The Intersex Awareness Day 2016

For the past decade, SIPD Uganda has worked and spoken out about the need to recognize and respect the rights of intersex children and people in Uganda, in the East African region, in Africa, and internationally.  These engagements have taken us knocking on the doors of religious leaders, parents, community leaders, educators, policy makers, media, regional opinion makers in the fields of law and medicine, and international development partners, demanding that intersex health and human rights are given due attention and placed on the forefront at the discussion table for the human rights of sexual and gender minorities.

It has been a journey that we – as the team at SIPD – are proud to have taken and feel thrilled to see that this voice and efforts, met with more intersex voices on the continent and around the world to bring about the visibility we celebrate today. The visibility is still nascent but it is present. And while there is still a lot of work ahead of us, we would like to pause and celebrate our work and our journey. We also want to celebrate the journeys of all the beautiful and brave intersex people whose stories and voices continue to positively influence and change the way intersex children and people are treated in Uganda, in the region, and around the world.

We especially celebrate recognition within international human rights structures at the United Nations and at the African Commission for Human and Peoples’ Rights on marking the 2016 Intersex Awareness Day, SIPD Uganda continues to call on the Ugandan government to

  • Address violations and discrimination against intersex youth and adults on the basis of their intersex and gender non-conforming traits at school, at work, at healthcare facilities, and in families.
  • Sensitize its relevant ministries – Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Gender , Labour, and Social Development – on the issue of sex determination.
  • Document and follow up intersex births at all hospitals and the Traditional Birth Attendants’ facilities, in order to advance education on the issue and mitigate stigma.
  • Provide healthcare personnel with relevant training on how to care for intersex children and patients with respect to their bodily integrity and mental well-being.