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31 MARCH 2022

For immediate release

International Transgender Day of Visibility

In celebration of International Transgender Day of Visibility (31 March), Iranti has teamed up with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to offer Identity Document applications as well as assistance with gender marker and/or name changes to transgender persons at our offices – House of Iranti.

Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV) is a day dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of transgender and gender-diverse persons, as well as a celebration of their contributions to society. The day is also focused on raising awareness of the work that bill needs to be done to end the discrimination and exclusion faced by transgender persons worldwide, and ensure the protection of their human rights.

Currently, trans and gender-diverse persons with identity documents which do not reflect their gender identity (and gender expression) face challenges and access barriers in their daily lives. The ability to access to healthcare, travel, job opportunities, voting, and many other services which cisgender people take for granted, is severely impacted by trans persons not having legal gender recognition.

This upcoming Trans Day Of Visibility is aimed at addressing the difficulties and discrimination that trans and gender-diverse people face when attempting to obtain identity documents that reflect their true identity. In collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs, Iranti will be providing a safe and inclusive space for trans and gender diverse people to get assistance with their gender marker change applications as well as apply for ID documents.

The existing laws facilitate the barriers that trans and gender diverse people face in obtaining identity documents; therefore, Iranti calls on the National Department of Home Affairs to remove gender markers from identity documents, repeal the Alteration of Sex Descriptors and Sex Status Act (Act 49 of 2003) and replace it with pathologised legislation, that grants trans and gender-diverse people the right to self-determination.

In breaking the barriers, Iranti invites trans and gender diverse people who need assistance with their ID documents (either for applications or for assistance with gender marker and/or name changes) to come to House of Iranti on Thursday 31 March, where DHA officials will be on hand to provide assistance and information.

The details are as following;

Venue: House of Iranti – 30 Wimbledon Road, Brixton Johannesburg Time: 09h00 to 16h00

Services that will be offered:

ID applications

  • First issue (Birth certificate, ID copy of the parent, and the parent must be available)
  • Re-issue (ID number and R 140,00)
  • Temporary ID (ID number and R 70,00)
  • Passport (Copy of ID and R 400,00)

Gender Marker Change applications

Home Affairs officials will

  • collect gender marker changes applications, for processing at their offices;
  • collect the details of people who have applied previously and may have had issues, to follow up and feedback to us at a later stage
  • Home Affairs will also provide information on the requirements, processing, 6me frames, costs, and any other thing related to gender marker changes applications.

Please note that DHA will not be processing gender marker/name changes onsite, but will provide information on these processes

In addition to this, Wits RHI will provide Clinical Services to people who will be at the venue.

For media enquiries contact:
Nolwazi Tusini, Communications and Media Manager

nolwazi@iranti.org.za

ENDS

BACKGROUND INFO

In South Africa no express law exists for Transgender and non-gender-conforming persons to amend their gender markers, except for Act 49, in South Africa. Act 49 allows transgender persons who have begun their medical transition, intersex persons, and gender non-conforming persons, to change the sex descriptor in their identity documents, to reflect their gender identity. This law is currently challenged by Trans and Intersex individuals who have applied for amendments with South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs (DHA).

In November 2021 Iranti was one of the civil society organisations that participated in the SA-EU Dialogue on Policy Improvement for Transgender and Intersex Persons, in partnership with the South African government and the European Union.

The SA-EU Dialogue (4-6 November) saw attendees discuss how to revise South African national policy so that it fully protects the human rights of Transgender and Intersex persons.

More information on the discussions that transpired at the conference, as well as some of the commitments made by government can be found here:

https://www.iranti.org.za/?p=4780

https://www.iranti.org.za/?p=4729