Discussion Paper on Transgender Health & Human Rights
Published on Wednesday, 08 January 2014 13:40
The broad themes traversed by this paper include violence, discrimination, health, legal gender recognition and social inclusion from multiple geographic and social contexts. The paper draws on the experiences of trans people around the world. Through Action Points contained in each section, the paper suggests practical ways that UN staff can employ to be more inclusive of trans people, both in daily interactions and in their broader work, particularly in the areas of HIV, health, the rule of law and development. It is hoped that this paper will also be useful for others in their work and advocacy, including trans advocates, human rights defenders and policymakers. UNDP’s work covers a range of issues that influence trans people’s lives.
Its main engagement on trans issues has been through the lens of HIV and human rights. However, other aspects of development that UNDP engages with, such as poverty reduction, governance, citizenship and access to justice, are also highly pertinent to the profound and systemic marginalization that trans people experience. This is in line with the UNDP Strategic Plan: 2014–17 emphasis on poverty eradication and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion as the primary vision of sustainable development, informed by outcomes of inclusive growth, stronger democratic governance, and universal access to basic services. Indeed, these are themes that have found voice in discussions of the post-2015 development agenda. This paper seeks to engage readers by reflecting the various aspects of health, human rights and development that come into play when examining trans issues.
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