New WHO Report “Sexual Health, Human Rights and the Law” Criticises Intersex Genital Mutilations (IGM) – Again!

The brand new >>> WHO Report “Sexual health, human rights and the law” (PDF) contains an individual section (!) “Intersex people” (p. 27-28). THANKS to Mauro Cabral and everyone who made it possible!! Highlights include:

“A major concern for intersex people is that so-called sex normalizing procedures are often undertaken during their infancy and childhood, to alter their bodies, particularly the sexual organs, to make them conform to gendered physical norms, including through repeated surgeries, hormonal interventions and other measures. As a result, such children may be subjected to medically unnecessary, often irreversible, interventions that may have lifelong consequences for their physical and mental health, including irreversible termination of all or some of their reproductive and sexual capacity.” (p 26)

“Increasingly, concerns are being raised by intersex people, their caregivers, medical professionals and human rights bodies that these interventions often take place without the informed consent of the children involved and/or without even seeking the informed consent of their parents (178, 262, 264, 270–273).” (p. 26)

“It has also been recommended [by human rights bodies and ethical and health professional organizations] that investigation should be undertaken into incidents of surgical and other medical treatment of intersex people without informed consent and that legal provisions should be adopted in order to provide remedies and redress to the victims of such treatment, including adequate compensation (91, 264).” (p. 27)

After the ground-breaking 2014 WHO Interagency Statement, this new report underlines that recognition of the serious human rights violations perpertrated daily on intersex people allover the “developed world” by leading human rights bodies is here to stay! What’s more, virtually all previous imortant human rights and ethics statements and reports are referenced, including the 2011 CAT Concl. Obs., the 2012 Swiss National Advisory Commission on
Biomedical Ethics (NEK-CNE) Opinion
, and the 2013 Special Rapporteur on Torture Report.

(That the ground-breaking 2015 CRC Concl. Obs. classifying IGM as a “Harmful Practice” is missing is arguably due to deadline reasons.)

May all doctors who nonetheless still continue to perform harmful IGM Practices on defenceless children soon feel the full force of the law!

VIDEO: Intersex “Protest against ‘Genital Mutilation'” – AVS TV Belgium

TV boss saw our rally from car on way to work – >>> Belgian station AVS reports on the Intersex Protests (machine translation):

“In Ghent this week a symposium on “disorders of sex development.” At 1 in 4,000 children born in Belgium, doctors can not really tell whether it is a boy or a girl. Sometimes these children are then operated on. According to an international activist group it comes to genital mutilation.” Thanks!

>>> Intersex Protests + Info: Belgium, June 7-13 • Germany June 21-24

VIDEO Action vs. ‘I-D$D’ Genital Mutilators!
4th I-D$D Symposium, Glasgow 2013
Thanks to Richard Duncker (MenDoComplain)

>>> on Vimeo

VIDEO Action vs. ‘ISHID’ Live Mutilators!
IV ISHID World Congress, London 2011
Thanks to Richard Duncker (MenDoComplain)
>>> on Youtube

Intersex Protests + Info: ‘D$Dnet’ + ‘I-D$D 2015’ – Belgium, June 7-13

Photo Report: Protest #1 vs. ‘D$Dnet Training School’ – feat. Tiger Devore
Protest #2, Part 1 – feat. Pidgeon Pagonis
Protest #2, Part 2 – feat. Daniela “Nella” Truffer   
Protest #4 vs. ‘I-D$D’ – Daniela Truffer + Kris Günther interviewed by local TV
Protest #4 – AVS TV Report Now Online  

Photo: Peaceful Vigil #2 vs. “4th I-D$D Symposium” Intersex Genital Mutilators, Glasgow 07.06.2013

INFO EVENING: Brussels, Sun 7th 6 p.m. @ Rainbowhouse
9 PEACEFUL VIGILS + OPEN LETTERS: Ghent, Mon 8th – Sat 13th

@ Het Pand + New Zebra + Ghent University + Ghent University Hospital (see below)

7 PEACEFUL VIGILS + INFO: FFM (Germany) Sun 21st – Wed 24th  >>> All Dates

STOP Intersex Genital Mutilation!Zwischengeschlecht.org on FacebookIntersex Genital Mutilations (IGMs), i.e. non-consensual, medically unnecessary, irreversible, cosmetic genital surgeries, and other invasive ‘therapies’ on children with variations of sex anatomy, have been perpetrated systematically since 1950 all over the ‘developed’ world.

