Intersex community calls for legal recognition, condemns harmful surgeries on newborns
Intersex Nigeria has called for the inclusion of intersex persons in gender classification, the protection of their human rights and equality, and an end to indiscriminate surgeries performed on intersex newborns.
At the 2025 Intersex Awareness Day held on Sunday in Victoria Island, Lagos State, which also marked the launch of the ‘Nigeria Intersex Human Rights Violation Report, Vol. ’, the group decried the discrimination faced by intersex persons, stressing that intersex identities have existed since time immemorial and are not a recent phenomenon.
Intersex refers to individuals born with physical sex characteristics, such as chromosomes, hormones, or genitalia, that do not fit typical definitions of male or female bodies. In some cases, an intersex person may possess both male and female genitalia.
These variations occur naturally and may be apparent at birth or become noticeable later in life. There are more than 40 variations of intersex traits, most of which are not physical but hormonal, and often manifest during puberty.
Speaking at the Intersex Awareness Day, the Founder and Executive Director of Intersex Nigeria, Obioma Chukwuike, stated that intersex people across the world have faced challenges such as bullying, mockery, molestation, and discrimination.
She further stated that it is the responsibility of every society to recognise, respect, and protect the dignity of intersex people, describing these acts as essential for justice, inclusion, and the affirmation of humanity.
“So it shows that intersex people are not invisible, as many people think, and intersex is actually a reality that has been here from time immemorial, whenever this started, which we don’t know.
“Actually, Intersex Awareness Day started as a protest when a group of intersex activists marched across the streets of the U.S. to protest against unnecessary intersex surgeries on intersex children and adolescents.
“And that protest has now become a day that reminds us, and the world, that we share a responsibility to recognise, respect, and protect the dignity of intersex people everywhere. For Intersex Nigeria, this day is not only about visibility; it is about justice, inclusion, and affirmation of our humanity,” Ms Chukwuike said.
Intersex Advocacy
The Executive Director of Intersex Nigeria insisted that intersex is not an abnormality but a natural variation of human existence.
She, however, sought support from government institutions, healthcare providers, educators, religious leaders, and traditional authorities to dismantle harmful narratives about intersex people and ensure their inclusion in gender and sex classifications.
“Yet, despite these challenges, we rise. Just like our theme today, we speak, we organise, just like we’re doing today. And we demand that our bodies, identity, and stories be seen not as abnormalities or bodies to be fixed, but as natural variations of human existence deserving respect and rights.
“As we commemorate this day, Intersex Nigeria and the intersex community call on government institutions, healthcare providers, educators, religious leaders, traditional leaders, and all sectors of society to join us in dismantling harmful narratives and advancing intersex inclusion in every space, including healthcare, education, law, and community life.
“We are ashamed, and reproach is no longer a thing that they have to discuss, where they will live visibly and with pride. Let today be a reminder that visibility is not the end goal; equality is. And equality begins when every one of us takes action to create a Nigeria where intersex people can live openly, safely, and authentically,” she concluded.
The founder of Intersex Nigeria explained that intersex traits often become more visible during puberty. She urged parents and health workers to stop performing indiscriminate surgeries on intersex infants, allowing them to participate in decisions that affect their lives.
Human Rights
Also, the South-West Coordinator of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Lucas Koyejo, expressed dissatisfaction with the misunderstanding and discrimination intersex people face in Nigeria.
Citing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the lawyer emphasised the human right to life, dignity, equality, and non-discrimination, insisting that intersex people are not excluded from such rights.
“Intersex persons continue to face misunderstanding and discrimination shaped by tradition, culture, and religion. Yet, every human being is born equal in dignity and rights, regardless of differences in sexual characteristics or identity.
“The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 1), the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Article 5) all guarantee the right to life, dignity, equality, and non-discrimination. This does not exclude intersex people.
“These laws protect the integrity of every person. Families must therefore break the silence, understand intersex children, and offer them love, support, and acceptance, not shame.”
Furthermore, the human rights activist called on health workers and public institutions to amplify awareness and promote the protection of intersex people’s rights, like those of every other human being.
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“Health workers and institutions must provide ethical, rights-based care, while human rights agencies, ministries, civil society, and faith leaders should promote awareness and protection.
“Communities need education to see that intersex people are not different or strange, but human beings who deserve equal respect, safety, and inclusion.
“As the United Nations notes, the existence of intersex people is a fact of life, and protecting their rights is a matter of justice. We must build bridges of understanding and equality for all,” Mr Koyejo said.