A mother's struggle with an intersex child

A Bulawayo mother, Grace (not her real name), is battling emotional and social turmoil after giving birth to an intersex child — a condition that continues to be widely misunderstood and stigmatised in Zimbabwe.

Grace's child, Tatenda (name changed), was born on August 1, 2013, with both male and female biological traits. "It took me some time to accept his condition. It's a painful situation," she said.

Intersex refers to individuals born with reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn't fit typical definitions of male or female. The Intersex Society of North America estimates that up to 1.7% of the global population is born with intersex traits.

For Grace, acceptance was a long journey compounded by stigma and discrimination. "Tatenda faces challenges at school and in the community, being laughed at and called names. Some people say he is a curse," she said.

Her husband's rejection has made life even harder. "He has become violent and doesn't help with the children. When he gets drunk, he harasses us," she said.

Grace now supports her five children alone, relying on piece jobs and a small garden for survival. Despite the hardship, she dreams of starting a chicken project to sustain her family and ensure Tatenda completes school.

Intersex people in Zimbabwe face severe challenges due to widespread misconceptions that link their condition to homosexuality — a taboo subject in the country.

"The society does not accept intersex persons," said Kudakwashe Murisa of the Intersex Community of Zimbabwe. "We face stigma, discrimination, and non-consensual surgeries, and struggle with identity documents that don't match our biological makeup."

Experts argue that Zimbabwe's legal and medical systems are not equipped to handle intersex issues. Dorcas Chitiyo, from the Health Law and Policy Consortium of Zimbabwe, said the country's laws only recognise binary genders.

"Intersex people are excluded because our policies and legal frameworks are binary. The government must first acknowledge that intersex people exist," she said.

She called for a halt to early surgeries on intersex infants until their dominant sex becomes evident, to avoid irreversible mistakes.

Dr Norman Matara, secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights, said the focus should shift from "corrective" surgery to education and psychosocial support.

"Intersex individuals are biological variations, not pathologies. We must stop non-consensual surgeries and let individuals decide when they're older," he said, adding that Zimbabwe currently lacks medical guidelines on intersex treatment.

Grace remains hopeful that one day, society will show compassion to families like hers. "I just want Tatenda to grow up healthy, be accepted, and have a future," she said softly.