The Regional ICD (International Classification of Diseases) Conference in 2015 was a landmark summit hosted in Johannesburg, South Africa from September 27–30, 2015. Co-hosted by Iranti, GATE (Global Action for Trans Equality) and Gender Dynamix, the gathering brought together over 30 trans and intersex activists representing 12 countries across Africa.

The Conference focus and highlights centred around ICD-11 Revision Advocacy. The primary goal was to mobilise African voices and influence the WHO’s ongoing development of the ICD-11. Activists advocated for the depathologisation of trans identities. The aim of the conference was to create a collaborative space for engagement on developing an African advocacy strategy on ICD revision through discussions, expert presentations and group work. Read more.

A video featuring the stories of trans participants from the Conference was published by Iranti in November 2015.

Out in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, civil society organizations joined forces to speak openly about intersex lives with a goal of shifting how society understands differences in sex traits while also challenging the long standing myths and misconceptions. The conversation led by CRD Femmes Debout, in partnership with Intersex Nigeria, brought together health professionals, community leaders, and advocates to reflect on the realities faced by intersex people in Cameroon. The gathering was supported by Open Society Initiative for West Africa through the Visibility, Inclusion and Recognition of Intersex Persons (VIRAL) project, marking another step in growing efforts across Africa to build awareness and dialogue around intersex issues. 

The conversation stressed how deeply rooted gender norms and limited awareness continue to shape the experiences of intersex people in Cameroon. Many continue to face secrecy, shame and harmful medical practices, particularly when decisions about their bodies are made without their informed consent. By bringing together different stakeholders including healthcare providers and traditional leaders the workshop created space for learning, reflection, and the gradual reshaping of narratives about intersex bodies and rights.

What stood out most was how the gathering lifted up real and personal stories from intersex individuals. This space gave room for listening and learning mostly from those affected the most. Their words showed tough realities around employment, and estranged families yet also illustrating resilience as activists. This meeting in Yaoundé became one point in a longer journey where African advocates push not for attention, but for truth to be seen clearly. 

This reflection is based on the article: “CSOs raise awareness on intersexuality at Yaoundé confab” The Guardian Post Cameroon. Read the original article.

This reflection was written by Delphine Barigye, our Intersex Content Contributor.

On 23 October 2022, the Centre for Human Rights, in collaboration with the Support Initiative for People with Atypical Sex Development (SIPD) and the Intersex Community of Zimbabwe (ICoZ), launched the ‘Study on the Human Rights Situation of Intersex Persons in Africa’ Report at the 73rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul, The Gambia. The Report acknowledges the lived realities of intersex persons and leverages their voices through interviews and personal testimonies. The methodology is qualitative and relies heavily on

“the strength of the stories to show evidence of human rights violations against intersex persons in Africa”.

A total of 25 intersex individuals, parents, and stakeholders from six African countries (South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana) were interviewed. The Report highlights that

“all names of the interviewees were noted down. However, some requested to remain anonymous… due to fear of victimization”.

Below follows more information about the launch, which is then followed by a review of the Report by our intersex content contributor.

The Launch of the Report

The launch was attended by representatives from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and national human rights institutions (NHRIs), and was moderated by Dr Tresor Makunya of the Centre for Human Rights. Speaking at the launch, the Honourable Commissioner Remy Lumbu from the Ivory Coast, Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights welcomed the intersex study

“as coming at a critical time when there is urgent need to address the human rights violations against intersex persons on the African continent. He bemoaned the lack of awareness, misunderstandings and misconceptions around intersex bodies which often lead to many of the violations against intersex persons. He welcomed the presentation of a draft resolution on intersex persons as part of the study which, if adopted by the African Commission, will be one of the first steps in protecting the rights of intersex persons at a regional level”.

Source: Centre for Human Rights

Professor Frans Viljoen, the Director of the Centre for Human Rights, said:

“We urge the Commission to take note of the study results, and consider adopting normative guidance (for example, in the form of a resolution) to assist states to correct the misunderstanding on intersex persons among the general public, and to provide legal protection to address the plight of of intersex Africans through a human rights-based approach.”    

Speakers included Tapiwa Mamhare (SOGIESC Officer at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria), Delphine Barigye (Support Initiative for People with Atypical Sex Development — SIPD) who spoke about the human rights situation faced by intersex persons in Kenya and Uganda, and Ronnie Zuze (Intersex Community of Zimbabwe — ICoZ) who spoke about the situation in Zimbabwe. The Report was contributed to by the African Intersex Movement (AIM), Julius Kaggwa from SIPD, James Karanja (a Kenyan lawyer), Mphatso Sakala (Intersex Society of Zambia — ISSZ), Ryan Wangui (Kenyan intersex activist), and the Rainbow Identity Association (RIA) in Botswana.

Review of the Report

by Delphine Barigye, our intersex content contributor

Chapter 1: Introduction

The initial chapter introduces the term “intersex” as an umbrella category encompassing diverse natural variations in sex characteristics. The authors are keen to separate intersex from LGBTQ identities, emphasising that “there is no necessary correlation between being intersex and having a particular sexual orientation or gender identity” (p.5).

Under this chapter, it is noted that the persistence of misconceptions is often rooted in religious and cultural beliefs that frame intersex individuals as cursed or abnormal. One critical observation is that intersex traits are not always visible at birth but may emerge at puberty or later, which complicates awareness and diagnosis. The authors document that over 40 intersex variations exist, including “external genitals that cannot be easily classified as male or female” and “inconsistencies between the external genitals and the internal reproductive organs”.

