Equal Rights for Intersex Persons

Recommendation on Equal Rights for Intersex Persons

The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Recommendation CM/Rec(2025)7 to member States on Equal Rights for Intersex Persons was adopted on Oct 7th. It provides comprehensive guidance on how to protect and promote the human rights of intersex persons. Based on the European Convention on Human Rights and other existing standards, the Recommendation takes a holistic approach, covering all areas of life and encouraging the meaningful participation of intersex people in public life.

Who are Intersex Persons?

Intersex persons are individuals who have innate variations of sex characteristics that vary from the societal and/or medical understanding of typical female and male bodies. They continue to face serious abuses of their rights, including harmful medical interventions without their consent, discrimination, stigmatisation and social exclusion. These practices amount to grave violations of their dignity, bodily integrity, autonomy, physical and mental well-being, protection from inhuman or degrading treatment, and hinder their full and equal participation in society.

Comprehensive Information

Please visit the following Council of Europe SOGIESC site for a detailed overview of the recommendation:

https://www.coe.int/en/web/sogi/intersexrecommendation

27.10.25 High Level Event

Launch of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Recommendation CM/Rec(2025)7 to member States on Equal Rights for Intersex Persons, under the Maltese Presidency of the Council of Europe

High Level Event

Summary Posters of the Recommendation CM/Rec(2025)7

Download the posters as PDF [12 MB]

Our Social Media campaign

Our social media campaign highlights a selection of the topics covered by Recommendation CM/Rec(2025)7, connecting them with personal quotes from intersex individuals and their families.

On this page you find an excerpt of the campaign materials we provided. For a complete overview of all visual assets please check our visual style guide for more detailed information.

About Bodily Integrity and Autonomy

Quote: "They told my parents that I was a boy that needed to be 'perfected'"

Quote: "I am convinced I would have had a better future if I hadn’t had to go through all these unnecessary treatments – because I was in good health, I was just different from most people"

Prohibition of non-consensual interventions should be guaranteed for intersex persons, as for any other person, through legislation explicitly banning medical interventions on sex characteristics, including surgical, hormonal or mechanical procedures, without prior, free, informed, express and documented consent.

About Intersex Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Quote: "It is still not well known that intersex refugees and asylum seekers exist"

Quote: "I faced a lot of difficulties, including harassment and a lot of questioning from the authorities during the arrival procedure, because they said my documents were false"

Intersex persons should be protected in asylum procedures by recognising persecution on grounds of sex characteristics as a valid basis for asylum

About Health and Social Care of intersex persons

Quote: "Did you know that almost half of intersex respondents to a EU study faced problems when trying to access healthcare services?"

Quote: "When going to the doctor we are often treated without respect and unprofessional curiosity about our body parts"

visit the Visual Style guide page