EU blocks US decision to define gender as male and female at UN

The United States stood alone at the United Nations in early March after a European-led process blocked a vote to define gender in biological terms at one of the world’s leading forums for women’s rights.

At the conclusion of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, the US was the only country to object to the organization’s annual “Consensus Conclusions”, citing concerns that the language is moving away from the biological definitions of women and girls. No other member state voted with the United States.

At the center of the dispute is how the United Nations defines “gender.” Current UN frameworks, centered on the 1995 Beijing Declaration, do not provide a consistent definition and instead rely on flexible interpretations tied to broader concepts of gender identity, according to EU officials.

The US proposal seeks to emphasize the word clearly on biological sex.

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The US introduced a resolution entitled “Protection of women and girls through the use of appropriate words,” which sought to clarify how gender is understood in all UN policy.

The draft states that the word “gender” should be interpreted “in accordance with its common, generally accepted usage, as referring to men and women.”

This proposal never came to a vote. Belgium, acting on behalf of the European Union, introduced a “passive motion,” a procedural tool that blocks debate and prevents a proposal from being considered.

The proposal passed, halting the US decision before it reached the floor.

That difference has practical consequences. The UN’s language shapes global standards related to development financing, humanitarian aid programs, education policy and anti-discrimination frameworks.

Bethany Kozma, director of Global Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services, told Fox News Digital that the move reflects a broader effort to shut down debate at the UN.

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“While our redline is ignored, the United States Government will not stand by and watch as brutal forces abuse international organizations to promote their ideas and social agendas, hindering the ability of nations to exercise their sovereignty,” Kozma said. “We will always protect women and girls from harmful gender stereotypes and affirm biological truth.”

He added that the decision to block the vote was driven by political calculations.

“The EU blocked our decision that gender means men and women in the UN because they were afraid that we would win and they would lose,” said Kozma. “We will not stop doing what is right for women and girls. Even if we stand alone as we did at the UN last week, we will always fight to protect women and girls from dangerous gender stereotypes and always affirm biological truth.”

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Delegates attended the United Nations Security Council meeting on February 24, 2026, in New York City. (John Lamparski/Getty Images)

A State Department official, speaking in the background, described the move as part of a joint effort led by European countries.

“These are procedural games that these countries are not prepared for,” the official said, referring to smaller teams that may lack guidance on complex procedural votes.

The official said the strategy allowed the opposition to block the vote even though the US believed it was gaining support. These claims could not be independently verified.

The European Union rejected the US criticism, saying the proposal was flawed and rushed.

“The draft resolution presented by the US was not true,” said David Jordens, a spokesman for Belgium’s foreign ministry, adding that it “cited errors and contradicted” the language agreed to in the 1995 Beijing Declaration.

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The United Nations Headquarters was photographed in New York City. (Stock)

“Although the EU respects the authority of the member states to prioritize new programs for consideration, the CSW members should not be forced to speed up the decision on this priority with one step of one Member State, without prior consultation or discussion,” said Jordens.

He added that “there is no universally agreed definition of the term ‘gender’. As shown in the outcome of the Fourth International Conference on Women, the term was understood according to its common and generally accepted usage, without establishing a consistent or complete definition. The United Nations must continue to deal with gender equality in an inclusive and forward-looking way, any way agreed upon by revising the international language should reconsider any attempt to re-evaluate the world. broad, transparent consultation and full membership.”