opposition Leader Chris Hipkins told local media the Labour Party is “highly unlikely” to support the proposal.
Hipkins said the bill contradicts his party’s “long, proud tradition of empowering people to be who they are.”
In a post to social media, Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick criticised the policy, calling it the product of an “imported culture war designed to inflame and divide” the country.
