Intersex Aotearoa

Intersex Aotearoa is a nonprofit organisation based in New Zealand, and is a national advocacy and peer support organisation for intersex people. The organisation was founded in 1996 by Mani Mitchell, and has previously been known as the Intersex Trust Aotearoa New Zealand and Intersex Awareness New Zealand.[1]

Intersex Aotearoa Intersex Trust Aotearoa New Zealand (aka Intersex Awareness New Zealand)
AbbreviationIA
Formation1996
TypeNGO
PurposeIntersex human rights
Region served
New Zealand
Executive Director
Mani Mitchell
Websitewww.intersexaotearoa.org

Mission

ITANZ is a charitable trust that provides education, information and training on intersex issues for organisations and individual professionals.[2][3] Executive Director Mani Mitchell is known as New Zealand's first "out" intersex person.[4]

Activities
The 2023 Auckland Pride March called for a celebration of Intersex people, in collaboration with Intersex Aotearoa

The Trust works with the Human Rights Commission, Rainbow Youth in Auckland, Whanganui Women's Health Collective, and Working it Out in Tasmania.[5][6]

Physical integrity and bodily autonomy

Trust members have participated in, and jointly held, roundtable events with the Human Rights Commission, including on the human rights implications of intersex medical interventions, shame and secrecy.[6][7] Following a joint round table event with the Human Rights Commission, the Commission proposed to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child that the New Zealand government enact legal and regulatory safeguards to protect the rights of intersex children, and ensure that children's rights to bodily integrity, autonomy and self-determination are respected.[8] In October 2016, the Committee on the Rights of the Child issued observations on practices in New Zealand, including recommendations to ensure "that no one is subjected to unnecessary medical or surgical treatment during infancy or childhood, guaranteeing the rights of children to bodily integrity, autonomy and self-determination".[7] The recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child have been illustrated by ITANZ and Intersex Youth Aotearoa.[9]

In March 2017, representatives of Intersex Trust Aotearoa New Zealand participated in an Australian and Aotearoa/New Zealand consensus "Darlington Statement" by intersex community organizations and others.[10] The statement calls for legal reform, including the criminalization of deferrable intersex medical interventions on children, an end to legal classification of sex, and improved access to peer support.[10][11][12][13][14]

Counseling services

Executive Director Mani Mitchell provides counselling for individuals and families.[4]

Youth

A youth project, Intersex Youth Aotearoa, was launched in September 2015 to provide information and support to youth with intersex conditions.[15][9]

Education and awareness

Mitchell, and other board members, have given presentations to a range of audiences, including the National College of Midwives biennial conference and the University of the Third Age.[1][16][17] The Trust have supported the filming of award-winning documentary Intersexion (2012).[18]

International organizing

Mitchell co-organized the third International Intersex Forum in Malta, 2013.[19][20]

Affiliations

ITANZ a member of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.

See also

References
  1. Intersex Trust of Aotearoa New Zealand Archived 2014-01-08 at the Wayback Machine, J R McKenzie Trust.
  2. Intersex Awareness New Zealand, Intersex Trust Aotearoa New Zealand, December 2013.
  3. Gender diversity - Intersex people - Intersex awareness stall, Johanna Schmidt, Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 15 November 2012.
  4. "Being intersex: I went from being my parents' son to a daughter". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  5. Human Rights Commission (25 January 2010). "Intersex sections from the Transgender Inquiry's final report".
  6. Human Rights Commission (July 2010). "February 2010 Auckland Intersex Roundtable".
  7. Human Rights Commission (2016), Intersex Roundtable Report 2016 The practice of genital normalisation on intersex children in Aotearoa New Zealand (PDF)
  8. Human Rights Commission (15 August 2016). "Supplementary submission of the New Zealand Human Rights Commission to the Committee on the Rights of the Child's 73rd Session".
  9. Intersex Day (26 October 2016). "Intersex Youth Aotearoa illustrate UN recommendations".
  10. Androgen Insensitivity Support Syndrome Support Group Australia; Intersex Trust Aotearoa New Zealand; Organisation Intersex International Australia; Black, Eve; Bond, Kylie; Briffa, Tony; Carpenter, Morgan; Cody, Candice; David, Alex; Driver, Betsy; Hannaford, Carolyn; Harlow, Eileen; Hart, Bonnie; Hart, Phoebe; Leckey, Delia; Lum, Steph; Mitchell, Mani Bruce; Nyhuis, Elise; O'Callaghan, Bronwyn; Perrin, Sandra; Smith, Cody; Williams, Trace; Yang, Imogen; Yovanovic, Georgie (March 2017), Darlington Statement, archived from the original on 31 March 2017, retrieved 21 March 2017{{citation}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  11. Copland, Simon (20 March 2017). "Intersex people have called for action. It's time to listen". Special Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  12. Jones, Jess (10 March 2017). "Intersex activists in Australia and New Zealand publish statement of priorities". Star Observer. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  13. Power, Shannon (13 March 2017). "Intersex advocates pull no punches in historic statement". Gay Star News. Archived from the original on 22 March 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  14. Sainty, Lane (13 March 2017). "These Groups Want Unnecessary Surgery On Intersex Infants To Be Made A Crime". BuzzFeed Australia. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  15. "ITANZ launch Intersex Youth Aotearoa". Scoop. 18 September 2015.
  16. "Family Planning Conference 2013". Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  17. Intersex People, NZ Human Rights Commission
  18. 'It's a baby' - the truth about intersex Archived 8 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Gay Star News, 15 February 2013.
  19. 3rd International Intersex Forum in Malta Archived 2013-12-26 at the Wayback Machine, ILGA-Europe, 22 July 2013
  20. The 3rd International Intersex Forum raises important issues Archived 2014-01-08 at the Wayback Machine, Gay Express, 3 December 2013.
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