Statistics are difficult to obtain, though Kenya made a landmark move in 2019 by counting 1,524 intersex people in its national census. However, the Report cautions: “statistics should not be a limiting factor for intersex persons to enjoy the rights and freedoms provided for under the African Charter”.

Furthermore, the pathologisation of intersex bodies is critiqued. The use of the term “disorders of sex development” is contested. According to the Report, “genital ‘normalizing’ surgeries often lead to irreversible medical procedures that can cause life- long psychological suffering, depression, permanent infertility, pain, incontinence and loss of sexual pleasure”.

Chapter 2: Case studies

The second chapter is the emotional heart of the report, presenting deeply personal accounts of intersex persons. The most egregious violation identified in the Report is non-consensual genital “normalizing” surgery on minors. These procedures, often cosmetic, are presented as urgent by medical professionals but are rarely medically necessary.

Non-consensual surgeries on minors

Ronika Zuze, a 42-year-old intersex individual from Zimbabwe, recounted how they were operated on without consent:

“I felt like a medical experiment because lots of people would come to see me… I still have chronic pain up to now. Given a choice, I would have never gone through the surgery. I have become homeless at some point, battled alcohol addiction, suicidal thoughts and depression” (p.10).

Such surgeries are likened to female genital mutilation (FGM) and are violations of the African Charter’s protections on physical integrity and dignity. The Report recommends a moratorium on all cosmetic genital surgeries until the intersex person is old enough to give informed consent.

Legal identity

Legal identity is another major challenge. Most intersex individuals face problems registering at birth or correcting their gender markers later in life. James Karanja, an intersex activist, described a traumatic encounter at a bank:

“They started beating me up… I had to be searched and that meant removing my clothes. It was dehumanizing” (p.14).

Another participant, Ryan, described being unable to access financial aid because

“My school certificates were written [with] my former name, while my ID was changed” (p.15).

Social stigma

Social stigma is rampant, with several stories documenting abandonment, school bullying, and infanticide. One Ugandan participant shared:

“An elderly man accused me… said I was the reason why my area was facing a drought and I was supposed to be stoned to death.”

Mental health

The chapter closes by highlighting mental health impacts. Depression, anxiety, and trauma are recurring themes. The Report documents how societal rejection begins within the family and extends into schools, workplaces, and correctional facilities.

Chapter 3: Legal protections

Chapter three outlines legal protections afforded under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Articles 2, 3, 5, and 16 provide a framework for non-discrimination, protection from torture, and access to health. Yet, few African states have applied these rights explicitly to intersex persons.

On the global stage, substantial progress is noted:

• The European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning genital surgeries.
• Malta passed the GIGESC Act banning cosmetic surgery on intersex minors.
• Australia included intersex status in its anti-discrimination laws.

“The IACHR urged states to urgently prohibit surgeries and medically unnecessary procedures on intersex children” (p.21).

The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture condemned involuntary surgeries as a form of cruel and degrading treatment. The United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) urged states to prohibit medically unnecessary procedures and respect bodily autonomy.

Within Africa, South Africa and Kenya stand out. South Africa allows changes to sex markers on birth certificates under the Alteration of Sex Description and Sex Status Act. Kenya has integrated intersex recognition into judicial, legislative and policy spheres most notably in the Baby A (2013)and RM (2007) cases, which led to the intersex taskforce and reforms (p.24).

Chapter 4: Advocacy

Chapter four entails advocacy for intersex rights is still emerging in Africa. Previously, intersex issues were subsumed under LGBTQ advocacy, but intersex organisations are beginning to organise independently.

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has hosted side-events, thanks to efforts by the Centre for Human Rights, SIPD-Uganda, and others. However, Commissioner Mute warned:

“You have to do a lot of work in clarifying and explaining what intersex is all about. There is a lot of conflation… from the acronym LGBT” (p.27).

Engagement with the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) has led to discussions on intersex children’s rights, but limitations remain since protections often exclude adults.

Chapter 5: Norm setting

Chapter five outlines the urgent need for norm-setting by the African Commission. The authors argue that the lack of domestic laws in African states stems from the absence of regional frameworks. They recommend the following actions:

• Adopt a specific resolution to address the rights of intersex persons.
• Develop principles and guidelines to elaborate on legal obligations.
• Draft model legislation for member states to adopt.

The Report emphasizes that although Resolution 275 addresses violence against sexual minorities, it fails to account for violations unique to intersex persons, such as forced surgeries and infanticide:

“A resolution will provide precision… and will be an important advocacy tool to raise awareness and engage governments to make legal reform on issues relating to intersex persons” (p.30).

Chapter 6: Conclusion

In chapter six, the Report concludes that while international human rights law provides a strong foundation, African states must take proactive steps and key recommendations includes banning cosmetic genital surgeries on minors, allowing legal sex and name changes through administrative procedures, providing psychosocial and legal support, empowering intersex-led organisations with funding and visibility, raising public awareness to counter stigma and ignorance.

It can thus be summed up that the study positions itself as both a policy tool and a moral call to action. The voices of intersex Africans raw, painful, and resolute demand nothing less than structural change and legal recognition.

Read the full Report.

