CSBR Activities

CSBR CSBR Activities, Featured, News from Member Organizations, News on Sexual & Bodily Rights

Regional Training Workshop on Sexual Rights – Amman, September 2017

Through a private donation received in January 2017, CSBR launched our first Participatory Seed Grant program for our members.

After a round of proposals, a collective review and decision-making process by our members, the grant went to Muntada-the Arab Forum on Sexuality, Health and Education, to support an Arabic language MENA Regional Training Workshop on Sexual Rights for service providers.

The training was held in Amman, Jordan from 12-17 September 2017. It brought together seventeen professionals from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Sudan, and Syria. Over six intensive full days, the training focused on providing basic knowledge on sexuality, challenging traditional concepts of Sexual Rights, developing trainees’ skills, and providing them with professional tools to be used when working with different target groups in their societies. The workshop provided a safe space for learning, reflection, and for intellectual discussions where participants shared their personal and professional experiences and analyzed similarities and differences between the multiple contexts within the Arab Region.

This valuable experience is part of a series of regional training courses around the Arab Region carried out by Muntada. Currently, Muntada is preparing for its fifth regional training which will take place in Egypt this month in cooperation with “Love Matters – Egypt”. In addition, a sixth regional workshop which will be held in Tunisia by the beginning of 2018 in cooperation with the Tunisian Family Planning Association.

Trainees Reflections:

Below are some reflections shared by participants by the end of the training, which illustrate the real
change that occurred both on personal and professional levels:

“I learned new skills and concepts in dealing with children’s sexual issues, professionally I learned new awareness techniques and communication methodologies, you gave me huge power to go back home and address sexual issues in the community with no feelings of shyness nor fear”.

“I learned to trust myself, my choices, my paths, I’m proud of myself and proud that I’m part of a worldwide feminist movement. The biggest important lesson was facing myself! Professionally the training was a turning point! I learned a lot from the experience sharing, I took lots of energy and power and gave you all my expertise from the field”.

“This was the second training I participate facilitated by a woman! I come from religious background yet the learning path provided during the training was beyond expectations! The knowledge transformation techniques and the active participatory method used throughout the
training, were very professional and classy. Accepting “the other” was distinctive, the group was
diverse and I’m sure that selecting such combination was hard yet very effective!”

“On professional level, I gained new information and corrected previous ones. The course was a chance for confrontation with reality and diversity compared to the other theoretical courses I participated in. On personal level I need to work more to increase my passion and intimacy
aspects.”

“The most important thing I learned is the techniques and methods that should be used when addressing sexual topics with children. I learned to be honest with children. Personally the group gave me a lot particularly courage and passion to change.”

“The training was one of the richest experiences that I had in my life, I benefited from every minute and every detail. The training path was a golden opportunity to break taboos, it’s an adventure with new people in a new country. I learned how to re-think what I think. New, creative and participatory tools were produced, effective communication techniques were given
and professional facilitation skills were gained”.

“I learned to speak out my story to others, I learned how to reconsider my vision, to stand in front of the mirror and get to better understand and know myself. Understanding relations and categorizing them has a great effect.The change that happened to me on personal levels had
definitely affected me on professional levels, the “Journey through sexuality” activity was a very
good example that illustrates this effect. Several concepts were corrected and new facilitation
skills were gained. I acquired strength I wouldn’t have gained in any other place in the world!”

What was special in this training workshop?

Throughout the tens of training workshops conducted by Muntada during the last ten years within the
Arab communities, we never had a participant who is “declared” as a person living with HIV, nor a gay sex worker. Their presence and sharing of their personal and intimate experiences were a huge contribution to the learning process for the rest of the participants.

What’s next?!

In the last session of the course, a timetable was set for a series of activities including awareness workshops to be carried out by each trainee in his/her country by the end of November 2017, with diverse community groups including professionals and University students, women, parents, publication of articles on Sexual Rights at local and regional media. In addition, two guides on puberty–“I became a young man” and “I became a young woman”, published by Muntada three years ago in Palestinian slang–will be re-written in the Tunisian dialect. It is worth mentioning that these guides were previously transformed into the Egyptian dialect by the initiative of an Egyptian graduate who participated in the first regional workshop in 2015.

Action plans were set together with each participant to promote sexual rights in his/her own country. These included the following:

1. Algeria: A University professor will conduct a sexual awareness workshop and discussion rounds with University students.

2. Tunisia: A Human Rights Activist will conduct sexual rights awareness workshops for adolescents aging 14-26. They will work together on translating sexual concepts to theatre sketches to be performed in rural areas. Moreover, she will work together with Muntada’s Media and Website coordinator to launch a Radio Web.

3. Tunisia: A professional will conduct awareness workshops to several groups of persons with HIV at the care proving centers. He will also re-write the two guides “I became a young woman” and “I became a young man” in Tunisian dialect language so it can be published and distributed in Tunisia.

4. Lebanon: a professional who works in a UN agency called “The International Rescue Committee” will conduct a sexual awareness workshop for her co-workers, in addition to that she will train professional cadres mainly social workers who work with groups of women and girls at impoverished localities in the North of Lebanon.

5. Lebanon: an educator will initiate a small project focusing on interactive theatre with women on sexuality issues. Moreover she will write an article on related sexual topics to be published in local media.

6. Syria: an advocate will: (a) conduct an awareness workshop for her co-workers, (b) network with local civil society organizations for people with disability, (c) initiate an interactive theatre with a group of people with disability on sexuality concepts, and (d) will use sexual rights terminologies in UNFPA and Y-Peers campaign in Syria which focus this year on gender violence and Femicide.

7. Syria: a professional will conduct two workshops one with her co-workers and another with children using music and theatre.

8. Syria: a professor will conduct awareness workshop for university students and will work on updating the Reproductive Health Program curriculum provided by Family Planning Association in Syria.

9. Syria: an educator will implement awareness workshops at Family Planning Association’s Youth Centers and will integrate sexuality concepts in their training curriculum.

10. Syria: a youth advocate will initiate a blog with scout youth groups and will write an article on sexual rights.

11. Sudan: an advocate will conduct and awareness workshop with youth activists through networking with Al Nouby Woman Center, moreover she will write an article in English for the use of the Sexual and Reproductive Rights Network in Sudan.

12. Egypt:a professional who works at “Ma’looma Center” will implement an awareness workshop for his co-workers who are responsible to answer more than one and a half million questions received from the public. In addition to that he will add sexuality concepts to “Al Arakoz” Theatre project which targets nurseries and moves between rural areas in Egypt.

13. Egypt: an organizer will conduct an awareness workshop for groups of mothers as part of Coptic Church community activities.

14. Egypt: an NGO worker who lives in the UAE, will work with parents of children with disabilities and will initiate awareness classes at school level as a preventative action. She will also network Muntada with UAE Y-Peers and with UAE Red Crescent.

15. Jordan: an advocate will work with groups of teenagers and parents who are part of “Community Rehabilitation” Program which works with people in their homes. She will also initiate discussion rounds on sexual concepts with Jordanian activists who work on sexual harassment and child marriage issues.

16. Egypt: a coordinator for the Y-Peer Network in the Arab Region will write an article on sexual rights concepts and circulate it through Y-Peer, to integrate these concepts in their upcoming regional campaigns on Reproductive Health.

17. Morocco: an organizer will conduct two awareness workshops–one with LGBTI youth group and another with an association that works with displaced women. He will also work on integrating sexuality to the training curriculum in terms of therapy and individual counseling. Further to that, he will initiate a workshop with Y-Peer Morocco and prepare Theater Interactive Sketches as part of “The oppressed” Theater which works in rural areas.

* * * * *

For more information on Muntada, visit their website: http://www.jensaneya.org/en/News.

If you’d like to support CSBR to continue our seed grant program, get in touch with us as coordinator@csbronline.org.

CSBR CSBR Activities, Featured, News from Member Organizations

“Stories of Faith & Sexuality” – CSBR hosts national level Digital Story Telling Workshop in Indonesia

… and we’re off!

CSBR is partnering with YIFoS (Youth Interfaith Forum on Sexuality), Kampung Halaman and GAYa Nusantara for our first national Digital Storytelling Workshop in Indonesia, running this week from 25 – 29 September 2017.

After a call for applications, we brought together 18 dedicated activists from across the Indonesian archipelago: from Aceh to Lampung to Jakarta, from Medan to Yogyakarta to Surabaya, and beyond.

