BBC women’s footballer of the year Barbra Banda has her gender questioned by all the usual suspects
Barbra Banda has been recognized as the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year. However, even though she identifies as a cisgender woman, she is facing scrutiny and speculation regarding her gender identity.
The striker from Zambia, who plays for the Orlando Pride, was one of five athletes selected by a group of experts for the award. It was revealed on Tuesday, November 26, that she received the highest number of votes from the audience on the BBC Sport website.
Banda made history as the first Zambian woman to play football in Europe when she joined the Spanish team Logrono in 2018, after making her debut for the national team two years prior. She led her country as captain during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and showcased her skills at this year's Games in Paris, scoring four goals, which featured an impressive hat trick in the first half of the match against Australia.
Throughout the regular football season, she netted 13 goals for Pride and added four more during the playoffs. This included the decisive goal in the championship final on Saturday, November 23, leading Orlando to win the title for the first time.
She has received recognition for her contributions beyond the field as well. In 2021, she established the Barbra Banda Foundation, which is dedicated to reducing poverty, advancing equality, and increasing awareness of the challenges faced by girls and women.
"I want to dedicate this to the fans who have always backed my journey, my teammates who make it all happen, and my coaches who provide me with the right support," she expressed. "I’m truly amazed to receive this award and want to extend my gratitude to those who cast their votes, as well as to everyone who has contributed to my life and career, including my family, my national squad, and especially the Pride team. This is for all of you."
Recently, there's been some doubt regarding her gender due to a controversy related to eligibility that arose over two years ago.
In 2022, she was excluded from the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations squad due to reported elevated testosterone levels. While the details of the test were not disclosed, the Zambian Football Association stated that she had not passed a gender verification examination.
This doesn’t necessarily indicate that she is transgender, but UK newspapers like The Times and the Daily Telegraph appeared to cover Banda's award with a focus on a “gender controversy.”
People labeled as gender-critical accused her of being transgender, referring to her as "male." Former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies described the award as "absolutely absurd," while round-the-world yachtswoman Tracy Edwards called it "the downfall of women's sports," according to the Daily Mail.
Paul Wheeler, a podcaster from Absolute Football, criticized the coverage as “terrible,” noting, “She didn’t receive a ban according to the established FIFA regulations. Furthermore, the headline fails to clarify that Barbra Banda is a cisgender woman.”
A report from last year indicated that there was no evidence to suggest that Banda's testosterone levels were anything other than naturally produced.
The debate mirrored the challenges endured by Algerian boxer Imane Khelif as she achieved a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
A debate surrounding accusations of not meeting the eligibility requirements for the 2023 World Championship led some critics of transgender athletes to refer to Khelif as a transgender woman, even though she identifies as cisgender.
The International Olympic Committee condemned the mistreatment and acknowledged that the welterweight athlete had followed all the rules of the competition.
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