Why gender verification tests on women and not men?

Mqondisi Dube | Monday July 11, 2022 16:00

Why a gender verification test in the first place? A gender verification test became increasingly necessary in the 1930s when it emerged that some male athletes were competing in female events.

The media fuelled claims that individuals who had competed as women, were in some cases, men. In 1960, at the Rome Olympics, the world athletics governing body, IAAF introduced gender tests for women. Initially the test involved physical examination but this was resented and eventually the IAAF dropped the gender verification test.

However, it has re-emerged as Caster Semenya became the first high profile casualty to be barred from competing in the 800m due to her high testosterone levels. Back to the Zambian captain issue, she was deemed to have high testosterone and was therefore ruled out from competing with other women. While the action is meant to ensure fair competition among women, it appears discriminatory and degrading. It causes emotional trauma. While women are subjected to these degrading tests, men are always walking scot-free.

They are allowed to compete as they are, with no issues raised. There is nothing like a men looking like a woman; they are all fine and compete without excluding this one or that one. But women have to be screened.

What is even confusing is that there seems to be no consensus or uniform definition of what constitutes ‘an acceptable woman’. For instance, Banda has represented her country at numerous competitions, including the Olympic Games last year. She plays her club football in China and there is nothing wrong with her ‘body’ in all these other competitions. She is considered a woman, but at the Africa Cup of Nations, she is not? FIFA and the International Olympic Committee have different eligibility standards for gender verification, which is why Banda could play in the Olympics but has not been allowed to compete at the Nations Cup.

According to FIFA’s gender verification policy, in place since 2011, “androgenic hormones have performance-enhancing effects” and hence “gender verification is of particular importance”. The document, however, does not specify any testosterone threshold. FIFA is said to be in the process of reviewing its gender eligibility regulations in consultation with expert stakeholders.

It will always be a touchy subject that, instead of narrowing the gender divide, is actually, widening it. The society is already fighting lingering gender stereotypes, and gender verification adds to the long list.

The test is akin to criminalising being a woman with certain hormonal compositions. It is not like such women are doping or altered their gender, they were born like that and the community has to learn to accept them. Some men are short, tall, muscular etc, and they compete with their diverse compositions. Obviously, some are at an advantage while others are not, and they cannot subject them to some verification tests. So, why women?