Home Blog Page 6

The Global State of LGBTIQ Organizing: The Right to Register

42d_lfnhzl
-
0
The Global State of LGBTIQ Organizing: The Right to Register

This report outlines the results of a study undertaken by OutRight Action International in 194 countries. The study examined the existence of LGBTIQ civil society organisations (CSOs) that have legal or official registration status. In total data was collected from 864 organisations in five global regions: Asia and the Pacific, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.The study sought to determine how official registration enables an organisation to further the rights of LGBTIQ communities.

The study found that, of the 194 countries studied, only 109 allow LGBTIQ CSOs to legally register. In 55 of the countries studied, LGBTIQ CSOs cannot legally register and in the remaining 30 countries no LGBTIQ CSOs could be identified. The study found that limitations on legal registration results in fewer resources and greater dangers in operating LGBTIQ CSOs. Furthermore, some of the benefits of obtaining legal registration are outlined as the increased opportunity to meet officials and political leaders and practical actions such as opening a bank account.

The report also includes the results from a legal analysis of the laws allowing Non-Government Organisations to register in 41 countries. The report concludes with in-depth case studies of 22 LGBTIQ CSOs who have sought or obtained legal registration in Belize, China, Lebanon, Germany, Nigeria, Russia, St Lucia, Singapore, Tanzania and Tunisia.

A Comparative Analysis of LGBT Human Rights in 197 Countries: 2011-2017 – Franklin & Marshall Global Barometer of Gay Rights and Franklin & Marshall Global Barometer of Transgender Rights

42d_lfnhzl
-
0
A Comparative Analysis of LGBT Human Rights in 197 Countries: 2011-2017 – Franklin & Marshall Global Barometer of Gay Rights and Franklin & Marshall Global Barometer of Transgender Rights

This study outlines the results from the Franklin & Marshall Global Barometers on Gay and Transgender Rights. The study used the barometers to assess the extent to which 197 countries were upholding the human rights of SOGI individuals between 2011 and 2017. The barometers measure the extent to which states and societies protect the human rights of SOGI minorities. The research report states that the barometers were established using the principles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the original Yogyakarta Principles and the latter Yogyakarta Principles Plus 10.

The Franklin & Marshall Barometers rank countries on a scale of A (protecting) to F (persecuting). The Barometers each contain five domains: De Jure protections, De Facto protections, LGBT rights advocacy, Socio-economic rights and Societal persecution. The study highlights a series of results from the study under each domain, including death penalty for sexual orientation; legality of same-sex marriage; ability of LGBT pride events to take place; acts of violence against sexual and gender minorities; and ability of same-sex couples to adopt, among other indicators.

The study found that the majority of countries studied persecuted SOGI individuals.The study also found slightly less persecution of sexual minorities than gender identity minorities, however, the difference was not significant. The report highlights that in 2017 69% of countries received an F on the Global Barometer of Gay Rights and 76% of countries received an F on the Global Barometer of Transgender Rights. The study also highlights the most and least persecuting countries and regions and outlines global trends on the protection of gay and transgender rights.

COVID-19: impacts for LGBTIQ communities and implications for services. A Research Briefing Paper by Rainbow Health Victoria

42d_lfnhzl
-
0
COVID-19: impacts for LGBTIQ communities and implications for services. A Research Briefing Paper by Rainbow Health Victoria

This briefing paper examines the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the LGBTIQ community. The paper looks at the vulnerabilities faced by the LGBTIQ community in the following areas: physical and mental health, family violence, harassment and violence, drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness and economic disadvantage.

The briefing paper outlines the underlying health conditions that are more prevalent in the LGBTIQ community that may increase their vulnerability to COVID-19. It further highlights that the real physical health impact of COVID-19 on the LGBTIQ community will be unclear in the short term due to a lack of data collection on LGBTIQ identities. The paper then highlights how the greater prevalence of anxiety and depression among the LGBTIQ community may be heightened during the pandemic as a result of the loss of community connection via face to face interaction and support. Similarly, the reduced access to in-person support services is considered concerning due to the rates of intimate partner violence and violence from one’s family of origin within the LGBTIQ community. Violence and harassment from the general public and police through the enforcement of social distancing are also noted as potentially distressing challenges for the LGBTIQ community during the pandemic. The lack of available community support services is also expected to impact the rates of alcohol and illicit drug use, homelessness and economic disadvantage which, prior to the pandemic, were more prevalent in the LGBTIQ community than the general community.

