International Trans Visibility Day – 31 March 2021

Transgender persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot exercise their rights – legal gender recognition is possible only after complete medical gender reassignment, and endocrinological therapy and surgery can be performed only abroad and the costs are borne by the transgender persons themselves, because the BH medical facilities do not cover them.

March 31 marks the International Day of Transgender Visibility, a day dedicated to raising public awareness on the existence and presence of transgender persons in society, as well as drawing attention to transphobia, stigmatization and discriminatory acts encountered by transgender persons in everyday life and at the institutional level.

Special support for transgender persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina is provided by Sarajevo Open Centre, which this year launched a campaign through social networks, with the aim of raising citizens’ awareness on the problems faced by trans persons.

Problems faced by transgender persons in BiH

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the recognition, enjoyment, access to and protection of the human rights of transgender persons are low. Despite the existing quality legal framework, human rights of transgender persons are being violated on a daily basis, especially in the area of access to health care and the adequate health services they need.

Ali Huremović, a transgender young man says: “I am lucky to have parents who love and support me in the transition process, and I would like the society to be educated on transgender topics so that all children have that freedom to be what they are without fear of being rejected or condemned by family, friends or society”.

More on the problems they face you can read in the B/C/S language version of the article here.