Inclusive political participation is fundamental to making democracy work for all people.

Tbilisi Pride

THE PARTNER

Established in 2019, Tbilisi Pride is a civic movement that seeks to address homophobia and transphobia through peaceful protest. As part of this mission, Tbilisi Pride is focused on combating the exclusion of LGBTQI+ communities by political elites and political parties. In their work to promote the safety and political participation of LGBTQI+ individuals, Tbilisi Pride has succeeded in organizing public events and demonstrations that bring together members of various human rights organizations and activists despite immense challenges.

OUR WORK TOGETHER

Tbilisi Pride used the opening of elections in 2020 to push for change in the country’s political discourse around LGBTQI+ issues. With the support of the ERA Fund, Tbilisi Pride organized a campaign focused on outreach to political parties and candidates both before and after elections. Through these efforts, Tbilisi Pride was able to get political leaders on the record to pledge to support LGBTQI+ rights and condemn hate speech, representing a historic first in official cooperation between a LGBTQI+ rights organization and political parties. Tbilisi Pride is building on this success to promote awareness of this pledge and continue to work with political contacts established during this program.

LGBT Centre

THE PARTNER

Established in 2007, LGBT Centre is a pioneer LGBTQI+ human rights organization in Mongolia. With a multi-pronged advocacy strategy focusing on full realization of legal protections for LGBTQI+ individuals, the organization raises awareness on key issues through public messaging campaigns and events. LGBT Centre also maintains broad and supportive coalitions among the country’s civil society and human rights networks.

OUR WORK TOGETHER

With the support of the ERA Fund, the LGBT Center designed and delivered a training program to justice sector institutions such as prosecutors on access to justice for victims of hate crimes. This outreach has expanded working relationships with the justice sector as part of an overall strategy of improving the situation for LGBTQI+ individuals in need of assistance. Alongside this, LGBT Centre has created a video series to raise awareness about the rights of LGBTQI+ people and existing legal protection mechanisms.

Más Igualdad Perú (MIP)

THE PARTNER

Founded in 2017 by a group of lesbian and bisexual women, Mas Igualdad is now a diverse team of queer identified people that works to promote LGBTQI+ equality in Peru through research and targeted action. The organization achieves this by raising community awareness of their rights and supporting LGBTQI+ individuals to become agents of political and social change.

OUR WORK TOGETHER

Mas Igualdad’s work with the ERA Fund seeks to address the ongoing obstacles, prejudices, and discriminatory attitudes toward LGBTQI+ political candidates. During the 2020-21 election period, the organization worked to monitor campaign media, tracking the positions of political leaders, studying the electoral behavior of LGBTQI+ individuals, and supporting LGBTQI+ candidates through their coordinated campaign, “Diversidad al Bicentenario.”

XY Spectrum

THE PARTNER

Founded in 2017, XY Spectrum works to raise awareness of intersex issues in Serbia. The organization works with intersex individuals and their families as well as the medical community to build a society free from violence and discrimination against intersex and transgender people. XY Spectrum is an active part of emerging regional and global networks of intersex organizations.

OUR WORK TOGETHER

Due to the lack of data and understanding around intersex issues, the community is often ignored even by other organizations within the LGBTQI+ movement. XY Spectrum seeks to address this through community building and awareness raising with the support of the ERA Fund. They are working to develop educational materials online in Serbian on the XY Spectrum website, publish pamphlets on intersex variations to share at gatherings of human rights organizations, and convene support groups for intersex people and their families.

Namibia Diverse Women’s Association (NDWA)

THE PARTNER

Established in 2016, the Namibia Diverse Women’s Association (NDWA) seeks to address the lack of representation of women, transgender, and gender non-conforming people within the broader LGBTQI+ movement in Namibia. NDWA works directly with LBQ and transgender women as well as in coalition with other organizations working at the national level on LGBTQI+ issues. NDWA has worked to initiate an active response by LGBTQI+ leaders to put forward an inclusive policy agenda that considers the needs of all segments of the community.

