Individuals with variations in sex characteristics still encounter stigma, discrimination, and obstacles to healthcare, along with challenges in obtaining official documents.
At the inaugural African Intersex Conference in Nairobi, leaders and advocates united to demand stronger legal protections, inclusive services, and increased involvement of those affected in decisions that impact their lives.
Building a Continental Movement
Obioma Chukwuike, Chairman of the Board of the African Intersex Movement from Nigeria, hailed the conference as a landmark event for the community throughout Africa.
“Today marks a historic moment. For the first time, we are gathering for a conference of our own—not as an afterthought in someone else’s agenda or merely as subjects of discussion. We stand together as a movement: African intersex individuals, organized, determined, and ready to shape our own future,” he stated.
Chukwuike acknowledged that many had felt isolated for years before discovering communities where they could share their stories.
“Look around you today. You are not alone. Across Africa, we have found each other, and this unity has empowered us. We have built a movement,” he emphasized.
He paid tribute to pioneers who advocated for the community when it was largely invisible, including South Africa’s Sally Gross, whose work helped bring the issue into the spotlight of African human rights history.
He also remembered those whose names remain unrecorded and those who lost their lives to violence, harmful practices, isolation, and neglect. Participants honored them with a moment of silence.
Chukwuike expressed that the conference theme, “Building a Community, Rising in Power, Reclaiming Bodily Autonomy, and Building a Future in Africa,” reflects a commitment to ensuring the community shapes its own destiny.
“We are rising because silence is no longer an option. The next generation of intersex Africans deserves more than mere survival. They deserve joy, families that celebrate them, quality healthcare that protects them, laws that recognize them, and safe schools and communities where they belong,” he affirmed.
He urged governments, healthcare professionals, researchers, UN agencies, and donors to transform awareness into tangible action.
“Awareness without action will not protect our children. Research without community input will not achieve justice. Policies without accurate information will not change lives. And partnerships without intersex leadership do not represent true inclusion,” Chukwuike asserted.
Growing the Network
Julius Kaggwa, founder of the Support Initiative for People with Atypical Sex Development (SIPD), highlighted the importance of growing and sustaining Africa’s movement.
Kaggwa expressed gratitude to partners and donors whose support has been vital to its expansion.
He noted that the network now boasts over 40 members across more than 20 countries in Eastern, Southern, and Western Africa.
“We may be the youngest intersex network in the world, but we are also one of the largest,” he stated.
He emphasized that social and cultural pressures, along with isolation and trauma, can lead to poverty, making robust community networks and investment in well-being essential.
Kaggwa called on participants to confront dwindling funding, anti-gender narratives, and the exclusion of African voices from global decision-making spaces.
He also urged a renewed focus on health justice, inclusive health systems, and bodily autonomy.
“Let’s discuss how we can advance bodily autonomy and recommit ourselves to the intersex children of Africa. These conversations may be challenging, but they are vital as they plant the seeds of our transformation,” he affirmed.
Kenya’s Rights Journey
Dr. Dennis Wamalwa, the first intersex commissioner at the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), showcased the country’s strides in recognition and protection.
Wamalwa shared his personal journey of undergoing multiple surgeries and starting testosterone therapy at age nine, experiences that fueled his advocacy for appropriate healthcare.
“I have been on testosterone since I was nine. It’s costly, and many of my peers cannot afford it,” he explained.
He highlighted cases that spurred reforms, including one involving a person detained in a male facility at Kamiti Prison and another concerning a child whose birth notification lacked a sex designation, hindering access to essential services.
These cases led to the creation of the Intersex Persons Implementation Coordination Committee, which examined community challenges and made recommendations to the government.
Kenya became the first country to enumerate intersex individuals in a national census, recording 1,621 in the 2019 census, though Wamalwa noted this figure does not reflect the true population.
He mentioned that children are recognized under the 2022 Children Act, and an intersex sex marker has been added to official documents.
The KNCHR is collaborating with police, prison authorities, and schools to enhance understanding while integrating related issues into the school curriculum.
Wamalwa also called for increased support for healthcare needs and stated that the proposed Intersex Bill 2024 could further enhance legal protections.
“We envision a Kenya where an intersex individual can walk in without being seen as an outsider,” he said.
Push for a Nairobi Declaration
Isaac Mwaura, head of the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Disability Rights in the Executive Office of the President, advocated for the adoption of a Nairobi Declaration to establish a unified framework for protection and inclusion.
His proposals included introducing an intersex marker in birth registration documents, ending the killing of infants born with variations in sex characteristics, and protecting against non-consensual or unnecessary surgeries on children.
Mwaura also suggested that national censuses incorporate questions about intersex individuals to generate reliable data for effective policies and services.
He called for equitable access to healthcare, including psychosocial support, as well as education and employment opportunities. He emphasized the need for those affected to participate in shaping policies that impact their lives.
“Intersex individuals are people to be celebrated, not seen as medical experiments. They have lived experiences, dignity, and rights,” he affirmed.
Mwaura pointed out that the Children Act 2022 has bolstered protections for children, while many African nations still lack comprehensive legal frameworks.
He further proposed a United Nations convention on the rights of intersex individuals to set global standards for their protection.
“We are not asking Africa to become something it isn’t; we’re asking it to remember what it once was, because intersex individuals have always existed,” he stated.
Mwaura encouraged participants to utilize the conference to formulate a common agenda and advance the rights and dignity of the community.
“Do not let yourselves be silenced. Speak up, stand tall, and claim your rights,” he urged.
