intersex.shadowreport.org

NGO Report (for PSWG) to the 5th and 6th Report of Italy on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

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Compiled by:
Claudia Balsamo
StopIGM.org / Zwischengeschlecht.org
Endorsed by:
Intersexioni • Intersex Esiste

CRC Timeline Italy 2018-19 (Part 1)

• Above March 2018 NGO Report (for PSWG) provides solid evidence of ongoing IGM practices in Italy, advocated and paid for by the State party. In addition, it shows how Italian case law promotes and endorses IGM by punishing its prevention.

• In June 2018 during the CRC80 Pre-Sessional Working Group, the Committee heard NGOs in a private meeting >>> Joint Intersex PSWG NGO Statement 06.06.2018 (PDF):

[...] from an interview with an Italian paediatric urologist conducted for a forthcoming study on intersex human rights in Italy presented yesterday at a conference at the University of Bologna:

“I carry out a large number of genitoplasty operations [that is partial clitoris amputation and vaginoplasty] when the children are no more than one year old...then before menarche we run a check in the operating room and if there is a vaginal tightening we re-operate. This is so the girl feels alright, instead of waiting and saying ‘well if she starts being sexually active then we’ll perform surgery...’” [1] [...]

The persistence of IGM in Italian clinics is a matter of public record, as is the criticism of persons concerned and their organisations, also to Government bodies including the Ministry of Health and the Italian Senate. In addition, CRPD [4] has already considered IGM practices in Italy as a serious human rights violation. Nonetheless, the Italian Government still refuses to take any appropriate action to protect intersex children. [...]

• The Committee then drafted the List of Issues (LOI) with questions for for Italy, which was published in July 2018 and includes good questions on intersex and IGM (CRC/C/ITA/Q/5-6, para 17 e–f):

17. Please provide, if available, updated statistical data disaggregated by age, sex, ethnic origin, national origin, geographic location and socioeconomic status, for the past three years, on: [..]

(e) Children who are born intersex;

(f) The number of non-urgent, irreversible surgical and other procedures that have been undertaken on intersex children before an age at which they are able to provide informed consent;• The State party has now to answer to the LOIPR in writing in its State report. Thereafter, NGOs will have another possibility to submit NGO reports.

• The State party has now to answer to the LOI in writing. Thereafter, NGOs will have another possibility to submit NGO reports.

• Finally the actual State review will take place in January 2019 Geneva, hopefully followed by yet another strong reprimand for IGM practices for Italy.

>>> Full Chronology CRC Italy 2018-19