From 27–31 August 2021, Pan Africa ILGA hosted its 5th Regional LGBTQIA+ Conference. Titled ‘Reclaiming Our Past, Defining Our Future’, the Conference hosted more than 500 delegates and over 100 speakers from across the continent.

The Conference held a variety of Pre-Conferences, including an Intersex Pre-Conference. Our content contributor, Delphine Barigye, who was also the moderator for the Pre-Conference, wrote a report about the summaries from the Intersex Pre-Conference.

Report: The Intersex Pre-Conference at the Virtual Pan Africa ILGA (PAI) Regional Conference, 2021

“Our past is painful to reclaim, but as intersex persons we will definitely define our future.”

These words from a keynote speaker at the Intersex Pre-Conference echoed through the hearts of the attendees, setting the tone for a powerful discussion on intersex resilience in Africa.

The 2021 Pan Africa ILGA (PAI) 5^th Regional Conference, under the theme of “Reclaiming Our Past: Defining Our Future”, held virtually from August 27 to 31, housed the Intersex Pre-Conference on the 27^th. Initially, the Conference was planned to take place in Ghana in 2020, but was rescheduled and held virtually in 2021 due to the COVID 19 pandemic. The Intersex Pre-Conference, organised by the Support Initiative for People with Atypical Sex Development (SIPD), brought together over 20 intersex activists. The panel included renowned intersex advocates Mphatso Sakala, Ronnie Zuze, Sammie MacJessie and Obioma Chukwuike. Their contributions to the discussion revealed not only challenges but also remarkable resilience and innovation in the face of a global crisis.

The vision beyond the African Intersex Movement (AIM)’s inception

Mphatso Sakala from the Intersex Society of Zimbabwe (ISSZ), shared insights of the future of the African Intersex Movement (AIM). AIM was initiated to increase individual and organisational capacity of African intersex activists and organisations, not only to develop regional strategies and address human rights violations of intersex persons in Africa, but to also increase representation of African intersex persons in international forums. Mphatso noted that,

“AIM was started to put in place a strategic framework for organisational response to health and human rights violations faced by intersex people in Africa, develop capacity and structures to support and sustain positive change for intersex people and mobilise support for the movement.

The aim is to achieve contextual change in relation to African intersex movement building. It is ultimately hoped that AIM will provide a working approach for African intersex leaders pursuing similar goals, while addressing negative cultural norms, the livelihood needs of intersex persons and the need to legally recognise the existence of intersex persons across all African countries.”

AIM strategically laid out 5 goals and action points to achieve these aims with a clearly defined vision of:

“An African society that recognises, respects and protects the rights, autonomy and agency of intersex persons.”

Mental health and the intersex journey

Ronnie Zuze, the founder of Intersex Community of Zimbabwe (ICoZ) spoke about intersex people and their mental health. Many intersex persons face mental health challenges due to the unique challenges posed not only by the pressure from society to conform to the binary gender norms, but by identity struggles, non-consensual surgeries, stigma and discrimination in major aspects of life like health, education, employment and sports. Often, these issues are overlooked and yet take a toll on a person’s mental health, eventually leading to anxiety, depression or even trauma. The need to focus on the intersex individuals’ mental health is greater than ever before. The Pre-Conference concluded that efforts should be directed to promoting healing, resilience, and empowerment of individuals to reclaim their past.

Ripple effects of COVID 19 on intersex funding

Sammie MacJessie from the Ivy Foundation in Malawi, the Coordinator of AIM, and Obioma Chukwuike from Intersex Nigeria, the Board Chairperson of AIM, shared insights about the effects of inadequate funding and COVID 19 on intersex organising in Africa, especially in their home countries, Malawi and Nigeria respectively. They shared that the impact of COVID 19 on the intersex community was profound. The panelists spoke about how the pandemic changed their lives and how it put strain on their work with community members, especially in relation to access to healthcare and support services. One panelist highlighted that,

“It is already difficult enough to try and get inclusive and non-discriminatory healthcare as it is in a free world. COVID greatly increased this and many of us were left in a world without essential care.”

The other challenges discussed ranged from disrupted advocacy and awareness campaigns, where vital in-person interactions were no longer possible due social distancing, financial challenges and the difficulty of keeping up with digital transformation. While the shift to digital communication posed challenges, especially in local spaces where intersex individuals hardly even own a smart phone, it opened up a new era where intersex organising would go worldwide.

Learnings from the Pre-Conference

• The intersex community is still mainly funded by the same donors who are stretched and not focused on the distinct needs of the intersex community.
• The still prevailing lack of awareness about intersex people and their lives has only worsened the effects of the pandemic on intersex persons, including their mental health.
• The focus on intersectionality in LGBTIQ+ rights advocacy work has also contributed to the invisibility of intersex people.
• The next step for AIM would be to establish a secretariat for better coordination, visibility and representation.

Call to action

• Funders need to engage with intersex organisations and support them in the struggle for visibility, increase their capacity and seriously consider mental health as a funding criteria.
• National governments have to address the concerns raised by the intersex movement and create adequate solutions in direct collaboration with intersex representatives and organisations.
• Human rights organisations need to contribute to building bridges with intersex organisations and build a basis for mutual support and meaningful engagement.
• Community leaders should engage in intersex education to dispel misconceptions and stigma surrounding intersex people and their families.
• Traditional and religious leaders need to stop harmful cultural practices, such as tradition-led mutilations and killings of intersex people.
• National, regional and international human rights institutions have to take intersex issues on board and provide visibility to intersex people and the violations they face.