IGM Practices include clitoris amputation/’reduction’, castration, ‘masculinising genitoplasty’, forced vaginal dilatation, imposition of hormones, human experimentation, forced excessive genital exams, photography, and medical display.

Intersex: No Reckoning, No Reconciliation!IGM Practices cause lifelong serious physical and psychological suffering and trauma, including loss or impairment of sexual sensation, painful scarring, impairment or loss of reproductive capabilities, lifelong dependency of artificial hormones, significantly elevated rates of self-harming behaviour and suicidal tendencies, and lifelong mental suffering and trauma.

For 22 years now, survivors as well as human rights and ethics bodies have denounced IGMs as fundamental human rights violations, and called for legislation to end them.

IGMs @ ‘D$Dnet School’, ‘5th I-D$D’, and Ghent University + Clinic:

‘D$Dnet’ is the latest multi-million-Euros perpetrators “research” project without adaequate involvement of intersex persons and their organisations, and openly advocates “multiple surgical interventions […] for genital reconstruction to a male or female appearance. The gonads are often removed to avoid [alleged] malignant development.” Accordingly, topics at the ‘1st D$Dnet Training School’ include the whole range of IGM pactices, e.g. “Vaginoplasty, Dilation, Urosurgery (male)”, and the ‘D$Dnet School’ takes place at Ghent University’s ‘Het Pand’ Congress Center.

While the ‘5th I-D$D Symposium 2015’ has to be commended for once more facilitating participation of intersex people in a “parallel session”, and for the very first time to also include a guest lecture on human rights, it still gives a platform to notorious persistent perpetrators, including IGM paediatric endocrinologists, e.g. Olaf Hiort (Lübeck, Germany), Ieuan Hughes (Cambridge, UK), and Christa Flück (Bern, Switzerland), and leading specialised IGM paediatric surgeons, e.g. Alexander Springer (Vienna, Austria), Joao Pippi Salle (Doha, Qatar / Toronto, Canada), and Piet Hoebeke (Ghent, Belgium).

The Ghent University and its Clinic and their IGM specialists are involved in both the ‘D$Dnet’ and the ‘I-DSD’ events, and continue to advocate and perpetrate IGM practices – despite the acknowledged fact, that e.g. in medically unnecessary “hypospadias repair” surgeries, often dangerous complications are frequent and inevitable. Typically, the University Clinic’s “Multidisciplinary D$D Team” is lead by a paediatric enocrinologist, and paediatric urology surgeons make up the most prominent and biggest discipline represented. Only last year the Ghent University + Clinic hosted an infamous Genital ‘Live Surgery’ Event.

Help reminding the perpetrators that it is NOT OK to mutilate defenceless children!

• INFO EVENING Brussels:
Sun 07.06.2015 18:00 @ Rainbowhouse

Rue Marché au Charbon, 42, 1000 Brussels
“Intersex Genital Mutilations – and the Struggle to End Them” 
Daniela Truffer and Markus Bauer (StopIGM.org)
Presentation followed by Q&A / Discussion
In cooperation with Genres Pluriels

• 8 PEACEFUL VIGILS + OPEN LETTERS: Ghent, Mon 8th – Sat 13th
    “STOP Intersex Genital Mutilations!”

