South Africa: a reform to erase gender on identity documents
Audio 01:24
The LGBT flag depicted on an umbrella during a demonstration in support of LGBT rights in Dresden, Germany on September 4, 2021. (Illustrative image) AP - Sebastian Kahnert
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
The issue of the rights of transgender and intersex people was at the heart of the great national dialogue which took place until Friday, November 5 in South Africa.
Civil society and government representatives discussed the recognition of the rights of people from these communities, whose identity does not correspond to the gender assigned at birth or who recognize themselves as neither male nor female.
Rights guaranteed in the Constitution but which are, in fact, often flouted.
Advertising
Read more
With our correspondent in Johannesburg,
Claire Bargelès
For intersex South Africans, that is, born with sexual characteristics that do not match male or female standards, it is impossible with the current system to achieve an identity that matches them.
This is the case with Dimakatso. “
I'll be honest with you: I don't have an ID card at the moment. Because the system lies about who I am. My documents say "woman", but I am not a "woman". I am noted as a "woman" because it was the choice of my parents. I would like that one day, if I lose my identity card and someone finds it, they would know that they are looking for an intersex person. While for the moment, if we look at my card, it does not correspond to reality. It really is a very unpleasant feeling.
"
The South African government is therefore working on modernizing identity documents in order to remove the mention of sex, or
introduce a neutral gender
, in addition to the traditional “man” or “woman” boxes. Such a reform would be a first on the continent, and according to Liberty Matthyse, director of the organization
Gender DynamiX
, a step in the right direction:
“
This is a first step, a key step, in order to create a profound change.
But there is this disconnect between what is said in the law and what we are faced with on a daily basis.
So beyond the reforms, we must also put in place programs, so that we are better recognized within society, and that there is a feeling of belonging within communities and within families.
"
The Interior Ministry should present its reform by next March.
Elsewhere in the world, this subject also animates the debates.
Thus, Wednesday, October 27, the United States issued for the first time a
passport with the annotation "X"
in place of gender.
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
South Africa
LGBT +
Human rights
Society
Sexuality