Secretary All Manipur Nupi Maanbi Association raises issues faced by LGBTIQ+ community to democratic access to safe water, sanitation
TFM News Service
Secretary All Manipur Nupi Maanbi Association and transgender rights activist Santa Khurai presented a statement in the 48th Human Rights Council Session held in Geneva on September 15, 2021. She addressed the issues faced by the LGBTIQ+ community to democratic access to safe water and sanitation.
Santa Khurai, also a fellow RAP 2021-2022 fellow under Swedish Federation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender Rights (RFSL), made the statement on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons from 14 countries from Global East and Global South.
Presenting her statement to the Special rapporteur water and sanitation, she highlighted that marginalised groups disproportionately face violations to their rights to water and sanitation. She stated that marginalised groups are not homogenous and intersecting forms of discrimination and inequality impact them differently.
Santa Khurai said that harmful norms and stereotypes, gender binaries, cis-heteronormativity, high poverty rates, and all forms of colonialism directly affect LGBTI persons’ affect LGBTIQ+ persons’ rights to water and sanitation.
Trans, intersex, and gender non-binary persons experience unequal access to sanitation, menstrual hygiene, and toilets, increasing our risk to violence, affecting our physical and mental health, right to life, safety, privacy, and freedom of movement, she added.
She emphasised that predatory capitalism and water privatization are driving climate change, destroying ecosystems, creating water crises and contamination, threatening electricity supplies, and increasing water-borne diseases affecting the most vulnerable, such as indigenous Trans persons.
Stressing on the current COVID crisis situation and its impact on the LGBTIQ+ community, she said that all humans have a right to access water and sanitation equally and states must adopt policies and programs that address LGBTIQ+ issues, affirm their identities, and involve LGBTI people in decision making on water and sanitation management.
Her statement winds up with a question to the Special Rapporteur on Water and Sanitation — “How will he engage and consult with LGBTI persons, especially from underrepresented regions and identities during his mandate?”