Finding the right identity

Town planner Nina Stieger was recently officially registered as a woman. For 54 years her name had been Ueli. Now after a lengthy process, during which she also had to deal with discrimination, her dream has come true.

The expression “transgender” is used to describe the gender identity of people who are born with a clearly male or female body, but who feel they belong to the other sex, or that they are half-way between the sexes, or that they are part one and part the other. Many – but not all – undergo hormone treatment and/or operations to bring their body into line with their identity. Transgender people are still stigmatised in Switzerland and find a problem with being accepted, including in their jobs. Nina Stieger is involved in the Transgender Network Switzerland association, which campaigns to improve their social and legal situation. (Thomas Kern, Patricia Islas and Daniel Wihler, swissinfo.ch)