Saturday, November 24 2018

2018 CEDAW PSWG UK Intersex NGO Report

2018-CEDAW-PSWG-UK-NGO-Coalition-Intersex-IGMNGO Report (for PSWG) to the 8th Report of the United Kingdom on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

>>> Download: PDF (679 kb)  

Compiled by:
Intersex NGO Coalition UK
IntersexUK • UK Intersex Association
StopIGM.org / Zwischengeschlecht.org

CEDAW Timeline UK 2018-19:  
• Above June 2018 NGO Report provides solid evidence of ongoing IGM practices in the UK.
In July 2018 during the CEDAW 72 Pre-Sessional Working Group, the Committee heard NGOs in a private meeting >>> Joint Intersex PSWG NGO Statement 23.07.2018 (PDF):

As an NHS surgeon says, “[...] we remain happy to undertake clitoral reduction surgery [...] Until such time as there is a change in the law, parents will continue to have the right to decide [...]” [5]

CRC [6] recognised IGM in the UK as a harmful practice in 2015, seconded by CRPD [7] [8] in 2017. However, to this day the Government fails to act.
To this day, the UK denies these serious human rights violations, but tries to misrepresent IGM as a “health care” or “gender  identity” issue instead.
This misrepresentation is also evident in the State report. [9]

The Committee then drafted the List of Issues (LOI) with questions for for the UK, which include a good questions on intersex and IGM under CEDAW art. 5 “harmful practices” (CEDAW/C/GBR/Q/8, para 8):

Discriminatory gender stereotypes and harmful practices

[...]

8. The report indicates that in 2015 the State party introduced a number of provisions to strengthen the Female Genital Mutilation Act in order to help break down barriers to prosecution (para. 183). Please provide information on the extent to which these changes to the law have facilitated the prosecution of female genital mutilation cases in the State party. What progress has been made following the introduction of a mandatory reporting duty, which requires regulated health-care and social-care professionals, as well as teachers, to report to the police all “known” cases of female genital mutilation in girls under the age of 18 years? Please provide information on the progress made to provide medical and psychosocial support to women and girls who are victims of female genital mutilation. Please provide data on the number of surgical and other procedures that have been undertaken on intersex children under the age of 18 years in the State party.

In November 2018 the UK (non-)answered to the LOI as follows (CEDAW/C/GBR/Q/8/Add.1, para 46):

Intersex children

46.   Issues faced by people who are living with variant sex characteristics is an emerging policy area for Government. UK Government has announced its intention to publish a call for evidence on these issues. The evidence gathered from this exercise will inform the Government’s next steps in this area. UK Government is aware of some calls from the sector to ban the practice of medical interventions on minor’s sex characteristics.

In January 2019 NGOs will have another possibility to submit NGO reports.
On Monday 25 February 2019 NGOs will have another possibility to brief the Committee in both public and private NGO meetings.
On Tuesday 26 February the human rights record of the UK will be examined in Geneva during the 72nd CEDAW session, hopefully followed by yet another severe reprimand for IGM practices for the UK after the Session!

>>> Full Chronology CEDAW UK 2018-19

Sunday, October 7 2018

2018 CEDAW Nepal Intersex NGO Report

2018-CEDAW-Nepal-NGO-Intersex-IGMNGO Report (for Session) to the 6th Report of Nepal on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

>>>  Download (PDF 328 kb)

Compiled by:
Esan Regmi, Parsu Ram Rai (BDS)
StopIGM.org / Zwischengeschlecht.org
  

CEDAW Nepal Timeline 2018

In February 2018, Esan Regmi (Blue Diamond Society, Nepal) and StopIGM.org first submitted Intersex NGO Reports (for LOI) to CEDAW, raising and substantiating violations against intersex children, adolescents and adults in Nepal.

In March 2018 during its 71st PSWG Session, the Committee heard NGOs in a private meeting, including a Joint Intersex Statement (PDF) by Esan Regmi and Parsu Ram Rai  (Blue Diamond Society, Nepal) and StopIGM.org, raising infanticide, child abandonment, intersex genital mutilation, forced marriage, massive bullying preventing intersex children from attending school, and more.

