Intersex Asia, the first regional network of intersex-led organizations and activists in Asia, is proud to announce the launch of the updated Asian Intersex Statement 2023. As a collective voice of the intersex community in Asia, the statement highlights key demands and calls for urgent actions from human rights institutions, governments, and non-profit organizations to acknowledge and support the rights of intersex people and push for meaningful change in the region.
Intersex people are born with sex characteristics that do not fit the typical definitions of male or female. We face discrimination, violence, and harmful medical interventions that violate their bodily integrity, physical autonomy, and self-determination. According to Intersex Asia, there is a lack of legal protection for intersex people in many Asian countries. Many of those originate from the lack of awareness and data to drive further research.
The newly updated statement, titled “Asian Intersex Statement 2023”, reaffirms the existence of Intersex people, as well as voices demands and calls for actions that were articulated in the third Asian Intersex Forum, supported by the Intersex Human Rights Fund, which took place in Bangkok, Thailand, on 25-26 October 2022. The Forum brought together 22 intersex people representing intersex organizations and communities from India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Mongolia and Japan.
Intersex Activists gathered at the 3rd Asian Intersex Forum in Bangkok, Thailand on October, 2022
“The launch of the Asian Intersex Statement 2023 marks a significant milestone in the journey towards achieving intersex rights in Asia,” said Hiker Chiu, Executive Director of Intersex Asia, “ By addressing the demands put forth in this statement, governments, human rights institutions, and NGOs can create a more safe, inclusive, equitable society without discrimination for intersex individuals. Protecting intersex people’s bodily autonomy and bodily integrity, ensuring access to intersex healthcare, and promoting inclusive workspace and education are just a few of the crucial stepping stones needed to advance intersex rights in the region. Through sensitization, awareness-building, and data collection, we can challenge misconceptions and combat discrimination against intersex individuals. It is our collective responsibility to support and amplify the voices of the intersex community, working together to create a more just and inclusive world for all. We still have a long way to go to achieve intersex justice and equality in Asia. But we are not alone. We have each other, and we have the support of many people and organizations who share our values and goals. Together, we can make a better world for the intersex community in Asia and beyond.”
Some of the key demands in the statement include:
- To acknowledge intersex traits/variation as sex characteristics and not as a disorder and ensure the bodily integrity and well-being of intersex people.
- To protect intersex people from discrimination by adding the ground of sex characteristics to anti-discrimination legislation(s) and to ensure protection against intersectional discrimination while engaging with civil and social institutions, such as hospitals, educational institutions, immigration authorities, and governmental bodies. Also, laws allowing discrimination on the basis of sex characteristics shall be amended.
- To recognize that sexism, medicalization, dehumanization, and stigmatization of intersex people result in significant trauma and mental health concerns. Therefore, it is important to ensure adequate intersex-affirmative training of healthcare providers that have a specific role to play in ensuring intersex people’s well-being.
- To provide separate uniform guidelines for the registration of intersex children without restricting the registration of intersex children as females or males, with the awareness that, like all people, they may grow up to identify with a different sex or gender.
- To ensure the provision of all human rights and citizenship rights to intersex people.
- To put an end to all forms of unnecessary medical interventions such as ‘normalizing’ genital surgeries, and psychological and other interventions, including the administration of medication for gender selection through legislative and other means. Intersex people must be empowered to make their own decisions affecting their own bodily integrity, physical autonomy, and self-determination.
- To ensure accurate inclusion of intersex people in the official statistics collected by the government, including the national census. So intersex people are included in measures such as social welfare, social security, citizenship, urgent support, etc. On the other hand, promoting collaboration with educational and research agencies to fill the gaps in research and information related to issues of intersex people.
- The statement also acknowledges the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the intersex community and urges the authorities and society to ensure that intersex people have equal access to health care, social protection, and human rights during and after the crisis.
The statement is endorsed by intersex activists from 12 Asian countries: India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Mongolia and Japan. It is also supported by several regional and international organizations, such as ILGA Asia and, Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice.. Intersex Asia invites all intersex people, allies, and supporters to join them in their efforts to defend intersex human rights in Asia.
Read the complete Statement here.
For more information, please contact:
Hiker Chiu, Executive Director of Intersex Asia, hiker@intersexasia.com
Prashant Singh, Researcher & UN Advocacy Officer of Intersex Asia, prashant@intersexasia.com