The briefing paper acknowledges the under-utilisation of health services particularly among trans and gender diverse young people due to a lack of inclusive services. Moreover, the intersectional challenges faced by LGBTIQ individuals who may also experience other vulnerabilities such as disability is outlined as a particular challenge for service providers to be aware of during the pandemic. The paper concludes with a series of recommendations for health and community service providers to follow to address the vulnerabilities faced by the LGBTIQ community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s All About Governance: Making Disaster Risk Reduction Work for Everyone

Elena Robertson
-
0
It’s All About Governance: Making Disaster Risk Reduction Work for Everyone

“Disaster managers do not, at present, consider the needs and capacities of LGBT people in their disaster planning or identify them as a specific audience for preparedness advice.” If you’re familiar with Edge Effect for a while, you likely know that it was this sentence that inspired Emily Dwyer and Lana Woolf to found our organisation back in 2016. It’s a sentence worth revisiting, especially in honour of International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction this 13 October.

The theme of International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is good governance—and in keeping with this year’s theme, it’s time we re-visit the ways in which DRR governance can work for people with diverse SOGIESC—and the consequences when it falls short. Good governance for DRR is all about reducing the occurrence and impact of disasters. While no amount of policy development can prevent a tsunami from breaking on your shores (but adopting aggressive climate change policies will ultimately have positive outcomes for our planet), good DRR governance can reduce the impact of disasters before they happen and speed up recovery.

What does good DRR governance mean for people with diverse SOGIESC?

Well, the first step is for DRR governance structures—local, regional, national and multi-lateral—to recognise the unique needs and capacities of people with diverse SOGIESC. This means asking different people with diverse SOGIESC about their concerns and needs. It’s important that the diversity of people with diverse SOGIESC are included: trans women, gay men, intersex people, cisgender lesbian women, and non-binary folk (and others!) have different needs. It’s not enough to ask the most visible groups within the diverse SOGIESC community about their needs. Disaster managers must put in the work to understand the different needs of different groups.

Good governance means inclusion in pre-emergency social safety nets and welfare schemes. Prior to the 2004 Indian Tsunami, Aravanis weren’t covered by any welfare schemes, nor were they able to easily access ration cards. This mean that in the aftermath of the tsunami, most Aravanis were ineligible for cash payments (while men and women were eligible). It also meant that Aravanis had no access to safe temporary housing and were forced to sleep (and change their clothes) out in the open. Not only did this strip Aravanis of their dignity, but it put them at significant risk of gender-based violence and discrimination.

Good governance means creating relief systems that are not just inclusive of people with diverse SOGIESC but are also designed with the specific circumstances of people with diverse SOGIESC in mind. Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, for instance, only women were able to access food. This is a common distribution policy: women are more likely to be food insecure than are men, and women are more likely to distribute rations to their family members. These policies, however, mean that people who aren’t in heterosexual relationships lose out: for instance, gay men and many transgender people were not able to access food. Many Haitians with diverse SOGIESC had been ostracised by their families and therefore aren’t able to ask a woman for help. But this doesn’t just negatively impact men with diverse SOGIE. Lesbian, bi and trans (LBT) women reported that they were reluctant to obtain food aid because distribution lines were often chaotic. Many women who waited in the lines brought male relatives with them for protection—but LBT women didn’t necessarily have male relatives to bring. Expanding understandings of households to include same-gender couples and rainbow families would better enable people with diverse SOGIESC to access the relief they need.

Good governance means inclusion in post-disaster needs assessments. In our Down By the River report, we specifically recommended that sexual and gender minorities be included in DRR and humanitarian research, assessments and evaluations. The Fiji Government Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) following TC Winston made no mention of the impacts on sexual and gender minorities.  The PDNA did specify that ‘no information was available on issues related to sexual orientation,’ but no steps were taken, nor recommendations made, to address this data gap. It’s not just enough to include people with diverse SOGIESC in PDNAs, but specific recommendations need to be made so that humanitarian agencies and relief organisations can adequately meet the needs of people with diverse SOGIESC.

Good governance isn’t just about keeping the needs of people with diverse SOGIESC in mind. It’s also about bringing people with diverse SOGIESC into DRR planning and response and drawing upon their unique capacities and knowledge to strengthen DRR policies. For instance, research shows that bakla communities in the Philippines are adept at building widespread social networks that enable them to remain resilient in the face of disaster, and that when bakla are engaged in DRR decision-making spaces, DRR policies will be more effective. The internal resilience that members of the diverse SOGIESC community build should also be incorporated into DRR planning and response. Working with teenage trans women in the Philippines, for instance, offers unique insights into adaptivity and psychological resilience, while the informal networks of the diverse SOGIE community in Fiji offers and entry point for humanitarian workers to support sexual and gender minorities.

Good governance means taking the lead from diverse SOGIESC communities and activists. Activists like Illi push for the inclusion of people with diverse SOGIESC in post-disaster needs assessments and distribution, even when this means combatting homophobia and transphobia by other service providers. Manisha, the Executive Director of Blue Diamond Society, has frontline experience in providing relief to the LGBTIQ+ community in Kathmandu following the 2015 earthquake, and continues to be involved in advocating for the rights of the sexual and gender minorities during COVID-19. Lavetanalagi Seru has been working for diverse SOGIE rights and inclusion in humanitarian settings by engaging with TC Harold and COVID-19 response work, and facilitating trainings for civil servants to ensure people with diverse SOGIESC are included in Fiji’s DRR work.

