A recent study conducted by the United Nations, titled “Violence against women and girls in sports,” sheds light on a growing issue within the world of women’s athletics. The study, released in August, reveals that by March 30, 2024, over 600 female athletes across more than 400 women’s division events in 29 different sports have lost opportunities, medals, and recognition to male athletes identifying as transgender women. According to the report, male athletes have taken over 890 medals from female competitors.

National Review reports on the report, which was created by U.N. Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, Reem Alsalem, and was recently presented to the U.N. General Assembly. It highlighted the growing trend of transgender-identifying male athletes competing in women’s categories, often leading to the displacement of female athletes from podium finishes and competitive opportunities.

“The replacement of the female sports category with a mixed-sex category has resulted in an increasing number of female athletes losing opportunities, including medals, when competing against males,” the report states. This displacement is raising alarms among advocates for women’s rights in sports, who argue that it violates the principles of fairness and equity.

At the U.N. event, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International stood alongside prominent female athletes to urge global leaders to protect women’s sports. Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies, U.S. collegiate athlete Lainey Armistead, ADF International CEO Kristen Waggoner, and Alsalem all spoke about the issue. They emphasized that women and girls deserve fair opportunities to compete and succeed in sports, free from the influence of male biological advantages.

Alsalem, in her address to the General Assembly, warned of the broader implications of allowing males to compete in women’s sports, noting the increased risks of sexual harassment, assault, and voyeurism in sports arenas, locker rooms, and bathrooms.

“As patriarchal structures continue to evolve, women and girls in sport are experiencing new forms of discrimination based on their sex,” Alsalem said. “One glaring example is opening the female category of sports to males, further undermining their access to equal opportunities and the right to participate in safety, dignity, and fairness.”

She criticized international and national sports governing bodies for allowing this issue to persist, with most organizations requiring only that male athletes meet certain testosterone levels to compete in women’s categories. Alsalem argued that these testosterone-based regulations are insufficient and do not address the broader physical advantages that male athletes retain, even with hormone suppression.

The effects of male athletes competing in women’s sports have been particularly harmful in cases involving physical contact or high-risk sports. For example, Payton McNabb, a former high school volleyball player from North Carolina, suffered a severe concussion and other long-term health issues after being struck by a ball spiked by a trans-identifying male player. McNabb testified to the North Carolina legislature in April 2023, recounting how she continues to suffer from impaired vision, partial paralysis, anxiety, and depression as a result of the injury, which ultimately led her to stop competing.

In combat sports, such as boxing, the inclusion of male athletes in women’s categories poses potentially life-threatening risks. USA Boxing, the governing body for Olympic-style amateur boxing, adopted a transgender policy for its 2024 rule book. It allows males who have undergone gender reassignment surgery and sustained low testosterone levels to compete against women. However, as the U.N. report points out, testosterone suppression does not negate the male physical advantages accumulated through years of male development.

National Review adds that pushback from female athletes is increasing as the consequences of these policies become more evident. Recently, female soccer players at Hillsboro-Deering High School in New Hampshire boycotted a game against Kearsarge Regional High School due to concerns over a male player, Maelle Jacques, on the opposing team. Several varsity team members refused to play, citing the risks of competing in a full-contact sport against a male opponent.

Alsalem urged sports bodies to incorporate a human rights perspective into their regulations, warning that current policies foster a culture of impunity and prioritize reputation and winning over justice and fairness.