Doctor Pledges Sex Change to Protest Over 'anti-Women' Serbian Law

A newly passed law in July 2015 in Serbia requires female public sector employees to retire at 60 years and six months, while men can work until they are 65 years old. Previously both the sexes could continue to work beyond the retirement age if they wished to do so. A Serbian doctor has thrown a spotlight on this 'discriminatory new law' with a dramatic pledge to change sex after she was asked to retire earlier than her male colleagues. Dr. Mirjana Stanojcic, 64, was informed by her hospital bosses in central Serbia that she would have to resign this month when the legislation came into force. She said, "I have a male colleague who is the same age as I am, and I have been told to retire while he will keep working. I decided to become a man and keep working in accordance with the law."

Dr. Stanojcic, a physical therapy specialist in the small town of Gornji Milanovac, has received widespread media attention in Serbia ever since she applied for the lengthy process of sex reassignment. Owing to the press coverage, appeals from Serbia's ombudsman and the equalities commissioner; the constitutional court has suspended the new law's enforcement until it makes a final ruling.

Stanojcic was buoyed by the suspension but said, "I would continue with the sex change procedure even though I would be over 65 on its completion. I do not know what the final court decision will be, so I will keep going. My move had won support from female colleagues across the country. This is the only way to fight this gender discrimination."

Source-AFP