The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) has made a formal submission to the New Zealand Parliament Social Services and Community Committee opposing the Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill, and is urging Parliament not to pass it.

RANZCOG first stated its opposition to the Bill when it was announced in May 2025, and has now strongly restated this position through a formal submission to the select committee process.

The Bill would define “woman” in law as “an adult human biological female” and “man” as “an adult human biological male.” RANZCOG’s submission explains that this is not a scientifically or clinically accurate description of human sex, which is a complex product of chromosomes, genes, hormones and other factors that exists on a spectrum rather than as a strict binary. Around 1–2% of people have intersex variations or differences of sexual development that this definition fails to account for.

RANZCOG’s submission raises concerns that the Bill would harm intersex, trans, non-binary and takatāpui communities by failing to recognise them for who they are, worsening existing barriers to healthcare. It also notes that the Bill ignores te ao Māori concepts such as takatāpui and takatāpuitanga as taonga, and risks breaching Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Beyond these harms, the submission identifies serious unintended consequences for the health sector arising from how the Bill is drafted:

• Abortion access: Because the Bill defines “woman” to mean an adult biological female, and the Age of Majority Act 1970 sets adulthood at 20, the Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act 2020 – which uses the term “woman” – could be read as excluding people under 20, as well as trans and intersex people, from accessing abortion services.
• Continuity of screening and clinical care: Cervical, breast and ovarian screening and treatment pathways for trans and intersex patients could be put at risk if legislation no longer recognises them as the sex their anatomy requires care for.
• Unassessed, system-wide risk: The Bill’s definitions would apply across all New Zealand legislation, including the substantial body of secondary legislation governing the health system, and RANZCOG is not aware of any comprehensive assessment of these effects having been carried out.

RANZCOG’s submission concludes that the Bill is fundamentally flawed in its understanding of biological reality, will not achieve its stated objectives of providing legal clarity or protecting the safety and wellbeing of women, and risks significant harm to some groups of New Zealanders.

Supporting inclusive care in practice

Alongside its advocacy work, RANZCOG continues to support members to provide safe, informed and inclusive care for trans and gender diverse patients. Members interested in building their knowledge and clinical skills in this area are encouraged to register for RANZCOG’s upcoming workshop, Trans and Gender Diverse Inclusive Obstetric and Perinatal Care.

Media enquiries

Catherine Cooper
RANZCOG Executive Director, Aotearoa New Zealand
ccooper@ranzcog.org.nz
+64 21 137 0748