New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill that would legally define “woman” and “man” according to biological sex, sparking renewed debate over gender definitions in legislation.
The proposed Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill seeks to amend the Legislation Act 2019, defining a woman as “an adult human biological female” and a man as “an adult human biological male.”
Party leader Winston Peters said the bill aims to ensure New Zealand laws reflect biological facts and uphold sex-based rights.
“This is not about being anti-anyone or anti-anything,” Peters stated. “This is about ensuring we as a country focus on the facts of biology and protect the term ‘woman’ in law.”
Peters said New Zealand First remains the only party that openly campaigned on excluding men from women’s sports and changing rooms. He linked the bill to two petitions presented earlier in the current parliamentary term that called for legal clarity on the definition of “woman.”
“We were told at the time that we were going down a ‘rabbit hole’ and ‘on another planet,’” Peters added. “But if you look at recent events, both internationally and in New Zealand, the pendulum is swinging back towards common sense and is proving us right.”
He described the bill as a necessary measure to counter what he called “cancerous social engineering” and “woke ideology”, which, in his view, has undermined women’s rights and safety.
“Our laws should reflect biological reality and provide legal certainty,” Peters said. “This bill is a win for common sense.”
If passed, the legislation would insert new sections—13A and 13B—into the Legislation Act, formally enshrining sex-based definitions in law.
The bill is expected to generate significant public discussion, as issues surrounding gender identity, inclusion, and legal recognition continue to be at the forefront of political and cultural debates in New Zealand and globally.
