World Athletics Bans Transgender Women from Competing in International Competitions

World Athletics (WA) banned the participation of transgender women who went through male puberty in international competitions. World Athletics is the governing body for track and field and other running competitions. There is opposition to the move as some researchers say that the move is discriminatory and lacks evidence. In this article, you can read more about the implications of this decision of WA and its justification for the ban. This topic is important for the IAS exam current affairs segment.

Scientific Reasons for Banning Transgender Women from Competing

• Apart from banning transgender women who went through male puberty, World Athletics also added more conditions that for athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD) the testosterone level must be below 2.5 nanomoles per litre (nmol/L) for at least 24 months before an international competition.
• WA said that its priority is to ensure fairness and integrity of female competition and its decisions will be based on the science behind physical performance and male advantage.
• Testosterone level is considered important for an athlete’s performance as it increases muscle mass, strength and haemoglobin levels.
• WA added conditions for women athletes with DSD since they often have a higher level of testosterone than other women. Also, Cis men in general have testosterone levels ranging from 10 to 35 nmol/L and Cis women have a testosterone level that stays below 2.4 nmol/L.
• Athletes can take medications to lower their testosterone levels but their effect will prevail for only the short term.
• Men have more haemoglobin than women and an increased level of haemoglobin will aid in more support of oxygen when muscles are active.

Concerns and Issues in Banning Transgender Women

• According to transgender experts, the decision of banning transgender women is discriminatory and affects the research on transgender women’s athletic performance.
• Another expert in gender-based biology said that very little research is available about transgender athletics and there is a lack of evidence to make scientific decisions.
• A 2021 review found that transwomen have high muscle mass after transitioning but their haemoglobin was comparable to cisgender women’s. 
• Experts in gender-based biology said that muscle mass and haemoglobin cannot be a factor for the superior performance of transwomen in sports events.
• A 2015 study on trans athletes found their race times slowed after transitioning from male to female and the result suggested that trans athletes have no advantage over cisgender women.
• To conclude there is a need for more research and data on the performance of transgenders to make concrete decisions.

World Athletics Bans Transgender Women from Competing in International Competitions:- Download PDF Here