Intersex Awareness  calls for protection of Intersex persons’ rights and dignity

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As the world marks Intersex Awareness Day, Intersex Awareness Zambia has urged government, healthcare providers, and the public to uphold the human rights and dignity of intersex persons.

Founder Mphatso Sakala said more must be done to ensure legal recognition and protection of intersex people, including their rights to identity, name, and gender registration.

She has called for respect of bodily autonomy and self-determination, improved access to inclusive healthcare and social services, and stronger public education to combat stigma and discrimination.

Ms. Sakala has noted that Intersex Awareness Day serves as a reminder to end shame, secrecy, and medically unnecessary interventions on intersex children.

The commemoration, she said, provides a platform for reflection, visibility, and political action toward equality and dignity for all.

She has explained that intersex individuals are born with physical or biological traits such as reproductive anatomy, hormones, or chromosomes that do not fit typical definitions of male or female bodies.

Ms. Sakala said these may be visible at birth or emerge later in life.

Despite growing awareness, Ms. Sakala said intersex people continue to face stigma, discrimination, and non-consensual medical procedures, often aimed at forcing them into binary gender norms. Such practices, she emphasized, violate basic human rights.

Ends………………..

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