‘1st DSDnet Training School’

Monday 08.06.2015: Het Pand
#1: 12:30-17:30   Het Pand, Onderbergen 1 (near entrance)

Tuesday 09.06.2015: Het Pand + Ghent University
#2: 08:30-11:00   Het Pand, Onderbergen 1 (near entrance)
CANCELLED: [#3: 11:30-15:00   Ghent University (near main entrance)]

Wednesday 10.06.2015: Het Pand
#4: 08:30-13:30   Het Pand, Onderbergen 1 (near entrance)

‘5th I-DSD Symposium’

Thursday 11.06.2015: New Zebra
#5: 08:30-18:00   New Zebra, Zebrastraat 32 (near entrance conference)

Friday 12.06.2015: New Zebra + Ghent University + University Hospital
#6: 08:30-09:30   New Zebra, Zebrastraat 32 (near entrance conference)
#7: 10:00-14:00   Ghent University, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 33 (near main entrance)
#8: 15:00-18:00   Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan (near main entrance)

Saturday 13.06.2015: New Zebra
#9: 08:30-14:00 New Zebra, Zebrastraat 32 (near entrance conference)

Photo Report: Protest #1 vs. ‘D$Dnet Training School’ – feat. Tiger Devore
Protest #2, Part 1 – feat. Pidgeon Pagonis
Protest #2, Part 2 – feat. Daniela “Nella” Truffer   
Protest #4 vs. ‘I-D$D’ – Daniela Truffer + Kris Günther interviewed by local TV
Protest #4 – AVS TV Report Now Online  

>>> Open Letter of Concern to ‘4th I-DSD Symposium 2013’ (PDF)
>>> Picture Report: Protests vs. ‘4th I-DSD Symposium’, Glasgow June 7-9 2013
>>> VIDEO of the ‘I-DSD’ Protests in Glasgow | Excerpt Featured on ABC Nightline
>>> ‘I-DSD’: ‘Cruel and inhuman’ surgeries – Press Release 07.06.2013 

Zwischengeschlecht.org on Facebook

Intersex Genital Mutilations • 17 Most Common Forms
Human Rights Violations Of Children With Variations Of Sex Anatomy
IGM – Historical Overview  What is Intersex?  How Common are IGMs?
>>> Download PDF (3.65 MB)     >>> Table of Contents

IGM as a Harmful Practice: 2015 UN-CRC Briefing
• IGM: A Survivor’s Perspective • Intersex Movement History
• What are Variations of Sex Anatomy?  • What are IGM Practices?
• IGM and Human Rights  • Conclusion: IGM as a Harmful Practice
>>> Download PDF (3.14 MB)     >>> Table of Contents

1st Intersex Protest vs. ‘D$Dnet’ in Belgium highlights often neglected, most common form of IGM practices – feat. Tiger Devore

Protest #1: ‘1st DSDnet Training School’ @ Ghent University ‘Het Pand’, 08.06.2015

Zwischengeschlecht.org on Facebook

VIDEO 2 ‘Unnecessary & harmful’ – IGM Type 1: ‘Hypospadias Repair’ – Tiger Devore
VIDEO 1 Tiger Devore talks IGM Type 1: ‘Clitoral Cutting vs. Hypospadias Repair’

Just in time before the start of the ‘1st DSDnet Training School’, also the first of in total 8 intersex protests this week in Ghent (Belgium) kicked off, reminding the seasoned as well as aspiring doctors flown in from allover that IGM practices are a serious human rights violation. Organised by the multimillion Euros multinational “science research project” ‘D$Dnet’ and hosted by the University of Ghent in their “prestigious congress centre” ‘Het Pand’ for 30 “DSD researchers”, the programme of the ‘1st DSDnet Training School’ includes the whole range of IGM pactices, e.g. “Vaginoplasty, Dilation, Urosurgery (male) [a.k.a. ‘Hypospadias Repair’]”.

“Hypospadias Repair” was also highlighted by the the 1st protest (see picture of placard above). Although often neglected (and denied by doctors), “hypospadias repair” is currently the most common form of IGM practices, leading to sometimes dozens of “redo surgeries” and frequent and often dangerous complications [WARNING!!] constituting actual serious medical health problems where none where before.

