Sarajevo Open Centre (SOC) advocates for full respect of human rights and social inclusion of LGBTI people and women.
Sarajevo Open Centre (SOC) advocates for full respect of human rights and social inclusion of LGBTI people and women. Sarajevo Open Centre is an independent, feminist civil society organisation aspiring to empower LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, and intersex) persons and women by strengthening the community and building an activist movement.
Sarajevo Open Centre also publicly promotes human rights of LGBTI people and women, and advocates improvement of legislation and better policies in Bosnia and Herzegovina at state, European, and international level. By working on issues of European integration, Sarajevo Open Centre is improving human rights in general and encouraging further development of civil society. Sarajevo Open Centre was founded in 2007 and its professionalization began in 2011. Today, with 11 team members, a steering board, its founders, activists, and an intensive partner network in BiH and all over Europe, the organisation is recognised as one of the key actors in the civil society of Bosnia and Herzegovina when it comes to human rights.
Based in East London, Social, Health and Empowerment Feminist Collective of Transgender Women of Africa (S.H.E.) was formed in 2010 to address the gender imbalance in the African trans movement, build the leadership of trans women, and work for greater inclusion of trans women and their issues in African women’s and feminist movements at the local, national and regional levels.
Based in East London, Social, Health and Empowerment Feminist Collective of Transgender Women of Africa (S.H.E.) was formed in 2010 to address the gender imbalance in the African trans movement, build the leadership of trans women, and work for greater inclusion of trans women and their issues in African women’s and feminist movements at the local, national and regional levels. At the local level, S.H.E. works with trans women in peri-urban informal settlements and township communities, predominantly in the Eastern Cape Province, where they run support groups and ‘co-powerment’ programs. At the national level, they collaborate with women’s movements to raise issues of violence against trans women, and with trans and intersex organizations to advance campaigns for access to health care. At the continental level, they build the capacity of trans and women’s rights organizations. They held the first African Transformative Feminist Leadership Institute, which brought together 14 transgender women activists from 8 countries working to advance a feminist agenda for trans women on the African continent, starting with the release of the “African Transfeminist Charter.” Check out our 2018 International Trans Day of Visibility video featuring an interview with S.H.E. Founder Leigh Ann Van Der Werwe:
Founded in 2007, Rromnjako Ilo (Roma Women’s Center) empowers and encourage Roma women and multi- marginalized women of different sexual orientation to freely make their own choices in life.
Founded in 2007, Rromnjako Ilo (Roma Women’s Center) empowers and encourage Roma women and multi- marginalized women of different sexual orientation to freely make their own choices in life. Using the framework of ‘bodily integrity,’ Rromnjako Ilo opens up dialogue on gender and sexuality in Roma communities in Serbia. Their work empowers LBTI Roma women from within the community to demand their rights to live free from domestic violence in the form of forced marriages. It advances Roma civil society acceptance of LGBTQ issues and increases engagement from state institutions responsible for protecting the rights of marginalized populations in Serbia. Rromnjako Ilo also works to have the LGBTQ movement recognize the lives and voices of Roma lesbians.
The Rainbow Identity Association is a trans and intersex-led organization working to build strong, active and resilient transgender and intersex communities in Botswana and improve their lived realities.
Rainbow Identity Association was formed in 2008 to address challenges faced by trans and intersex communities in Botswana. They are facilitating referrals for health care focusing on mental health specialists and counsellors and for psychosocial support, sexual and reproductive health care, rehabilitation centres for drug and alcohol abuse; they are also disseminating information and providing training relating to HIV and STIs including information on HIV and STI prevention, treatment, care and support, disseminating HIV barrier products specifically geared towards the needs of transgender and intersex bodies. They provide legal referral assistance by linking up the persons who need legal advice or representation relating to the protection and promotion of their gender identity and expression rights. They promote advocacy through workshops for community organisers, activists, police, health workers, politicians, and other leaders, and information sessions for transgender and intersex people outlining their human rights. They are working in advancing trans and intersex issues in civic and legal platforms. During covid-19 they organized a webinar on the impact of the pandemic on trans and intersex people.