Report written by our content contributor, Delphine Barigye.

On Monday 7 June 2021, Julius Kaggwa and Liesl Theron, co-founders of the Trans & Intersex History Africa Digital Archive, presented a history of African trans and intersex movements between 2010 and 2016 as part of the “Feminism and Social Movements in the Global South: Queer Histories in the Global South” panel. This presentation was part of the first introductions to the Trans & Intersex History Africa Digital Archive, which the two speakers, alongside Victor Mukasa launched officially later in 2021.

Presentation abstract

Trans and intersex history line in Africa – a focus on Southern and Eastern Africa

LGBTIQ history has remained largely silent about African trans and intersex people, with the exception of scandalised depictions of trans women who are, according to the media in many African countries, only viewed as ‘female imposters’ committing fraud or reduced to a spectacle to be humored. Several scholars have endeavored to build a canon of knowledge on the existence of homosexuality, same-sex relations and gender nonconformity in a pre-colonial time, throughout Africa. This paper aims to bring voice to trans and intersex histories, accomplishments by individuals and organisations. The collection of data is an ongoing process the two co-authors embarked on to ensure these stories are told authentically by African trans and intersex activists. There is great opportunity to draw on connections made at this conference between scholars from the Global South and Global North to carry forward the preservation of a rich trans and intersex historical canon, led by Global South voices. The long-term working relationship between Liesl Theron and Julius Kaggwa developed in 2008 and superseded organisational alliance, geographical location and is a result of an activist relationship and fond friendship that crisscross “the personal becomes the political”. Theron and Kaggwa, the two founders of respectively the Support Initiative for People with Atypical Sex Development (SIPD), Uganda and Gender DynamiX (GDX), South Africa were on a pursuit for several years to find a home to publish their collection of African trans and intersex history. Our timeline is one of contemporary history with its first entry being 1980 and weave through the mid-2010’s with all the founding dates of the early trans and intersex organizations, individuals’ accomplishments in sport, art, music and other private domains as well as passionate contributions towards positive change for trans and intersex struggles on the continent. 

Following the National Engagement on the Promotion and Protection of the Human Rights of Intersex Persons meeting organised by Iranti with South African intersex activists, community members and stakeholders on the 11th of December 2017, the National Intersex Meeting Report was published in 2018, entitled ‘National Dialogue on the Protection and Promotion of the Human Rights of Intersex People.’

The Report focuses on female genital mutilation (FGM), intersex genital mutilation (IGM), circumcision, the language and framing of intersex in South Africa, infanticide, healthcare, the South African legal structure, social and cultural marginalisation (in sport, movement funding, state and civil society approaches and awareness, research, educational environments, and official documents and sex status), and the responsibility of Chapter 9 Institutions (State institutions supporting constitutional democracy in South Africa).

From the conclusion of the Report:

“On the 16th September, 2015 was the first time that UN convened a discussion specifically to discuss the human rights of intersex people. The High Commissioner noted ‘When I started as High Commissioner a year ago, I knew little about intersex people. I don’t think I was alone in this: it reflects a general lack of awareness. Too many people assume, without really thinking about it, that everyone can be fitted into two distinct and mutually exclusive categories: male or female.’

This, unfortunately, continues to be the case both globally and in South Africa specifically. Addressing the rights of intersex people means both acknowledging the diversity of human bodies and shifting language. It means ensuring that infants are not subject to invasive and unnecessary surgical procedures to ‘normalise’ their bodies. Moreover, intersex people have the right to be informed about their intersex status and to make their own choices regarding their bodies, the right to determine their own identities. In essence, we are talking about the right to bodily integrity and self-determination. The notion that human beings are born into one of two distinct and separate sexes is deep-rooted and contributes to an ongoing taboo and stigma regarding intersex lives. This culture of silence perpetuates a legacy of shame and secrecy along with the invisibility of intersex lives. It also prevents families and individuals from pursuing a model of full, free and informed consent.

Addressing the needs of intersex South Africans means recognising diversity, understanding the history of medical gatekeeping particularly with its relationship to Apartheid notions of race and class and advancing
legislation to address IGM and indeed the murders and death of intersex infants. As Rebecca Steinfeld and Brian Earp argue, and this is particularly true for Constitutional democracies, founded on a legacy of equality ‘Whatever specific policies are implemented, however, what is clear is that fundamentally different treatment of female, male, and intersex children —with respect to the preservation of their bodily integrity — will become increasingly difficult to justify in the coming years’.”

Read the full report.

Between the 24th and 26th November 2017, the First African Intersex Meeting took place in Johannesburg, South Africa. This meeting brought together 22 intersex people representing intersex organisations from 7 African countries. It was during this meeting that the African Intersex Movement started organising and they released the following statement:

Preamble

We recall the principles of the Public Statement by the Third International Intersex Forum (known as the Malta Declaration) and extend the demands aiming to end discrimination against intersex people in Africa, to ensure the right of bodily integrity, physical autonomy and self-determination.

We affirm that intersex people are real, and we exist in all countries of Africa. As intersex people in Africa, we live in a society that perpetuates violence and killings of intersex people by cultural, religious, traditional and medical beliefs and practices. Therefore, we must be supported to be the drivers of social, political and legislative changes that concern us.

