Oxfam stands for Oxford Committe for Famine Relief

In this article:

Oxfam’s vision is a world in which people can influence decisions which affect their lives, enjoy their rights, and assume their responsibilities as full citizens of a world in which all human beings are valued and treated equally. This is core and central to our work and approach to eliminating injustice and poverty.

Sexuality and gender identity is a positive, core part, of being human and experiencing wellbeing and fulfilment. And yet, when diversity of sexuality and gender identity is rendered invisible, or becomes the basis of discrimination, the rights to decisions over bodies, sexualities, identities and intimate consensual relations of one’s own choosing are violated. Further, poverty and gender inequalities can be compounded, and development interventions can be inappropriate or fail to reach LGBTI people altogether, resulting in multiple marginalisation of LGBTI individuals.

Policy: Oxfam affirms:

 • The right of all persons, free of coercion, discrimination and violence, to seek, receive and impart credible, evidence-based information related to sexuality; to choose their sexual orientation and sexual partner or partners; to decide to be sexually active or not; to participate in consensual sexual relations; and to pursue a satisfying, safe and pleasurable sexual life.

• The right of all persons, free of coercion, discrimination and violence, to freedom of gender identity and expression.

• The right of all persons to live free from violence, including sexual violence.

• The right to equality, equal protection of the law and freedom from all forms of discrimination based on sex, sexuality or gender.

• The right to participation in civil, economic, social, cultural and political spheres for all persons, regardless of sex, sexual orientation or gender identity.

• The right of all persons to privacy regarding matters of sexuality.

• The right to personal autonomy and recognition before the law.

• The right to freedom of thought, opinion, expression and association regarding issues of sexuality, gender identity and sexual rights, without arbitrary intrusions or limitations based on dominant cultural beliefs or political ideology, or discriminatory notions of public order, public morality, public health or public security.

• The right to health care, including sexual health care for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all sexually related concerns, problems and disorders.

• The right to comprehensive sex education and information necessary and useful to exercise full citizenship and equality in the private, public and political domains.

• The right to choose whether or not to marry and to found and plan a family, and to decide whether or not, how and when, to have children.

• The centrality of sexual rights to ‘active citizenship’, being human, well-being, fulfillment, liberty, and life chances.

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