Participants represent grassroots organizations and collectives working on issues ranging from women’s rights, political change, and religious pluralism, to digital rights, sex worker rights, sexual and gender diversity, and youth empowerment.

Over the next five days, we’ll be reflecting on our embodied experiences of faith and sexuality, and hand crafting digital stories to amplify and strengthen community level change.

Stay tuned for updates!

CSBR CSBR Activities, News from Member Organizations, News on Sexual & Bodily Rights, Statements

Joint Statement on Access to Safe and Legal Abortion @ 36 HRC

CSBR joined the chorus of voices from 285 organizations around the world calling on global leaders to guarantee access to safe and legal abortion. Read the joint statement delivered by Action Canada for Population and Development et. al [i] today at the 36th Human Rights Council Session. #Sept28

* * * * *

25 September 2017

Mr. President,

It is my honour to deliver this statement on behalf of 285 organisations from around the world.

Through the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, States explicitly agreed to prioritize the human rights of women, including the eradication of gender-based discrimination and violence. However, many States have not yet made the important decision that women’s human rights deserve to be upheld and their lives are worth saving. The continued criminalization of abortion and restrictions on access to and provision of abortion and post-abortion care in many jurisdictions is stark evidence of this.

Around 22 million unsafe abortions are estimated to take place around the world annually^[ii], leading to 7 million health complications^[iii] and 47,000 deaths^[iv]. In addition, there are major social and financial costs to women and girls, families, communities, health systems and economies. The criminalization of abortion and failure to ensure access to quality abortion services is a violation of the rights to non-discrimination, to privacy, and to make decisions about one’s own body, and can constitute torture or ill-treatment, as repeatedly highlighted by UN bodies and experts.[v] Prohibiting abortion pushes it underground and gives rise to unsafe abortions, violating the rights to life, health and bodily autonomy. Moreover, the poor and those already facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination are disproportionately affected, making the global community’s pledge to “leave no one behind” ring hollow.

These human rights violations must stop now. On September 28, the Global Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion, we urge the Human Rights Council to address the human rights violations arising from criminalization of abortion and the denial of access to safe and legal abortion services through its resolutions, decisions, dialogues, debates, and the UPR. We demand in a collective voice that governments across the world respect, protect and fulfill the right to access safe and legal abortion services and post-abortion care.

Thank you, Mr. President.

_______________________

Joint statement on behalf of Action Canada for Population and Development; Federation for Women and Family Planning; Center for Reproductive Rights; Ipas; ActionAid; Advocates for Youth; ARC International (Allied Rainbow Communities International); Asian Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW); Asociación Pro-Bienestar de la Familia Colombiana “Profamilia”; Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID); Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network; Catholics for Choice; Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL); Centre for Health and Social Justice; Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS); Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN); Ekta Resource Centre for Women; EngenderHealth; European Humanist Federation; European Women’s Lobby; European Youth Forum; Federatie van Nederlandse Verenigingen tot Integratie van Homoseksualiteit – COC Nederland; FOKUS – Forum for Women and Development Norway; Fundacion para Estudio e Investigacion de la Mujer (FEIM); Generation Initiative for Women and Youth Network (GIWYN); Girls To Mothers’ Initiative; Global Fund for Women; Global Justice Center; International Commission of Jurists; International Federation for Human Right Leagues (FIDH); The International HIV/AIDS Alliance; International Humanist and Ethical Union; International Lesbian and Gay Association; International Planned Parenthood Federation; International Planned Parenthood Federation South Asia Region Office; International Service for Human Rights; International Women’s Health Coalition; Italian Association for Women in Development (AIDOS); Manusher Jonno Foundation; Marie Stopes International; Médecins du Monde – France; New Zealand Family Planning Association; Oxfam; Pathfinder International; The Population Council; PROMSEX, Centro de Promoción y Defensa de los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos; Rutgers; Shalupe Foundation; Simavi; Social Charitable Center Women and Modern World; Sonke Gender Justice; Swedish Association for Sexuality Education (RFSU); Sukaar Welfare Organization Pakistan; Union Women Center; Womankind Worldwide; Women Enabled International; Women for Women’s Human Rights – New Ways; Women International Democratic Federation; Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights; Women’s Rights Center NGO Armenia; World YWCA; and Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights;

[i] This statement is joined by the following organisations and groups not in consultative status with ECOSOC: Akahatá Equipo de Trabajo en Sexualidades y Generos, Coalition of African Lesbians, CREA, Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights; A.L.E.G. _ Association for Liberty and Equality of Gender; Activista independiente; African Sex Workers Alliance (ASWA); Agrupacion Ciudadana por la Despenalización del Aborto – El Salvador; Aidsfonds; AJWS; Aliance for Choice; Alianza por la Solidaridad; Alliance of solidarity for the family; Articulacion Feminista Marcosur; Asia Pacific Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (APA); Asociación Ciudadana ACCEDER; Asociación de Mujeres por la Dignidad y la Vida – LAS DIGNAS; Asociación Médica Privada Voluntaria Winay; Asociación Movimiento Salvadoreño de Mujeres MSM; Association de Lutte contre les Violences faites aux Femmes; Association HERA-XXI Georgia; Associazione Luca Coscioni per la libertà di ricerca scientifica; ASTRA Network; ASTRA Youth; Atria – Institute for Gender Equality and Women’s History; Balance- Mexico; Bangladesh Model Youth Parliament; Cairo Foundation for Development and law; Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir – Chile; Catolicas Por el Derecho a Decidir Perú; Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir – Bolivia; CEDES (Center for the Study of State and Society); Center for Information and Counseling on Reproductive Health – Tanadgoma; Center for the Study of Democracy; Centre d’Action Laïque; Centre de Communication et de Développement de l’Entreprise (CCDE) – Département de la promotion de l’autonomisation de la femme en Afrique; Centre for Gender, Feminisms and Sexualities, University College Dublin, Ireland; Centre for Secular Space; Centre Kurde des Droits de l’Homme; Centre Ombre des Femmes du Burundi; Centro de Apoyo y Protección de los Derechos Humanos SURKUNA; Centro de Atención Integral a la Pareja, A. C.; Centro de Derechos de Mujeres; CESI – Center for Education, Counselling and Research; CHOICE for Youth & Sexuality; CLACAI; Cladem; COADY International Institute, Canada; Coalition to Repeal the Eighth Amendment; Colectivo Ovejas Negras; Community and Family Aid Foundation-Ghana; Community Safety and Mediation Center; Concern for Children and Environment – CONCERN Nepal; Consorcio Latinoamericano Contra el Aborto Inseguro; Contra Nocendi International; Corporacion Miles Chile; Costa Rica Afro; Creative and Innovation Business Incubation Center (Association CICIA); CSBR – Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies; Danish Family Planning Association; DareGender; Dartmouth College; DeGenerar; Discover Football; Diverse Voices and Action (DIVA) for Equality, Fiji; ECIS – Educación, Clínica e Investigación en Sexualidad; El Colegio de México; Equal Ground, Sri Lanka; Essex Feminist Collective; Eurasian Women’s Network on AIDS; Family Planning and Sexual Health Association; Family Planning NSW; Fédération nationale GAMS; Feminist Solutions towards Global Justice (FemJust); FILIA Centre; Forum de la Femme Menagere – FORFEM; FRONT Association; Fundación Arcoiris. Mexico; Fundación CulturaSalud/EME; Fundacion de la mano contigo; FUNDACION DE MUJERES LUNA CRECIENTE; Fundación ESAR; Fundación Oriéntame; Fundacion Sendas; Fundatia Corona; Gateway Health Institute; Gender Violence Institute; Global Doctors for Choice; Good and Useful Ltd; Great Lakes Initiative for Human Rights and Development (GLIHD); GreeneWorks; Grupo Curumim – Gestação e Parto; Gynuity Health Projects; Hábitat Mujer Salud; Haiyya Foundation; Health Development Initiative (HDI)-Rwanda; Hidden Pockets; Human rights and civic participation association PaRiter; Human Rights in Childbirth; ICRH-Mozambique; IGLYO – The international lgbtqi youth and student organization; Iniciativas Sanitarias Uruguay; Institute of Health Management, Pachod; Institute of Human Rights Communication Nepal (IHRICON); Inter Pares; International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion; International Gender Equality, SOCITSHOPO (Coordination Civil Society of the DRC Tshopo); International Youth Alliance for Family Planning; Irish Council for Civil Liberties; Irish Family Planning Association; Jamia Millia Islamia University; KOGS; La Mesa por la Vida y la Salud de las Mujeres; Legal hub consultants; London-Irish Abortion Rights Campaign; Love Matters India; MARIA Abortion Fund for Social Justice; Marie Stopes México; MDF Training & Consultancy; Men’s Association for Gender Equality Sierra Leone (MAGE SL); Men’s Story Project; MenEngage Africa; MenEngage Global Alliance; MenEngage Initiative Uganda; MenEngage Kenya Network (MenKen); Michaela Raab; Midwives for Choice; Mouvement Français pour le Planning Familial (MFPF); Mujer Y Salud en Uruguay – MYSU; MuMaLa-Mujeres de la Matria Latinoamericana; Musas de Metal Grupo de Mujeres Gay A.C.; Nakoroiki Park Association; National Abortion Federation; National coalition for Education; National Women’s Council of Ireland; Nossal Institute for Global Health; Nuhanovic Foundation; Observatorio de Equidad de Género en Salud; Oklahoma Coalition for Reproductive Justice; Options for Sexual Health; Organizando Trans Diversidades OTD Chile; PACE Society; Pacific Feminist SRHR Coalition; Paper Crown Institute; PARI O DISPARE; Participatory Human Rights Advancement Society; Participatory Human Rights Advancement Society; PIECE (Prostitutes Involved, Empowered, Cogent Edmonton); Planned Parenthood Ottawa; Pro Salud Sexual y Reproductiva, A.C.; Pro-Choice Wexford; Programa Género, Cuerpo y Sexualidad (Universidad de la Repúbica); Programa Iguales ante la ley-CDC; Programa Interdisciplinario de Estudios de Género, Universidad de Guadalajara; Promundo-US; Radha Paudel Foundation; Reconstruction Women’s Fund; Red Latinoamericana de Género y Salud Colectiva ALAMES; Red Mujer y Hábitat de América Latina; Red Tengo Derecho a mi Cuerpo Haurralde Fundazioa; Repeal The 8th Dublin Midwest; Reproductive Health Association of Cambodia (RHAC); Reproductive Health Training Center from Moldova; Réseau Genre et Droits de la Femme – GEDROFE; Resource Center for Women and Girls; RESURJ – Realizing Sexual and Reproductive Justice Alliance; RHAC; Riskou Poulakou; Romanian Women’s Lobby; Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists; Sahil, Pakistan; SAHR; SAMYAK, Pune; Sarajevo Open Centre; Seres (con) viver com o VIH; Servicios Humanitarios en Salud Sexual y Reproductiva, A.C.; Sex og Politikk (IPPF Norway); Sexual and Reproductive Justice Coalition; Sexuality Policy Watch; She-Hive Association; Societatea de Planificare a Familiei din Moldova (SPFM)/Family Planning Association of Moldova ; Society for Education in Contraception and Sexuality (SECS) Romania; Society for Feminist Analyses AnA Romania; Society for Women’s Action and Training Initiative; Society Without Violence NGO; Solidarité des Femmes Burundaises pour la lutte contre le Sida et le Paludisme au Burundi; Solidarite des Femmes Burundaises pour le Bien Etre Social et le Progres au Burundi; SPECTRA: Young Feminists, Rwanda; Spectrum; SRHR platform Ghana; Srijanatmak Manushi Sanstha; Stella, l’amie de Maimie; Success Capital Organisation; Sukaar Welfare Organization Pakistan; Surkun; Sustainable Consulting; SWISSAID; Synergia – Initiatives for Human Rights; Taller Salud; Terre Des Jeunes Burundi; TFMR Ireland; The Bridges We Burn; The Legal Center for Women’s Initiatives “Sana Sezim”; Tonga Leitis Association ; Uganda Network of young people living with HIV & AIDS; UNAM; Unidas por La Paz I A P; Unión Democrática de Mujeres –UDEMU; Uprising of Women in the Arab World; Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights; Vecinas Feministas por la Justicia Sexual y Reproductiva en América Latina y el Caribe; VOICE MALE Magazine; Voice Your Abortion; White Ribbon Canada; WISH Associates; WO=MEN; Women Interfaith Council/Network of Men Leaders on Violence Against Women; women on waves; women on web; Women’s Link Worldwide; Women’s Solidarity Namibia; YouAct, European Youth Network on Sexual Reproductive Rights; Youth Harvest Foundation Ghana; and Zeromacho.

