Contributions to the Report on the human right to education and protection against violence and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity - non-binary people
by Asociación Sexualiarte, Andalucía, Spain
From the call of the Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity: "The right to education without discrimination is a universally recognized human right. In 2001, the first UN Special Rapporteur on the right to education articulated governments’ obligations regarding education by developing the 4A’s framework, which outlines the essential criteria that States must meet to ensure the right to education: availability, acceptability, adaptability, and accessibility and to which the current Rapporteur has added “accountability”. Laws, policies and practices that discriminate on the basis of SOGI perpetuate educational environments that are not available to all, adaptable to evolving needs, acceptable, or accessible for LGBT students.
Education is not only a human right, but also an essential tool for the realization of other human rights. It is the “primary vehicle by which economically and socially marginalized adults and children can lift themselves out of poverty and obtain the means to participate fully in their communities.” Often, lack of protections and restrictive educational environments for LGBT children lead to limited life opportunities for them in adulthood. This report is motivated by the concern that the failures of States to mitigate education disparities faced by SOGI-diverse youth can limit students’ ability to grow into adults with access to equal opportunities for success. Early intervention is indispensable to ensuring the realization and enjoyment of all human rights for LGBT children and adults."
This report, prepared by Asociación Sexualiarte, an association of non-binary people based in Seville, Andalusia, focuses on the situation of non-binary people in the education system in Spain and Andalusia.