EU blocks US vote to define gender as biological men and women at UN women’s forum

The United States stood unsocial astatine nan United Nations successful early March aft a European-led procedural move blocked a ballot connected defining gender successful biologic position astatine 1 of nan world’s starring forums connected women’s rights.

At nan conclusion of nan U.N. Commission connected nan Status of Women, nan U.S. was nan only state to reason nan body’s yearly "Agreed Conclusions," citing concerns that nan connection departs from biologic definitions of women and girls. No different personnel authorities voted pinch nan United States.

At nan halfway of nan conflict is really nan United Nations defines "gender." Current U.N. frameworks, rooted successful nan 1995 Beijing Declaration, do not supply a fixed meaning and alternatively trust connected evolving interpretations tied to broader concepts of gender identity, according to EU officials. 

The U.S. connection sought to anchor nan word explicitly successful biologic sex.

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The U.S. introduced a solution titled "Protection of women and girls done due terminology," which sought to explain really gender is understood crossed U.N. policy.

Turkish Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Ozdemir Goktas attends a high-level gathering themed âViolence Against Women and Girlsâ arsenic portion of nan 70th convention of nan United Nations Commission connected nan Status of Women (CSW) successful New York, United States, connected March 12, 2026.  (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The draught states that nan word "gender" should beryllium interpreted "according to its ordinary, mostly accepted usage, arsenic referring to men and women." 

The connection ne'er reached a vote. Belgium, speaking connected behalf of nan European Union, introduced a "no action motion," a procedural instrumentality that blocks statement and prevents a connection from being considered. 

The mobility passed, halting nan U.S. solution earlier it reached nan floor.

That favoritism carries applicable implications. U.N. connection shapes world standards tied to improvement funding, humanitarian programs, acquisition argumentation and anti-discrimination frameworks.

Bethany Kozma, head of Global Affairs astatine nan Department of Health and Human Services, told Fox News Digital nan move reflects a broader effort to unopen down statement astatine nan U.N.

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"While our redlines were ignored, nan United States Government will not guidelines by and watch arsenic malicious forces misuse multilateral organizations to beforehand their ideologies and societal agendas, obstructing nations’ abilities to workout their nationalist sovereignty," Kozma said. "We will ever protect women and girls from vulnerable gender ideology and affirm biologic truth."

She added that nan determination to artifact nan ballot was driven by political calculation.

"The EU blocked our solution to specify gender to mean men and women astatine nan U.N. because they feared we would triumph and they would lose," Kozma said. "We will not springiness up connected doing what is correct for women and girls. Even if we guidelines unsocial for illustration we did astatine nan U.N. past week, we will ever guidelines to protect women and girls from vulnerable extremist gender ideology and ever affirm biologic truth."

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Delegates be a United Nations Security Council gathering connected Feb. 24, 2026, successful New York City. (John Lamparski/Getty Images)

A State Department official, speaking connected background, described nan move arsenic portion of a broader coordinated effort led by European countries.

"These are procedural games that these countries are not prepared for," nan charismatic said, referring to smaller delegations that whitethorn deficiency guidance connected analyzable procedural votes.

The charismatic said nan maneuver allowed opponents to artifact a ballot contempt what nan U.S. believed was increasing support. These claims could not beryllium independently verified.

The European Union rejected nan U.S. criticism, saying nan connection was flawed and rushed.

"The draught solution presented by nan U.S. was factually incorrect," said David Jordens, spokesperson for Belgium’s overseas ministry, adding that it "misquotes and contradicts" connection agreed to successful nan 1995 Beijing Declaration.

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The United Nations Headquarters is photographed successful New York City. (iStock)

"While nan EU respects Member States’ prerogative to put guardant caller initiatives for consideration, CSW members should not beryllium forced to unreserved a determination connected an rumor of this value by nan unilateral inaugural of 1 Member State, without immoderate anterior consultations aliases negotiations," Jordens said.

He added that "there is nary universally agreed meaning of nan word ‘gender’. As reflected successful nan result of nan Fourth World Conference connected Women, nan word was understood successful accordance pinch its mean and mostly accepted usage, without establishing a fixed aliases exhaustive definition. The United Nations should proceed to attack gender equality successful an inclusive and forward-looking manner, respectful of diversity. Any effort to revisit aliases reinterpret internationally agreed connection must return spot done broad, transparent consultations pinch nan afloat membership."