New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill that would legally define the terms “woman” and “man” based on biological sex.

The proposed Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill seeks to amend the Legislation Act 2019 by defining a woman as “an adult human biological female” and a man as “an adult human biological male.”

Party leader Winston Peters said the move was about ensuring New Zealand law reflects biological reality and protects sex-based rights.

“This is not about being anti-anyone or anti-anything,” Peters said. “This is about ensuring we as a country focus on the facts of biology and protect the term ‘woman’ in law.”

He said New Zealand First was the only party that campaigned on keeping men out of women’s sports and changing rooms, and the bill was in response to two petitions this term calling for legal clarity on the term “woman.”

“We were told at the time that we were going down a ‘rabbit hole’ and ‘on another planet.’ But if you look at recent events, both internationally and in New Zealand, the pendulum is swinging back towards common sense and is proving us right,” he said.

Peters claimed the legislation was necessary to push back against what he described as “cancerous social engineering” and “woke ideology” that had undermined women’s safety and progress.

“Our laws should reflect biological reality and provide legal certainty,” he said. “This bill is a win for common sense.”

If passed, the bill would insert new sections 13A and 13B into the Legislation Act to enshrine sex-based definitions in law.