Alex Penk: NZ First's 'what is a woman' bill asks us what it means to be human

PremiumOpinionOpinion byAlex PenkNZ Herald·19 Jun, 2026 01:00 AM5 mins to readAlex Penk is chief executive of the charity Ethos, which provides legal support and advocacy for people being challenged because of their beliefs.Thousands of Kiwis marched through central Auckland earlier this month against NZ First’s proposal to define “woman” and “man” in law. Photo / Marzia Solarian THE FACTS:NZ First wants to clarify the definition of a woman and a man in law, introducing a member’s bill that says it wants to ensure “our country moves away from the woke ideology that has crept in over the last few years”.Thousands of Kiwis marched through downtown Auckland this month in opposition to the bill.In 2020, the Ministry for Women said it defined “women” as “people who identify as women ... This definition is inclusive of transgender women”.If you’re looking for a lightning rod, asking “What is a woman?” is about as good as it gets right now. Parliament is grappling with a bill aiming to answer the question in law, which drew a substantial protest last weekend to “defy definition”.

It’s an incredibly sensitive