Human rights

This archive tracks real progress on human rights: legal victories, policy shifts, community-led movements, and court rulings that expand protections for people around the world. Stories here focus on what’s working — and who is making it happen.

Intersex Pride flag, for article on intersex rights resolution

U.N. makes history with first-ever resolution supporting intersex rights

Intersex rights just got their first-ever resolution from the U.N. Human Rights Council — a milestone for the roughly 1.7 percent of people born with variations in sex characteristics, about as common as having red hair. Brought forward by Australia, Chile, Finland, and South Africa, the measure pushes back on decades of “normalizing” surgeries performed on intersex children too young to consent. It also calls for a global report documenting where these violations are happening, giving advocates a shared map for reform. After generations of quiet, persistent work by intersex activists, this vote signals that bodily autonomy for every child — however they were born — is becoming a standard the world is willing to name out loud.