LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s renowned intersex rights activist and Executive Director of the IVY Foundation, Samantha Sammie MacJessie, has died.
MacJessie was the founder of the IVY Foundation, an organization she established in 2016 to raise awareness on intersex issues and advocate for an environment that caters to the needs of intersex persons and promotes better understanding of their differences.
Under her leadership, the foundation has been operating in Malawi’s three major cities — Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu — where it has been at the forefront of advocating for the rights, dignity and inclusion of intersex people.
Born to a Malawian mother and a South African father, Sammie became one of the most vocal and visible voices for intersex rights in Malawi, championing access to health, legal recognition and protection from stigma and discrimination.
Details surrounding her death and funeral arrangements are yet to be made public.
MacJessie’s passing is a huge loss to the human rights movement in Malawi, particularly the LGBTI and intersex community where she was regarded as a pillar of courage and hope.
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