Intersex individuals around the world face immense discrimination and stigma. As targets of misunderstanding and mistrust, many are forced into medical interventions or pumped with hormones to “normalise” their bodies, risking serious physical and psychological harm. In adulthood, they struggle with legal recognition and obtaining accurate identity documents, in addition to the social stigma and widespread ignorance about intersex issues that lead to isolation and exclusion.
In 2018, intersex activists from ten Asian countries—Hong Kong (China), India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam—came together with a ground-breaking vision. They formed Intersex Asia– the first regional network to champion and protect the human rights of intersex individuals across Asia.
From the outset, Intersex Asia (IA) has been a driving force in the intersex rights movement, fervently challenging stigma, social isolation, and human rights abuses. A cornerstone of its strategy has been to elevate awareness and deepen understanding of the diverse biological variations among intersex people. Through targeted educational initiatives, IA aims to bring an end to harmful medical practices, such as non-consensual surgeries on intersex infants and children. The way they achieve this is to support senior intersex activists and IA fellows who graduated from the IA fellowship program to conduct sessions that educate communities, healthcare providers, and policymakers. This fellowship program is crucial for the intersex rights movement in Asia as it focuses on empowering young intersex individuals with the leadership and advocacy skills necessary to drive change.
In 2023, IA reached out to more intersex people from India, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Japan and hosted the 3rd Asian Intersex Forum independently for the first time. During this forum, the Asian Intersex Statement, originally initiated at the first gathering, was updated to a more inclusive version. With support and funding from CMI!, IA significantly bolstered the advocacy capabilities of its member organisations, enhancing their capacity for research, partnerships, and outreach. This spurred rapid growth in the intersex communities in both Nepal and the Philippines, with membership in each organisation nearing one hundred individuals. Many parents of intersex children also reached out to IA’s member organisations, becoming strong allies in the intersex movement.
Intersex Asia (IA) has played a pivotal role in advancing intersex rights across the region by empowering its member organisations to lead key legal reforms and advocacy efforts. In Nepal, the Campaign for Change (CFC), an IA member, published a critical report highlighting gaps in the country’s laws that fail to protect intersex rights, serving as a vital tool for future reforms. Both CFC-Nepal and Intersex Philippines also raised awareness by sharing personal stories through publications like “Experiences from the Ground” and the book “‘I Exist,” which highlight the experiences of intersex individuals.
In Thailand, Intersex Thailand, with IA’s support, drafted a new law to protect intersex rights, focusing on gender identity and expression. Meanwhile, Intersex Philippines is pushing for “The Cagandahan Bill,” the first law in the country aimed at simplifying the process of changing names and gender markers for intersex individuals.
Throughout 2022-2023, CMI! support allowed IA to sustain and expand ongoing initiatives while also launching new ones. A standout achievement during this period was the third edition of IA’s fellowship program, which built on the foundation of previous editions to empower a new generation of intersex leaders now driving the movement for greater recognition and protection of intersex rights across Asia. This year, Intersex Asia is set to launch its first comprehensive research on legal justice across twelve countries in South and Southeast Asia. This evidence-based study will provide crucial support for intersex activists, helping to drive policy change and advance the intersex movement across the region.
This is one of the seven stories we have published as CMI! Stories of Change 2023 under the #FundWhatWorks campaign. The stories portray how activists and organisations worldwide are working to advance human rights and gender justice.
