Rights and Agency of Children with Disorders of Sex Development

Children are our today and tomorrow. They have the rights to choose their sexual and gender identity irrespective of their biological anatomy, and physiology at birth. In a scientifically progressive world, our society is yet to acknowledge children who are born with intersex conditions. In a binary gender conformist society, the social pressure on the parents to conform their child into either male or female category has led to decisions taken by their parents, and medical practitioners to do genital modification surgery during infancy; which may not have been in the best interests of the affected child or be opposite to the gender identity that he/she develops as they grow older. This has raised many critical questions by human rights activists, on whether the rights and agency of intersex children are respected in our country. Human rights Activists advocate for children’s right to take informed decisions on interventions to reassign their sex, and rights to change one’s sex markers after their initial birth registration. Schools should initiate awareness of intersex conditions and non-binary gender, sensitizing children and teachers. Longitudinal studies of intersex persons would give us direction to work in the best interest of the child, collectively and systematically, with the key stakeholders from medical, mental health and legal fraternity, and with children with intersex conditions and their parents.