Demands

• To put an end to infanticide and killings of intersex people led by traditional and religious beliefs.
• To put an end to mutilating and ‘normalising’ practices such as genital surgeries, psychological and other medical treatments through legislative and other means (such as education, policy and treatment protocol change). Intersex people must be empowered to make their own decisions affecting their own bodily integrity, physical autonomy and self-determination.
• To include intersex education in antenatal counselling and support.
• To put an end to non-consensual sterilisation of intersex people.
• To depathologise variations in sex characteristics in medical practices, guidelines, protocols and classifications, such as the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases.
• To ensure that sex or gender classifications are amendable through a simple administrative procedure at the request of the individuals concerned. All adults and capable minors should be able to choose between female (F), male (M), intersex or multiple options. In the future, sex or gender should not be a category on birth certificates or identification documents for anybody.
• To raise awareness around intersex issues and the rights of intersex people in communities and society at large.
• To create and facilitate supportive, safe and celebratory environments for intersex people, their families and surroundings.
• To ensure that intersex people have the right to full information and access to their own medical records and history.
• To ensure that all professionals and healthcare providers that have a specific role to play in intersex people’s well-being are adequately trained to provide quality services.
• To acknowledge the suffering and injustice caused to intersex people
• To build intersex anti-discrimination legislation in addition to other grounds, and to ensure protection against intersectional discrimination.
• To ensure the provision of all human rights and citizenship rights to intersex people, including the right to marry and form a family.
• To ensure that intersex people are able to participate in competitive sport, at all levels, in accordance with their legal sex. Intersex athletes who have been humiliated or stripped of their titles should receive reparation and reinstatement.
• To recognise that medicalization and stigmatisation of intersex people result in significant trauma and mental health concerns.
• In view of ensuring the bodily integrity and well-being of intersex people, autonomous non-pathologising psycho-social and peer support be available to intersex people throughout their life (as self-required), as well as to parents and/or care providers.

In view of the above the African Intersex Movement calls on:

1. National governments to address the concerns raised by the African Intersex Movement and draw adequate solutions in direct collaboration with intersex representatives and organisations.
2. Traditional and religious leaders to stop harmful cultural practices, such as tradition-led mutilations and killings of intersex people.
3. National, regional and international human rights institutions to take on board, and provide visibility to intersex issues in their work.
4. Community leaders to engage in intersex education to dispel misconceptions and stigma around intersex people.
5. Human rights organisations to contribute to build bridges with intersex organisations and build a basis for mutual support and meaningful engagement. This should be done in a spirit of collaboration and no-one should instrumentalise intersex issues as a means for other ends.
6. Funders to engage with intersex organisations and support them in the struggle for visibility, increase their capacity, the building of knowledge and the affirmation of their human rights.

Source: https://intersexday.org/en/statement-african-forum-2017/

The main theme of the 2019 convention was the recognition of intersex rights as human rights. Participants reaffirmed the principles enshrined in both the International and regional human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Yogyakarta Principles and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which affirm the right of intersex individuals to self-determination, bodily autonomy and non-discrimination. They also spoke about countries like Malta, Australia and Portugal, which have taken steps to legally protect intersex persons, as well as examining why Africa as a region and the different state parties have little or very close to no interest in legislating to protect their own intersex communities from the severe violations and abuses as reported by the activists.

2019 Convention, Naivasha, Kenya

In 2019, a historic moment unfolded as 21 African Intersex human rights defenders from across the African continent convened in Kenya under the theme “visibility…. Voice…. Freedom”, from the 19^th to the 21^st of June to cement the work of the African Intersex Movement (AIM). The landmark initiative aimed at sharing information, skills and resources while advancing the rights and visibility of intersex individuals across Africa. The convention made a pivotal step forward by the African region collectively addressing unique challenges faced by the intersex community in the region and amplifying their voices on the global stage. The 2019 Statement, an outcome of the conference held in Naivasha, Kenya in 2019,  is a public statement to extend demands aiming to end discrimination against intersex people while ensuring their right to bodily autonomy and self-determination. This statement announced the launch of the African Intersex Movement offering themselves as the African intersex reference of intelligence for stakeholders and allies who are interested in strengthening the ongoing liberation work for intersex people’s rights and autonomy.  The statement demands a wide range of rights including legal recognition, access to healthcare, employment, education and sport, marriage, bodily autonomy, information, especially to medical records and surroundings, inclusion and, mainly, the right to life. It also calls upon community leaders, human rights organisations and resource partners to support the African intersex people.

Key to the convention’s success was the active participation and leadership of the pioneers of intersex activism in Africa whose first-hand experiences provided invaluable insights and drove the agenda for change. Their courage in sharing their activism stories of resilience, survival, and self-affirmation served as a powerful catalyst for collective action among attendees.

Hosted in a spirit of solidarity and association, the formation of AIM brought together IHRDs and allies from across Africa including Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Zambia. The convention created a platform to allow individual connections with fellow intersex activists in ways that fostered movement wellness, built trust and affirmed a collective vision for the change desired for the African intersex community. Activists shared their experiences, discussed common struggles, identified specific regional needs and structured a united front in advocating for dignity, equality and recognition for intersex persons. The formation of the African Intersex Movement was a critical milestone in the ongoing struggle intersex rights and recognition. The movement stands as a testament to the power of collective action. Recognising the need to promote unity, solidarity and cooperation among African nations was the first step towards wider visibility and long-term impact. The movement has grown to have an impressive coverage of all the African regions and as it continues to gain momentum and evolve. Its members remain steadfast in their commitment to challenging oppression, fostering solidarity, and creating a world where all intersex persons can live authentically and without fear.