Later in March 2018 CEDAW published its List of Issues (LOI) for Nepal (PDF) with questions to the Nepali Government, including a question on intersex under CEDAW art. 5 (CEDAW/C/NPL/Q/6, para 8 (d)):

Stereotypes and harmful practices

[...]
8.  The State party indicates that it, in collaboration with civil society organizations, is implementing campaigns to address harmful practices, such as forced and child marriages and accusations of witchcraft (para. 27). [...] Please also provide information on [..] (d) measures taken to address the forced genital mutilation of and discrimination against intersex persons, including reported cases of abuse, infanticide and forced marriage.

This marked the first time ever that a UN Committee explicitly addressed infanticide and forced marriage of intersex persons!

The Government had then to submit written answers to the questions in the LOI, which it did only well after the deadline late in September 2018 (merely a week before the deadline for the NGO follow-up reports for the Session). While the Replies to the LOI (CEDAW/C/NPL/Q/6/Add.1, para 41) repeat the above questions on intersex, they completely fail to provide any answer.

Early October 2018, Esan Regmi and Parsu Ram Rai (Blue Diamond Society, Nepal) and StopIGM.org submitted above thematic follow-up Joint Intersex NGO Report (for Session, PDF) (INT/CEDAW/CSS/NPL/32600), providing solid evidence of the serious human rights violations against intersex people based on stereotypes and prejudice, and also of the failure of the Government to act.

Later in October 2018, the human rights record of Nepal will be examined during the 71st CEDAW session in Geneva:
  
- 22 October 2018 the Committee will hear NGOs first in a private briefing and
      15:00–16:30h CEST [Nepal: 18:45–19:15h] in a public NGO meeting
      to be transmitted LIVE on webtv.un.org. >>> Joint Intersex NGO Statement (PDF)
      >>> Extended Private Meeting Joint Intersex NGO Statement (PDF)
  - 23 October 2018 during the State review, CEDAW raised intersex, infanticide and IGM
      with the Nepali delegation, live on webtv.un.org!  >>> Intersex Transcript + Video
      Session 1: 10:00–13:00h [Nepal: 13:45–16:45h]
      Session 2: 15:00–17:00h [Nepal: 18:45–20:45h]

In November 2018 the Committee will publish its “Concluding Observations” – hopefully with yet another severe reprimand for IGM practices for Nepal.
UPDATE!!! UN-CEDAW condems Intersex Infanticide and Genital Mutilation in Nepal!

And from 18–29 November the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences, Ms.  Dubravka Šimonović, will undertake an official country visit to Nepal. Esan Regmi and Parsu Ram Rai (Blue Diamond Society, Nepal) and StopIGM.org also submitted a Report “Harmful Practice and Violence against Intersex Children and Adolescents in Nepal” (PDF) to the Special Rapporteur. Hopefully, also the Special Rapporteur will denounce harmful practices on intersex people in Nepal in her upcoming Report on the Country visit.

Friday, July 13 2018

2018 CEDAW Liechtenstein Intersex NGO Report

>>> deutsch      >>> http://intersex.schattenbericht.org

2018 CEDAW Liechtenstein Thematic NGO Report Intersex IGM

NGO Report to the 5th Periodic Report of Liechtenstein on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

 
>>>  Download (PDF 373 kb)
   
  

Compiled by:
StopIGM.org / Zwischengeschlecht.org

CEDAW Timeline Liechtenstein July 2018:
• NGO Briefing Liechtenstein (public):
Mon 2 July 16-17h CEST 
   >>> Intersex NGO Statement (PDF) | UN Web TV (@ 44:45)
• Review of Liechtenstein: Thu 5 July 10-13h + 15-17h CEST

   to be transmitted LIVE on
webtv.un.org!
YAY!! The Concluding Observations for Liechtenstein (and Mexico, New Zealand and Australia) include yet another reprimand for IGM practices for each country.

Wednesday, July 11 2018

2018 CEDAW New Zealand Intersex NGO Report

>>> deutsch      >>> http://intersex.schattenbericht.org

2018 CEDAW New Zealand Thematic NGO Report Intersex IGM

NGO Report to the 8th Periodic Report of New Zealand on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

 
>>>  Download (PDF 376 kb)
   
>>>
Summary (PDF)

Compiled by:
StopIGM.org / Zwischengeschlecht.org

CEDAW Timeline New Zealand July 2018:
• Review of New Zealand: Thu 12 July 10-13h + 15-17h CEST

  
>>> TRANSCRIPT + VIDEO of Intersex Q&A during Session
YAY!! The Concluding Observations for New Zealand (and Liechtenstein, Australia and Mexico) include yet another severe reprimand for IGM practices for each country.

