Report from advocacy organization reveals widespread marginalization and discrimination
The head of Uganda's Bureau of Statistics confirmed to the Washington Blade that intersex Ugandans will not be included in the nine-day Census operation starting on May 10.
In response to inquiries about the matter from the Blade, UBOS Executive Director Chris Mukiza stated that the organization has “no business with intersex.”
If their numbers had been counted, Uganda would have become the third nation in the world and the second country in Africa to gather data on intersex people in a census, following Kenya and Australia.
More than 1,500 intersex persons were counted in Kenya during the 2019 Census.
As of 2014, Uganda's population was estimated to be 34.8 million per the nation's latest Census.
In Uganda, intersex individuals are among the underprivileged groups that face prejudice and stigma. They are still not recognized by the government as the third sex or as being entitled to the same special treatment as other minority groups, like those with disabilities.
Due to innate and mixed anatomical, hormonal, gonadal, or chromosomal patterns that may be noticeable prior to, at birth, during childhood, puberty, or adulthood, intersex individuals cannot be solely classified as male or female despite having a biological congenital condition with distinct sex characteristics.
However, Mukiza's decision to leave intersex individuals out of the Census coincides with calls from the prime minister's office for equality and inclusivity for all citizens. On April 3, the Constitutional Court declined to declare the Anti-Homosexuality Act "null and void."
The prime minister's office permanent secretary, Dunstan Balaba, stated, "We recognize that much work remains to be done, particularly in addressing the needs of the marginalized and vulnerable communities, promoting inclusive economic growth, and combating climate change."
On April 18, Balaba gave a speech during the UBOS's National Population and Housing Census prayer breakfast meeting. It was attended by stakeholders and religious leaders.
According to President Yoweri Museveni, information from the nation's sixth national census would be essential to realizing Vision 2040 and will support donors, NGOs, and the government in offering services to the varied populace.
Museveni urged people to completely support the Census and offer correct information, saying, "It will also provide the basis for planning the provision of social services such as education, health, and transport, among others at the national and local level."
"Support Initiative for People with Atypical Sex Development (SIPD)," an intersex rights organization in Uganda, was created in 2008 by activist Julius Kaggwa with the help of organizations that protect women, children, and other oppressed groups.
As a grassroots, non-profit organization, SIPD's activities include community participation and outreach, disseminating accurate information to the public to uphold the rights of intersex individuals, and advocating for the necessity of structured medical and psychological assistance.
Through its many reports, the organization has called attention to human rights violations against persons who identify as intersex, such as surgery performed against consent, discrimination in families, schools, and medical facilities, parents leaving their intersex children unprotected, and stigma brought on by the government's lack of legal protection.
A parent or guardian of a kid under the age of 21 may change the name or sex of the child at the local registration office in Uganda under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act. However, the SIPD argues that this rule discriminates against intersex individuals over 21 who wish to change their sexual characteristics and that parliament should overturn it.
In order for intersex children to receive healthcare, social, and legal support from the government and other stakeholders as they grow up, the intersex rights organization wants the Health Ministry to set up a central registry to register them when they are born.
In order to facilitate future sex changes, SIPD specifically requests that the government implement legislation allowing intersex children's birth certificates to bear a gender-neutral marking. The group also demands that the government, acting through the Education Ministry, implement a curriculum that takes intersex concerns into account in schools and fosters a welcoming environment so that intersex children can learn and graduate alongside their classmates who are not intersex.
These requirements come after SIPD research revealed that a large number of intersex youngsters were leaving school early due to discrimination and stigma. The group has also urged the publicly financed Uganda Human Rights Commission to take the lead in promoting and protecting the rights of intersex individuals throughout the nation in order to fulfill its constitutional role of defending human rights.
Religious leaders, who are important members of Ugandan society and powerful both locally and nationally, have also been pushed by SIPD to cease discrimination against and encourage acceptance of intersex individuals.
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