Best Practices for Trans Rights – Inspirational Initiatives From Europe and Beyond

Transgender Europe (TGEU) have launched ‘Human Rights and Gender Identity – Best Practice Catalogue‘ on Wednesday during a press conference in Malta.¹

The Best Practice Catalogue² gives practical examples on how to implement trans human rights demands in practice. The aim of the catalogue is to inspire stakeholders to seek similar or new ways to ensure a high standard of trans human rights. These inspirational examples, coming mainly from Europe, cover a number of issues.

Richard Köhler, Senior Policy Officer at TGEU comments,

“Since the publication of the first best practice catalogue in 2011, trans rights across Europe have advanced in leaps and bounds. It is actually very fitting to launch this edition in Malta, whose progress in this area of human rights has become an inspiration for other countries to follow, and a beacon of hope for trans people across the continent.”

Malta features strongly in the catalogue; the GIGESC (Gender Identity, Gender Expression, Sex Characteristics) Act is hailed as a best practice for legal gender recognition, and the Trans, Gender Variant & Intersex Inmates Policy is a chapter on safety and security. Malta’s LGBTIQ Action Plan, educational policy, and the LGBTI consultative council are also referenced.

1. High Level Ministerial Conference on #LGBTIQ Equality Mainstreaming Press Conference was held in Malta as part of the 2017 Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU. ↩︎
2. ‘Human Rights and Gender Identity: Best Practice Catalogue‘ This is the second edition of the catalogue, which was first produced by ILGA-Europe and Transgender Europe in 2011. Issues covered include; Legal Gender Recognition, Healthcare, Safety and Security, Data Collection, Campaigning and Awareness Raising. ↩︎