Action Canada for Population and Development
Discriminatory laws and policies, acts of violence and harmful practices against intersex persons - Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Thank you, President. Action Canada joins InterAction for Health and Human Rights and
Sexual Rights Initiative in this statement.
We congratulate OHCHR for the report and all panelists for their interventions. Today is a historic day for intersex people everywhere.
I am executive director of an Australian intersex organization. We are proud of the role that Australia played in this process, and of the progress made by the Australian Capital Territory in implementing reform to protect many intersex people from harmful practices in medical settings. We hope the report will support effective change in Australia and around the world.
Intersex people have been historically pathologized, or disordered by medicine. The best interest of children has been manipulated to justify practices to alter their bodies in line with gender and sexual stereotypes. Loose concepts of medical necessity rely on social and cultural norms, rather than urgent necessity.
Member States must enact laws to prevent harmful practices in medical settings, and to ensure their victims have access to support, truth and reparations. Member States must support intersex-led organizations to provide psychosocial and healthcare services to their communities, and to keep engaging with human rights work.