In Aotearoa New Zealand, intersex children鈥攂orn with sex characteristics that do not fit typical male or female categories are still subject to medical interventions that can cause lifelong harm. These procedures often happen before the child can consent, raising serious human rights concerns.
The UN has called on Aotearoa New Zealand to change its approach. Our 3-year research project aims to respond to that call.
Our mission
We are working to help public institutions better understand and support the human rights of intersex people. Our research brings together experts in law, health, and social sciences to explore how decisions are made and how they can be improved. Through conversations and workshops, we are learning from lived experiences and Indigenous and Pacific perspectives to promote fairer, more informed healthcare and policy choices.
Vision M膩tauranga
We centre Indigenous rights and knowledge to ensure culturally grounded, inclusive outcomes, especially for M膩ori with variations in sex characteristics.
LLM Research Scholarship
As part of the Children's Bodily Integrity project, we are offering an LLM Research Scholarship of $22,000 for a full-time, one-year research thesis.
The successful candidate will work under the supervision of Professor Claire Breen.
Key questions
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How can Aotearoa New Zealand better meet UN human rights obligations in healthcare for individuals with variations in sex characteristics ?
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What kinds of thinking and engagement lead to meaningful change?
What we are doing
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Engaging decision-makers in workshops and dialogue
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Analysing health data to understand impacts and inequalities
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Collaborating with intersex advocates, M膩ori and Pacific experts, and human rights leaders
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Mapping opportunities for change across public institutions
If you would like to know more about our research, download the project summary (PDF 404KB).
**This research project is funded by the (Agreement No. 110861)
Artist credit
We are grateful to Toni Duder-Chapman (Ng膩puhi) for their artwork contribution used across this project.
Thank you for allowing us to feature your artwork.
Contact us
Get in touch if you have any questions