Underpinning these examples of good governance is the need to address gender norms. Disasters have differential gendered impacts because of gender norms: engaging in gender norm change work will lessen these differences, and enable all people, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, to better recover from disasters. This means adopting taking a structural approach: working with faith leaders to include and empower sexual and gender minorities, rather than blame them for disasters; for norm-change work to focus on community acceptance; for diversity and intersectionality to lie at the heart of DRR and humanitarian programming.  

So, this International DRR Day, it really is all about governance. We need to make sure that this governance is working for everyone—including people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics.

Western Balkans LGBTI: Landscape Analysis of Political, Economic & Social Conditions

42d_lfnhzl
-
0
Western Balkans LGBTI: Landscape Analysis of Political, Economic & Social Conditions

This report begins by contextualising emerging movements in LGBTQI+ advocacy in the Western Balkans within the region’s post-war recovery and transformations, particularly the political and economic reforms that are shaped by each country’s bid for European Union (EU) membership. In line with EU membership policies, the four countries of concern in this report, Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), and Serbia, have all adopted varying degrees of anti-discrimination laws based on sexual orientation. However, these do not comprehensively address ongoing discriminatory practices against LGBTQI+ people, who continue to be marginalised in both public and private spheres.

The report has found that despite progressives laws based on sexual orientation and increased engagement with public officials on LGBTQI+ rights, public opinion is overwhelmingly homophobic in all four countries and gender identity is marginally included in protection and rights legislation and same-sex relationships remain illegal.

The high threat of violence and discrimination based on perceived sexual orientation in both the public and private spheres has forced many LGBTQI+ people to hide their identity to guarantee personal safety. Accurate reporting on rates of violence is, however, precarious as abuse is often un- or mis-reported. The poor economic status of these countries also makes self-identification as LGBTQI+ especially precarious, as refusal-to-hire and retaliatory firing can cause major financial instability where the unemployment rates run some of the highest in Europe. Access to quality, affordable and non-discriminatory health care is described as elusive in these countries, where human rights infringements and direct and indirect discrimination in medical practice are reported.

LGBTQI+ activism and CSOs have played an increasingly important role in engaging public officials, policy makers and the wider public towards less discriminatory attitudes by increasing LGBTQI+ visibility and awareness, conducting inclusivity training for law enforcement and health care workers, and offering safe spaces and peer support for marginalised individuals. The organisations have extended support to rural areas through the effective use of social media and critical collaborations across ethnic and cultural divisions in the region. Some critical drawbacks include a limited financial capacity and lack of staff time to properly coordinate capacity-building opportunities and professional development, as well as the regressive beliefs and commonplace homophobic attitudes.

The report ends with key recommendations for CSOs, policymakers, and funders in moving towards a more inclusive LGBTQI+ environment, that encourage promotion of LGBTQI+ legal protection, and collaboration with existing and emerging organisations, policymakers, and civil society to raise awareness and inclusion of LGBTQI+ rights in both public and private-sphere practices.

Aid organisations fail to protect LGBTQI+ aid workers in the field

42d_lfnhzl
-
0
Aid organisations fail to protect LGBTQI+ aid workers in the field

This article outlines the challenges faced by humanitarian and development practitioners who identify as LGBTQI+. The article argues that while significant improvements have been made to better include the rights and needs of LGBTQI+ people in humanitarian programmes, that the humanitarian practitioners themselves still face significant barriers to inclusion. The author argues that aid organisations need to do more to meet their duty of care to their LGBTQI+ employees when working in the field and when working in their main office.

The author highlights that many of the most prominent humanitarian crises occur in countries that criminalise LGBTQI+ people, causing humanitarian practitioners to hide their identity when working in these countries.

The article outlines some of the policies that aid organisations should implement, such as recognising the relationships of staff who have same sex partners and providing assistance to staff who cannot apply for accompanying partner visas whilst working in the field. The article concludes with five recommendations for aid organisations to follow to meaningfully include and protect their LGBTQI+ staff.

We Exist: Mapping LGBTQ Organising in West Africa

42d_lfnhzl
-
0
We Exist: Mapping LGBTQ Organising in West Africa

In the context of an increasingly hostile environment against people of diverse SOGIE in West Africa, this report provides insight into the growing grassroots SOGIE movement and the varied administrative, socio-cultural and funding hurdles faced by activists and organisations in the region. At total of 50 organisations and 180 activists from 9 countries participated in the research process. Political landscapes range from overt criminalisation of SOGIE to social invisibility and discrimination.