Throughout the proceedings, speakers underscored the urgent need to challenge harmful practices such as infanticides, discrimination, non-consensual surgeries and ‘normalising’ interventions now more commonly referred to as Intersex Genital Mutilation (IGM) imposed on intersex children. These practices, rooted in stigma and ignorance, have long perpetuated violence and trauma against intersex individuals, often resulting in lifelong physical and psychological harm. Some of the widely highlighted challenges directly involved in intersex activism included the absurdly low funding of intersex organising in Africa and how the African governments continue to ignore the intersex communities in their countries, despite clear knowledge about their existence and the severe violations and abuses of the human rights of intersex individuals. Participants concurred that one of the most effective approaches to addressing these issues could be through improving messaging and outreaches, while utilising the National Human Rights Institutions which operate autonomously from the government but possess the capacity to exert influence upon it; a strategy that proved to work for the Kenyan activists. 

The convention also provided a platform for intersex activists to highlight the intersections of intersex identity with other forms of oppression, including child abuse, female genital mutilation, gender-based violence, discrimination and marginalisation. This intersectional approach is important to fully address all forms of oppression without dismantling a person’s identity into distinct dimensions that don’t affect one another. Discussions were therefore focused on the importance of building inclusive movements that centre the voices and experiences of intersex people, particularly those from marginalised communities whose oppression and discrimination is an inextricably blended experience. The diverse expressions will serve to challenge the prevailing narratives of shame and secrecy surrounding intersexuality and affirm the inherent dignity and worth of every individual.

The key outcomes of the convention were the election of a starring committee of the African Intersex Movement made up of four members, overseen by Julius Kaggwa and Hlompho Mokoena (formerly known as Nthabiseng) and a statement that was guided by the 2017 Statement from the first African intersex meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa. The genesis of the establishment of the AIM can be traced back to this meeting where ideas of the necessity were formalised by the participants.

The Movement amplifies intersex voices and affirms to the world that, in all African Countries: WE EXIST. 

Read more about AIM.

This entry was written by our Intersex Content Contributor, Delphine Barigye

The Intersex Model Law, proposed in 2017, was a draft law that the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria put together with the aim of protecting the rights and well-being of intersex individuals. The law was developed in response to historical injustices faced by intersex individuals, therefore crucial for addressing issues such as non-consensual medical interventions, legal recognition, and anti-discrimination protections which are central for the dignity and autonomy of intersex people. 

Efforts towards tabling the Model Law began with the first consultative meeting held by the Centre for Human Rights in South Africa to validate the draft Model Law on intersex persons. The meeting was attended by intersex rights activists from South Africa representing organisations including Iranti, AIDS Rights Alliance of Southern Africa (ARASA), Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA), Transgender & Intersex Africa (TIA) and OUT Well-Being, as well as Justice John Chigiti from Kenya. According to a statement released by the Centre for Human Rights on 26 April 2017,

“there was a wide consensus during the consultative meeting on the need for states to enact laws and policies, review existing policies and repeal any laws to ensure that the rights of intersex persons are protected.”

The Centre for Human Rights planned to eventually table the Intersex Model Law at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), specifically aiming for the Law to be used as a tool for advocating for law reform and stronger legal recognition and protection of fundamental rights and freedoms of intersex persons across Africa. Some of the legislative provisions in the Model Law included prohibition of all medical unnecessary surgeries and procedures on intersex children, prohibition discrimination of intersex person in all spheres of life, investigating and monitoring human rights violations against intersex persons through National Human Rights Institutions, ensuring that victims of such human rights violations have access to justice and some form of reparations, and providing easy administrative processes to make it easy for intersex persons to amend name and sex on a birth certificate or any other legal document.

SIPD Uganda held a panel discussion at the Changing Faces Changing Spaces conference in Kenya 2017, deliberating on the benefits of the draft Intersex Model Law, and panelists articulately expounded on why the law would be important. One of the panelists declared that, 

“Intersex children and people cannot afford to continue to be mistreated and thrown to extreme margins of society and this is why the model law would be instrumental in pushing our advocacy for shifts in language from pathological to rights based terms and subsequent shifts in lived realities through an Africa-wide resolution in the short term and National legal in the long run. Whether via tools such as the law or policy the ultimate goal is to change societal attitudes and create a safe and just environment for intersex children and people in every sphere of life. So we are very keen on short term gains like improved living realities as much as long term gains such as national and continental legal reforms.”

The second consultative meeting was held in Niamey, Niger at the NGO Forum preceding the 60^th Ordinary Session of the ACHPR. During this session, the commissioners advised that the activists consider tabling a resolution to the Commission instead of proposing it as a law. The difference between a Model Law and a Resolution is not something you can refer to as insignificant, as they serve distinct purposes and have different impacts. A Model Law provides a detailed legal framework intended to guide or influence national legislation, making them more practical tools for legislative change while Resolutions, on the other hand, are formal expressions of opinion, recommendations, or policy positions.  In this case, a Resolution was recommended because it would be more flexible, address a wide range of issues and easier to gain consensus on. Also, a Resolution could be passed more quickly than a Model Law, a difference which was crucial, especially at a time when the anti-gender movements were on the rise. The Resolution could also be a way to shape the discourse or put an issue on the agenda for further action including the possible future development of a model law or other binding agreements.

