London

Transgender women have been banned from competing in women's international competitions, the World Netball (WN) announced on Monday (Apr 8) under its new participation and inclusion policy. 

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The governing body of what is traditionally a women's sport, went through a lengthy consultation process before issuing the policy that ensures "fairness and safety".  

"Following detailed review of the science and consultation with experts and members, it has determined that international level women's netball is a gender affected activity and that a policy is required (to) ensure fairness and safety at this level of our sport," World Netball said in a statement.

Post the policy change, women's netball at the elite level will now be restricted to players who have recorded "female at birth" irrespective of gender identity. Additionally, only those transgender athletes will be allowed who can prove to World Netball's satisfaction that "they have not experienced the biological effects of testosterone at any time".

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"World Netball believes that the research on which it has relied is robust, it comprises many research studies, all of which have been published in peer-reviewed journals and come from multiple distinct research groups around the world," added the statement. 

Other sports to ban transgenders 

Notably, World Netball is not the only body in recent years to have tightened the rules to disallow transgender women from competing in women's sports. In 2022, swimming's world governing body FINA voted to stop transgender athletes from competing in the women's elite events, if they had undergone any part of the process of male puberty. 

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The decision as per AFP came after a scientific panel found that in spite of reducing testosterone levels via medication, trans women still wielded a significant advantage over female athletes.

Also read | World Athletics bans transgender women from competing in female sporting events

Similarly last year, World Athletics (WA), the international governing body for the sport of athletics banned transgender athletes from participating in "elite female events."

As per Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics, the decision to exclude transgender women who had experienced male puberty was reached to meet the "overarching need to protect the female category." 

(With inputs from agencies)