BBI: Intersex community want recognition as third gender

 On Monday 26th the world marked the annual intersex day. The day is marked for the LGBT and the intersex communities, which is celebrated to recognize their rights in the society.

Intersex is a complex biological condition where children are born either with two sex organs (male and female) or one visible organ while the other is either hidden, malformed or deformed but present.

Kenya became the fast country in Africa to recognize the intersex community as part of its population for the very fast time during the 2019 census.

During a past interview with Reuters, Nominated Senator Mwaura said, “Census will help end stigma and recognize the rights of intersex people who face challenges accessing health care and education.”

With the community failing to notice them and facing discrimination from people’s perspective in the society, some intersex persons are associated with curse and even end up being killed by their parents who fear stigmatization from members of the society.

Few members of the intersex community who have been vocal have suffered discrimination, impacting on their social and societal opportunities such as employment. Many qualified and with skills have missed on job opportunities for the question of not aligning to state of gender.

“Despite being recognized as part of the population in the country, the intersex community has received less acceptance from the members of the society. We have some who have necessary personnel but still cannot be accommodated in job markets yet they are qualified. The society should learn to respect people and accept people the way they are because it’s beyond their making. Recognizing them as the third gender will definitely reduce instances of not only stigmatization but also for them to be absorbed accepted in opportunities,” said Faith Injete an activist of the intersex and LGBT persons in Kitale.

As discussions of on the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) intensify in the country, their (intersex) call to the government is to give them that constitutional recognition as third gender, for them to be respected in the society.