Formed in 2011, Limpopo LGBTI Proudly Out (LLPO) was the first formal LGBTI organization to exist in Limpopo, South Africa’s poorest province.
Formed in 2011, Limpopo LGBTI Proudly Out (LLPO) was the first formal LGBTI organization to exist in Limpopo, South Africa’s poorest province. It organized the first LGBTI Pride event in the province in 2012. LLPO’s work centers on three strategies: empowering LGBTI communities in the province to exercise their rights, building public support for LGBTI issues, and supporting the inclusion of LGBTI rights in government services and civil society programs. Heteronormativity prevails in Limpopo and is enforced by government officials, traditional authorities and communities at large. LGBTI communities experience high levels of hatred and violence, including “corrective rape” and murder.
Founded in 2011, Association Okvir supports LGBTIQA communities reclaim public space through community building, cultural production, activism, and alliance building.
Founded in 2011, Association Okvir supports LGBTIQA communities reclaim public space in Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH) through community building, cultural production, activism, and alliance building. Working with a feminist “multiple discriminations” approach, Okvir roots its work in the intersections of sex, gender, race, class, ethnicity, age and ability. Their main projects include operating an LGBTIQA “SOS” helpline and psychological support training for LBTQ women, mobilizing for state accountability and prevention of anti-LGBTQ hate crimes, and producing video and digital media and a range of cultural events to raise public awareness of LGBTQ rights. Through their alliance building, their work integrates gender and sexuality issues with feminist movements and progressive articulations of citizenship. LGBTQ communities in BiH continue to face intense violence from religious extremists.
Iranti-Org formed in 2012 to help local and regional lesbian, trans, intersex and gender non-conforming (LTIGNC) movements in South Africa and across the continent use media as a platform for mobilization and shifting public dialogue.
Iranti-Org formed in 2012 to help local and regional lesbian, trans, intersex and gender non-conforming (LTIGNC) movements in South Africa and across the continent use media as a platform for mobilization and shifting public dialogue. They support organizations to document human rights violations and produce evidence-based materials, and they also support cultural production to change attitudes about sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. Iranti-Org does this work to address the poor media capacity of LTIGNC groups, most of which don’t have media and documentation equipment or training in how to work with media; digital security is also a pressing need. In an exciting development, they recently launched an LBTIGNC Media Makers Network that supports activists across Southern Africa to produce their own media. In South Africa, Iranti-Org’s own media production and reporting plays a key role in strengthening the national LGBTQ movement. In collaboration with LGBTQ community groups across the country, they investigate hate crimes, use their reporting to hold the state accountable for addressing violence, and document LGBTQ mobilization.
Founded in 2005, the CURE Foundation is a women-led feminist organization advocating for gender equality and progressive change across Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Founded in 2005, the CURE Foundation is a women-led feminist organization advocating for gender equality and progressive change across Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) through cultural organizing, activist training and alliance building. They host the Women’s Network of BiH, made up of over 54 organizations and many individuals working for human rights. The first of its kind in the region, their annual ‘PitchWise’ regional feminist cultural festival brings together activists and communities for film screenings, exhibitions, workshops, lectures and street actions. CURE’s strategies include facilitating workshops with young women on women’s human rights, LGBTQ rights, activism and political participation; leading street actions to raise public awareness about women’s and LGBTQ rights; building the women’s movement and creating space for LGBTQ issues; and networking with women’s and LGBTQ groups in Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro as well as in BiH. They also document women’s human rights violations and advocate with policymakers.
“Aireana” means an attitude towards life: take out our desires, thoughts, identities, feelings. It comes from “AIREA,” the imperative of the verb aerate.
