BOISE, ID — Today, Independent Women’s Voice (IWV) applauds the passage of Idaho’s H.B. 421, inspired by IWV’s Women’s Bill of Rights (WBOR) model legislation that codifies the common public understanding of sex-based words, such as ‘woman’ and ‘man’, already used across state code.   

The Idaho Legislature follows the lead of other states inspired by Women’s Bill of Rights legislation, including Kansas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Nebraska, all of which adopted similar measures last year, and Alabama, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi, all of which are working to pass bills inspired by WBOR this session.

Idaho’s H.B. 421 is an important step in helping to preserve single-sex spaces that ensure privacy, safety, and equal opportunity. Independent Women’s Voice commends the legislators who supported the bill and calls on legislators to avoid conflating ‘sex’ with ‘gender’ in state law where possible. 

“Using the term ‘gender’ to mean biological sex is confusing and misleading,” explained Jennifer Braceras, vice president for legal affairs at Independent Women’s Voice and founder of Independent Women’s Law Center. “Legislators must say what they mean, and judges and unelected bureaucrats must not twist the meaning of scientific terms to undermine the rights of women and girls.” Braceras explains more in FoxNews.com, “Say sex, not gender: Why conservatives need to stop using Leftist language.”

The Women’s Bill of Rights, announced in March 2022, was drafted by Independent Women’s Voice and Independent Women’s Law Center (IWLC) in collaboration with the feminist organization Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF). 

To read and sign the Women’s Bill of Rights, click HERE.

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www.iwv.org 

Independent Women’s Voice fights for women by expanding support for policy solutions that aren’t just well intended, but actually enhance freedom, opportunities, and well-being.