A panel on combating violence against women and girls in sports is being held by the United Nations.

Women's safety and fairness in sports was advocated for by female athletes and global human rights leaders at the United Nations general assembly on Wednesday.

An event was held at the UN Headquarters in New York City, with the participation of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International and leaders, to promote the human rights of female athletes in the U.S. and worldwide.

The Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies, the U.S. collegiate athlete Lainey Armistead, the ADF International CEO Kristen Waggoner, and the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, Reem Alsalem, spoke to government and UN officials about the importance of keeping women's sports fair and female-only.

Last week, the UN General Assembly received a report from Alsalem, advocating for global safeguarding of women and girls in sports, which she elaborated on in her panel comments.

The removal of single-sex spaces in sports has led to an increase in sexual harassment, assault, voyeurism, and physical and sexual attacks against women and girls in unisex locker rooms and toilets, as argued by Alsalem.

"Women and girls in sport are facing new forms of discrimination as patriarchal structures change, with opening the female category of sports to males being a glaring example that undermines their access to equal opportunities and the right to participate in safety, dignity, and fairness."

She stated that the neglect of protecting the female category is a form of violence against women and girls, as the essence of being female is disregarded, leading to distress, pain, humiliation, frustration, and anger at the loss of dignity and injustice.

The Biden Administration, under Title IX, has broadened the scope of sex discrimination and harassment to encompass gender identity and sexual orientation, a move that has sparked debate among athletes, experts, and activists regarding the potential consequences for women-only spaces.

The Education Amendments of 1972 introduced Title IX, a 37-word provision prohibiting schools from discriminating against students based on sex and ensuring equal educational opportunities for women.

In December 2023, Alsalem cautioned the Biden Administration that modifying the definition of a woman under Title IX would lead to a loss of privacy, an increased risk of physical harm, heightened exposure to sexual harassment and voyeurism, and a more frequent and accumulated psychological distress due to the loss of privacy and fair and equal sporting and academic opportunities.

The Biden-Harris Administration's attempt to rewrite Title IX's protections for women and girls is being challenged by ADF, and while the Department of Education claims its contentious update won't affect sports or allow transgender women to compete against biological females, experts argue that the current rule already does that.

Armistead, a former West Virginia collegiate athlete, spoke to the UN panel about the unfairness and wrongness of biological males competing in female sports categories. She shared her personal experiences and discussed the conflict between Title IX changes and state law.

"West Virginia's law mandates that only biological women can participate in women's sports. However, during my tenure at WVSU, I encountered instances of women being injured while competing against males in women's sports."

"Over the past three years, a male track athlete in West Virginia has displaced nearly 300 girls, and this is just one athlete."

West Virginia's protection for women in sports is being defended by Armistead through an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Davies, who competed in three Olympic Games as a swimmer, also shared her experience with unfair competition. She lost out on winning gold in the 1980s Olympics due to an East German competitor who had been given testosterone as a teenager to enhance her performance.

""Women face physical disadvantages, but this does not mean they are superior or inferior. It simply means they are biologically different," she stated. "No one wants to exclude anyone, but we do want to ensure fair and safe sports for women," she added."

She emphasized that it is not enough to wait for a woman to be seriously injured or killed before addressing the science and common sense aspects of the issue.

ADF's legal efforts to safeguard women's rights were discussed by Waggoner, along with the recognition of equality and non-discrimination, including on the basis of sex, as a fundamental human right under international law.

"Sadly, many countries have not met their human rights responsibilities towards women and girls in sports," she stated. "We have discovered through experience that when female sports are not safeguarded, it causes significant harm to women and girls."

She urged the world to learn from past mistakes and current corrections to ensure a future of fair and safe sports for girls.

The inability of women and girls to fairly compete in sports has far-reaching consequences beyond their personal lives, according to Elyssa Koren, panel moderator, international human rights lawyer, and director of legal communications for ADF International.

"Empowering women and girls through sports that are free from violence and discrimination is crucial for everyone's benefit," she emphasized. "The growing incursions into female-only spaces in sports have severe consequences for both opportunities and safety, affecting female athletes today."