• New Zealand First Party proposes a bill defining men and women based on biological sex.
• The bill follows a recent ruling by Britain's Supreme Court on gender definitions.
• Opposition leaders criticize the bill as a populist distraction amid pressing national issues.
• The proposed law aims to counter what they term “woke ideology” in society.

The New Zealand First Party, a minority coalition partner, has introduced a bill to parliament aimed at defining women and men strictly by their biology, thereby preventing the legal recognition of transgender individuals. This proposal follows closely on the heels of a significant ruling by Britain's Supreme Court that defined a woman based on biological sex, an outcome that has sparked considerable debate and concern among transgender advocates, according to Channel News Asia.

Winston Peters, the leader of New Zealand First and the country’s deputy prime minister, stated that "the need for legislation like this shows how far the deluded left has taken us as a society," arguing that it is essential for laws to reflect biological reality and provide legal certainty. He described the current gender discourse as “cancerous social engineering” propagated by a “woke minority,” suggesting a need for a legislative pushback, reports Reuters.

Critics of the bill, including opposition leader Chris Hipkins, described the legislation as "typical populist politics," claiming it distracts from real issues such as the cost of living crisis and a struggling health system. Hipkins emphasized that the bill would likely struggle to gain traction in parliament due to its controversial nature and the requirement for majority support, according to South China Morning Post.

The proposed law would legally define a woman as an “adult human biological female” and a man as an “adult human biological male.” This move attracts attention not only for its implications for transgender rights but also for the political climate surrounding the issue, where definitions of gender continue to divide opinion across the globe, according to South China Morning Post.

As legal challenges related to transgender rights unfold globally, the New Zealand bill is indicative of a broader political strategy employed by certain factions to galvanize support among constituents who may feel alienated by contemporary discussions about gender identity and rights, reports Reuters.