ReportIOC’s Policy on the Protection of the Female (Women’s) Category in Olympic Sport and Guiding Considerations for International Federations and Sports Governing Bodies (26 March 2026)

IOC’s Policy on the Protection of the Female (Women’s) Category in Olympic Sport and Guiding Considerations for International Federations and Sports Governing Bodies (26 March 2026)

The Policy on the Protection of the Female (Women’s) Category in Olympic Sport and Guiding Considerations for International Federations and Sports Governing Bodies (26 March 2026) is an official IOC document that sets out regulations concerning the exclusion of transgender athletes from women’s competitions.

In November 2021, the IOC published the Framework on Fairness, Inclusion and Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity and Sex Variations, which sought to ensure that athletes would not be excluded from competition solely because of their transgender identity. However, the IOC’s March 2026 policy represents a significant shift away from this previous approach.

For further discussion, we recommend the following resources:

• Interested in understanding international standards on transgender athletes, including the IOC’s 2021 Framework? Please read the report published by the SHRI: “International Standards and Recommendations on the Participation of Transgender Athletes in Sports Competitions”
• Interested in understanding how the IOC’s 2026 policy raises human rights concerns? Please read the statement by Human Rights Network Baram: “Condemn the IOC’s Decision to Exclude Transgender Women — It Is Discrimination Against All Women and Merely an Attempt to Control Bodies”