Launch of the Southern African Intersex Forum (SAIF)

Between the 25th and 27th of November 2022, intersex activists from Botswana, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe met for a Southern African Intersex Capacity Strengthening meeting, convened by Iranti. During this meeting they founded a new collective; the Southern African Intersex Forum (SAIF), with the aim of strengthening the capacities of intersex organisations in the SADC region.
As Southern African intersex activists, we wish to announce the formation of the Southern African Intersex Forum (SAIF). SAIF is an autonomous collective consisting of intersex-led organisations and intersex activists from Southern African countries that work to raise awareness on intersex issues and advocate for the protection of the rights of intersex people.
We aim to:
• Set the regional advocacy agenda on intersex issues;
• Strengthen the capacities of Southern African intersex organisations;
• Share skills, resources and information;
• Collectively mobilise resources for regional intersex organising;
• Co-create regional intersex advocacy campaigns to raise awareness and visibility of intersex issues in the region;
• Engage with regional human rights and policy makers in order to advocate for the promotion and protection of the rights of intersex people in the region;
• Engage in research to contribute to legal and policy review and reform with evidence-based data centered around the lived realities of intersex people; and
• Support the forum’s members to implement advocacy priorities at national level.
We recognise that stigma, discrimination, medical violence, and exclusion of intersex people is prevalent in the region. The legal and policy environment is not enabling for the promotion and protection of the rights of intersex people.Intersex people have limited access to justice and redress when faced with human rights violations both nationally and regionally. Discrimination results in limited access to education, employment, affirming healthcare and other essential services.
We also recognise that intersex organisations in the region have limited access to resources, which hinders their ability to effectively organise, advocate and raise awareness on the various issues and violations that impact intersex people. We also recognise the inherent expertise, experience, and capabilities of intersex activists to bring about social, legal and political change for their communities as well as the on-going work and achievements of intersex activists despite these challenges.
We affirm both the 2017 and 2019 statements by the African Intersex Movement (AIM) and remain committed to supporting the efforts of AIM.
With this background in mind, we call upon SADC member states to:
• Prohibit any non-consensual medical interventions, including surgical, hormonal and sterilisation interventions that alter the sex characteristics of intersex people.
• Ensure that legislation, policy and medical guidelines clearly define “medical emergency” as relating to physical health and not to perceived psychological or social factors
• Ensure that sanctions exist for healthcare providers who violate the rights of intersex people and who conduct medical interventions (that are not a medical emergency) without informed consent from the patient.
• Ensure that antenatal care includes providing parents with affirming and evidence-based information on intersex traits
• Avail free and easily accessible gender-affirming health care for intersex adults, based on principles of informed consent and self-determination
• Provide healthcare providers with training on the health needs and human rights of intersex persons
• Prohibit discrimination on the basis of intersex traits, characteristics or status including in education, health care, employment, and access to public services
• Enact enabling laws and policies allowing intersex persons to amend sex markers on birth certificates, identity documents and other official documents
• Ensure that intersex people have the right to information and are able access to their medical records
We call on SADC and national human rights bodies to address the structural and institutional barriers that prevent intersex people from the full enjoyment and realisation of their human rights in a systematic way.
We call on funders to address the under-resourcing of intersex organising on all levels; locally, nationally, and regionally by providing flexible long-term unrestricted funding without burdensome administrative requirements.
We call on human rights organisations to take leadership from intersex organisations, and engage in meaningful collaboration and partnership with us when working on intersex issues through the principle of “nothing about us without us”.
For more information and inquiries about SAIF and its work, please contact [e-mail]

[@tsitsibetha]

Proud to be part of this historical launch. Thank you Iranti

[@bossairsoft]

Proud of you guys. 🫶💛💜