16C. ASRH Invited Speaker Session: Social, political and cultural aspects: Intersex Health and Human Rights: A Dialogue Between Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia
Tracks
Track 3
| Thursday, September 18, 2025 |
| 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM |
Details
This session brings together intersex advocates, scholars, and health practitioners from across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand to explore community-led, rights-based approaches to intersex health and human rights. Presentations will highlight recent innovations in psychosocial peer support, inclusive education, and national guideline development. Speakers will share insights from their work in co-design, policy, and pedagogy, grounded in lived experience, Indigenous frameworks, and intersectional justice. The session aims to foster cross-regional dialogue and collective reflection on advancing equity, safety, and dignity for people with intersex variations.
Learning Objectives:
● Understand how lived experience-led and Indigenous-informed models of care can improve psychosocial outcomes for intersex people.
● Identify systemic challenges and opportunities for embedding intersex-inclusive education in schools and universities.
● Examine the development and significance of the IVSC Guidelines in Aotearoa as a model of community-led health reform.
● Explore collaborative strategies across policy, education, and healthcare sectors to promote intersex health and human rights.
● Inspire attendees to apply intersectional, strengths-based, and culturally grounded approaches in their own work.
Speaker
Bonnie Hart
Lived-experience led psychosocial and peer support services for intersex people
1:30 PM - 1:50 PMBiography
Dr Agli Zavros-Orr
Intersex Education in Australia: Rights-based Approaches to Inclusive Curriculum and Practice
1:50 PM - 2:10 PMBiography
Professor Elizabeth Kerekere
Chair
Tīwhanawhana Trust
He Whare Tīpua: Developing IVSC Guidelines for Intersex Well-being in Aotearoa New Zealand
2:10 PM - 2:30 PMBiography
Professor Elizabeth Kerekere (she/her/ia)
Whānau a Kai, Ngāti Oneone, Te Āitanga a Māhaki, Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Co. Clare, Co. Tipperary
Elizabeth is Founder/Chair of Tīwhanawhana Trust, Chair of Kawe Mahara Queer Archives Aotearoa and Adjunct Professor, School of Health, Te Herenga Waka University of Victoria. Several research projects use her Te Whare Takatāpui framework of health and well-being for takatāpui, Rainbow people and their whānau. It is currently being applied to the New Zealand health system for trans perinatal care and intersex health and well-being.
Mx Mani Mitchell
Project co-lead He Whare Tipua: Intersex Well-being Project
Independent Consultant
He Whare Tīpua: Developing IVSC Guidelines for Intersex Well-being in Aotearoa New Zealand
2:10 PM - 2:30 PMBiography
Mani B Mitchell, Pakeha, change agent, non binary, intersex and queer identifying person. Born in the shadows of the second world war, my parents, loving, remote rural conservative people were poorly equipped to deal with the reality my birth brought to their life. I did not deal with the trauma of my childhood until my 40’s - I had trained as an educator, gone onto local government emergency management, specialized in critical incident stress management, management and then psychotherapy. Once I started to ‘deal’ with my own birth realty, my own trauma, suicidal ideation, I made the decision - I could not change the past - I could, I concluded assist with changing the future. So I have used all my training, my lived experience, aroha, stubbornness, my pain, sadness to bring awareness - visibility of intersex realities and awareness to the world. Find people to collaborate with, work beside - inspire, by working locally, nationally and internationally. My dream is, we will as a global collective, achieve critical mass - change the model. That trauma, stigma, shame and secrecy will be relegated to history as a sad artifact of the past. That intersex persons will be free to be the magnificent humans we are all entitled to be.
