Purpose of the Report
The report examines new and evolving forms of sex-based violence against women and girls that remain underrecognized. It reaffirms the biological reality of sex as central to understanding female oppression and urges States to protect women’s sex-based rights, especially amid rising gender identity ideologies.
Key Issues Identified
- Erasure of Sex in Law and Policy
- Women are being redefined based on gender identity, undermining sex-based protections.
- Neutral language like “people who menstruate” replaces terms like “women”, erasing their legal identity.
- Women are being redefined based on gender identity, undermining sex-based protections.
- Loss of Sex-Based Data
- The shift toward gender identity in data collection undermines the ability to track violence against women and develop targeted policies.
- Healthcare outcomes for women are especially impacted by this data gap.
- The shift toward gender identity in data collection undermines the ability to track violence against women and develop targeted policies.
- Reinforcement of Sexist Stereotypes
- Gender identity frameworks often rely on regressive stereotypes (e.g., “feminine dress” = woman).
- This harms girls, especially those with autism or gender dysphoria, by pushing them toward irreversible medical interventions.
- Gender identity frameworks often rely on regressive stereotypes (e.g., “feminine dress” = woman).
- Suppression of Women’s Free Speech
- Women face intimidation, job loss, online abuse, and even violence for speaking out on biological sex and women’s rights.
- Gender-critical feminists are often mislabelled as hateful or transphobic.
- Women face intimidation, job loss, online abuse, and even violence for speaking out on biological sex and women’s rights.
- Denial of Single-Sex Spaces
- Prisons, shelters, hospitals, and other institutions are increasingly removing female-only spaces, putting women at risk.
- Women in prisons are being forced to share spaces with violent male offenders who self-identify as women.
- Prisons, shelters, hospitals, and other institutions are increasingly removing female-only spaces, putting women at risk.
- Emerging Forms of Violence
- Consequential suicide (linked to abuse by male partners)
- “Femi-genocide” (e.g., systemic violence against Palestinian and Afghan women)
- Sex-selective abortion and infanticide (especially in parts of Asia)
- Digital sexual violence (deepfakes, revenge porn, and AI-generated abuse targeting girls and women)
- Consequential suicide (linked to abuse by male partners)
International Legal Context
- Reaffirms obligations under:
- CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women)
- CRC (Convention on the Rights of the Child)
- ICCPR and other international human rights treaties
- CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women)
- Emphasizes that gender identity should not override the legal category of sex for women’s protection.
Key Recommendations
- Protect Sex-Based Rights
- Use terms like “woman” and “girl” strictly for biological females in law.
- Reinstate single-sex spaces and services where necessary.
- Use terms like “woman” and “girl” strictly for biological females in law.
- Reject Irreversible Medical Transition for Minors
- Ban puberty blockers and surgeries for children.
- Offer comprehensive assessments and alternative support.
- Ban puberty blockers and surgeries for children.
- Combat Sexist Stereotypes
- Regulate pornography and media.
- Launch education campaigns promoting respectful masculinity.
- Regulate pornography and media.
- Criminalize Femicide and Collect Sex-Based Data
- Establish observatories to track femicide.
- Ensure data on violence is disaggregated by biological sex.
- Establish observatories to track femicide.
- Recognize Reproductive Violence as Genocidal
- Hold states accountable where reproductive abuse is used to control or erase populations (e.g., Gaza, Myanmar, Sudan).
- Hold states accountable where reproductive abuse is used to control or erase populations (e.g., Gaza, Myanmar, Sudan).
Conclusion
The Special Rapporteur calls for urgent action to re-centre biological sex in law and policy, defend free expression for women, and confront new forms of violence arising from both digital abuse and identity-based policies that erase female realities.
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“You can not protect what you can not define” Reem Alsalem
“Allowing children access to such procedures not only violates their right to safety, security and freedom from violence, but also disregards their human right to the highest standards of health and goes against their best interest. Children are also not able to provide informed consent for such procedures. In situations in which such procedures have been found to have caused grave and longtime harm, consent would be meaningless for both adults and children” Reem Alsalem on the medicalisation of children with gender distress.