Busia: Intersex individuals in Africa are faced with significant stigma and discrimination due to their biological variations in sex characteristics. This stigma is manifested in various forms, including infanticide, abandonment, and physical and mental abuse. The situation has escalated to the extent where intersex individuals are also being subjected to unnecessary medical interventions and may experience social exclusion and denial of basic rights. The move has seen Busia Child Protection Officials and Human Rights Advocates calling for increased awareness, protection, and support for intersex children amid rising concerns over stigma against these children.
According to Kenya News Agency, in recent years, many cases have been reported in Busia County on the stigma and abuse of intersex children, which has now prompted a call to action from county officials and Non-Governmental Organisations urging the government to act fast so as to end stigma against intersex children. Speaking to the press, Children’s Officer Patrick Mukolwe revealed that, according to the 2019 statistics by the Kenya Medical and Demographic Survey (KMDS), there are 28 intersex persons in Busia County, representing approximately 0.5 percent of the population.
Mukolwe noted that these children are subjected to stigma because many people are not aware of the variations in sex characteristics of intersex children, and some presume it to be witchcraft or superstition. ‘This results in their isolation due to a lack of belonging, which may ultimately lead to depression and other psychological effects related to trauma,’ he said. Mukolwe highlighted a recent case of negligence that involved a 15-year-old intersex child who was abandoned by both parents and relatives, only to later suffer sexual abuse.
He emphasized that people should forego the notion and stereotypes of intersex children being cursed because their sexuality is a natural variation in human biology. ‘To end stigmatization, we must stop the stereotypes around intersex children and create awareness on the needs and interests of these children so that we are able to handle them with dignity and integrity,’ said Mukolwe. He also called for the enactment of policy guidelines that support intersex persons and advocated for early-stage engagement to prevent future harm.
Francis Namisikho from Changara, who has been the intersex child’s guardian for the last two years, also called on the government and the community to do more to help these children. ‘I call upon the members of the community and the government at large to support these children by creating help desks and rescue centres across the county to protect and embrace intersex children because they are part and parcel of our society,’ said Namisikho.
Furthermore, Robert Kibagendi, the coordinator at Jinsia Yangu Kenya, emphasized their ongoing work of creating awareness across the country. ‘At Jinsia Yangu Kenya, we are fighting to end stigma by promoting awareness and understanding throughout the country so that intersex children can have a sense of belonging and also feel as part of the community,’ said Kibagendi. ‘Intersex people face discrimination in education, employment, healthcare, and sports, with an impact on mental and physical health and on poverty levels, including as a result of harmful medical practices,’ he added.
These sentiments are in line with the growing calls for inclusive laws and public education by campaigners and child welfare groups to end the stigmatization, abuse, and discrimination experienced by intersex children. Kenya became the first country in Africa to collect data on intersex people in its national population census, a major victory for rights activists. There are thought to be more than 700,000 of them out of a general population of 49 million. ‘Getting information about intersex people in the census will help people understand the challenges we go through,’ Ryan Muiruri, Founder of the Intersex Persons Society of Kenya (IPSK), noted, saying he welcomed the government’s decision.