The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) new policy on genetic testing for women athletes has faced criticism from human rights groups, legal experts, and women athletes worldwide.
A joint statement signed by 69 academicians and human rights lawyers from various countries condemned the policy, stating that it violates domestic laws and international covenants.
The policy requires women athletes to undergo genetic testing to determine their biological sex, which has been deemed 'stigma-based' rather than 'science-based' by experts.
Nine African women track athletes, including Olympic gold medallist Caster Semenya, have written a letter to the IOC expressing their concerns about the negative impact of gender testing on their careers.
Experts argue that the policy will inform guidelines for other national and international federations and sport governing bodies on gender testing, and that it is 'legally unviable' in many parts of the world.
The IOC president, Kristy Coventry, announced the policy, stating that it is based on science and has the best interests of all athletes at heart.
However, experts argue that the issue of fairness has plagued the IOC's considerations on women's sports for some time, and that gene testing is not scientifically conclusive.