Tiger Devore was one of the first survivors of IGM practices at all to speak out in public, and an excerpt (taken from our “STOP IGM Primer” (PDF)) of Tiger’s moving personal testimony “Growning up in the surgical maelstrom” was recently quoted in a report “Human Rights and Intersex People” published the Commissioner on Human Rights of the Council of Europe (COE).

StopIGM.org is honoured that Tiger allowed us to use his quote and picture to highlight the ongoing hypospadias mutilations for the first of a series of new placards featuring IGM survivors speaking out!

As at virtully any intersex protest, there were also good reactions by and conversations with participating doctors, although most just silently cringe at the presence of nonviolent dissent, with some resorting to openly hostile scoffs and sneers. In addition, also good conversations took place with passers-by, including an urologist in training and a staff member of a nearby sociology institute.

Nonetheless, as also customary at some (though not all) institutions, the Ghent University just couldn’t resist to do its worst to remove today’s (admittedly very small) peaceful protest, first by intimidating behaviour by a representantive (who wouldn’t reveal his name or function), repeatedly insisting the protest would have to “move away”, an opinion soon after reiterated by an official University security body builder arriving by car – alas, in vain: As he, after a phone call, eventually had to admit himself, peaceful protests on public ground are lawful – even in front of an intersex genital mutlator’s trainig school hosted by the Ghent University’s “prestigious Congress Centre” ‘Het Pand’. 🙂

Intersex protests will continue in Ghent all week support welcome!

VIDEO 2 ‘Unnecessary & harmful’ – IGM Type 1: ‘Hypospadias Repair’ – Tiger Devore
VIDEO 1 Tiger Devore talks IGM Type 1: ‘Clitoral Cutting vs. Hypospadias Repair’
Open Letter of Concern to ‘6th ISHID Hypospadias Workshop’ and affiliated Clinics

Zwischengeschlecht.org on Facebook

Intersex Genital Mutilations • 17 Most Common Forms
Human Rights Violations Of Children With Variations Of Sex Anatomy
IGM – Historical Overview  What is Intersex?  How Common are IGMs?
>>> Download PDF (3.65 MB)     >>> Table of Contents

IGM as a Harmful Practice: 2015 UN-CRC Briefing
• IGM: A Survivor’s Perspective • Intersex Movement History
• What are Variations of Sex Anatomy?  • What are IGM Practices?
• IGM and Human Rights  • Conclusion: IGM as a Harmful Practice
>>> Download PDF (3.14 MB)     >>> Table of Contents

Intersex Protests vs. ‘I-D$D’ in the News on AVS TV from 18:00 Today and Online Tomorrow

Intersex Protest #4: ‘5th I-DSD’ @ New Zebra, 11.06.2015
Click to watch the video!

Zwischengeschlecht.org on Facebook

Update: Preview online! Daniela Truffer (StopIGM.org) and Kris Günther (Genres Pluriels) were interviewed by Ghent TV station AVS earlier today on occasion of the peaceful intersex protests against IGM doctors taking part in the ‘5th I-D$D Symposium 2015’ who advocate and perpetrate Intersex Genital Mutilations, e.g. paediatric surgeon Prof. Piet Hobeke of the Ghent University + Clinic. The report will be aired on AVS Nieuws from Today 18:00h, and is now archived on vimeo. Enjoy 🙂

Intersex Protest #4: ‘5th I-DSD’ @ New Zebra, 11.06.2015
Click to watch the video!