It begins by presenting a broad overview of organisational needs and the participatory research conducted for these findings. The report then explores the legal and historical context of queer identity and organising in West Africa, including key elements of organisational culture; the marginalisation of lesbian, bisexual, and trans* centred activism is principally noted.

The next section maps issues facing people with diverse SOGIE in the diverse West African region, with an evaluation of strategies and responses to these issues and the critical gaps that need filling. These predominately relate to gender inclusivity and awareness of trans* and women-specific issues. Progress-inhibiting challenges in the organisational landscape and working conditions of SOGIE groups are identified, followed by a summary of important achievements reached from the community to international levels.

The sourcing of technical support from major international organisations and the obstacles these traditional funding schemes present is briefly discussed in the final sections. The report concludes with an extensive list of recommendations for SOGIE activists and organisations and their allied funding and technical support partners to inform future priorities, strategies and administration.

Understanding the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on LGBTIQ+ persons in Africa

42d_lfnhzl
-
0
Understanding the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on LGBTIQ+ persons in Africa

This report highlights how LGBTQI+ people in Africa have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. The report states that governments need to act in accordance with Resolution 275 of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to protect those who are vulnerable and face discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

The report outlines six potential challenges faced by LGBTQI+ people during the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges include restricted access to shelter, community centres and health services, homophobic threats in lockdown environments, increased social discrimination and mental health concerns and the misuse of emergency powers to target LGBTQI+ people.

The report concludes with a list of actions that individuals, community based organisations and states can do to address these challenges.

CARE Rapid Gender Analysis COVID-19 and Beyond: Lebanon May 2020

42d_lfnhzl
-
0
CARE Rapid Gender Analysis COVID-19 and Beyond: Lebanon May 2020

This report begins by providing the humanitarian context of COVID-19 in Lebanon amid a burgeoning economic crisis and unstable political climate, followed by an overview of the Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) objectives in this context. The RGA’s methodology is then discussed, with careful consideration of COVID-safe data collection mechanisms in accordance with Do No Harm. Of the 94 participants, 71.9 % are women and 28.1% men, 33.7% Lebanese and 66.3% Syrian Refugees.

The report finds the impact of COVID-19 on the context of the economic crisis has disproportionately affected women and girls, attributed to existing power dynamics within Lebanese society. Highly vulnerable groups like refugees, LGBTQI people, and migrant and domestic workers, whose access to vital services has been significantly restricted are also considered. The findings from the impact of COVID-19 and the economic crisis are divided as follows:

– Reinforcement of existing gender roles and responsibilities
– Lack of decision-making, participation, and leadership opportunities for women
– Access to and knowledge of health services, especially Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and mental health and psychosocial support
– Accessibility of basic services and information resources
– Safety and protection needs for extremely vulnerable people

Under the final section, Safety and Protection, the report briefly discusses the needs of LGBTI+, considered as an extremely vulnerable group in a country where same-sex relations are criminalised.

The report closes with a list of recommendations for humanitarian and development practitioners, government bodies within Lebanon, and major international donors. These intend to open a dialogue about short and long term solutions for gender-focused recovery and development. They include the prioritisation of LGBT+ socio-structural inclusion and protection mechanisms.

LGBT Vision for Action: Promoting and Supporting the Inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals

42d_lfnhzl
-
0

This outlines USAID’s approach to LGBT inclusion in its work. This document was developed following President Obama’s Presidential Memorandum directly all federally funded agencies working overseas to promote and protect the rights of LGBT people. This document outlines USAID’s commitment to include LGBT people and considerations across all aspects of its work. The document opens by providing an introduction covering USAID’s vision and a statement of the problem of global homophobia and transphobia. This section specifically touches upon violence and hate speech, political disenfranchisement, obstacles to health care, and the impact of discrimination on livelihoods.

The following section looks at key principles for USAID programming, including county and contextual relevance; integrating LGBT issues into USAID’s work; creating safe spaces for dialogue; supporting and mobilising LGBT communities; building partnerships and creating allies and champions. This section includes specific examples.

The following section looks at points of entry and promising approaches for LGBT-inclusive development work. This includes looking at operational policies and sectoral programming examples including HIV/AIDS and good governance. The final section looks at USAID’s priorities moving forward. This section touches upon increasing capacity for inclusive development at USAID through the development of tools and trainings; building capacity of local organisations; holding itself accountable for discrimination, and setting a learning agenda.

1...567...25Page 6 of 25

Powered By

Contact Us

About Us
Contact Us
42degrees@edgeeffect.org
Submit a Resource

Support Us

42 Degrees is currently self-funded by Edge Effect. Startup funding was provided through the Not In Kansas Anymore project, an Australian aid initiative implemented by Edge Effect on behalf of the Australian Government. The views expressed on this site are not necessarily the views of the Australian Government.