intersex.shadowreport.org

NGO Report (for LOIPR) to the 6th Report of Switzerland on the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

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Compiled by:
Zwischengeschlecht.org / StopIGM.org
Intersex.ch
SI Selbsthilfe Intersexualität

CEDAW Timeline Switzerland 2019 – ca. 2021:

Precedents: Based on evidence and testimony (PDF) submitted by StopIGM.org, Intersex.ch and SI Selbsthilfe Intersexualität, in November 2016 CEDAW condemned “intersex genital mutilation” in Switzerland as a harmful practice (like FGM), and issued binding recommendations, including to prohibit the practice, collect disaggregated data, provide adequate psychosocial support to intersex children and their families, and to adopt legislation to provide redress to IGM survivors – in line the 2012 Swiss Ethics Commission NEK-CNE's recommendations, and equivalent recommendations by CRC, CAT and CCPR (see also p. 6-8 in above Report). Switzerland so far refuses to act.

• Above September 2019 NGO Report provides solid evidence of ongoing IGM practices in Switzerland (p. 10-12, 19-20), no legal protections for children at risk (p. 10, 13-15), no access to redress and justice for survivors (p. 15-17), and no psychosocial and peer support for intersex children and their families (p. 15), in clear contradiction to the 2016 CEDAW binding recommendations for Switzerland, and equivalent Concluding Observations by CRC, CAT and CCPR (p. 6-8).

• Also the September 2019 Coalition Report by NGO-Koordination post Beijing Schweiz contains a section on intersex and IGM.

• There was another September 2019 NGO report by InterAction Suisse, however, it fails to privide any evidence of the ongoing practice in Switzerland or the severe physical and mental pain and suffering caused by IGM practices.

• During its 76th Pre-Sessional Working Group (PSWG) in November 2019, the Committee will draft the List of Issues Prior to Reporting (LOIPR) with questions for Switzerland, hopefully including strong ones about intersex and IGM.

• Switzerland will now have to answer these questions in its State Report, due 2020.

• NGOs will then have another opportunity to submit NGO reports. Therafter, Switzerland will be examined in Geneva, arguably in 2021 – hopefully to be followed by yet another strong reprimand for IGM practices for Switzerland!