intersex.shadowreport.org

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

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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.