In this two minute video, Open Society Foundations explores the impact of identity systems that do not adequately reflect the identities of transgender people.

The video states: “It’s impossible to condense the complex notion of identity into a single, unchangeable M or F.”

Alongside the many hurdles involved with transitioning gender, the process for changing information like names or gender on official IDs is a major challenge for many people.

In some countries, this involves extreme and inhumane measures such as psychiatric confinement or forced sterilization. And without an ID which reflects the gender an individual lives, basic activities and rights like travelling or registering to vote become much harder.

The video states: “These activities that occur without a second thought for most people become moments of indignity and injustice for transgender people. It’s a constant reminder that they can’t be recognised as themselves without someone else’s permission.”