Published on June 25 juin, 2025
United Nations – Human Rights – Office of the High Commissioner
“You cannot protect what you cannot define”
- UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls calls on states to ensure the terms “women” and “girls” refer exclusively to biological females, and to enshrine this definition in law.
- Report further calls for a prohibition on the social, legal, and medical “transition” of children who claim to experience gender dysphoria, among other safeguards
GENEVA (25 June 2025) – A new report on “Sexual violence against women and girls” presented by Reem Alsalem, UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, warns that States are failing to address persistent and emerging forms of sexual violence, including those linked to gender ideology.
The report calls on States to “ensure that the terms ‘women’ and ‘girls’ are used exclusively to refer to persons of the biological female sex and that this meaning is recognized by law.” It also calls for a ban on the legal and social transition of children who report suffering from gender dysphoria, as well as their subjection to experimental and irreversible medical interventions related to sex reassignment. It prioritizes evidence-based assessments to address underlying neurological, psychological, or other conditions.
Submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 50/7, the report draws on State submissions, recent jurisprudence, and existing human rights frameworks, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).