Transgender and intersex individuals in Egypt face systemic discrimination that prevents them from fully enjoying their fundamental right to health. Despite Egypt’s legal obligations, transgender individuals are denied access to gender-affirming healthcare, while intersex individuals face inadequate medical services. The lack of resources, training, and anti-discrimination measures in the healthcare sector further marginalizes these groups, leaving them vulnerable to stigma, harassment, and poor mental and physical health conditions.
Ahead of Egypt’s fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) cycle, the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP) and Cairo 52 Legal Research Institute submitted an alternate report to the UPR Working Group highlighting the violations of transgender and intersex people’s right to equally access the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health in Egypt.
The submission highlights, among other things:
- Egyptian laws and policies that hinder the ability of transgender and intersex individuals to equally and easily access their fundamental right to health.
- The lack of adequate training for healthcare providers on the health needs of transgender and intersex individuals, leading to widespread discrimination and insufficient medical care.
- The lack of standardized treatment protocols and specialized healthcare facilities which forces many transgender and intersex individuals to resort to risky alternatives for necessary medical treatments.
The UPR is a mechanism of the United Nations created to examine the human rights records of all UN member states. Per the UPR process, the country under review submits a national report and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights puts together one report compiling information on the country obtained from reports by the UN special procedures and treaty bodies, as well as another report informed by submissions from stakeholders, including civil society. In this vein, this contribution has been submitted ahead of Egypt’s fourth UPR cycle, with a review set to take place in January 2025.
Egypt underwent its first UPR cycle in February 2010, its second in October 2014, and its third in November 2019.