Aireana is a feminist group founded in 2003 (with legal status since 2005) that works for the rights of lesbians and promotes sexual dissidence for all people to live in freedom and without violence. Aireana means an attitude towards life: take out our desires, thoughts, identities, feelings. It comes from “AIREA,” the imperative of the verb aerate. Aireana exists to transform society to work for the rights of lesbians and LGTBI and non-discrimination from a feminist perspective. Through culture, advocacy and empowerment. Aireana aims to:
- To contribute to cultural change in Paraguayan society through the generation of educational and artistic spaces.
- To build empowerment and affirmation through training, psychological legal assistance, strengthening of other groups, self-care.
- To influence legislation, public policies at the national and international levels.
Aireana has a space called “La Serafina” featuring cultural activities, all free and open to the public on Fridays. It also organizes an international film festival themed LGTBI in Asuncion since 2005. It also has a batucada called “Tatucada”. Aireana publishes annual reports on the human rights situation for Paraguay’s LGTBI community. It has a hotline to LGTBI called “Rohendu” (“I hear you” in Guarani) with legal and psychological assistance. Aireana makes appearances in the Paraguayan state and international areas such as Mercosur, OAS, and UN.
*** En Español***
Aireana es un grupo feminista fundado en 2003 (con personería jurídica desde 2005) que trabaja por los derechos de las lesbianas y promueve la disidencia sexual para que todas las personas vivan en libertad y sin violencia las sexualidades e identidades. AIREANA significa una postura ante la vida: sacar afuera nuestros deseos, pensamientos, identidades, sentimientos. Viene de “AIREA”: imperativo del verbo airear, ventilar, sacar al airey “NA”: sufijo guaraní que se traduce como “por favor”. Aireana existe para para transformar la sociedad trabajando por los derechos de las lesbianas y LGTBI y por la no discriminación desde una perspectiva feminista. A través de la cultura, la incidencia política y el empoderamiento. Aireana tiene como objetivos:
- Contribuir a un cambio cultural en la sociedad paraguaya a través de la generación de espacios educativos y artísticos.
- Trabajar el empoderamiento y la afirmación de las personas a través de la formación, la asistencia jurídica psicológica, el fortalecimiento de otros grupos, el autocuidado.
- Incidir en la legislación, en las políticas públicas, en el ámbito nacional e internacional.
Aireana, tiene un espacio cultural llamado “La Serafina” que ofrece actvidades culturales todos los viernes gratuitas y abiertas a todo público. Además organiza un festival internacional de cine de temática LGTBI en Asunción desde 2005. También tiene una batucada llamada “Tatucada”. Publica todos los años un informe sobre la situación de DDHH LGTBI en Paraguay. Tiene una línea de atención telefónica a LGTBi llamada “Rohendu” (“Te escucho” en guaraní) con asistencia jurídica y psicológica. Hace incidencia en el Estado Paraguayo y en ámbitos internacionales como Mercosur, OEA y ONU. Últimamente ha incidido con fuerza por el acceso a las visitas íntimas de las lesbianas privadas de libertad firmando un acuerdo con el Mecanismo Nacional de Prevención de la Tortura. Integra varias redes paraguayas e internacionales como la Coordinación de Mujeres del Paraguay, la Red contra todas forma de discriminación, la Coalición LGBTI del Paraguay, la Coordinadora de Derechos Humanos de Paraguay, la Coalicion LGTBI de incidencia en la OEA, el grupo de trabajo de incidencia en el Mercosur, entre otros.
The first and only transgender and intersex organisation in Nigeria.
Dynamic Initiative for Healthcare & Human Rights (DIHHR) was formed in 2013 by a Nigerian transwoman, Emmanuella David-ette as a secret Facebook group called TransNigeria, which has now grown to have a membership of over a hundred and sixty and still counting with more Trans/Intersex individuals now identifying with the group. DIHHR has grown since its inception in 2013 as a Facebook forum and has now become an entity. Their mission is to promote the respect of the rights of every human being irrespective of their sexual orientation and gender identities and/or expression, and that includes health and wellbeing. They hope to become the top leading Trans and Intersex leading organisation in Nigeria, West Africa and then globally. Their mantra is: Sugar is sweet, Honey is sweeter, BUT our Relationship is the sweetest.
