LGBTI equality and human rights in Europe and Central Asia

Landmark moment for South Africa

Tags: 
legal gender recognition
intersex
South Africa

This week in Brussels the groups, Iranti, Intersex South Africa, and the African Center for Migration and Society, in partnership with ILGA-Europe, brought a dialogue together with South African government (in particular the Department of Justice, the Department of Home Affairs, and the Department of Health) to specifically focus on trans and intersex rights and how to implement policy and law protecting these rights in South Africa.

A delegation of 10 South Africans met with civil society (OII Europe, Nederlandse organisatie voor seksediversiteit (NNID), Transgender Northern Ireland, and Utrecht University), the Directorate-General Justice and Consumers (DG-JUST) of the European Union, the European External Action Service, and European Parliament LGBTI Intergroup, and MEPs interested in advancing trans and intersex rights.

This is a milestone moment as South Africa explores legal gender recognition legislation based on self-determination as well as legislation targeted to eliminated intersex genital mutilation. This visit follows a similar visit in Malta. The South African government will convene a conference focused on trans and intersex rights from 8 to 11 December 2019 in Pretoria, South Africa.