OUR WORK TOGETHER

The government of Namibia provided an opening for LGBTQI+ activists with the passage of the National Human Rights Action Plan in 2015 that included language on sexual orientation and gender identity, but there is still much to be done in implementation. With the ERA Fund’s support, NDWA is working to create a Technical Advisory Working Group comprised of representatives from LGBTQI+ led organizations, LBQ women activists, and stakeholders within the movement to draft a common policy agenda, as well as to organize community dialogues for LBQ and trans women to inform this work and get feedback on proposed agenda items.

Tonga Leitis Association (TLA)

THE PARTNER

The Tonga Leitis Association (TLA) is Tonga’s pioneer organization supporting transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming communities and has been active for almost 30 years. TLA was established to eliminate discrimination by effectively addressing health rights and wellbeing of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities and to provide an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity in all forms. TLA organizes high profile awareness raising events such as the Miss Galaxy Queen Pageant alongside advocacy initiatives and human rights training.

OUR WORK TOGETHER

Last year, TLA hosted a Rainbow Family Convening, the first of its kind in the South Pacific region. With the help of the Fund, TLA plans to build on this experience to conduct activities that it hopes will promote a common understanding among the general public about proposed amendments to the Criminal Offence Act, build trust and support among potential allies, and create momentum for the passage of the proposed amendments. This includes outreach and discussions with LGBTQI+ communities across Tonga to validate the draft amendments.

Organization d'Integration et de Promotion des Personnes Atteintes d'Albinisma (OIPPA)

THE PARTNER

Established in 2013, Organisation d'Intégration et de Promotion des Personnes Atteintes d'Albinism (OIPPA) contributes to creating a fair society in Rwanda where people with albinism enjoy equal human rights and opportunities and are empowered to live a dignified life. The myths associated with albinism have a profound influence on the lives of people in this community, resulting in decades of systemic discrimination, stigma, cultural attitudes, and lack of social protections. OIPPA is fighting to eliminate such barriers and has initiated various activities to empower people with albinism and promote their social integration and economic participation.

OUR WORK TOGETHER

In order to counter these prolific stigmas, OIPPA is working to organize training sessions for community based organizations, persons with albinism and their families, and other relevant stakeholders to raise awareness on equal rights for persons with albinism. Additionally, they are organizing radio and TV talk shows to raise awareness on myths and negative societal perception that lead to sexual exploitation and abuse of women and girls with albinism, and working to produce a documentary film and print brochures to use as advocacy tools.

Photo credit: US Embassy in Rwanda

CAISO

THE PARTNER

Founded in 2009 after local activists participated in the Organization of American States's passage of a human rights resolution on sexual orientation and gender identity, CAISO uses analysis, alliances, and advocacy to ensure LGBTQI+ inclusion in national discourse and policies. CAISO works to promote wellbeing, justice, and inclusion for Trinidad & Tobago’s LGBTQI+ communities.

OUR WORK TOGETHER

With the support of the ERA Fund, CAISO has created and launched “Sign Together” courses, offering Trinidad & Tobago Sign Language (TTSL) classes to build language skills and Deaf / hard of hearing cultural competence for LGBTQI+ individuals and organizations. Sign Together is designed to reduce stigma and discrimination by expanding access to sign language in key areas and increasing solidarity, understanding, and joint promotion of human rights between LGBTQI+ and Deaf / hard of hearing communities.

Read more about CAISO’s work here

Association of People with Disabilities of Padang City (PPDI)

THE PARTNER

Established in 2011, the Association of People with Disabilities of Padang City (PPDI) is a pioneer organization in Padang, the capital of West Sumatra province of Indonesia. Their mission is to encourage and ensure the full and equal participation of people with disabilities within the province in all aspects of public life through continued advocacy, lobbying, and public awareness campaigns. Since its founding, the association has educated the community and policy makers on the importance of a paradigm shift to a rights-based approach to disability and eliminating barriers to the full participation of people with disabilities in public life.

OUR WORK TOGETHER

Through collaboration with the ERA Fund, PPDI is working to ensure the participation of people with disabilities in the musrenbang process in which Indonesians come together to discuss community needs and set priorities. PPDI is organizing trainings on advocacy, leadership and public speaking skills for grassroots disability activists and disabled women's groups, as well as trainings on understanding the local government development planning and budgeting system. Additionally, they are working to advocate for a Disability Action Plan for the provincial government to facilitate disability inclusive development planning and budgeting process as well as to push for disability inclusion in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the local level.