It is Election season and candidates are out on the hustings seeking votes.

The Women’s Rights Party is urging voters to turn up to their local election campaign meetings and ask candidates where they stand on issues that affect women’s rights.

National Secretary Jill Ovens says women’s and girls’ sex-based rights need to be protected in policy and law, but there seems to be a lot of tip-toeing around the issue.

She cites the Integrity Sport and Recreation Bill currently going through Parliament as an example of legislation designed to protect the safety and well being of participants that does not mention women – not once.

The Bill covers threats to integrity in sport including “competition manipulation, corruption and fraud, use of prohibited substances (doping), abuse (including abuse of children), bullying, violence, harassment, intimidation, and racism and other forms of discrimination”.

“The Bill states that the new independent Commission will have a strong focus on the needs of participants, including Māori, disabled people, and children and young people, while completely ignoring the controversy over women’s sports,” Ms Ovens says.

“Voters should ask their candidates whether they agree that biological males should not compete in women's or girls’ sports where there are issues of fairness and/or safety, for example in contact sports,” Ms Ovens says.

She says another issue for women wanting to participate in sport and recreation is Councils and other organisations adopting policies allowing anyone who identifies as a woman to use women-only changing sheds.

“There is a belief that it would be discriminatory to exclude anyone on the basis of their gender identity. However, the Human Rights Act 1993 specifically allows for such spaces to be protected on the basis of ‘sex’.”

Ms Ovens suggests voters might like to ask candidates whether they will commit to maintaining or, if necessary, strengthening provisions in the Human Rights Act allowing for single-sex spaces and services where these are required to protect women's and girls' safety and to preserve their privacy and dignity?

“If the candidates answer yes to these questions, then by all means give them your Electorate vote,” Ms Ovens says. “But to ensure the Women's Rights Party is on the ballot in October, it is important to sign up as members and give us your Party vote.

“This will make a difference for women's rights. The political parties need to hear we women roar in numbers too big to ignore!”

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