Countries might agree on broad principles expressed in a Resolution, making it influential and welcomed more openly than a Model Law in most African countries and yet still raise important visibility and help these countries set their own agendas for human rights protections for their native intersex people. 

The ACHPR had previously adopted Resolution 275 in 2014, a resolution on the protection against violence and other human rights violations against persons on the basis of their real or imputed sexual orientation or gender identity, a great win for the LGBTIQ community. However, the resolution did not specifically mention intersex persons or sex characteristics, which is why it was very important to lobby for a resolution that would specifically speak to the intersex rights in Africa. All of this combined, prompted advocacy work which later facilitated the adoption of the Resolution on the promotion and protection of the rights of intersex persons in Africa – ACHPR/Res.552 (LXXIV) 2023.

The journey towards securing the rights of intersex individuals is far from over, but collaborative efforts between activists, legal experts and organisations across Africa represent a powerful force for change. It is crucial that the momentum for intersex rights be maintained. Advocates and allies must continue to push for both short-term victories and long-term reforms, ensuring that the rights of intersex persons are not only recognised but actively protected. The path forward will require persistence, solidarity and innovative strategies, but the goal remains clear: a future where intersex persons can live with dignity, free from discrimination and harm.

Article researched and written by our content contributor, Delphine Barigye

The Fourth International Intersex Forum was held between the 20th and 23rd of April 2017 in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. It was the largest intersex human rights meeting up to that date, with 40 representatives across all regions, including Africa.

Intersex human rights issues such as infanticide, intersex genital mutilation and other harmful medical practices, lack of appropriate and consented health care as well as discrimination in access to education, other services and employment were discussed. Read more. The Third International Intersex Forum resulted in the Malta Declaration.

From 28—30 September 2015 Iranti in partnership with Gender Dynamix and GATE (Global Action for Trans Equality) hosted the Regional ICD Conference with trans and intersex activists from 12 African countries. Participants shared their experiences of being transgender in their respective countries. Watch the video below.

Between 28-30 September 2015, The Other Foundation hosted its inaugural Kopano conference in Soweto, South Africa. (In Sotho, “Kopano” means “a gathering to address an important issue”). This first conference’s theme was “Freedom for All”, and provided a platform for activists, thinkers, human rights defenders from Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. During this two-day gathering people across identities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex could dialogue and grapple with social topics. One panel stood out: “Prospects for Progress and Lessons from Setbacks”, tackling gender identity and challenges faced by trans individuals.

The panel was moderated by Eusebius McKaiser, featuring panelists Danilo Da Silva (LAMBDA), Fadzai Muparutsa (Coalition of African Lesbians), Rikki Nathanson (Southern Africa Regional Trans Forum”, Monica Tabengwa (independent activist), and Steve Letsike (National Task Team, South Africa, and Access Chapter 2).

Watch these videos from the panel highlighting some of the important issues faced by trans individuals.

In a groundbreaking moment for African intersex advocacy, Africa was represented in one of the earliest side events dedicated to intersex rights at the UN Human Rights Council, 30th session that took place in September 2015. The event, supported by ILGA (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association) and COC Netherlands brought together voices from across the globe like Uganda, Australia, the United States, Europe and Taiwan to share insights on the lived realities of intersex people all over the world.

Julius Kaggwa from Support Initiative for People with Atypical Sex Development, (SIPD Uganda) stood alongside longtime international advocates, bringing with him stories, struggles and resilience of the intersex community in Uganda and across East Africa including the fact that most intersex children are raised as female because,

 “Culturally, it is better to avoid the embarrassment of raising a ‘dysfunctional’ male child.”

The opportunity to share these stories and urgent needs of African intersex persons on such a prestigious global platform marked a pivotal step towards inclusion and visibility. For many of the intersex persons in Africa, this moment was not just symbolic – it was a beacon of hope that their stories matter on the world stage. 10 years later, awareness on intersex persons has grown significantly across Africa particularly in the East, South and West with emerging efforts also visible in the North. Africa has taken center stage on intersex rights globally and continues to do so especially at the United Nations with the recently adopted Resolution 55.

The Malta Declaration was drafted and finalised by 34 intersex activists from all continents, including Africa’s Julius Kaggwa and Hlompho Mokoena (formerly known as Nthabiseng), with representation from 30 intersex organisations. You can read more about this Forum and the Declaration here.

The Malta Declaration is available in English, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Serbian, and Spanish/Castellano. 

1. “To put an end to mutilating and “normalising” practices such as genital surgeries, psychological and other medical treatments, including infanticide and selective abortion (on the grounds of intersex).
2. To ensure that the personal, free, prior, and fully informed consent of the intersex individual is a compulsory requirement in all medical practices and protocols.
3. Creating and facilitating supportive, safe and celebratory environments for intersex people, their families and their surroundings.
4. In view of ensuring the bodily integrity and health of the intersex child, psycho-social support and non-pathologising peer support be provided to parents and/or care providers and the child’s immediate family instead of surgical or other medical treatment unless such interventions are life-saving.
5. The provision of all human rights and citizenship rights to intersex people.
6. The provision of access to one’s own medical records and any documentation, and the affirmation of the intersex person’s right to truth.
7. The acknowledgement and redress of the suffering and injustice caused in the past.”

