Geneva, April 3 – The UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, welcomed the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) policy on “Protecting the Female Category in Olympic Sport.”
Last month, the IOC announced a new policy on protecting the female (women’s) category in Olympic sport, stating that for all disciplines in an IOC event’s sporting program, including the Olympic Games, and for both individual and team sports, eligibility for any female category is limited to biological females.
The policy, approved by the IOC Executive Board, will take effect from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games onwards, and is not retroactive. It applies to all female category events, including both individual and team sports. The IOC also encouraged International Federations (IFs) and other sports governing bodies to adopt the policy when implementing eligibility rules for IOC events.
"The new policy is based on common sense, facts, and science. It restores dignity, fairness, and safety for women and girls in Olympic sport," Alsalem said. "I welcome this policy as a necessary, proportionate, and legitimate step to ensure the protection of women and girls, in line with international human rights law and standards."
She added, "Evidence-based approaches, including the recognition of the material reality of sex, must guide the development, monitoring, and review of sport policy at all levels."
Alsalem stated that while the policy is not retroactive, it does not preclude the IOC from providing appropriate remedies for past injustices, such as issuing an apology to female athletes who were denied fair competition, and to consider awarding retrospective parallel medals.
"Such measures would demonstrate a recognition of the harm suffered by female athletes and signal a genuine commitment to accountability and restoring their rights, including guarantees that it will not happen again," she said.