What’s Current: New Zealand postpones passing bill allowing sex self-identification on legal documents

  • New Zealand’s Internal Affairs Minister, Tracey Martin, has deferred the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Bill which would allow for self-identification of sex on legal documents. Martin said:

‘”The bill began as a simple measure to update the previous legislation and develop new digital and online channels to access births, deaths and marriages information.

However, significant changes were made to the bill by the select committee around gender self-identification and this occurred without adequate public consultation. This has created a fundamental legal issue.”‘

  • Most tools, safety devices, and public accommodations are designed for men. Caroline Criado Perez argues this is dangerous for and harmful to women in her new book, Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men.
  • The Oscar-winning documentary short, Period. End of Sentence, reveals the serious menstrual hygiene problems Indian women face because of male harassment and shaming.
  • Sanitary Aid Zimbabwe has been trying to draw attention to period poverty facing women in the city of Harare as well as in rural farming communities in the country.
  • The governor of the trust which oversees the UK’s Tavistock pediatric gender clinic, has resigned over an internal report casting doubt on the fitness of its Gender Identity Development Service. Parents have criticized the services as “fast-tracking” young people for serious medical interventions without proper evaluations.
Natasha Chart

Natasha Chart is an online organizer and feminist living in the United States. She does not recant her heresy.