Trans Day of Visibility is an annual international celebration of trans pride and awareness, recognizing trans and gender diverse experiences and achievements.
Today, 31 March, we celebrate transgender and gender diverse sex workers in Africa by sharing their stories, starting conversations, and attending events.
We call all to:
- Implement international human rights standards without discrimination and prohibit discrimination on the grounds of gender identity, gender expression and sex work status in all sectors, including health care, housing, employment, commercial services, and education.
- Eliminate laws that criminalise ‘homosexuality’ or ‘crossdressing’, and cease implementing discriminatory laws that are used to target trans people.
- Enact hate crime legislation that affords specific protection for trans people against transphobic violence and incidents, which could be utilised by TSW.
- Support sex workers’ calls to decriminalise sex work.
- Develop transparent and efficient procedures for changing trans people’s name and gender on every relevant legal document, including birth certificates, ID cards, passports, educational certificates and other documents.
- Establish the basis for legal gender recognition with efficient procedures allowing trans sex workers to access quality trans- specific health care services including hormone therapy, treatment,surgery and psychological support. End requirements like ‘psychiatric diagnosis’ and ‘sterilisation’, and improve the quality of trans-specific health care services.
- Provide training to health service professionals, law enforcement
officials and public officials with regard to the needs and rights of TSW.
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