Letter sent to Minister for Sport Nick Duigan on 27.03.26
Dear Minister Duigan,
Re: Aligning Tasmanian community and grassroots sports with the IOC’s new science-based policy protecting the female category
We write as Women Speak Tasmania, a group of Tasmanian women committed to the protection of sex-based rights, fairness, and safety in sport.
On 26 March, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) released its new Policy on the Protection of the Female (Women’s) Category in Olympic Sport. The policy is clear, evidence-based, and long overdue. It limits eligibility for the female category at Olympic Games and IOC events to biological females only.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry, a former Olympic athlete herself, explained the decision in her video address:
“As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition. The policy that we have announced is based on science and has been led by medical experts with the best interests of athletes at its heart. The scientific evidence is very clear: male chromosomes give performance advantages in sports that rely on strength, power or endurance. At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat, so it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”
President Coventry emphasised that every athlete must be treated with dignity and respect, and that screening (a simple, one-time SRY gene test via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample) will be required only once in an athlete’s lifetime, with education, counselling, and expert medical advice provided.
While we welcome this landmark decision, we note that the IOC policy applies specifically to elite Olympic and international competition and does not directly govern grassroots or community sport. However, every future Olympic champion and elite athlete begins their journey in local clubs, school programs, and community competitions.
In our state, we are already seeing the consequences of allowing biological males to compete in female categories. Women have spoken up across a range of community sports — soccer, netball, cycling, even ten-pin bowling and lawn bowls — to say that they feel uncomfortable, sidelined or simply demotivated when trans-identified males compete in what they believe should be women’s divisions. Some women are quietly stepping back from sport altogether. They are not always protesting loudly or making headlines, but their absence is a warning sign. When women self-exclude, participation suffers, and the pipeline of talent that feeds into competitive sport begins to dry up.
Policy on Biological Men Competing in Women’s Competition – Letter to AusCycling
This matters because the Tasmanian Government has been working on a Women and Girls in Sport Strategy, which aims to grow participation, remove barriers and ensure women can thrive not only as players, but as coaches, officials and leaders. Yet if women feel the rules are no longer fair, those goals will be undermined before they even take hold. Trust in sporting organisations depends on women believing their voices are heard and their right to fair competition is respected.
Minister, Tasmania has both the opportunity and the responsibility to lead by example. We urge you to adopt a clear, biology-based policy for all state-funded, community, and grassroots sports under your portfolio:
- Retain separate female categories defined by biological sex (not gender identity).
- Introduce simple, one-time sex screening where eligibility is disputed, consistent with the IOC’s SRY gene protocol.
- Ensure all Tasmanian sporting bodies and clubs receiving government funding or using public facilities follow these rules.
- Protect the safety, fairness, and dignity of women and girls in sport.
Such a policy would secure the talent pipeline for future Tasmanian Olympians while guaranteeing that girls and women can continue to participate without fear or disadvantage. It would also send a strong message that Tasmania stands with the IOC’s science-led approach rather than outdated ideology.
We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you or your office to discuss practical implementation steps and share the voices of affected Tasmanian sportswomen.
Women’s sport in Tasmania is at a crossroads. Your leadership now can ensure that the next generation of female athletes grows up in a system that values their biology, their effort, and their right to fair competition.
Thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Elizabeth Caballero
Retired General Practitioner
Women Speak Tasmania
Reply from Minister for Sport Nick Duigan on 18.05.26
