Policy Update
Naushaba
The Algerian Boxer, Imane Khelif made a historic victory by winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 in the women’s 66 kg final boxing at the same time overcoming online abuse and criticism against her gender identity. Sucess often accompany controversy and for Khelif, it was no exception. By defeating Angela Carini within 46 seconds with a couple of punches on the face, marred the 2024 Olympics with its biggest controversy so far. She recently also filed a formal legal complaint in the court of law against online abuse and harassment.
(Source: AFP)
Understanding the row over Gender and Sports
Imane Kheilif during her second round in the 2024 Paris Olympics defeated Italy’s Angela Carini in just 46 seconds with a couple of punches on her face. After the match, Carini told the reporters, “I’ve never been hit with such a powerful punch.” This sparked controversy across the world, questioning the gender identity of Khelif, claiming her to be male or transgender. However, Khelif isn’t.
The controversy goes back to 2023 when Khelif and Chinese Taipei boxer Lin Yu-ting were banned from competing in the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) World Championship in New Delhi. The reason was that neither of them “met the gender eligibility criteria to compete within the female category,” as reported by IBA. Every sporting agency has its specific criteria for both the male and female categories, similarly, the IBA eligibility test differed from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as a result both candidates were allowed to compete in the 2024 Olympics.
IOC claimed that the only determinant for eligibility is gender which is stated in the athlete’s passport and Khelif’s passport says, she is female. Furthermore, IBA eligibility does not legitimise anyone’s gender or can change it, those are only arbitrary decisions. Last year IBA was also discredited by the IOC over governance and financial issues and thus now no longer represents the boxing federation.
After the controversy made headlines with floating harassment and abuse against Kheleif, the IOC said that all the boxers in the Olympics had complied with “the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations.” This was not the first time these athletes were competing as Kheleif and Lin also participated in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Gender, Sex and Fair Play
After winning her gold, Imane said “I am a woman like any woman. I was born a woman, and I have lived as a woman, but there are enemies to success, and they can’t digest my success.” Modern sports are organised based on sex i.e. they are divided between the male and female category. Although sport’s binary isn’t perfect as it is non-inclusive to other genders as well, it’s essential to an extent. Research finds that, on average, elite male athletes outperform elite female athletes by about 10% to 12%. This means that men on average have certain physiological advantages over women while both genders are equal at the cerebral level.
Gender is a social construct while sex is biological. Sex is determined through chromosomes that carry genes. All humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes of which 22 are identical in men and women. The remaining one pair is different, which is called a sex chromosome. Over the years it was taken for granted that men carry xy chromosomes while women carry xx chromosomes which leads to the development of sex organs accordingly. It was in the 1980s that it became clear that women could have the male-typical, xy sex chromosome pair too.
Hence, some people born with female reproductive organs may also carry the XY chromosome, which is known as Swyer syndrome, a disorder of sex development (DSD). The SRY gene found on the Y chromosome is responsible for the production of testosterone. However, it is not clear whether testosterone affects the athletic abilities of humans. A study by Prof María Martinez-Patiño in 2005 found out that women with xy pair of chromosomes do not have any athletic benefit. While in a 2017 study by David J Handelsman and others suggested a link between testosterone and athletic performance.
In 2021 the IOC left this issue for the international sports federation to handle on their own and develop their own non-discriminatory set of eligibility rules. World athletics still uses testosterone levels as an eligibility determinant for the female category. As a result, athletes with DSD need to keep their test testosterone level below 2.5 nmol/L for at least 24 months before the event. This level is way below the level of testosterone that women with polycystic ovarian syndrome produce which is below ≤5.2 nmol/L.
In defence of Equality
Gender is a social construct that works on binary while nature doesn’t. The rules for the women category have become stricter over the years, as a result, many women with DSS or high testosterone levels and transgenders are excluded from participating. For instance, FIN, the International Cycling Union, the World Swimming Body, the International Rugby Institution and others restrict trans women athletes from participating through varying degrees of ban.
The attempt to defame Khelif can be seen as an outcry from ultra-conservative politicians and anti-transgender influencers across the world. We live in a world where information spreads at a fast pace, especially fake news. The fake news that Khelif belongs to the transgender community was fallacious to the extent that Khelif belongs to a country where identifying as a trans woman is a crime. This fake news was accompanied by hate against the transgender community.
Khelif has been defeated several times by other women but no one ever questioned her womanhood then, why? Khelif does have a biological disadvantage but why are people calling it unfair when Usain Bolt for long legs, LeBron James for height and Michael Phelps for massive fin-like hands are praised? Why are women criticised for things that men are being praised for? And isn’t the Olympic Games all about flaunting one’s biological advantages? The world does not seem to have moved beyond either binary or patriarchy.
For the first time, women’s participation in the Olympics was high to a level that 49 per cent of all the Olympic athletes were female, reaching nearly gender parity. Of all the sports, Boxing is in the category in which the rate of inclusion of women is the slowest. Although the disparity has decreased at a significant level, the world is still cruel to these dreaming women.
Way Forward
There is a need for a better and unified, anti-discriminatory policy framework which is inclusive and pragmatic in nature. Developing such a policy framework is a challenging task but it is crucial for better representation and fairness in the competition. The policy must aim to maintain a perfect balance between inclusivity and fairness. Education and awareness also play a key role in sensitising the public which should be accompanied by an active support system for the people in need.
Furthermore, there is an indispensable need for advocating research on such issues with legal and structural reforms in the sports federations. Ultimately, we are all human beings, and everyone has the right to live their life according to their preferences. One’s identity should not restrict their choices and aims. Hate spreads like fire and “It can destroy people, it can kill people’s thoughts, spirit and mind. It can divide people,” as stated by Khelif. Let’s celebrate the women shining in the Paris Olympics this year rather than pitting women against women and bringing them down, which society has done for centuries.
References
- María Martinez-Patiño. (2005). Personal Account: A woman tried and tested. The Lancet, 366(1–67). https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(05)67841-5/fulltext
- Sheehan, M. T. (2004). Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: Diagnosis and Management. Clinical Medicine & Research, 2(1), 13–27. https://doi.org/10.3121/cmr.2.1.13
- ELIGIBILITY REGULATIONS FOR THE FEMALE CLASSIFICATION (ATHLETES WITH DIFFERENCES OF SEX DEVELOPMENT). (2023). In Book C – C3.6.
- #GenderEqualOlympics: Celebrating full gender parity on the field of play at Paris 2024. (2024, March 5). Olympics.com. https://olympics.com/ioc/news/genderequalolympics-celebrating-full-gender-parity-on-the-field-of-play-at-paris-2024
About the Contributor–Naushaba (she/her/hers) is a research intern at the Impact and Policy Research Institute and a postgraduate student of the Academy of International Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia. Her research interests lie in Gender Studies, Global Politics, Climate Change and Sustainable Development.\
Acknowledgement – The author would like to express sincere gratitude to Dr. Arjun Kumar, Ms Aasthaba Jadeja, Ms Ishita Deb, and Ms Saachi Sahasrabuddhe for their invaluable contributions to this article. Their support, guidance, and expertise were instrumental in its completion.
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