To broaden the discourse on gender and development, the Provincial Government of Albay, through its Gender and Development (GAD) division, highlighted the importance of intersex education and awareness during its 4th Quarter Gender and Development Focal Point System Technical Working Group meeting in Legazpi City.
The discussion eyed to broaden the understanding of intersex individuals via discourses on biological variations, and promoting community acceptance and equality.
GAD division’s logistic support staff Jonah E. Enrile helmed the discussion on the basics of intersex – i.e. that the term refers to people born with sex characteristics such as genitals, hormones, or chromosomes that do not fit typical definitions of male or female; and that – no matter the variations – the focus should be to promote inclusivity, raise awareness, and dispel misconceptions about intersex individuals.
The province’s move came at the heels of the Intersex Caravan initiative held in Legazpi City last September. Helmed by the Intersex Philippines, Inc. (IXPI), this is an ongoing country-wide initiative that “hopes to engage those in positions of power to make them more intersex-friendly”.
At that time, Jeff Cagandahan, co-founder and executive director of IXPI, said that government officials may “encounter intersex people. So it’s better if they know the right approach when dealing with intersex people.” As such, “(we want to) share awareness about intersex people, about their challenges and struggles to our stakeholders, the lawmakers and decision-makers, to help us include them (intersex people) in their GAD (efforts).”