[ii] WHO: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs388/en/

[iii] Ibid.

[iv] WHO: http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/unsafe_abortion/magnitude/en/

[v] Center for Reproductive Rights, Breaking Ground, Treaty Monitoring Bodies on Reproductive Rights, 2016, available at https://www.reproductiverights.org/document/breaking-ground-2016-treaty-monitoring-bodies-on-reproductive-rights
For full list of signatories, see Sexual Rights Initiative: http://www.sexualrightsinitiative.com/2017/hrc/hrc-36-session/joint-statement-on-access-to-safe-and-legal-abortion-globally/

CSBR CSBR Activities, Featured, News on Sexual & Bodily Rights, Resources & Tools, Videos

Responding to Rape: Keep it Silent? Break the Silence! (Video)

During this year’s 9^th Sexuality Institute in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, we held a 3-hour workshop on the use of Participatory Visual Methods for sexual & bodily rights research.

The workshop focused on “cellphilms”—i.e. the use of cell phones to make short 1 minute films–as a relatively accessible and dynamic tool that can be used by communities to document and advocate for change, particularly on sensitive & often taboo topics such as gender-based violence and trauma.

Exploring Participatory Visual Methods

Prior to the workshop, participants were provided background reading materials and case studies that would ground our opening conversations on some of the theoretical and ethical considerations around using visual methods for qualitative research, especially on gender-based violence.

Together we considered the advantages or limitations–in terms of accessibility, ease of use, sustainability, autonomy and community ownership–of various forms of information communication technologies (ICTs) that can be used to make films; the benefits of participatory methods in supporting & strengthening communities-led change; and strategic ways to use the outputs/visual products to advocate for social change and policy change.

From there participants dove straight in to a hands-on approach, exploring and practicing the method by creating films during the workshop.

With a dynamic group of over 20 participants from across 16 countries, there were quite a few topics people wanted to work on, including looking at restrictions on women’s sexual autonomy, narratives and conceptions around sexual pleasure, finding a common language on sexual & bodily rights issues.

Opening a Conversation on Rape

For one group, the key question was how can we open conversations about accountability, redress and support for survivors of rape?

The workshop proved to be a powerful forum for experience sharing on social responses to rape survivors across country and social contexts, from the level of individual experiences, to community organizing, to policy and law focused advocacy for change.

Synthesizing the key commonalities and considerations of the small group discussions, participants then collaboratively developed the prompts, storyboard, scripts and narratives of the cellphilms. The films were created using only a cellphone, the space of the workshop, and on the basis of a “no-editing required” / “one shot” take.

The first film, “Keep It Silent???”, documents all too common responses victims & survivors of rape experience when trying to reach out for help, which increase isolation, anxiety, shame, fear and stigma. The second film, “Break the Silence!”, moves the conversation towards proactive steps and possibilities for support.

A Resource for Awareness & Advocacy

After the workshop, we screened the films together–creating a forum for feedback and continued discussion about the process, content and opportunities for advocacy.

The two cellphilms that explored social responses to rape generated a lot of discussion amongst the audience.

Many participants affirmed they faced similar challenges to those highlighted in the films: from victim blaming, to the lack of accountability of first responders to treat rape survivors with dignity & respect, to a lack of trust between communities and law enforcement.

The films also introduced the importance of thinking of forms of social support and redress mechanisms beyond criminal law enforcement. Emotional support, psychological support, affirmation of the person’s experience, active listening, and accompaniment on the journey of recovery were all highlighted as perhaps often overlooked part of the conversations around how to respond to sexual assault and rape.

For those in the producing group, members also shared it was the first time they had been able to have a proactive discussion and actually create a narrative about support for survivors–a process that was affirming and cathartic.

The creators share the films here in the hopes they may be a resource for those seeking to have conversations about accountability, redress, and support for survivors of sexual assault and rape.

CSBR CSBR Activities, News from Member Organizations, News on Sexual & Bodily Rights, Statements

International Coalition Calls for Public Support to End Increasing Persecution of LGBT People in Indonesia

The undersigned organisations and individuals (35 in total) support the following statement:

We appeal to the people of Indonesia and our friends and supporters around the world to help protect the rights and health of all Indonesian citizens by supporting efforts to end the growing mistreatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Indonesia.

