The Commissioner for the Protection of Equality organized the second training cycle, “That the registry is not a transgender concern – Together for the improvement of registry services for transgender people in Serbia” in cooperation with the organization Geten. The Head of the Complaint Department of the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Relja Pantić, spoke with the Ombudsperson of Niš and representatives of the registry services of the City Administration of Niš about the challenges transgender people face when registering name changes in order to match their gender identity.

People whose gender and sex do not match face numerous problems, such as rejection, violence, and discrimination, but most of the problems are related to the lack of clear procedures when it comes to issuing personal documents. The absence of uniform and clear procedures in this area in Serbia puts transgender people in a legal and life vacuum and directly threatens their socio-economic stability.

Due to the discrepancy between the visible gender markings of a transgender person who has started the transition process and the data in the documents, the possibility of exercising rights in the field of work and employment, education, social and health care, as well as various everyday activities – staying in public spaces, socialization, and travel – are significantly compromised or completely hindered.