Zambian's rights violated after gender test - rights group

The human rights of a top Zambian female footballer were violated after she was subjected to a gender eligibility test ahead of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon), Human Rights Watch says.

Barbra Banda was ruled out of the competition, which is currently taking place in Morocco.

"Such sex testing procedures are flagrant human rights violations because they are stigmatizing, stereotyping and discriminatory," Human Rights Watch says.

Last week, Andrew Kamanga, the president of Zambia's FA said: "All the players had to undergo gender verification, a Caf requirement, and unfortunately she did not meet the criteria set by Caf."

"It's unfortunate that we find ourselves going into the tournament without our best players."

Human Rights Watch has called on football's world governing body to change its procedures.

Similar issues have affected South African athlete Cater Semenya, who has been barred by athletics' governing body from her preferred 800m distance.

Last year, two Namibian teenagers, Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi, were forced to step down from the 400m weeks before the Tokyo Olympics after they were informed of their elevated testosterone levels.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

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