Our appeal follows several cases of human rights and privacy abuses over the last two months against over 150 men who have been unjustly detained, arrested and/or charged – and in two cases severely punished – simply because they allegedly had sex with other men or facilitated men to have sex with other men. The cases we refer to involve the caning of two young men in Aceh as well as two recent police raids, one at a hotel in Surabaya and another at a leisure establishment in Jakarta.

Our appeal also follows an anti-LGBT campaign over the last 12 months by government officials and conservative community groups in Indonesia which encourages this kind of violence, harassment and state-sponsored discrimination against LGBT people across Indonesia.

Firstly, the mistreatment of the men involves violations of natural justice, privacy and human rights not only in relation to the alleged sexual activity, but also in relation to forced HIV testing and the subsequent dissemination of test results to local media. These violations contravene not only many Indonesian laws but also Indonesia’s commitment to a range of international legal frameworks protecting the rights of individuals as well as members of cultural minorities.

Secondly, these violations threaten the privacy and human rights of all Indonesians. If local police are permitted to target one group of people in this way, then other individuals and groups in Indonesia are also potentially at risk of the same kind of treatment. If the law does not protect everyone, then ultimately it protects no one.

Thirdly, this campaign of persecution is also affecting the provision of HIV prevention, testing and treatment services to gay men and men who have sex with men (MSM). Fear of being targeted by police, other authorities and even neighbours is driving gay and MSM communities underground, making it much harder to deliver information and support to an already vulnerable group of people. This is a public health issue that should concern all Indonesians due to the growing impact that HIV is having on Indonesia’s health system.

Further to this, we note that the Indonesia Health Law (UU No 39 Year 2009) guarantees that implementation of health services shall be carried out with responsibility, safety and quality, and distributed evenly and non-discriminatively to all Indonesian people. In addition, the Indonesian government has a stated plan to cover the whole population with Universal Health Coverage (Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional) by 2019 with the following objectives as stated by Indonesia’s Minister of Health on 28/08/14:

To enable people accessing healthcare services without financial hardship
To perform cost contained and quality controlled healthcare services.
To strengthen healthcare services at primary and referral health facilities
To prioritize preventive and promotive measures in rendering healthcare services to reduce prevalence of diseases, lower the numbers of sick-people with efficient healthcare services.

Finally, responding to the plight of others with empathy and benevolence is an essential part of our common humanity. Imagine being subjected to the trauma and humiliation these men have endured, or the discrimination and exclusion that Indonesia’s LGBT community is experiencing, simply for expressing love or a gender identity.

The unwarranted treatment of these men, and the increasingly virulent campaign against Indonesia’s LGBT community, seeks to position LGBT people as ‘outsiders’ and a ‘threat to society’. However, LGBT people are just like everyone else – everyday people and fellow citizens who work hard to create a better life for themselves, their families and their community. As such we appeal to the people of Indonesia and our supporters across the world to join our efforts to ensure these men and all LGBT Indonesians are afforded the legal rights and health services to which they are entitled as citizens, and the compassion and dignity to which they are entitled as human beings.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

Share this statement with family, friends and colleagues to create awareness about this issue.
Contact Indonesian government representatives or embassies to protest against the treatment of the men and the campaign against Indonesia’s LGBT community.
Donate to GAYa NUSANTARA (www.gayanusantara.or.id) or GWL-INA (www.gwl-ina.or.id) to fund their efforts to protect the rights of these men and to fight LGBT discrimination in Indonesia.

ISSUED BY:

GAYa NUSANTARA – Indonesian LGBT rights organisation
GWL-INA – Indonesian organisation working on HIV, health and rights issues for gay men, transgender people and men who have sex with men
APCOM – community network advocating on issues which affect HIV, human rights, health and well-being of gender and sexual minorities in Asia and the Pacific
Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) – national organization representing Australia’s network of HIV-related organisations
All Out – non-profit organisation that mobilises local organisations and activists around the world to push for equality for LGBT people
ARC International – organisation with a full-time presence in Geneva committed to advancing LGBT issues within the UN human rights system
ASEAN SOGIE Caucus – Southeast Asian community network advocating on issues related to sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression
Blue Diamond Society – community organisation working for sexual health and well-being of LGBT people in Nepal
Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network – international organisation working to defend the rights of people affected by HIV, from women, newcomers, and gay men, to prisoners, people who use drugs, sex workers, and MSM
COC – Dutch LGBTI organisation with a special consultative status with the United Nations
Council for Global Equality – US advocacy organisation seeking to US foreign policy that’s inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity
Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies – international solidarity network of organizations working on advocacy around sexual and reproductive health and human rights
CODIVA – national network for the CBOs working for MSM and transgender people throughout Timor Leste
Centre for Human Rights Education at Curtin University – Perth-based Curtin University’s centre for research, postgraduate teaching, critical scholarship and advocacy on human rights
EGALE Canada Human Rights Trust – Canada’s only national charity promoting LGBT human rights through research, education and community engagement.
GALE: The Global Alliance for LGBT Education – learning community focusing on education about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issue
Gays Without Borders – international network of LGBT advocacy activists and organisations
The Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF) – international organisation focused on HIV, health and rights for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men and transgender people
Global Interfaith Network on Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (GIN-SSOGIE)
Human Rights Campaign – the largest U.S. lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization with more than 1.5 million members and supporters
The Global Committee of International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
ILGA Asia – Asian chapter of International Lesbian and Gay Association
ILGA Oceania – Pacific chapter of International Lesbian and Gay Association
International HIV/AIDS Alliance – alliance to support community groups in over 40 countries to take local, national and global action on HIV, health and human rights
JoopeA Foundation – Netherlands-based organisation working to defend the rights of LGBTIQ people in Iran
Kaleidoscope Trust – international LGBT rights advocacy organisation
NAZ Pakistan – community-based organisation working for sexual health and rigths of gay and trans people in Pakitan
Outright Action International – international LGBT rights advocacy organisation
Réseau Indonésie – cultural exchange association for Indonesian and French actors
Samoa Faafafine Association – Samoan transgender and LGB support and advocacy organisation
Sosaiete O Faafafine In American Samoa (SOFIAS) – American Samoan transgender and LGB support and advocacy organisation
Stonewall UK – Britain’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans equality charity
Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Rights (RFSL)
Andreas Harsono (Jakarta)
Michael Petrelis (San Francisco)
Mulyandari Alisyah (Paris)

For more information please contact: Safir Soeparna, APCOM Senior Media and Communication Officer at safirs@apcom.org

CSBR CSBR Activities, Featured

A Workshop on Pleasure, Consent & Rights

What’s pleasure got to do with sexual and bodily rights, you ask? We’ve been asking ourselves the same question! And we’ve been asking people across the world to send in their stories and ideas on the topic, through our #SexPleasureRights series: http://sexpleasurerights.csbronline.org.

So much did we enjoy hearing people’s thoughts and experiences, that we decided to take the conversation further and host an open-space evening workshop on “Pleasure, Consent & Rights” in Malaysia last week.

Tuesday night’s turnout was great: a mix of activists, organizers, community members, and people simply intrigued by the topic. The mix of perspectives made for a dynamic evening, allowing us to engage in discussion, share iftar, play games, and open up our thoughts to new ways of thinking about pleasure.

Part of the evening was spent reading and discussing “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power“, a piece written by the Audre Lorde in 1978. Despite being almost 40 years old, the piece offers sharp and ever pertinent perspectives on the power of female eroticism. Audre Lorde reminds us of the power that resides in knowing our bodies, our sexuality, and our inner resources deeply, especially as women. Particularly when common conceptions of the “erotic” translate most easily into the disembodied consumption of the pornographic, as defined by business and marketing interests in a world governed by patriarchy.

In choosing to explore the “erotic”, Audre Lorde takes a word that for many–including for many at the workshop–seems full of sexual overtones, and she asks us to re-conceptualize it. To redefine it. To look at eroticism more broadly. To start to feel every thing sensually, through our skin; from every day acts such as “dancing, building a bookcase, writing a poem, examining an idea“.

If we could tap into such a power, such a visceral sensation, what impact would that have on our daily lives? On our relationships? On our efforts to “go beyond the encouraged mediocrity of our societies“, and encourage excellence through our art, and advocacy and activism?

Perhaps, as Audre Lorde shares, being in touch with the erotic might enable us to tap into and amplify our fearless capacities for joy. She writes, “In touch with the erotic, I become less willing to accept powerlessness, or those other supplied states of being which are not native to me, such as resignation, despair, self-effacement, depression, self-denial.”

