Since March this year, Iranti partnered with the Department of Home Affairs to do Road Trips around the country to assist transgender and intersex persons by bringing name change and gender marker change services directly to the community.

Although the South African laws such as the Alternation of Sex Description and Sex Status Act (Act 49) and Section 24 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act allow transgender and Intersex people to change their gender marker and forename, the way these laws are implemented do not reflect experiences of transgender and intersex persons in South Africa. 

Transgender and intersex people encounter difficulties when applying for gender marker change at the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) due to the inadequate training provided to department officials regarding Act 49 that results to inappropriate questions, unreasonable demands, and outright denials during the application process. Many transgender and intersex people find it difficult and unpleasant to approach DHA’s branches because of the long queues, bureaucracy, and paperwork that aren’t inclusive.

Many of our community members fear approaching DHA offices to change their gender marker due to the immense stress and psychological trauma of being discriminated against and that they must justify their existence at every step of the process. In addition, many people are unable to afford the transportation and medical costs required with changing their gender. 

The first Road Trip took place in Gauteng on the 31st of March 2022. More than 30 applications were received by the department of Home Affairs. Limpopo was the next province which Iranti and DHA visited in June, followed by the North West in July. After the success of these provinces Iranti partnered with Triangle Project, the Trans Wellness Project and Gender Dynamix to join the Western Cape Road Trip where during the month of September more than 50 applications were received by the DHA. 

These road trips allowed for easier access for transgender and intersex people to have a safe and inclusive spaces where they can freely apply for Identity Documents, Name Changes and gender marker change without discrimination from Home Affairs officials. The Road Trips have also been used as a means of collecting and documenting cases of human rights violation. These Road Trips are intended to make service delivery in terms of accessing Identity and change of gender makers easier for transgender and intersex persons in the various provinces. 

Iranti has planned trips to KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape in the coming months.