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Public Opinion

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History

Homosexual activity in Shiselweni

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Homosexual activity in Shiselweni is male illegal, female legal.

Current status
Since Feb 22, 1907
Male illegal, female legal
Sodomy in Eswatini is considered illegal under the 1907 Roman-Dutch common law, that Eswatini uses as their own. The common laws carry penalties ranging from death to lesser punishments as decided by the court. The term “sodomy” was defined by the courts as “unlawful and intentional sexual relations per anum between two human males.” However, punishment is not enforced, and The Minister of Justice has consistently stated that their policy is to refrain from prosecuting consenting adults.
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Same-sex marriage in Shiselweni

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Same-sex marriage in Shiselweni is unrecognized.

Current status
Unrecognized
The Marriage Act (1964) and the Births, Marriages and Deaths Registration Act (1983) do not expressly forbid same-sex marriages.

Censorship of LGBT issues in Shiselweni

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Censorship of LGBT issues in Shiselweni is state-enforced.

Current status
Since Feb 22, 1907
State-enforced
In Eswatini, there are no explicit laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics. However, there have been cases as recent as 2022 ruling the NGOs for LGBTIQ+ rights cannot register as homosexuality is illegal since 1907.
Until Feb 21, 1907
No censorship
Until 1907, there were no known laws restricting or censoring LGBTIQ+ topics in Eswatini.
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Right to change legal gender in Shiselweni

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Right to change legal gender in Shiselweni is illegal.

Current status
Since Jan 6, 1984
Illegal
Section 8(3) of the Births, Marriages and Deaths Registration Act (1983) states:

"If after registration of birth, the change in any other particular of a person not provided for in this section has occurred, he, if he is twenty-one years of age, or either of his parents or his guardian of he is under twenty-one years of age, may apply to the Registrar directly or through respective district registrar or assistant district registrar for alteration of such a particular in the births register. Thereupon the Registrar shall, if satisfied that the applicant is competent to make the application and on production of documentary proof (in case of change of sex of the child medical certificate from the medical practitioner shall be produced) and on payment of the prescribed fee, cause the said particular of the person to be altered in the original birth information form filed in his office, but without erasing the original entry, and shall instruct the registration officer of the district or sub-district in which the birth of the person was registered to make a similar inscription in his births register and duplicate birth information form filed in his office."

However, the act only provides for a "correction" of a child's birth sex being measured and does not provide any options for transgender people to change their legal gender.
Until Jan 5, 1984
Illegal
Until 1984, there was no legal gender recognition provided in Eswatini.

Gender-affirming care in Shiselweni

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Gender-affirming care in Shiselweni is restricted.

Current status
Restricted
Gender affirming care is largely unavailable by legal means in Eswatini, leaving most to access it through the black market. However, the Eswatini Ministry of Health has recognised that transgender and gender diverse people are a vulnerable population with little access to healthcare, and thus has issued in 2016 a training manual to healthcare providers to increase knowledge about trans health and healthcare needs and thus to improve access to gender affirming care. (Improving access to
comprehensive health care services for key populations in Swaziland: Training manual for
healthcare providers)

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Shiselweni

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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Shiselweni is not legally recognized.

Current status
Not legally recognized
There is no recognition in Eswatini.
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Hate crime protections in Shiselweni

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Hate crime protections in Shiselweni is no protections.

Current status
No protections
Eswatini does not provide hate crime protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

LGBT discrimination in Shiselweni

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LGBT discrimination in Shiselweni is illegal in some contexts.

Current status
Since Nov 1, 2017
Illegal in some contexts
There are explicit legal protections against hate speech based on sexual orientation in the media.

Section 10.2(2) on "Violence and Hate speech" of the Broadcasting Guidelines Services 2017. It apply to all Radio and Television broadcasting service providers.

Section 8(1)(d) of The Broadcasting (Content) Guidelines 2022. It apply to all broadcasters and content service providers.
Until Oct 31, 2017
No protections
Until 2017, there were no protections from discrimination provided to LGBTIQ+ people in Eswatini.
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LGBT employment discrimination in Shiselweni

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LGBT employment discrimination in Shiselweni is no protections.

Current status
No protections
There are no protections from discrimination in employment provided to LGBTIQ+ people in Eswatini.
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LGBT housing discrimination in Shiselweni

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LGBT housing discrimination in Shiselweni is no protections.

Current status
No protections
There are no protections from discrimination in housing provided to LGBTIQ+ people in Eswatini.
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Same-sex adoption in Shiselweni

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Same-sex adoption in Shiselweni is single only.

Current status
Since Dec 12, 1952
Single only
The Adoption of Children Act in 1952 provides that married couples and unmarried people can adopt children in Eswatini, prohibiting same-sex couples from adopting but not LGBTIQ+ singles.

Intersex infant surgery in Shiselweni

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Intersex infant surgery in Shiselweni is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
Surgery on intersex infants is legal in Eswatini but not reported.
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Serving openly in military in Shiselweni

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Serving openly in military in Shiselweni is ambiguous.

Current status
Ambiguous
Unknown as of May 9th 2023, They heard a court case in that day but it seems that nothing come of it
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Blood donations by MSMs in Shiselweni

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Blood donations by MSMs in Shiselweni is legal.

Current status
Legal
There are no official sources from the Ministry of Health regarding the requirements for donating blood.
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Bathroom access in Shiselweni

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Bathroom access in Shiselweni is no explicit protections.

Current status
No explicit protections
In Eswatini, there is no restrictions nor protections for trans people having acess to the bathroom of their gender identity rather than their assigned sex at birth.
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Conversion therapy in Shiselweni

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Conversion therapy in Shiselweni is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
Conversion therapy is legal in Eswatini and there have been reports of forced marriages and "corrective" rapes.

Equal age of consent in Shiselweni

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Equal age of consent in Shiselweni is female equal, male n/a.

Current status
Since Feb 22, 1907
Female equal, male N/A
The age of consent in Eswatini is 18 for heterosexual sex. However, sodomy is illegal in Eswatini so the age of consent is irrelevant for males. Regarding lesbian sex, due to there being no laws criminalizing it, the age of consent is also 18.