Of course, Audre Lorde was writing in the United States at the time, centering black women’s experiences, and her work is imbued with sharp critiques of emerging capitalism, embedded structural racism, and patriarchy–and their crushing grips on our imaginations; the way these overarching and interconnected structures of oppression limit, twist and deform the ways that our power as women can be be felt and reached.

Without a deep understanding of the social context Audre Lorde was writing in, it is not so easy to translate her work and her arguments into another context–such as Malaysia in 2017–without the risk of losing the specificity of her words and her message. Audre Lorde was always, first and foremost, speaking from her experience of being a black lesbian woman activist. No matter how much her words resonates with our experiences as women, women of colour, women in the global south, as women who love women, as activists, as queers, as human beings–and they do resonate loudly across identities–reading Audre Lorde’s work requires we be attune to our positions in the social hierarchies of our daily relationships, work and activism, lest we usurp or erase the particularities of her social critiques; map them too simplistically onto our experiences; or forget to bring in what is missing given our current realities.

With all of that to hold and sift through, the framework of analysis in Uses of the Erotic provided much food for thought, and challenged current ideas about eroticism and women’s power as derived from our bodies and our sexuality.

At the workshop, given the desire to get us into our bodies, we also spent time learning somatic practices as a way to connect with our emotions and senses on a more visceral level. We mixed breathing and meditation and movement and dance, and reflected on the energies this stirred in us. All in all, it sparked a lot of ideas and we hope it’ll be the first in a series of further workshops and conversations.

Our special thanks to Nani for leading the somatic exercises, who helped us host the event.

Check out #SexPleasureRights and Uses of the Erotic and let us know your thoughts!

CSBR CSBR Activities, Featured, Headline, News from Member Organizations, News on Sexual & Bodily Rights

التسجيل للورشة الاقليمية حول جنسانية الفرد والأسرة

التسجيل للورشة الاقليمية حول جنسانية الفرد والأسرة

يسرنا في منتدى الجنسانية أن نعلن عن فتح باب التسجيل للورشة التدريبية حول جنسانية الفرد والأسرة، والتي نسعى من خلالها إلى خلق “مجموعة عمل” مهنية تتبادل فيما بينها الخبرات والافكار والابداعات بالأدوات والتوجهات التربوية في كل ما يتعلق بالجنسانية، ويشمل ذلك انتاج ادبيات ومصطلحات جنسانية حساسة للسياق المجتمعي والحضاري العربي.

نحلم بأن تتحول “مجموعة العمل” هذه مستفبلا إلى شبكة تشكل مظله مهنية داعمة وملهمة وخلاقة للمهنيين والمهنيات من الوطن العربي، تشجع مبادراتهم\ن في مجالات الجنسانية في بلدانهن\م ومجتمعاتهم\ن.

الأهداف العينية للورشة التدريبية

توسيع دوائر المعرفة الجنسانية وتطوير الوعي الذاتي لتمكين المتدربين والمتدربات من التواصل الفعال ومن الحوار مع الناس بكل ما يتعلق بالقضايا الجنسانية والجندرية من منظور حضاري وأخلاقي

تعزيز قدرات المتدربات والمتدربين لتمكينهن\م من اعتماد نهج “المشاركة الفعالة التأملية” في عملهن\م مع الفئات المجتمعية المختلفة

تزويد المتدربين والمتدربات بالمواد والأدوات والفعاليات التربوية اللازمة لانطلاق العمل في هذا المجال، كل في إطاره\ها وبلده\ها

تطوير برنامج تربوي في الجنسانية باللغة العربية، حساس للسياق الاجتماعي وقابل للتطبيق والممارسة في أرجاء الوطن العربي

الفئات المستهدفة

الورشة معدة لمهنيين ومهنيات عرب يعملون في الوطن العربي داخل مؤسسات وأطر مجتمعية وتربوية وصحية بالإضافة إلى نشطاء ومقدمي خدمات ممن يعملون مع الناس مباشرة.

نوّد التنويه الى أن الورشة لن تنظر في الطلبات المقدمة من الداخل الفلسطيني( أراضي ال 48) والضفة الغربية, بسبب توفر هذه الورشات بشكل دوري في منتدى الجنسانية في حيفا ورام الله.

شروط القبول

سيتم الاختيار بناء على الخبرة الميدانية في العمل مع الناس من جهة، وعلى مستوى الأداء خلال المقابلة الشخصية على سكايب. في هذا السياق، تم تشكيل لجنة قبول ستقوم بفرز كافة الطلبات وتحديد مواعيد للمقابلات الفردية لكل المتسجلين والمتسجلات.

موعد ومكان وتكلفة التدريب

ستنعقد الورشة التدريبية على مدار ستة أيام مطولة، خلال الفترة ما بين 11\9\2017 – 16\90\2017 في عمان. البرنامج المفصل سيرسل لاحقا لكل من تم قبوله\ها

سيغطي منتدى الجنسانية كافة التكاليف المتعلقة بالسفر ذهابا وإيابا وتشمل تذاكر الطيران والمواصلات العامة في بلد السكن وفي عمان. كما سيغطي المنتدى كافة تكاليف الإقامة وتشمل المبيت في الفندق لسبع ليال بالاضافة الى الوجبات اليومية.

الاطار العام للتدريب والمضامين العينية

يتم التحضير لهذه الورشة تحت إشراف لجنة توجيه مهنية مكونة من المدربات الأساسيات، وقد صُمم هذا النموذج التدريبي بناء على الخبرات المهنية لكادر منتدى الجنسانية وتجربته الميدانية العريقة من خلال مئات ورش العمل حول الجنسانية، مع كافة الفئات المجتمعية الفلسطينية، بالإضافة إلى ورش إقليمية على مستوى العالم العربي.

سيعتمد التدريب منهج المشاركة الفعالة والتأمل والتفكير النقدي، إذ أن الهدف منه هو التركيز على المسارات الشخصية التي يمر بها المشارك\ة كمقدمة أساسية لتشكيل المعرفة ومن ثم الوعي. انطلاقا من مبدأ “فاقد الشيء لا يعطيه”، فإن معرفة الذات بعمق لهي حجر الأساس لتشكيل المقدرة على الارتقاء بالقيم الشخصية وعدم اسقاطها على الآخرين مهما كانت معتقداتهم\ن وانتماءاتهم الدينية والايدولوجية، هكذا هي رؤية منتدى الجنسانية وتوجهاته في العمل مع الناس.

العدد المتوقع للمشاركة بهذه الورشة هو 15-17 مشارك ومشاركة من عدة دول عربية، بالاضافة إلى 2-3 من طاقم منتدى الجنسانية.

أما المضامين التي سيتطرق إليها التدريب خلال ورشة العمل فهي كالتالي

نبذة عن المنتدى العربي لجنسانية الفرد والأسرة – منتدى الجنسانية،

نما منتدى الجنسانية من بذور تجربته الميدانية التي زرعها على مدار عشرين عاما، بدء من تكوين فكرته في مؤسسة تامر للتعليم المجتمعي في رام الله في التسعينيات، مرورا بتدريب كوادر المرشدين التربويين العاملين في الضفة والقطاع، إلى العمل مع مؤسسات أهلية فلسطينية في القدس والنقب والمثلث والجليل، بالإضافة إلى القيام بورش تدريبية – تجريبية على مستوى العالم العربي في القاهرة وعمان وتونس.

قام المنتدى بتدريب المئات من الكوادر المهنية والتي لعبت دورا هاما في خلق نويات محلية تعمل على تعزيز الوعي الجنساني داخل المجتمع الفلسطيني. تحول المنتدى الى جمعية رسمية عام 2006 عنوانها بمدينة حيفا، وساهم في تأسيس منتدى الجنسانية في رام الله عام 2015.

خطط العمل في المنتدى مبنية على المعلومات الناتجة عن أكثر من بحث علمي قمنا به مع طلبة الجامعات الفلسطينيين في الضفة الغربية وفي مناطق 48، بالإضافة إلى آلاف الاستبيانات التي فحصنا من خلالها احتياجات طلبة المدارس على مستوى فلسطين التاريخية.

ساهمت هذه السنوات الغنية بالخبرات في جعل المنتدى المرجعية المهنية والفكرية الأهم محليا في مجال التربية والصحة الجنسانية عموماًز

كادر المنتدى بأكمله، من هيئة إدارية، موظفات ومتطوعين/ات، مكون من ذوي الخبرات المهنية المتعددة، أهمها مجال الخدمة الاجتماعية والإرشاد التربوي والنفسي والتمريض. جميعهم/ن حاصلين على اللقب الجامعي الأول كحد أدنى ولديهم على الأقل ثلاث سنوات خبرة في العمل الميداني المهني. عضوية الهيئة العامة للمنتدى مشروطة بشهادة التأهيل في “جنسانية الفرد والأسره” والعدد الحالي للأعضاء هو ثمانية ووثمانين عضو/ة.

وأخيرا،

في حال شعرت بأنك ملائم\ة للمشاركة بهذه الورشة، الرجاء تعبئة نموذج التسجيل التالي.

لمزيد من التفاصيل وللاستفسار:

الرجاء التواصل معنا على : muntada@jensaneya.org أو على safa@jensaneya.org

الموعد النهائي لتسليم طلبات التسجيل هو 15/6/2017

ملاحظة:

الورشة بدعم من :

GIZ

CSBR– الائتلاف للحقوق الجسدية والجنسانية في العالم الاسلامي

Open Society Foundation

APPLY HERE: http://bit.ly/2rbHRp4

CSBR CSBR Activities, Featured, ODOS, Videos

Resource: Sariyani | Kapal Perempuan | (video)

As part of ODOS 2016, Kapal Perempuan developed a video campaign, documenting the re-thinking on gender & sexual norms, and the deepening appreciation of human rights, as experienced by graduates of their Sekolah Perempuan (Women’s School) program in Indonesia.

This video features Sariyani, a small shop vendor living and working in Jakarta.

Find our more about Institut Kapal Perempuan, at: http://kapalperempuan.org/

CSBR CSBR Activities, Featured, News on Sexual & Bodily Rights, Resources & Tools, Videos

Reclaiming the Universality of Rights @ CSW61 (video)

CSBR joined co-working group members of the Observatory on the Universality of Rights for a CSW61 event on “Reclaiming the Universality of Rights: Gender, Economic Justice and Anti-Rights Threats”.

About: Rising (mis)use of religion, culture, tradition, and nationalism to justify discrimination in many areas around the world is having disastrous consequences for gender justice and women’s economic rights and empowerment.

Anti-human rights actors employing these arguments increasingly undermine women’s rights, including their rights to work and rights related to gender and sexuality. Through their attempts to control women’s bodies and autonomy, they propagate gendered restrictions on employment, restrict pathways to employment, and fuel gender stereotypes that undermine women’s access to work and justify violence in the workplace.

This event will highlight the findings of the first trends report from the Observatory on the Universality of Rights (OURs) initiative regarding regressive trends and actors on our human rights norms and systems and open up a critical reflection on the tactics, discourses, strategies and increasing impact of ultra-conservative actors to undermine the universality and indivisibility of our human rights standards. This event will then examine and discuss the strategic opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for gender justice movements.

Panelists: The panel featured interventions from Naureen Shameem (AWID), Susan Tahmasebi (ICAN), Azra Abdul Cader (ARROW), Gillian Kane (IPAS) and Cynthia Rothschild, and was moderated by CSBR coordinator Rima Athar.

Watch the panel here: Reclaiming the Universality of Rights (CSW61)

Read highlights of OURS report key findings here: OURs Flyer CSW61

Join the conversation on Twitter #RightsAreUniversal

CSBR CSBR Activities, News from Member Organizations, News on Sexual & Bodily Rights, Statements

No Borders on Gender Justice

Letter to the Members of the UN Commission on the Status of Women

United Nations Economic and Social Council
The Commission on the Status of Women

6 March 2017

Dear Members of the UN Commission on the Status of Women,

We the undersigned organizations write to express our deep concerns about the latest restrictions on civil society participation at the 2017 UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) meetings. This year’s CSW is taking place under the shadow of the United States’ escalated anti-immigrant, anti-refugee, and anti-Muslim policies, which are preventing some women from exercising their right to political participation at UN Headquarters in New York. The policies represent the latest in a long history of restrictive migration, refugee and asylum measures that subject women and their families to hate crimes, detention, deportation and family separation, while undermining core universal human rights regarding migrant and refugee rights, and worker protections. These circumstances emphasize the urgent need for women facing multiple discriminations to be at the center of conversations on human rights at CSW.

These restrictions on civil society participation are part of a much broader threat, not only to CSW, but also to the very foundations of multi-lateral cooperation, the rule of law and human rights. Governments across all continents have adopted laws and policies curtailing civil society participation in democratic spaces, making international space an even more critical site for civil society to confront and hold governments accountable. Civil society access to these spaces is necessary for the advancement of all human rights, including rights that ensure women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work. It is also necessary for the work of the UN. The new UN Secretary General, António Guterres, has affirmed that “civil society is a key instrument for the success of today’s UN,” and that “dialogue and cooperation with civil society will…be a central aspect of the activities of the UN in the next few years.” For that to happen, civil society needs access to the UN, without discrimination on the basis of nationality, religion, income, migration status, or any other factor.

The latest obstacles to civil society participation at New York’s UN Headquarters will likely extend beyond this year’s CSW. Access to future CSW sessions, and to all UN decision-making spaces, including the Security Council and General Assembly, is also threatened. Year round, women and other gender justice advocates participate in critical convenings at UN Headquarters, including during the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in May, the Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security in October, negotiations for a new Global Compact on Refugees and a Global Compact on migration, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and LGBTIQ advocacy week in December. It is in New York that civil society advocates from across the globe engage with the world’s governments in order to shape national and international priorities.

Maintaining access for civil society, particularly women’s human rights defenders, to UN decision-making spaces is essential to the empowerment of women as envisioned in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the gender-responsive realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. To this end, we respectfully request the Commission add the following paragraph to the draft Agreed Conclusions for CSW’s 61st session, calling on governments to remove all barriers that directly and indirectly inhibit women’s full, equal, and effective participation in decision-making at all levels:

The Commission calls upon Governments to support civil society access to the CSW and all UN decision-making spaces, recognizing that meaningful civil society participation is critical for increasing protections and advancements for women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work.

We urge the Commission to call on governments to reverse the shrinking of civil society space at the United Nations during the CSW Ministerial segment and General discussion, so that we may fully contribute to the work of the Commission towards women’s human rights and gender equality, including the gender-responsive implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Sincerely,

MADRE

Just Associates (JASS)

Center for Women’s Global Leadership

Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID)

Urgent Action Fund

Women in Migration Network (WIMN)

Outright Action International

Global Justice Center

Amnesty International

Refugees International

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)

NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security

Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI)

International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)

Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO)

Women’s Intercultural Network (WIN)

Gender at Work

Alianza por la Solidaridad

Women Thrive Alliance

World Federalist Movement-Insititute for Global Policy

Men Engage Alliance

Widows for Peace through Democracy (WPD)

SecurityWomen

Womankind Worldwide

Gender & Development Network

Women Peacemakers Program (WPP)

Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF), International

FEMUM-ALC latinamerican network of Women&Municipalities

Feminist Task Force

Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE)

The Judith Trust

Uganda Youth Alliance For Family Planning And Adolescents Health –UYAFPAH

LatinoJustice PRLDEF

The Women’s Studies Center (CEM)

Free Women Writers

Iranian Circle of Women’s Intercultural Network (ICWIN)

Grupo Para o desenvolvimento da Mulher e Rapariga- (GDMR)

Muslims for Progressive Values Nederland

Sudanese Women Human Rights Defenders Project

FEMNET

Asia Safe Abortion Partnership

International Womens’ Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific

International Planned Parenthood Federation – Western Hemisphere Region

FOKUS – Forum for Women and Development

MYSU Mujer y Salud En Uruguay

International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations

Regions Refocus

RFSL – Swedish Federation for LGBTQ Rights

Akina Mama Wa Afrika

COC Nederland

Worker’s Information Center

Human Rights & Gender Justice Clinic, City University of New York Law School

Republika Libre

Foro Internacional de Mujeres Indigenas – FIMI / International Indigenous Women Forum

Enlace Continental de Mujeres Indígenas de las Américas – ECMIA

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR)

Tunisian Association of Democratic Women (ATFD)

Khadija Arfaoui, TUNISIA

Tharwa n’fadhma n’soumer

Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR)

GAYa Nusantara

PILIPINA Legal Resources Center

Southeast Indigenous Peoples’ Center

PEN International

Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR)

*****

To add your organization’s name to this letter, email csw61advocacy@madre.org.

CSBR CSBR Activities, Headline

Apply for the 9th CSBR Sexuality Institute! Deadline 12 March 2017

Applications Open!

Deadline for submissions:

12 March 2017

The Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR) is pleased to announce our Call for Applications for the 9th CSBR Sexuality Institute, to be held from 30 June – 7 July 2017.

Application Link: 9th Sexuality Institute (July 2017) Application Form

Interested?

Do you have at least 2 years of experience working on issues of sexuality & human rights?

Are you committed to undertaking efforts to promote sexual and bodily health and rights at national and international levels?
Do you represent an organization/institution engaged in advocacy, research, fieldwork, and/or grassroots organizing on issues of sexuality and rights?

Then we’d like to hear from you!

To Apply: Please (1) submit the Application Form online, and (2) send your current C.V. to csbrsexualityinstitute@gmail.com by 12th March 2017.

Deadline to apply: 12 March 2017

* * * * * *

About the Institute: Designed as a comprehensive curriculum on sexuality, sexual and reproductive health and rights with in-depth discussions on the linkages between research and practice, the CSBR Sexuality Institute offers a holistic interdisciplinary program combining history, theory, research and politics of sexuality with applications of advocacy and fieldwork.

Each CSBR Sexuality Institute brings together about 25 leading sexual and reproductive rights activists, academics and researchers for a six-day training comprised of lectures, group work, round-tables, panels, site visits and film screenings, all bolstered by participants’ own experiences around sexuality & sexual rights advocacy.

Language: The Sexuality Institute is held in English.

Costs:

The cost of tuition is USD 100 for all participants
Scholarships to cover international travel & attendance costs are available for participants from smaller organizations based in the Global South, including tuition costs as needed.
Applicants from international NGOs, and organizations based in Europe and North America, are not eligible for scholarships and must cover their own travel & attendance costs for the training.

For more information: Email coordinator@csbronline.org.

CSBR CSBR Activities, Featured, News from Member Organizations, ODOS, Videos

ODOS 2016: VISION holds Street Theatre Performances on Sexual and Bodily Rights of Hijras in Pakistan

For One Day One Struggle 2016, VISION will be hosting a street theatre performance on the sexual and bodily rights of hijras in Pakistan.

Previously held in 5 different areas, these performances were the culmination of a five day participatory street theatre workshop VISION conducted with trans women from 18-22 October 2016. Throughout the five day workshop, participants discussed personal lived experiences, shared insights and analysis on how to challenge narratives and experiences of discrimination to realize sexual and bodily rights. Amidst these sessions, participants also learned the basics of street theatre, including voice projection, scripting, location, basic props, and then collectively developed and shaped the storyline and direction for the performance.

Street theatre is an especially useful tool for engaging people in a public space who might not otherwise seek out or access awareness raising events. For the first two performances, VISION chose locations with high foot-traffic, including the public Murree Bus Terminal where there was a higher likelihood of attracting passers by.

Over the course of the 20 minute performance, the crowds continued to grow, and at the end of the show the response was very positive, with audience celebrating the play’s key message of bodily autonomy and integrity.

Watch a video of one of the street performances here: https://1drv.ms/f/s!Ajq4-MflHoZxlVQacvNEJ5I3QTjU

Brief synopsis:

The birth of a child is celebrated in the traditional way, and the celebration is manifold because it is a boy child. This child grows up to be different from others of his age, and manifests this difference through his activities. When the child reaches adolescence, the father and the older brother throw the child out of the house. The boy joins the transgender community. Police accesses are reflected in one Act and then in the final Act the boy, who has now been able to embrace his identity as female transgender, is hassled at a public park by some goons. At that moment, she tells the entire world that her body belongs to her, and that she will determine what she does with her body, and who she chooses as friends/companions/family.

On 9th November VISION will be performing on the streets of Islamabad. Stay tuned for more details and updates.

* All photos and videos shared by VISION with CSBR, please do not reproduce or share without acknowledgment.

CSBR CSBR Activities, Featured, News on Sexual & Bodily Rights, Statements

More Than 70 Organisations Come Together To Support Maria Chin Abdullah

CSBR joins 70+ organizations calling on the Malaysian government to immediately investigate death threats against Malaysian human rights defender Maria Chin Abdullah. Read the press release from APWLD below.

Demand immediate investigation of the death threats

* Demand Government stops harassment of activists organising and participating in peaceful actions *

02 November, 2016

Chiang Mai

More than 70 organisations across Asia Pacific and the globe have signed a statement to demand that the Government of Malaysia and police immediately investigate the death threats against BERSIH 2.0. Chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah and her family members, ensure their safety and security, and bring perpetrators to justice.

“The threats to Maria and her children are part of a systemic attack on human rights and democracy while taking a particularly vile, gendered form” said Kate Lappin, Regional Coordinator of Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD). “When the government itself attacks the work of peaceful human rights advocates, it’s not surprising that extremists feel emboldened to make threats with impunity. We are calling on government and police to meet their obligations to protect the rights of human rights defenders and their families,” added Kate.

On 18th October 2016, Maria Chin received death threats against her and her family via WhatsApp messages, purportedly by local Islamic State (IS) terrorists. On 20th October 2016, a car belonging to Maria’s son was splashed with red paint at her residence. On 29th October 2016, Maria was detained by the police for distributing flyers to promote an upcoming BERSIH 5 rally.

The Malaysian Government itself has been complicit in harassing and leveling charges against Maria Chin for organising and participating in peaceful actions. State sanctioned harassment and efforts to portray Maria and BERSIH as threat to national security or unity emboldens extremists and creates a permissive culture for threats. The organizations also urge the Malaysian Government to immediately and unconditionally withdraw all charges against Maria Chin Abdullah under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 and Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.

List of Organisations That Signed The Statement

Advocacy, Research, Training and Services (ARTS) Foundation
Aksi! for gender, social and ecological justice
ALL INDIA NATIONAL LIFE INSURANCE EMPLOYEES FEDERATION INTUC
AMIHAN National Federation of Peasant Women
APVVU
APWLD
Asia Dalit Rights Forum
Asia Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
Asia Monitor Resource Centre
Asia Pacific Research Network
Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE)
Asociadas por lo Justo-JASS
Association For Promotion Sustainable Development
Awaj Foundation
AWID
Badhan Hijra Sangha(BHS)
Beyond Beijing Committee
Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR), Philippines
Centre for Himalayan Integrated Development and Social Welfare
Centre for Human Rights and Development
Citizen News Service (CNS)
Computer Professionals’ Union
Colombo Plan Seretariate
Cooperative Committee of Trade Union
CSBR | Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies
Dhaka Single Women Association (DSWA)
Diverse Voices and Action (DIVA) for Equality, Fiji
Emonyo Yefwe International
EMPOWER
Feminist League
Fiji Women’s Rights Movement
Fundación para el Estudio e Investigación de la Mujer. (FEIM)
Global Fund for Women
Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
GRIST
Hebrew University
Human Rights Focus Pakistan
ICWAP
INSTITUT PEREMPUAN
International Migrants Alliance (IMA)
International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
Kalyanamitra
KOCUN (Korea Center for United Nations Human Right Policy)
MADRE
Maitree
MONFEMNET National Network
Maruah
MDS
NATIONAL FORUM OF WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES
National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers
Nijera Kori
Pakistan Kisan Mazdoor Tahreek
PAN Philippines
PF “Development of Civil Society”
Rural Women’s Association “Alga”
RASTRIA VYAVASAYA VRUTHIDARULA UNION
Sahanivasa
Sathi All for Partnerships
SHAZET PA
Shobujer Ovijan Foundation
Socialist Party (India)
Tamil Nadu Women’s Forum
Tanggol Bayi, Philippines
TelengaTelengana Vyavasaya Vruthidarula union- TVVU
Terre des Hommes
TierrActiva Peru
UBINIG (Policy Research for Development Alternative)
Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights
Vote For Health campaign
We Women Lanka
WECF International
Women For Human Rights Single Women Group (WHR)
Women’ Centre
Women’s Aid Organisation
WOREC Nepal
Worldview- The Gambia
Youth LEAD

Please click here for the entire list of signatures (both organisational and individual).

About Maria Chin Abdullah

Through Bersih, human rights defenders like Maria have led some of the largest peaceful assemblies in the history Malaysia which created democratic space for their fellow Malaysians to speak out in public. She has served as the National Women’s Coalition president and All Women Action Society (Awam) president. She was also executive director of the Women’s Development Collective and executive director of APWLD member, Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (Empower). She has been recently awarded the prestigious Gwangju Prize for Human Rights.

