Rights & Remedies
Bodily Integrity and Physical Autonomy
The right to control one's own body and make autonomous decisions about it.
Definition
The Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act enshrines the right to bodily integrity and physical autonomy, particularly for intersex individuals. This right ensures that no medical practitioners or other professionals can conduct sex assignment treatment or surgical intervention on the sex characteristics of a minor that can be deferred until the person can provide informed consent. This provision is a significant safeguard against non-consensual medical procedures.