A dishonourable landmark in regression of gender rights
Auckland Women’s Centre submission on the Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill.
2 July 2026
Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission on this bill.
The Auckland Women’s Centre strongly opposes the Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill, and we entirely reject the bill’s ostensible premises and covert purposes.
Our only recommendation is that this bill be halted immediately, for the safety of women, cis as well as trans, and for the safety of everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Allowing this bill in any way, shape or form to become legislation would be an act of extremist hate, and would endanger women (trans and cis), as well as intersex and gender-diverse whānau, and reduce gender equity even further.
It would be a shameful landmark in the regression of women’s rights in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Intro: An attack on the rights of all women, trans and cis, and communities
Auckland Women’s Centre condemns all attacks on trans and other takatāpui and LGBTQI+ rights, from new restrictions on trans women’s involvement in community sport, to this Bill, to Destiny Church-related violent attacks on people and property, intimidating events and hate-filled symbols.
These attacks are all related: the Government’s signals have emboldened violent extremists.
This bill will further increase harm, risk and danger for women and all communities, by encouraging fear, division, discrimination and violence.
The bill is an instrument of unfounded phobia against intersex, trans and gender-diverse people, risking particularly serious and ongoing harmful effects on the wellbeing of all those targeted. In addition, the bill encourages scrutiny, judgement, policing of, and challenges (at varying levels of violence) to, the gender expression of cisgender women. It also supports outdated Western constructs of gender, and does not acknowledge different, deeply-held cultural understandings of gender, such as non-binary constructs.
As such, this bill supports misogyny, sexism, transphobia, homophobia and white supremacy.
Everybody voting to continue this bill – and/or refusing to reverse it should the opportunity arise – is supporting the bill’s insidious and destructive discrimination.
We reject the ostensible premise of this bill
The actual reason for this bill has nothing to do with wanting to support the safety of cis women, and everything to do with decreasing equity in society as a whole.
Transphobia is imported by politicians and others to “distract attention from real problems”, as the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights wrote in 2021.[1] Transphobic policies, such as this bill, trample on human rights as a political tactic. Commissioner Dunja Mijatović pointed out transphobic politicians “seek to blur the lines” by “adopting the vocabulary of human rights, but what they are doing in reality is working to deprive other groups – mainly women and LGBTI people – of their rights”.
Transphobia works to deprive all women – trans and cis – of our rights. The patriarchy gains power from policing gender identities and sexualities, dictating gender conformity and restrictive gender expressions. It gains power from putting us all into boxes – giving us restrictions on how we express ourselves – in an attempt to divide and conquer.
This bill aligns with other anti-women moves of the current government such as the obliteration of pay equity policy and resource cuts to the prevention of sexual violence.
Insidious influence beyond legislation
As well as its legislative effects, the Bill (already) has a fear-mongering effect on cultural and social discourse and is an instrument of influence, having real-life effects on real people’s wellbeing, for cynical purposes.
Trans people in Aotearoa, including trans women, already face considerable discrimination, bullying and violence, leading to high rates of distress (CountingOurselves.nz). This bill will encourage further abuse of trans and gender-diverse whānau.
In addition, this bill will be an excuse for authorities and (other) predators, misogynists, jocks, vandals and those they influence, to judge and police the appearance, voice, behaviour and identity of all women, cis and trans. As women, we do not want the suspicion of emboldened bigots about who we are because of our faces or our bodies or the way we dress or how we sound or what we like doing. This bill will reduce women’s confidence that they can enter public toilets without fear that they will be challenged for not being “feminine” enough. It will encourage self-censorship and adhesion to restrictive gender expression.
Transphobia has restricted the rights and activities of all people: holding or attending drag shows for audiences of all genders – such as fun, educational activities at the library – are now perceived to be less safe, due to the February 2025 violent attack on Te Atatu Library. The right to decide on our own leisure activities for ourselves and our children – the right for parents to parent – has been reduced by violent extremists emboldened by government transphobia.
What good-faith policy to support women’s safety would actually look like
The Auckland Women’s Centre supports everybody feeling comfortable in their own skin. We reject scrutiny, judgement and discrimination on the basis of gender.
In order to make women and communities safe, Aotearoa needs:
- The Crown to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, informed by the Waitangi Tribunal’s Mana Wahine inquiry.
- Gender and ethnic pay equity
- Regulation of online platforms to combat online abuse
- A police force we can trust
- Stronger laws against hate speech
- Fully-resourced prevention of sexual violence and family violence
- Tiriti-based, inclusive Relationships and Sexuality Education in schools
- Adequate, supportive social welfare
- Secure, safe, affordable housing
- Better immigration pathways for victim-survivors of family violence
Dividing our communities by blaming all those issues on those who are not to blame for them is not on that list.
In conclusion
We are women – trans and cis – and we are saying: this bill and its supporters are working against our safety and wellbeing.
The bill is restricting freedom for all women while ostensibly espousing women’s rights.
Aotearoa NZ is one of the most pro-trans rights countries in the world.[2] Transgender people have settled in Aotearoa as refugees, because they were safer here than among the hate in their country of origin. The imported politically-generated roll-back of trans rights, intersex rights, gender-diverse rights and women’s rights – of gender rights – is utterly shameful and dishonourable.
We are deeply angry at those in power who are doing the opposite of empowering our trans and gender-queer whānau with protection and respect.
We call on politicians, leaders and decision-makers to swiftly halt and emphatically reject this irresponsible bill and all imported, cynical malice. We call on them turn their attention back to what they are supposed to be doing, the opposite of this bill: working to make Aotearoa a safe, flourishing place for all whānau.
About us
Te Wāhi Wāhine o Tāmaki Makaurau – Auckland Women’s Centre is dedicated to promoting empowerment and well-being for all women. We welcome women, trans & cis, and non-binary people of all ethnicities, incomes, cultures, sexual orientation, gender identity, age and ability; we offer support, education, counselling, community kōrero & safe space. We lead the Coalition for the Safety of Women & Children and run the Aotearoa Free From Stalking project.
Our vision is that all women, trans and cis, and intersex, gender-diverse and sexuality-diverse whānau enjoy full access to our human rights, including the right to live in safety, and the right to live free of gender discrimination.
[1] Mijatović, D (2021) “Human rights comment: Pride vs. indignity: political manipulation of homophobia and transphobia in Europe”
[2] NZ ranked 4th out of 30 countries in “Views on Transgender Discrimination Protection By Country” Ipos LGBT+ PRIDE 2023: A 30-Country Ipsos Global Advisor Survey p35