Gender & sexuality

Intersex rights activists challenge the roots of gender oppression – and we must support them

2017 brought promising developments for intersex rights. But with much work still to be done, feminist allies must do better at sharing resources and opportunities.

By Happy Mwende Kinyili and Sophia Seawell

Published: May 16, 2018, 6:05 am

Activists have campaigned for years in Germany for intersex rights.

In 2017, Portugal became the third country to ban the human rights abuse of intersex genital mutilation (IGM), joining Malta and Chile. Germany became the first European country to allow a third gender option on birth certificates that is neither male nor female. In Canada, a baby received a health card with ‘U’ as its sex marker. Organisations including Human Rights Watch and the European Parliament finally spoke out against genital surgery on intersex infants.

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