Gender Commission fully behind Caster Semenya

Cape Town – The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) has expressed its dismay that the International Association of Athletics Federations
(IAAF) has decided to amend its regulations once again in November 2018.

READ: Caster Semenya to challenge testosterone ruling in highest court

The
new regulations would require female athletes to maintain testosterone levels below 5 nanomoles per litre for a continuous period of at least six months.

This has led to athletes, like Semenya, who are known
to produce high levels of testosterone, being placed squarely in the spotlight.

The Commission for Gender Equality believes
the new regulations are discriminatory against athletes falling into this category.

The CGE has called upon UN Women, the Department of Sports and Recreation, Athletics
South Africa (ASA) and the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee
(SASCOC) to offer their support to Semenya as the Commission believes
the IAAF new regulations are discriminatory.

The statement went on to state that ‘It cannot be
that female athletes that produce 5 percent of nanomoles are subjected to this
unjust and unfair regulations contrary to many conventions and protocols that
are there to protect and promote unfair treatment of female athletes/women from
abuse and discrimination.’

The Commission reiterated its
support for the legal challenge launched by Semenya with the Court of
Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland on Monday against the new regulation in order
to ensure that the rights of all women are safeguarded and protected.

We
are also making a clarion call to like-minded institutions to unequivocally
raise their voices in support of Semenya. The CGE agrees with Semenya’ submission to CAS that the IAAF must set aside the new regulations even
before they are implemented pending the finalisation of her legal challenge.


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