South Africa’s political parties have welcomed the ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that South African track-star, Caster Semenya was discriminated against by rules in track and field that forced her to medically reduce her natural hormone levels to compete in major competitions.

The double Olympic 800m champion on Tuesday won her challenge after she refused to take testosterone-lowering medication as mandated by the sport's international federation, World Athletics.

In a show of solidarity with the South African sports icon, political parties welcomed the ruling, saying it the implications of this groundbreaking judgment herald a return of Semenya to the track without any discrimination and violation of her human rights.

The African National Congress (ANC) said this judgment further vindicated the party’s stance on discrimination and protection of rights, respect and human dignity, equality, non-sexism and non-homophobia.

“The ruling reaffirms the supremacy of our Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” the ANC said.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said it noted how women, especially black women, were often victimised and discriminated against by sports governing bodies and they were further saddened by the constant scrutiny into Semenya’s medical history, “which is telling of the treatment which women who do not conform to gender stereotypes, often receive”.

“Throughout her career, Caster has been subjected to intrusive testing and hormone regulation, and today she has been exonerated,” the EFF said.

“Caster Semenya’s story, is a story of how racism and imperialism, still filter into the lives of our people.”

In a statement issued by the party, the EFF said that in the 14 years since Semenya won the 2009 World Championships, the sports world had reduced her story to just one thing, her body.

“This reminiscent of the story of Saartjie Baartman, an African woman, who was taken from our shores in 1810 and brought to Europe to be displayed in a circus until her death,” the party said.

“The Economic Freedom Fighters congratulates Caster Semenya on her victory, and we reaffirm our belief in her as an elite athlete who has fallen victim to an anti-black world that refuses to accept that a black woman can dominate a sport regulated by a white world.”

Olympic champion runner Semenya, has since 2019, been fighting against rules introduced in 2019 by World Athletics, which regulate levels of the hormone in female athletes.

Semenya had refused to take drugs to artificially lower her testosterone and had submitted an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in February 2021, against the government of Switzerland, for not protecting her rights when the supreme court of Switzerland ruled against her, over the rules three years ago.

kailene.pillay@inl.co.za

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