Thursday, June 28 2018

2018 CEDAW Mexico Intersex NGO Report

NGO Report to the 9th Report of Mexico on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

>>> Español (PDF 513 kb)
>>> English (PDF 559 kb)
    >>> Summary (PDF)

Compiled by:
Brújula Intersexual
Vivir y Ser Intersex
StopIGM.org / Zwischengeschlecht.org

CEDAW Timeline México June-July 2018:
• NGO Briefing Mexico (public):
Mon 2 July 16-17h CEST 
   to be transmitted LIVE on webtv.un.org!
"Fragments. An Intersex Experience" (public): Mon 2 July 18:30h CEST
 
    Short film + Talk with Adiòs Al Futuro (Mexico)  >>> more info
• NGO Lunch Time Briefing (closed):
Tue 5 July  >>> Intersex NGO Statement
• Review of México: Fri 6 July 10-13h + 15-17h CEST
   to be transmitted LIVE on
webtv.un.org!
YAY!! The Concluding Observations for México (and Liechtenstein, Australia and New Zealand) include yet another severe reprimand for IGM practices for each country.

Tuesday, March 20 2018

2018 CEDAW Nepal LOI Intersex NGO Reports

Joint Intersex NGO Oral Statement CEDAW 71st PSWG Nepal, 12.03.2018Joint Intersex NGO Oral Statement
CEDAW 71st PSWG Nepal, 12.03.2018

 
>>>  Download (PDF 66 kb)

 
Compiled by:
Esan Regmi, Parsu Ram Rai
StopIGM.org

   

2018 CEDAW LOI Nepal Blue Diamond Society Intersx ReportNGO Report (for LOI) to the 6th Report of Nepal on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

 
>>>  Download (PDF 160 kb)

Compiled by:
Blue Diamond Society / Esan Regmi

  

2018 CEDAW PSWG Endorsement Nepal Intersex StopIGM.orgEndorsement and Substantiation of Nepal Intersex NGO Report (CEDAW 72 PSWG)

 
>>>  Download (PDF 81 kb)

 

Compiled by:
StopIGM.org /
Daniela Truffer, Markus Bauer
 
   

Stories of Intersex People from Nepal

 
>>>  Download (PDF 932 kb)

   
Compiled by:
Esan Regmi

Translated by:
Parsu Ram Rai
 

  IGM = Hamful Practice  “Intersex Genital Mutilations, Stigma and Bullying in Nepal”
   1.  Background: 1st Intersex Workshop, Intersex Stories, 2016 CRC NGO Report
   2.  Intersex Genital Mutilations in Nepali Paediatric Hospitals
        a) IGM in Publications by Doctors and Hospitals
        b) IGM in Witnesses Accounts
   3.  Denial of Needed Health Care
  
4.  Stigma, Bullying and Isolation 
  

CEDAW Timeline Nepal 2018

In March 2018, CEDAW published its List of Issues (LOI) for Nepal (PDF) with questions to the Nepali Government, including a question on intersex (para 8 (d)):

Stereotypes and harmful practices

[...]
8.   The report indicates that the State party, in collaboration with civil society organisations, is implementing campaigns to address a number of harmful practices such as forced and early marriages and accusations of witchcraft (boxi) (para. 27). [...] Please also provide information on [...] (d) measures being taken to address forced inter-sex genital mutilation and discrimination against inter-sex persons, including reported cases of abuse, infanticide and forced marriage.

This marks the first time that any UN Committee explicitly addressed infanticide and forced marriage of intersex persons!

The Government has now to submit written answers to the questions in the LOI. Thereafter, Nepal will be examined at the 71th CEDAW session in Geneva (22 October – 09 November 2018), during 2 meetings with oral questions by the Committee and replies by the Nepali delegation, to be transmitted LIVE on webtv.un.org.

>>> Full Timeline CEDAW Nepal: March-Dec 2018