>>> 8 Intersex Protests + Info vs. ‘D$Dnet’ + ‘I-D$D’, Belgium 07.-13.06.2015
>>>
Photo Report: Protest #1 ‘D$Dnet Training School’ @ Ghent Uni Congress Centre 
>>>
Intersex Protest #2 vs. ‘D$Dnet’ in Belgium, Pt. 1 feat. Pidgeon Pagonis 

Zwischengeschlecht.org on Facebook

Intersex Genital Mutilations • 17 Most Common Forms
Human Rights Violations Of Children With Variations Of Sex Anatomy
IGM – Historical Overview  What is Intersex?  How Common are IGMs?
>>> Download PDF (3.65 MB)     >>> Table of Contents

IGM as a Harmful Practice: 2015 UN-CRC Briefing
• IGM: A Survivor’s Perspective • Intersex Movement History
• What are Variations of Sex Anatomy?  • What are IGM Practices?
• IGM and Human Rights  • Conclusion: IGM as a Harmful Practice
>>> Download PDF (3.14 MB)     >>> Table of Contents

Video “Intersexion” (2011): Survivors speak out

[ >>> watch on vimeo ]

NEW: Lowrez 68 minutes version resurfaced on vimeo! The video will probably be taken down again soon, so enjoy while it lasts.

44 min. Video: Intersex Activist Mani Bruce Mitchell (NZ) interviews fellow survivors around the globe, a.o. Bo Laurent a.k.a. Cheryl Chase (USA), Sally Gross (ZA), Michel Reiter (D), Peter Trinkl (USA), Tiger Howard Devore (USA), David Cameron (USA), Suegee Tamar-Mattis (USA), Gina Wilson (AU), Esther Leidolf Morris (USA), Gavan Coleman (IR), Hida Viloria (USA), Caitlin Petrakis Childs (USA), Jen Pagonis (USA), Lynnell Stephani Long (USA), Dani Lee Harris (USA). TV-documentary by Grant Lahood (NZ).

>>> “Intersexion” Homepage      >>> Buy DVD NZ$45.00 + PP 

IDAHOT* 2015: Let’s Talk About Intersex Appropriation …

Photo: Intersex Protest #1 vs. ‘4th I-D$D Medical Symposium’, Glasgow 07.06.2013

Heidi Walcutt (1997): 'STOP Intersex Genital Mutilation'

Zwischengeschlecht.org on Facebook First the good news: In Germany, after the community in Leipzig already in 2013 started with truly including Intersex by introducing the clever new acronym IDAHIT* as well as adding thematic events doing justice to intersex persons and their struggles, and last but not least by officially adopting the demand for outlawing the still ongoing harmful practice of Intersex Genital Mutilations, in 2014 Halle (Saale) and in 2015 Jena followed suit. Thanks!! Mostly good news also from the Council of Europe (COE) – see below.

Nonetheless, also in 2015 in many places intersex people are still only seemingly “included” – or even shamelessly appropriated by third party groups! In such cases, Intersex is often “sold” as primarily being an issue of (gender) identity, birth certificates and discrimination, while a the same time Intersex Genital Mutilations, the harm caused, and adequate measures to end them a.s.a.p. are omitted, suppressed, downplayed, belittled, put on the back burner and/or swept under the carpet.

A particularly typical case: The “Focus paper ‘The fundamental rights situation of intersex people'” of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA),
>>> Focus paper (PDF)     >>> Press Release FRA 
which was presented at the “IDAHO-Forum 2015” in Montenegro:

  • The only practical legislative proposition therein is – you get 3 guesses – to adapt sex registration laws, i.e. “Gender markers in identity documents and birth registries should therefore be reviewed to [allegedly] better protect intersex people.”
  • In contrast, not mentioned at all are the serious and lifelong harm and impairments resulting from IGM practices – and instead of practical and effectice demands to end IGM (like proposed by intersex persons and their organisations, and seconded e.g. by CAT, NEK-CNE, CRC, WHO, UNICEF), once more there is only non-binding, mutilator-friendly wish-wash.

