Caster vows to continue fight despite ban

Caster Semenya doesn’t intend to let up on her fight to ensure that men who wear suits in the athletics world don’t dictate for girls and women like her to change where to fit in.  

Semenya, who has a higher level of testosterone than other women, has been subjected to gender tests by World Athletics, and entering courts fighting against taking testosterone-reducing medication. The fight is still ongoing, she told Sowetan, and now it is with the European Human Rights Court. The matter was last heard in 2021 and, two months ago, World Athletics moved swiftly to ban transgender women from competing in elite female competitions.

This meant many women like Semenya – such as Francine Niyonsaba and Christine Mboma – were effectively barred from world events. But through her Caster Semenya Foundation, she’s aiming to show them that they do not have to conform to rules made by suit wearers who don’t know their reality. 

“This is a fight where you want these kids to understand their worth and themselves as humans so they can never allow anyone to define them by their looks and background they are coming from,” Semenya told Sowetan.

“It’s all about teaching them to understand who they are [Semenya and others], where they are coming from and never allow someone who is wearing suits, who has never been in your shoes and make you change your identity because they want you to change.

“They must understand themselves, it’s all about self-love, self-worth and self-respect. The moment you allow someone who is wearing a suit to disrespect your identity, you are allowing them to rule you, we are teaching them to hold the power and own their identity and understand who you are and what you stand for,” she said. 

According to Semenya, the parents are key in this fight. “This we take it through the parents, they need to start supporting their kids, if you see your kid is different, love them for who they are, support them, embrace them, cherish everything they do and be happy for them.”