Human Rights Watch wants end of sex testing for female athletes

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called for end of “sex
testing” in athletics, calling the practice discriminatory against women
especially from “global south”, AFP reported on Friday.

The NGO called for repeal of the practice from World
Athletics, which follows it as part of its regulations.

The NGO made the demand in a report, which cited the case of
Caster Semenya, a 29-year-old middle-distance runner, who did not pass the test
and was barred from competing.

“Through their policies, sport governing bodies have
created environments that coerce some women into invasive and unnecessary
medical interventions as a condition to compete in certain events,” the
NGO wrote in its report which includes testimonials from athletes, AFP wrote.

“And sports officials have engaged in vitriolic public
criticism that has ruined careers and lives.”

World Athletics regulations “discriminate against women
on the basis of their sex, their sex characteristics, and their gender
expression,” the report said.

“Sex testing violates a range of internationally protected
fundamental rights including to privacy, dignity, health, non-discrimination,
freedom from ill-treatment, and employment rights.”

Semenya was disallowed from competing in 400m, 800m and
1500m races after she was found to have disproportionate levels of testosterone
in a test conducted in 2019, according to the new rules by IAAF.

The athlete since has said she will move to European Court
of Human Right for revocation of the new rules, which require her to take
medication to lower the testosterone level as a condition for her return to the
game.

World Athletics released a statement criticising the report
while underlining its commitment to women in sport, calling the HRW report
neither “independent” nor “impartial”.

“World Athletics was not asked to provide a response to
these allegations as part of the report, which would have provided much-needed
balance on this very complex issue.

“We remain committed to fairness for women in sport and
reject the allegation that biological limits are based on race or gender
stereotypes,” it said in the statement.