Whose interests and priorities this alleged “Intersex focus paper” (for which intersex persons and their organisations obviously were consulted only in form and not in substance) really represents, is also emphasised by a comparison of which key words appear in it how often (and which ones were omitted):

gender: 42
certificate/certification/registration: 33
discrimination/discriminated/discriminatory: 30
identity: 28
orientation: 9

vs.

surgery: 14
integrity: 8
[intersex] mutilation: 2

harmful practice (CRC art, 24.3, CEDAW art. 5): 0
inhuman treatment, torture (CAT art, 2, 4, , CEDAW art. 5): 0

harm [done by IGM]: 0
(loss of) sexual sensitivity/sensation: 0
trauma: 0

redress: 0
statutes of limitation: 0
data collection: 0
monitoring: 0

Bottom line: Intersex Appropriation – Bingo! Once more, survivors of IGM (and intersex children at risk of being submitted to IGM practices) are abused at the “IDAHO Forum 2015” to pursue third party, (gender) identity and civil status politics at their cost – while at the same time, intersex children keep getting mutilated daily – for how much longer?! Yuck!! If those appropriators had their own genitals forcibly cut for a change – their priorities would change pretty fast and thoroughly – wanna bet?!

On the other hand, how such a study can be done better, demonstrates the “Issue Paper ‘Human rights and intersex people'” >>> Issue paper PDF  >>> COE Press release, published by the Commissioner on Human Rights of the Council of Europe (COE), authored by Silvan Agius, and presented at the same “IDAHO-Forum 2015”. Thanks!! Not only does this paper include most of the above missing key words, but generally talks straight, also on IGM practices.

However, also in the COE Issue Paper there are still painful exceptions, for example “statutes of limitation” and “monitoring” are still missing, and, most egregious, regarding the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), of all things the crucial art. 24 para. 3 (“Harmful practices”) went missing – despite having been highlighted also by the Committee in their ground-breaking 2015 recommendations on IGM – pity! A further deficit of the COE issue paper, how John Money is – in accordance with the ever popular gender studies myth – once more counterfactually portrayed as the “inventor” of IGM practices, while in fact this “honour” belongs to Lawson Wilkins.

How much longer?!

22 UN Reprimands for IGM – and counting …
“Harmful Medical Practice”: UN, COE, ACHPR, IACHR condem IGM

Intersex Genital Mutilations • 17 Most Common Forms
Human Rights Violations Of Children With Variations Of Sex Anatomy
IGM – Historical Overview  What is Intersex?  How Common are IGMs?
>>> Download PDF (3.65 MB)     >>> Table of Contents

IGM as a Harmful Practice: 2015 UN-CRC Briefing
• IGM: A Survivor’s Perspective • Intersex Movement History
• What are Variations of Sex Anatomy?  • What are IGM Practices?
• IGM and Human Rights  • Conclusion: IGM as a Harmful Practice
>>> Download PDF (3.14 MB)     >>> Table of Contents

Zwischengeschlecht.org on Facebook

Eliminating IGM practices by holding the perpetrators accountable via well-established applicable human rights frameworks, including Inhuman Treatment and Harmful Practices – Presentation @ UN expert meeting on Intersex Human Rights in Geneva 26.–27.10.2015
>>> Download PDF (831kb)

Markus Bauer @ Genital Autonomy 2015: “IGM considered a ‘Harmful Practice’ by UN – Intersex Social Movement Strategies in Action”

Markus on ABC Nightline, filmed during the “I-D$D 2013” Protests  >>> Full “I-D$D” Video

Markus Bauer (Zwischengeschlecht.org/StopIGM.org) is an invited speaker at “Genital Autonomy 2015” in Frankfurt a.M. (Germany), May 6-9. Together with fellow activist Simon Zobel, Markus will represent intersex issues at GA 2015.
Following the annual demonstration in Cologne on the 7th of May to support genital autonomy for all children, there will be a two-day conference in Frankfurt on 8th and 9th May exploring some legal and medical issues relating to the genital cutting of children.
“Genital Autonomy” was established in 1989 as an originally bi-annual international symposium on children’s rights promoting interdisciplinary dialogue about genital cutting practices of male, female, and intersex children. At last year’s symposium in Boulder (Colorado) (abstracts, PDF), Markus presented together with fellow activist Hida Viloria (OII). In 2012 (abstracts, PDF), speakers on intersex were Julius Kaggwa (SIPD, Uganda) and Mika Venhola (youtube-interview), and the symposium issued the 2012 “Helsinki Declaration of the Right to Genital Autonomy”.

