Why is sex/gender present in EU-issued passports?
I've read the lex regarding the contents of any passports issued in the EU, however it provides no explanation as to the necessity of the points. So why is it necessary that your sex be presented in a travel document? Is it because of cultural precautions towards countries where legislation makes difference between men and women in everyday life, even for tourists, or is there some other explanation for that? In the times of legal equality, why isn't someone's sex/gender their own private business?
Best Answer
No matter how ‘gender-neutral’ our culture tends to be, many women have big issues with stripping in front of or being touched by unknown men. To a lesser extent, some men have similar issues.
It is an issue in WC or changing rooms, but when it comes to travelling, there are issue with personal control. If there is be a need for personal control, then men will ‘serve’ men and women will ‘serve’ women.
Apart from identification purposes, which are less useful in a cold climate (with many layers of clothing worn), that reason is important enough to have this data in passports.
As for privacy issues, your height and eye colour are your private business too, but this doesn’t mean that they won’t be put in your official documents. Applying for personal ID was the first time in my life that I had to think about what colours my eyes are, and it was not a trivial question.
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