CEDAW67 > VIDEO + TRANSCRIPT: Italy Questioned over Intersex Genital Mutilations by UN Women’s Rights Committee – Gov Denies

>>> CEDAW67 > Claudia Balsamo’s Testimony to Intersex Genital Mutilation in Italy
>>>
Cedaw Timeline Italy 2017

UN-CEDAW 67th Session @ Palais des Nations, Geneva 04.07.2017: Getting ready …
#CEDAWItaly   #UNCEDAW67

Zwischengeschlecht.org on Facebook Italy was up for review of IGM practices at the 67th session
of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on 
Tue 4 July 10:00-13:00h CET + 15:00-18:00h CET.

The livestream is archived here: Session 1 | Session 2

StopIGM.org reported LIVE from Palais des Nations , hoping for strong questions on IGM practices:

CEDAW 67 Italy Intersex Q&A: Transcript + Video

Session 1, Thu 04.07.2017, 15–18h CET

Under CEDAW art. 5 (harmful practices), and also else during the 1st session, unfortunately no questions on intersex were asked … :-( :-( :-(

Session 2, Thu 04.07.2017, 15–18h CET

16:03h: (Video english | original (spanish) @ 1:02:51) YAY!!    CEDAW Task Force Italy expert Magalys Arocha Dominguez raises IGM together with forced sterislisation on Roma women 🙂 (but unfortunately calls IGM “the practice to have sex change corrections early in life when the situation might still be unclear”). :-/
Unofficial Transcript (UN simultaneous translation from original Spanish):

«And a final and last question relates to the existence of specialised services with sufficient methodological and practical guides and regular inspection, concerning these services being offered above all for Roma women and migrant women located in the country, women with disabilities, lesbians and transsexuals in specific areas which might be very sensitive, as it’s the case for example regarding the area of reproductive and sexual health or indeed operations to prevent reproduction to women with disabilities and Roma women. How does the state prevent that kind of practice in both in normative and practical way, [1:03:38] and also the practice to have sex change corrections early in life when the situation might still be unclear. Thank you.»

(The Italian Delegation then didn’t answer the bit on IGM.)

16:58h: (Video english) @ 1:58:28) YAY!!   Less than 90 seconds before the end of the session, CEDAW expert Particia Schulz is eventually allowed a follow-up question, spelling out intersex children, harmful practices and legislation to end IGM, and raising the CEDAW/CRC Joint General Recomm. “on harmful practices”! 🙂
Unofficial Transcript:

«Thank you very much Madam Chair for allowing a last question on my side. I refer to the question asked by Miss Arocha concerning corrective surgeries which is medically unnecessary very often and irreversible surgery and other medical treatment performed on intersex children, not with the consent of the persons themselves or their parents. These interventions are now seen more and more by a number of UN human rights bodies as a violation of the right to health as well a form of harmful practice according to the Joint General Recommendation this Committee and the Committee on the Rights of the Child developed. So my question: Do you plan to adopt legislation to protect the bodily integrity, autonomy and self-determination of intersex persons, maybe by criminalising these interventions when unnecessary, and to provide for compensation for those who underwent those measures without their free prior and informed consent? Thank you.»

(The session goes into extra time.)

17:00h: (Video english | original (italian) @ 1:59:49) Italian Delegate Assunta Morresi (Ministry of Health) issues the usual denials, allegedly only “very few” mutilations and only for medical reasons with allegedly “no data or indication of forced interventions”, parent’s consent allegedly sufficient, but if wished by the doctors (!!!) they would be open for “discussions” … 🙁
Unofficial Transcript (UN simultaneous translation from original Italian):

«This kind of surgery is very limited, there have been 9 surgical operations between the years of 0 and 9 in 2015, and all these interventions have taken into account medical requirements. And of course we need the informed consent of the parents or of a tutor. So far we had not had any data or indication of forced interventions. Everything has taken place case by case according to medical indications and with consent. If scientific societies believe that it is necessary to have a discussion on this the ministry of course will be available.»

17:01h: (Video english) @ 2:01:01) CEDAW expert Particia Schulz follows up, explains parents cannot ‘consent’ to IGM! 🙂
Unofficial Transcript:

«Yes, actually, more and more the discussion is that parents cannot consent to such interventions because of the gravity they have and the consequences that are lifelong. So the child suffers during the childhood and may suffer during the whole adulthood. So this is a question that I think should be adressed in view of these considerations. Thank you very much.»

(There was no follow-up answer by Italy.)

17:04h: Chairperson Dalia Leinarte closes the session.

Zwischengeschlecht.org on Facebook

This was way too close for comfort, as in UN Treaty body mechanisms there is the iron-cast rule, “no questions during the review, no recommendations”. Even more worrying however is the fact that the issue was only raised under art. 10 “healthcare”, and NOT under art. 5 “harmful practices”, and that obviously at the UN the harmful misconception persists, intersex and more specifically would be about “sex change”, and generally a trans or LGBT issue, a harmful prejudice that is constantly fueled at the UN (and elswhere) by big money LGBT NGOs and agencies including Amnesty London, EU-FRA and UNFE New York, and which may rather sooner than later spell the end of intersex human rights at the UN! Nonetheless, let’s hope for strong Concluding observations for Italy under art. 5, due at the end of the 67th CEDAW session …

>>> CEDAW67 > Claudia Balsamo’s Testimony to Intersex Genital Mutilation in Italy
>>>
CEDAW67 Italy: UN Press Release on NGO Briefing english | français
>>>
Cedaw Timeline Italy 2017

2017 CEDAW Italy NGO Intersex IGM

NGO Report to the 7th Report of Italy on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

>>>  Download (PDF 650 kb)

 
Compiled by:
Claudia Balsamo
StopIGM.org / Zwischengeschlecht.org

See also:
23 UN Reprimands for IGM – and counting …
“Harmful Medical Practice”: UN, COE, ACHPR, IACHR condemn IGM
UN Committee for the Rights of the Child (CRC) 2015: IGM = Harmful Practice
UN Committee against Torture (CAT) 2015: IGM = Inhuman Treatment or Torture
UN Human Rights Committee (HRCttee) to examine IGM Practices
UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) condemns IGM
56th Session of Committee against Torture reprimands 4 Governments for IGM
CAT 2011: Germany must investigate IGM practices and compensate survivors!

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

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

>>> Download PDF (831kb)

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