Today, on 27 April, South Africa celebrates Freedom Day, an annual commemoration of the country’s first democratic elections that were held on 27 April 1994. This year marks 26 years of freedom and democracy for the country. The theme for this year’s Freedom Month celebrations is “solidarity and the triumph of the human spirit”.

Intersex South Africa (ISSA) recognizes that it took tremendous efforts and sacrifices by many in our country in order to usher in a truly democratic era, however, we cannot ignore the fact that we have a long way to go as a country before we are truly free.  In this time as a country, the outbreak of COVID-19 has highlighted and exacerbated the many systemic, structural and institutional forms of oppression and violence that prevent many, including intersex people, from being truly free. We would like to highlight some of those here;

Economic exclusion:

ISSA recently undertook a short assessment to determine the impact COVID-19 and the national lockdown on its members and how it can effectively support members during these trying times. The assessment showed that a vast a majority of ISSA members are unemployed, under-skilled and mostly rely on the informal sector to make a living, which is impossible during a national lockdown. The findings of the assessment were similar to a document discussing the impact of COVID-19 on LGBTI people which was recently released by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the document reiterates the fact that LGBTI people are more likely to be unemployed and to live in poverty than the general population, that many in the LGBTI community work in the informal sector and lack access to paid sick leave, unemployment compensation, and health coverage.

In order to assist members during these trying times, ISSA has provided store vouchers as well as airtime and data to try and ensure that members have access to food and can connect virtually with others, so as to decrease the isolation that many intersex people suffer from, even outside of a global pandemic. We therefore call on the government to ensure that measures to address the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic should consider the particular vulnerabilities of the LGBTI people, including intersex people, who are often forgotten in such conversations. 

Human rights violations against bodily autonomy, integrity and self-determination

ISSA reiterates the fact that intersex South Africans cannot be free as long as Intersex Genital Mutilation (FGM) is still allowed to take place, by the state and the medical fraternity. ISSA calls on the state to ensure freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment for intersex persons by banning FGM and promoting the rights to self-determination, bodily autonomy and integrity for all.

On this day we also recognize and celebrate intersex activists and advocates around the country, the region and globally that continue to fight for the freedom and rights of intersex people. 

Aluta Continua

ISSA