Another outcome of the Forum was the open letter that was drafted by Hilda Viloria, the Global Chair of Organisational Intersex International, and undersigned by the forum’s attending activists, which included African signatories including Sally Gross and Hlompho (formerly Nthabiseng) Mokoena. The open letter was then presented to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Her Excellency, Navanethem Pillay.  

Photo credit: Del LaGrace Volcano

First screened in December 2012, ‘My Secret Life’ is a short documentary compiled by Support Initiative for People with Atypical Sex Development (SIPD), exploring intersex lived realities through voices of intersex children and people, parents, doctors, and SIPD staff. The documentary highlights the obscene discrimination that intersex persons in Uganda experience simply because of their uniqueness.

“Are you a boy or a girl?” This is the question that determines which group a person can play with at school.

The first public screening took place at the December 26th ILGA (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association) World Conference in Stockholm, where it received a paradoxical yet powerful response – both unsettling and deeply encouraging. Many activists working on minority rights witnessed, for the first time, an African perspective on intersex lived realities and experiences documented in such depth. 

The post-screening question and answer session was one of the most rewarding moments, sparking new partnerships and opportunities to amplify African intersex voices on national, regional, and International platforms.

Watch the documentary

This article was written by our intersex content contributor, Delphine Barigye.

Amanda hosted Gender Dynamix (GDX)’s Liesl Theron and Tebogo Nkoana in 2008 in Seattle during their trip to present at the Gender Odyssey Conference and at the University of Washington. Throughout the early years of GDX, Amanda and Liesl were in ongoing contact. In 2009 Amanda, Sally Gross and Liesl co-published an article, “South African Intersex Activism: Caster Semenya’s Impact and Import” in the Feminist Studies Journal. Amanda wrote this post on Facebook during the week of the launch of the book.

In November 2011, Gender DynamiX (GDX) hosted the first Regional Trans Health, Advocacy & Research Conference, bringing together activists, researchers and providers. This event was an African first, as it was the first trans conference to be held in Africa. The Conference was held in South Africa.

Two documentaries resulted from the conference:

“Parent of Trans”

Botswana activist Ricki Tshepo Kgositau (before she worked at Gender DynamiX, first as Advocacy Manager and later as ED), was the interviewer in this documentary. Here she interviewed the mom of a trans masculine person, Diana Motsitsi. The video was produced on a voluntary basis by Zanele Muholi and Inkanyiso Productions.

“Service Delivery & TG Primary Health Care in SA”

The second video produced during this conference “Service Delivery & TG Primary Health Care in SA”, came about as the conference had a substantial number of panel sessions on the topics of service delivery [health], education, and various forms of access. Input was given by Leoni Spalding (Gay and Lesbian Network), Daphney Conco, (Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa, the largest nurses’ trade union in South Africa, representing and advocating for the rights of nurses and midwives), Dr Asa Radix (Callen Health Community Center NYC), Jamison Green (WPATH), Amitrajit Saha (UNDP) and community member Revelation Xakoshe (Transgender and Intersex Africa). The video was produced on a voluntary basis by Zanele Muholi and Inkanyiso Productions. 

Read about the Trans Health, Research & Advocacy Pre-Conference and the 2nd Regional Trans Health, Advocacy & Research Conference

1. “To put an end to mutilating and ‘normalising’ practices such as genital surgeries, psychological and other medical treatments, including infanticide and selective abortion on the grounds of an intersex condition in some parts of the world.
2. To ensure that the personal, free, prior, and fully informed consent of the intersex individual is a compulsory requirement in all medical practices and protocols.
3. Creating and facilitating supportive, safe and celebratory environments for intersex people, their families, and communities.”

Initially envisioned as a space that would provide a platform where participants could learn from the workshops and from each other, the dynamic changed sooner than anticipated by the organisers as it became evident that the greatest value of the Programme was the way in which learning had become completely interactive, with attending activists being fully participatory, bringing knowledge to the table that was as essential as the knowledge brought by the hosts. 

Participants were no longer learners, they had become teachers, and so the workshops were no longer “training sessions”,  but real movement-building in action, as shown by the formation of S.H.E (Social, Health and Empowerment Feminist Collective of Transgender and Intersex Women of Africa) and aGender as a direct result of the workshops.

The first part of the second year of the Eastern and Southern African Trans and Intersex Regional Exchange Programme, hosted by Gender DynamiX (GDX) and a partner organisation from East Africa, took place in Uganda in May 2011.

This was a watershed workshop as the number of activists, who numbered 16 the year before, grew beyond the capacity of the Exchange Programme. It was during this workshop that Themba Nkosi shared that he had started a youth support group, aGender, in Soweto, Johannesburg.

This group was the result of the capacity-building work that was part of the Exchange Programme in 2010. During this exchange workshop, the transfeminine and trans women participants stepped out of the shadows and demanded recognition by claiming a space separate from that dominated by trans masculine and trans men activists, not just in previous workshops, but within the trans and intersex movement in Africa as a whole. This sparked debate between the two groups, and it was within this dialogue that LeighAnn van der Merwe announced the founding of S.H.E, the Social, Health and Empowerment Feminist Collective of Transgender and Intersex Women of Africa.