Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Do we need a third gender?

Human beings aren’t always who or what we think they are. They can be defined by their sex, gender identity, appearance, sexual preferences or practices for example. So should these differences be taken into account in everyday life?

People who consider themselves transgender or are intersexual are two minority groups that have a hard time finding their place in today’s society. Since 2011, Australian passports have been issued with three genders: male, female or X, which covers indeterminate, unspecified or intersex. Should this solution become more widespread, in particular for administrative purposes?

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR