Identity and Capabilities at stake: Gender Testing Scrutinises Women’s Bodies
A blog by Shivani Singhal, Young Expert at GHRH
Why does gender, something natural, socially and historically, as claimed by many, constantly need policing to uphold its pieces, as if a mere wind will dismantle this preserved puzzle? Why are those deemed unfit to tick the appropriate structures of bodily expression pathologized and subjected to trolling and critique? Who constructs this definition of masculinity and femininity, and the mere blurring of this line, even by the cis women, calls for othering and marginalisation or subjection to practices like gender testing?
The universally imposed and inculcated definition by power structures often associates women's femininity with the vagina and masculinity with a penis, positioning the latter as a supreme power. Even in this binary, the choice and understanding of biological determinism is limited, yet excluding the hormonal and physical changes that can affect growth spurts in female bodies, not allowing them to fit into the dominant imagination of ideal body politics. Thus, situating a privileged discourse “on all” just like “a one size fits all” notion, leaving no room for trans individuals and their bodies at all. This whole debate became more apparent during the 2024 Paris Olympics when the Algerian women boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwan boxer Lin Yu Ting were subjected to misgendering and labelled as men fighting against women by many Twitter users, who called it an act of violence by men. Cultural preservers and conservatives used this narrative to express disdain and hate for trans and woke culture.
Is that the case? The answer is no, but in the times of propaganda and fake news making rounds on social media, it appears to be. This reflects a stereotypical attribution directed toward women athletes and another site to bear a sexist and colonized mindset, where biological attributes and physique define masculinity and femininity. Any deviation from this, such as having a muscular and broader build, often subjects women to prove their “shyness and appropriate femininity standards” despite being born and identifying as a woman, as seen in the Paris Olympics. Misgendering and questioning, and limiting one's mere existence to the genitals, with the emphasis that failure to meet these standards, results in shaming and humiliation, subjecting them and their bodies to undergo medical testing to prove their femaleness, draws attention to a problematic nature of this discourse.
In the Human Rights Watch report, “They’re Chasing Us Away from Sport: Human Rights Violations in Sex Testing of Elite Women Athletes,” an athlete, identified as J.G., expressed the fear of excelling in the sports: "When I performed well at athletics, I’d feel more stressed… My coach would say, '[This person] is a boy; why is she always competing with girls?’ When I won more and more, I only felt more fear. I was afraid they might do [a] physical exam and make me ineligible to compete." This statement encapsulates the paradox many women athletes face, where their success and laurels become a source of anxiety and potential disqualification. The very achievements that should define their careers instead heighten their vulnerability to gender testing, leading to a pervasive fear of public shaming and media scrutiny. The movie ‘Rashmi Rocket’, starring Taapsee Pannu and directed by Akarsh Khurana, also depicts the same by offering a cinematic portrayal that can be juxtaposed to the unjust struggles faced by women athletes like Imane Khelif, who never mould themselves into the ascribed frames. The movie tells the story of Rashmi, a women athlete and track runner from a small town in Kutch, Gujarat, whose winning streak led to a question on her capabilities, subjecting her to gender testing - questioning her identity as a woman and illustrating the isolation and the existing inequalities.
Not the first and the only case
The scrutiny and gender testing imposed on women athletes, such as Imane Khelif, highlights a troubling issue. In the athletic world, women athletes have been subjected to invasive and discriminatory gender tests that question their very existence and legitimacy in their respective sports, often leading to the destruction of their careers. Athletes from the Global South are often more vulnerable to gender testing and testosterone regulations. The case of Imane Khelif is just one among many suffering athletes. After winning gold Imane Khelif asserted “I'm a woman like any other woman. I was born a woman, I lived a woman, I competed as a woman, there's no doubt about that. [The detractors] are enemies of success, that is what I call them. And that also gives my success a special taste because of these attacks.” The statement captures her resilience amid the constant castigation for having masculine physique and traits. The Indian sprinter, Dutee Chand, also subjected to gender testing scrutiny, supported Imane Khelif in her interview with PTI.
The list of women athletes whose lives and dreams have been scattered by an inhumane practice of gender testing is never ending. Women Athletes such as Santhi Soundarajan, Maria Jose Martinez-Patino, Pinki Pramanik, Pratima Goankar and Ewa Janina Klobukowska are just a few among many who, despite being a woman, dared to dream in a patriarchal world. However, the system unjustly pushed them back, stripping them of their dignity, identity and hope due to them being “too masculine” and for having high testosterone as men. The question remains the same: until when and how much longer will women’s bodies be scrutinised to such traumatic experiences? In a world where women struggle every day to mark their position within society, such tests only add and reinforce multiple layers of oppression and systematic discrimination. Raising questions on women’s very right to compete, forcing many to quit the field and life, simply for being themselves.
Physical attributes overshadow the women athlete’s hardwork?
Is “She” only defined by XX chromosomes or by the traits which are built and imposed with gender tutoring, representing the hegemonic notion of “she” which is shy, weak and gentle than the male athletes and even with other women especially if it is white women. According to Nigel Edley, it is possible for an individual to have female genitalia and yet have XY chromosomes and vice versa. There is nothing which scientifically proves this construct of male- specific hormones and vice versa, but it is a product of a narrow sexist construct which fails to acknowledge and view body politics beyond binaries, strengthening it with power notions of caste, class, race, ethnicity within its folds.
The deconstruction of the masculinity narrative as male masculinity as dominant is essential, which can be better understood by bringing into Jack Halberstam's book “Female Masculinity” which talks about the need for detachment of masculinity from the male body and to view female masculinity in itself as a valid expression and celebration of masculinity paradigm. The sports federation and association should introduce more inclusive and flexible rules with a ban on such uncredible and flawed tests which violates athletes human rights, emphasising that the body as an expression of masculinity and femininity and an existing social identifier is controlled and moulded.
*The opinions expressed on this blog are those of the Young Experts and do not necessarily reflect the views or official positions of the Girls Human Rights Hub. The content shared here is intended to provide insights and perspectives on girls human rights and human rights issues, but it is important to recognise that individual opinions may vary.