Abstract: 2015: Intersex Genital Mutilations (IGM) Considered a ‘Harmful Practice’ by UN –– Intersex Social Movement Strategies in Action

In February 2015, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) considered Intersex Genital Mutilations a “Harmful Practice” – a powerful concept calling not only for legislation aimed at eliminating harmful practices, but also stressing implementation, monitoring, enforcement, and remedies. I’ll discuss this and other recent achievements in the context of the ongoing 20-year-struggle of intersex activists to end IGM, employing social movement strategies including coordinated use of nonviolent action, human rights mechanisms, and lawsuits against perpetrators.

Markus Bauer is the co-founder and campaign organiser of the international human rights NGO Zwischengeschlecht.org / StopIGM.org, and legally responsible for their online presence. He is the partner of an intersex person, and a decade-long writer, editor, performing artist, political activist, and social organiser. Since 2007, he facilitated countless nonviolent intersex protests in front of mutilators’ clinics and medical congresses, as well as parliamentary motions, submissions and testimonies for ethics and human rights bodies. He has spoken and published internationally on IGM at universities and symposia, and appeared on radio and television, and in newspapers and magazines, including the Wall Street Journal. Zurich, Switzerland.

VIDEO Action vs. ‘I-D$D’ Genital Mutilators!
4th I-D$D Symposium, Glasgow 2013
Thanks to Richard Duncker (MenDoComplain)

>>> on Vimeo

VIDEO Action vs. ‘ISHID’ Live Mutilators!
IV ISHID World Congress, London 2012
Thanks to Richard Duncker (MenDoComplain)

>>> on Youtube

Intersex Genital Mutilations
Human Rights Violations Of Children With Variations Of Sex Anatomy

2014 NGO Report to the UN Committe on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
Documents 17 Forms of IGMs and Nazi-Crimes a.o. in CH, D, A
>>> Download PDF (3.65 MB)    
>>>
Table of Contents

UN-CRPD Criticises Intersex Genital Mutilations, Calls for Legal Provisions to Provide Redress to Survivors

Ana Peláez Narváez asks Germany questions on IGM and castrations, Geneva 26.03.2015

'STOP Intersex Genital Mutilation!' - UNHRC Geneva 20.10.2012

Zwischengeschlecht.org on FacebookHip, hip! On occasion of their 13th session, the UN-Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) published Concluding Recommendations on Intersex for the 1st time ever, explicitly criticising Germany for allowing IGM Practices to continue unhindered (>>> p. 6–7, paras 37-38), after having questioned the state delegation on this topic in Geneva earlier (see below).

This success is the result of German Intersex Groups and allies participating in the UN human rights mechanism of the initial review of Germany under the Convention on the Rights of People With Disabilities (CRPD):

  • Intersexuelle Menschen e.V. participating in the 2013 Collective NGO Report facilitated by CRPD Alliance (>>> PDF –> p. 36–37),
  • plus a  2014 NHRI Report by the German Institute for Human Rights, a National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) and the official German CRPD Monitoring Body (>>> PDF –> p. 6),

leading to the Committee asking Germany questions on Intersex and IGM Practices in their 2014 List of Issues (LoI) (>>> as reported on this blog), as well as to (evasive) answers by the German Gov (>>> same report –> Update).

Germany’s clearly less than satisfactory answers were then criticised again by NGOs and the NHRI for the session

  • in a 34-page 2015 Thematic Intersex NGO Report by Zwischengeschlecht.org/StopIGM.org (>>>  PDF | HTML | DOC | DOCX),
  • in a 2015 Collective NGO Follow-Up Report facilitated by CRPD Alliance, again with participation of Intersexuelle Menschen e.V. (>>> DOC –> p. 10–11),
  • and in a 2015 NHRI Follow-Up Report by the German Institute for Human Rights (>>> PDF –> p. 15).

