York student shortlisted for national human rights award

They came out to Obama earlier this year


A York student is hitting the headlines once again – this time after being shortlisted for a humanitarian award.

Maria Munir has been nominated for the Christine Jackson Young Person Award for their work in advocating for the rights of non-binary people in the UK.

The Constantine student came out as non-binary earlier this year to President Barack Obama in front of a packed audience in order to prompt a worldwide conversation about the rights of non-binary and transgender people.

Maria Munir, who is doing a masters in international human rights law, said: “I was taken by surprise to hear of my nomination, but I gratefully accept.

“Gender equality is so important; it intrinsically impacts our ability to access opportunities in life.

“Gender non-conforming people are automatically denied a lot of those opportunities, and I intend to keep fighting for their right to representation in all sectors of life.”

The accolade comes after Munir secured changes to the application process for the Civil Service Fast Stream and a commitment to gender-neutral toilet facilities within the Service.

They are also currently campaigning for the introduction of an ‘X’ mark for gender on passports and better health services for the estimated 252,728 non-binary people in the UK.