OII Francophonie

OII Francophonie’s history goes back to 2003, when it was founded as the ‘original OII,’ based in Quebec and Paris, from where the French name Organisation Intersex International derived.

OII Francophonie’s history goes back to 2003, when it was founded as the ‘original OII,’ based in Quebec and Paris, from where the French name Organisation Intersex International derived. OII Francophonie’s mission is to work towards the right to self-determination and the depathologization of intersex people, opposing the medicalized treatments that intersex children are subjected to. They also work to give voice to French-speaking intersex people and to raise awareness about intersex people’s experiences by organizing meetings and publications that include contributions from intersex scholars, activists and artists. Describing themselves as a feminist collective who does intersectional work, OII Francophonie supports intersex people throughout the French-speaking world through a ‘network of care’ that aims to work with respectful doctors. The organization is made up of volunteer members based in France, Canada, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, who are connected with other international intersex activists and organizations. OII-Francophonie hosted a summer school in Paris in 2006, with representatives from Canada, France, Belgium and the UK. They have been working with the Douarnenez Film Festival (France) since 2012 (film festival about minorities), and in June 2015, the Film Festival’s focus was on intersex visibility and included an international ‘residence’ for intersex activists. They are now working to strengthen the network and to develop organizational resources for French-speaking intersex organizations.