Victoria is set to become Australia’s first state to ban unnecessary surgeries on intersex children. Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas will introduce a bill to parliament that stops irreversible and deferrable medical procedures on intersex infants and children until they can give informed consent. Intersex people are born with variations in sex traits that do not fit usual male or female categories. Thomas said the reform supports intersex people having control over their own bodies. She noted past cases where medical treatments caused harm and trauma due to being inappropriate or unnecessary. "Every person deserves the right to make decisions about their own body, with respect, dignity and safety at the heart of the care they receive," Thomas said. Urgent surgeries needed to save life or prevent serious harm are still allowed. Other treatments will be reviewed by an independent panel. This panel can recommend treatment, but parents must consent if the child cannot. Children able to decide for themselves can consent personally. The new process will ensure families get accurate information, understand options, and have peer and psychological support. A recent Equality Australia report revealed many intersex children faced irreversible surgeries like clitoral reduction or healthy gonad removal for cosmetic reasons or to conform to assigned gender. In almost half the cases studied, decisions were made for appearance or to ease parental distress, not medical necessity. Such surgeries can cause long-term harm, such as loss of sexual function and repeated operations. Anna Brown, Equality Australia CEO, welcomed the bill, saying it protects children who cannot speak for themselves and prevents lifelong damage from rushed choices. She said, "Too many intersex people have had to live with the consequences of decisions they had no real part in, and that could have waited until they were old enough to have a say." Victoria’s bill aligns it with the Australian Capital Territory, which already bans non-consensual intersex surgeries. Globally, only a few countries like Malta and Germany have similar laws.