CSOs raise awareness on intersexuality at Yaounde confab.

It was with the support of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa, OSIWA, and the Ministry of Public Health in Cameroon.

Officials said the aim was to deconstruct the myth and perceptions surrounding persons born with both male and female genitals alongside biological characteristics.

They talked about the harmful effects genital mutilation can have on the lives of people born with both reproductive organs.

It was organised as part of the Visibility, Inclusion and Recognition of Intersex Persons, VIRAL, project initiated by Intersex Nigeria. 

During the exercise, health professionals, traditional practitioners and rulers were trained on gender variations. It seeks to put an end to genital mutilation perpetrated on intersex persons.

Speaking at the workshop, the promoter of the project in Cameroon, Théo Dongmo, pointed out that the issue of intersexuality remains a taboo subject in the country with little documentation.

He said in the Cameroonian context where gender binary is the only normal and acceptable option, genital mutilation to ‘correct’ what is considered an error of nature or a curse, is the only option left for people with ambiguities in their genders.

“I got involved with this project because I realized that there is a good number of intersex people in the country but very limited representation and information on them,” Dongmo said, adding that: “Most often medical personnel and even their families do not understand and know how to deal or treat them”.

He called on medical personnel to be cautious of mutilating one of the genital organs especially at the early stages of development. Dongmo furthered that based on international standards, surgery can be conducted at the age of maturity, and the choice of the intersex person regarding which organ to keep should be prioritized.

To curb stigmatisation of intersex persons, ‘CRD Femmes Debout’, the Cameroon Coordinator stated, is working towards creating an association for intersex persons in the country, which will provide a safe space for them to share experiences and also invite their families, friends to talk.

He added that the organisation will also work with authorities and lobby for concrete decisions and policies that protect and ameliorate the lives of intersex persons health wise and legally.

The representative of Intersex Nigeria, Oluwaseyi Balogun, expressed hope that by 2030, intersex persons will have enough visibility, and an accurate narrative.

Intersex persons recount ordeals

Some intersex persons present at the workshop explained that their lives have not been easy especially in the early years when they were still trying to figure out which gender they belong to.

They cited public mockery and name calling, notably hermaphrodite as some of the derogatory remarks made against to inability to find jobs. They also talked about difficulties in getting employment.

One of them, Marie Joel, disclosed that: “People refused to employ me saying they don’t know if I am a boy or a girl. After years of trying to get a job and not succeeding, I decided to start making traditional slippers to earn a living”.

According to Claude Battle, looking like a man but with visible mammary glands has always been a subject of ridicule. 

He said people sometimes harass him by pressing his breasts to be certain they are not fake. He added that the public often confuses them with trans-genders or cross dressers. Sometimes, Claude said, they are subjected to public beatings.