In addition, there was a Intersex Side Event in Geneva prior to the session, with participation of Zwischengeschlecht.org/Stop IGM.org, OII Germany and OII Australia, co-facilitated by GATE. Zwischengeschlecht.org and OII Germany also contributed short statements during the NGO briefing on Germany just before the session, with Daniela Truffer (Zwischengeschlecht.org) once more being the only survivor of IGM giving firsthand testimony on the consequences of IGM practices, as well as providing practical, referenced examples of past and present examples of IGM and other gross human rights violations of intersex people in Germany.

Diane Kinston mentions intersex in her opening statement on Germany, Geneva 26.03.2015

During the 13th CRPD Session, on 26 March 2015, intersex was mentioned by CRPD Country Rapporteur for Germany Diane Kingston in her introduction; and CRPD member Ana Peláez Narváez asked the German State Party explicit questions regarding genital mutilations and castrations of intersex children, also referring to the review of Germany under CEDAW during their 43th session in 2009 (the first time ever that intersex NGOs particpated in a human rights mechanism, and also the very first time a UN Committee criticised a country regarding human rights violations of intersex people in Concluding Observations).

In their reply, the State Party once again longwindedly claimed everything would be different now, and in fact intersex people would rather the committee would’t get active, and therefore legislation wouldn’t be necessary, preferring an “individualised” medical approach (as called for by IGM doctors, too). As per usual, videos of the whole session are available online via treatybodywebcast.org >>> english audio + sign language | german audio + video of speakers.

Fortunately, the Committee didn’t allow the state party to pull the wool over their eyes. Instead, in their Concluding Observations (>>> p. 6–7, paras 37-38), for the first time CRPD explicitly criticised IGM Practices as well as the lack of legal provisions for access to redress for survivors, referring to the UN Committee against Torture (CAT)’s 2011 recommendations for Germany.

As reported on this blog, the binding 2011 CAT recommendations for Germany (CAT/C/DEU/CO/5 >>> PDF, p. 6–7, para 20) referred to by CRPD include a call for the state party to:

“Undertake investigation of incidents of surgical and other medical treatment of  intersex people without effective consent and adopt legal provisions in order to provide redress to the victims of such treatment, including adequate compensation”.

The following are the binding 2015 recommendations for Germany regarding intersex by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities:
(CRPD/C/DEU/CO/1 >>> p. 6–7, paras 37-38)

Protecting the integrity of the person (art. 17)

37. The Committee is concerned about: […] c) the lack of implementation of the 2011 recommendations CAT/C/DEU/CO/5, para. 20, regarding upholding bodily integrity of intersex children.

38. The Committee recommends that the State party take the necessary measures, including of a legislative nature to: 

[…]

(d) Implement all the recommendations of CAT/C/DEU/CO/5, para. 20 relevant to intersex children.

On behalf of our German constituency and supporters, Zwischengeschlecht.org/StopIGM.org warmly thanks the Committe for these recommendations! While many had hoped for additional recommendations also on the topic of lack of data collection and monitoring, especially considering the German gov’s long history of empty promisies and ongoing refusal to do so, as well as on the current denial of needed healt care for persons with CAH with salt loss, these recommendation is an important first step and will greatly help increasing the pressure on German perpetrators of IGM practices and IGM-friendly politicians.

'Human Rights For Hermaphrodites, Too!' - 2015 CRPD NGO Report

Intersex Genital Mutilations: 2015 CRPD NGO Report
Documents ongoing Human Rights Violations in Germany under CRPD
 What is Intersex? • How Common are IGM-Practices?
 No Law to Prevent IGM  No Data Collection & Statistics
 No Access to Justice & Redress  Denial of Needed Health Care
>>> Download PDF (3.65 MB)    >>> HTML    >>> DOC | DOCX