a Nepalese becomes both man and woman The Nepalese authorities have granted a man who dresses and behaves like a woman both male and female citizenship.
This unprecedented legal status was given to Chanda Musalman, 40.
Nepal, conservative and religious, as many Asian countries, has a substantial community of people born male but behave as women.
It is unclear how this unique legal status will play out in practice, for example, how this will affect the right to marriage Chanda.
Constitution
With elections approaching, government teams are currently touring the country by preparing certificates of citizenship.
A team came to Chanda's village in western Nepal.
Chanda, who has not had surgery to re-assignment of sex, has asked officials to erase the words male and female, listed under gender.
They have complied with and therefore have entered the sex of Chanda as "both (both). A local activist group
, the Blue Diamond Society, thanked the Government for this gesture, which was described as a victory for sexual and gender minorities.
In the past the group had accused both the police and the Maoists of harassing transgendered people in the streets of Kathmandu.
They are currently lobbying to get the explicit protection of minority rights sex in the new constitution to be drafted after the elections.
Article from BBC News