The Kenyan government has made a fresh adjustment to the fast-looming general census to include intersex individuals.
In the national exercise set to kick-off in under a month, a third option has been added in the gender section in order to cater for intersex individuals, NTV reported
Right below or next to the male (m) or female (f) option, will now feature an intersex segment (i).
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) made the adjustment following recommendations from the task force of Intersex Persons Society of Kenya (IPSK).
Intersex individuals are born with genitalia, chromosomes or reproductive organs that don’t fit the typical definitions of male or female.
As at June 2018, the intersex society had registered about 200 members. Of that number, 138 are children under 13 while the others range in age from 14 to 43.
The government first recognized this highly stigmatized community back in 2018, when the Registrar of Societies of Kenya acknowledged intersex people as a society.
Despite the step, intersex Kenyans still maintained that they battle prejudice and stigma related to their sexual orientation on a daily basis, the Voice of Africa reported.
Kenyan legislator, Isaac Mwaura, has been the most vocal individual pushing for the recognition of the intersex society.
Last year, Mwaura had moved to parliament to request the passing of a law to recognize a third gender to end discrimination against those who identify as intersex, a request which has now been met.
