Submission on the Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill

The Mental Health Foundation strongly opposes the passing of this Bill, because it would diminish the legal recognition, dignity, and human rights of transgender, gender-diverse, takatāpui, and intersex people in Aotearoa New Zealand.

This Bill does not address any clear or evidenced harm or offer any meaningful public benefit. Instead, it risks worsening marginalisation and exclusion for groups that already experience significantly poorer mental health outcomes resulting from higher levels of prejudice and discrimination – especially young people who belong to these communities. Recognition, inclusion, and belonging are essential foundations for mental wellbeing. Laws that deny people's identities and attempt to narrow recognition of human diversity risk causing significant harm to mental health.