The government of the Republic of Uganda has issued the first national identity card to a transwoman, a one Cleopatra Kambugu, acknowledging that she is actually a woman.
Cleopatra said she was not aware of what would become of her, after receiving the notification, but when she checked on “sex”, she found “F”, clearly implicating that she is a woman. “It is not my win. It is the community’s win,” she asserted, echoing her excitement.
Overwhelmed by ecstacy due to this development, Ms Kambugu took to her Twitter account and twitted;
“Uganda just recognised her first transgender citizen n am that girl. I have asked myself if the sun shone diffetently when the history we read about was made. But today as history was made, the sun shone the same, even as skies were bluer. But Ugamgans just went about their day, like any other. One day, it was monumental for the first black slave but registered as a legal citzen, it is not anymore. Today, it is monumental that my country chose to register me as a woman recognising me as a transgender woman not deluded “boy”. My prayer is two fold, that this win will be a win for other transgenders and that one day it should be special for a trans person to be recognised by her country. I made it, we made.”
Human rights and other transgender organisations received the stunning news with excitement, an indicator of a breakthrough in their efforts to fight for the rights of these people.
For instance; the Global Fund for Women (GFF), one of the leading foundations for gender equality, tweeted “Transpeople are fighting for recognition all over the world. Congratulations to long time partner & #LGBTQI advocate Cleo Kambugu (@cleo_xulaye) on her new Ugandan ID, which accurately reflects truly who she is.”
This document will enable Ms. Cleopatra to access public services in government departments, including health, education and participation in private spheres like the business sector.
Besides, the development will also be a foundation stone for other transgender groups to access proper documentation, necessary for free participation in all spheres of life in Uganda.
This marvellous milestone for transgender and other LGBT was achieved as a result of widespread campaigning and advocacy by human rights activist, together with other NGO’s in Uganda.
It also provides a mandate to the protection of the transgender and other non gender confirming groups in Uganda. The first of its kind, this development is likely to reduce stigmatization of transgender groups in the country, where they have been isolated, grossly harassed, denied better public services in health and education.
The Registration of all persons Act of 2015, which established National Registration and Identification authority (NIRA), only allows the identification of Ugandans as either male, or females. It has no provision for other identities.
Transgender groups had been left out of the government protection bracket and therefore volunarable to community mistreatment. Previously, a person would be fined, or jailed for providing false information to a public servant, if it all he/she identified themselves as gender non confirming.
During all lockdowns since the influx of Covid-19 to Uganda in March 2019, transgender groups have increasingly found difficulties in accessing public services like health and education, due to improper documentation and lack of identity cards. Access to relief handouts like food has also been very hard for these people, due to the same reason.
The stereotyping also fuelled collective violence against these groups by state security agencies like molestation, unlawful detentions and harassment, where transwomen share jail with their male counterparts.
Cleopatra is a reknown human right activist, with a bachelors degree in Agriculture from Makerere University. She favours deliberations on sexuality and gender related issues, despite the mystery associated with such.
Currently, she is a director program at the East African Sexual Health and Rights Innitiative (EASHRI), an indigenous activist fund that supports sexuality health and Human rights of minority groups.
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