As part of advocacy to end stigmatisation and discrimination against intersex persons in Ghanaian societies, the Intersex Persons Society of Ghana (IPSOG) has commenced an intensive education targeting schools, organisations and communities in the Eastern region.
People who are intersex are born with sex traits that don’t fit into typical male or female patterns. Traits may involve chromosomes, hormones, reproductive organs or genitals. Healthcare providers call these “differences (or disorders) of sex development.” In some cases, intersex traits are linked to health conditions that need medical attention
Intersex persons in Ghana face severe societal stigma, isolation, and pressure to undergo medically unnecessary, non-consensual surgeries to conform to traditional gender binaries.
While advocates actively differentiate intersex conditions from LGBTQ+ issues, intersex individuals say they are frequently marginalized by religious and cultural beliefs.
During an engagement with section of students and community members in Koforidua, the Programmes Officer of Intersex Persons Society of Ghana, Akutey Janet appealed to parliament of Ghana to consider the enactment of laws that will help protect Intersex Persons in Ghana considering the numerous challenges including stigma they face in society.
“We are pleading with the system to help us to put in policies and measures to help reduce the stigma and discrimination against intersex persons in our schools. So I will appeal to Parliament of Ghana, I will appeal to the Social Welfare, I will appeal to Ministry of Gender, Gender and Social Protection and also appeal to the UN that intersex persons as I have said earlier face a lot of discrimination and it is because of the lack of awareness”.
She urged Social Welfare and Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to champion the advocacy of enactment of laws, anti discrimination policies, that will curb the stigma and discrimination that intersex persons face.
Madam Akutey Janet stressed by urging teachers to help educate students on the condition so that intersex persons in schools do not suffer any discrimination, citing herself as an example of intersex person who was stigmatised through out her academic journey.
“Parents have limited knowledge about intersex issues, teachers have limited knowledge and then the gender society has limited knowledge or information about intersex issues. So please, there should be anti-discrimination laws and policies that will help the stigma and discrimination that intersex persons face”.
Having educated the students present at the engagement on stigmatisation, discrimination and personal hygiene, the group led by Madam Akutey Janet donated sanitary pads to the number of teenage girls for their up keeping.
“It is already challenging being born different because maybe you may have siblings who are male and female, you may have colleagues in school who are male and female and you alone, you can’t even classify yourself as male or female. That one in itself is challenging. It puts a lot of psychological trauma on the students”.
“Then teachers and students will also be stigmatising the child, calling all sorts of name-pointing figures, even to understand the extent that they expel the students from school. So we are pleading with policy makers and those who have the voice to help us to create this awareness so that everybody will understand the plight of the intersex. And I know that with education and sensitisation, these challenges that intersex persons face can be contained”. He said.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