About BERSIH 2.0

BERSIH started out as the Joint Action Committee for Electoral Reform, which was formed in July 2005, and the coalition’s objective was to push for a thorough reform of the electoral process in Malaysia. BERSIH was officially launched on 23 November 2006 in the Malaysian Parliament building lobby. The time came for BERSIH to continue its crusade for clean and fair elections independent of any political party. BERSIH was thus re-launched as BERSIH 2.0, a coalition of like-minded civil society organisations unaffiliated to any political party. Their aim is to effectively monitor both sides of the political divide.

Contact

For more information, please contact our communications team

Neha Gupta

Email: neha@apwld.org

Phone: + 66-53-284 527

+ 66-955 282 396

Fai Suluck

Email: fai@apwld.org

Phone: + 66-53-284 527

Please click here to download the press release.

CSBR CSBR Activities, News from Member Organizations, News on Sexual & Bodily Rights

Nazra for Feminist Studies, Egypt, joins CSBR!

We are so pleased to welcome Nazra for Feminist Studies as the newest member of the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies!

Nazra is a leading Egyptian civil society organization, who have most recently been recognized and awarded the “Right Livelihood” Award (known as the Alternative Nobel) for 2016 for their work in a diversity of areas.

This included combating sexual violence against women in the public sphere, provision of various support services to survivors of these crimes, supporting women’s right to participate in the political sphere and guaranteeing the inclusion of their rights in the constitution and Egyptian legislation, supporting young feminist initiatives in their work on different issues, and supporting women human rights defenders and shedding light on the violations they encounter and urging the Egyptian state to undertake necessary measures to ensure a real and effective participation of women in the public sphere, and exercise their fundamental right to bodily integrity.

Read more about Nazra below, and check out their website here: http://nazra.org/en

About Nazra: Nazra for Feminist Studies is a group that aims at contributing to the continuity and development of the Egyptian and regional feminist movement in the Middle East and North Africa, where the group believes that feminism and gender are political and social issues affecting freedom and development in all societies. Nazra aims to mainstream these values in both public and private spheres.

Nazra’s team, believes that integrating gender and feminism will be achieved through the efforts of believers in the validity of these values and in the necessity of their implementation in both spheres. Nazra believes that youth, in their diversity, struggle to integrate their issues, which include gender-related issues, in their societies. And so Nazra generally works to provide all actors who strive to achieve gender related causes with all forms of support needed; and focuses, specifically, on supporting youth groups who strive to achieve those causes.

Nazra’s various activities and initiatives mainly aim at supporting women’s participation in the public sphere while strongly acknowledging the intersection between the private and the public spheres and how violence and discrimination against women in the private sphere affect their participation in the public sphere. Nazra for Feminist studies also believes that the continuity and development of the feminist movement is strongly connected to a public sphere where rights and duties of social and political citizenship are equal and where women could engage their causes in the process of democracy making.

CSBR CSBR Activities, Featured, News on Sexual & Bodily Rights, Resources & Tools, Statements

Response to the UN Women’s call on: “Consultation seeking views on UN Women approach to sex work, the sex trade and prostitution”

CSBR is one of 190 national, regional and international sex workers’ rights, women’s rights and human rights organizations/networks who submitted a joint response to UN Women’s Call for “Consultation seeking views on UN Women approach to sex work, the sex trade and prostitution”.

The submission focuses on five key recommendations for UN Women to consider in their policy development process:

Develop the policy through a transparent and participatory process, engaging a diverse range of sex workers from the global South and North,
Anchor the policy in human rights principles
Distinguishing between sex work and trafficking
Emphasize the importance of decriminalization and remove related punitive laws and policies
Address all forms of violence against all sex workers

Read the PDF Statement here: Joint-statement-from-womens-rights-and-sex-workers-rights-organisations-to-un-women-31-october and text below

31 October 2016

This statement has been jointly prepared by 190 sex worker rights, women’s rights, and human rights organizations.[*]

We are writing this statement in response to UN Women’s call for submissions in an e-consultation about the development of a UN Women policy on sex work. A number of sex workers’, women’s and human rights organizations have been engaging with UN Women for some months about this proposed policy, stressing the importance of a process that meaningfully engages with a broad range of sex workers’ and women’s rights organizations as essential to the process of developing a policy.

While UN Women has stated that they are engaging in an open process, we are alarmed at the possibility that the end result will not support the human rights of sex workers.[1] For instance, the wording of question 3, to us, indicates an already established point of view. They ask “The sex trade is gendered. How best can we protect women in the trade from harm, violence, stigma and discrimination?” While we would certainly agree that sex workers of all genders face discrimination, harm, stigma and violence, we note that there is ample evidence that decriminalization of sex work is the best remedy to empower sex workers to advocate for their rights and to engage with state and non-state actors to secure their rights. It is imperative to clearly distinguish consensual sex work from human trafficking, as well as recognize that there are female, male and transgender sex workers.

As a co-sponsor of UNAIDS, we urge UN Women to ensure that their policy aligns with the recommendations from the Global Commission on HIV and the Law and the UNAIDS Guidance Note on HIV and Sex Work which recommends:

“States should move away from criminalising sex work or activities associated with it. Decriminalisation of sex work should include removing criminal penalties for purchase and sale of sex, management of sex workers and brothels, and other activities related to sex work.”[2]

In the following statement, we focus on five key recommendations for UN Women to consider in their policy development process:

1. Development of the policy through a transparent and participatory process, engaging a diverse range of sex workers from the global South and North.

We are deeply concerned that the only public consultation to date is an e-consultation. Such a process risks excluding many of those who are critical to the discussion – sex workers in communities with limited Internet and not familiar with UN jargon or human rights treaties. Therefore, we call on UN Women to develop and engage in a transparent and inclusive consultation with sex workers’ rights, women’s rights, and other relevant organizations in the preparation of any UN Women policy in relation to sex work.[3]

An appropriate process should be well planned, participatory and must include sex workers representing the full diversity of classes, races, sexes, genders, ethnicities, health status, ages, nationalities, citizenships, languages, education levels, disabilities, and other factors, in order to ensure that those most impacted by such policies/guidelines in various regions of the world are significantly engaged in the process.

2. Anchored in human rights principles

UN Women, as a UN agency dedicated to advancing gender equality and the human rights of women, should take as its starting point the respect, protection, promotion and fulfilment of human rights, enshrined in international and regional conventions and national constitutions.

Any UN Women policy in relation to sex work should recognize sex workers as rights holders and decision makers. Their choices should be respected in relation to all areas of engagement in life, including in relation to their sexuality, reproduction, employment, access to services and information, freedom of movement and assembly. Sex worker’s participation in legal, policy and programmatic processes in relation to sex work should be guaranteed.[4]

In this regard, recognizing sex worker’s labour as work, not dissimilar to other forms of labour in the service sector of the economy, and hence of their economic contribution to society, is integral to respecting, protecting and fulfilling sex workers’ human rights. In this regard, it is important for UN Women to align their policy with that of the International Labour Organization (ILO). The ILO recognises sex work as informal labour in the official Report of the Committee on HIV/AIDS, which accompanied the publication of the ILO standard ‘Recommendation concerning HIV and AIDS and the World of Work, 2010 (No. 200)’.[5] The ILO is clear that sex work is covered by this instrument recognizing work in both formal and informal economies.

3. Distinguishing between sex work and trafficking

The conflation of consensual sex work and human trafficking leads to the implementation of inappropriate responses that fail to assist either of these groups in realizing their rights, and can contribute to violence and oppression.[6] At the same time the narrow concentration of anti-trafficking programmes on the sex industry also distracts from efforts to prevent other forms of trafficking such as domestic servitude and forced labour.[7] Instead of victimising women who engage in consensual sex work and questioning their capacity to make decision for themselves and their right to self-determination, UN Women should protect and promote sex worker’s rights. We recognize that exploitation and labour rights abuses exist in the sex industry; however, as shown in the literature the best way to address these human rights abuses is through the fulfilment of sex workers human rights and through the opposition to all forms of legal oppression of sex work.[8] People who choose to engage in sex work, do so because it is a viable alternative to other work and livelihood choices. Women’s agency and capacity to challenge their exploitation and exercise their rights in relation to their occupation should be recognized.

Trafficking people is not the same as sex work involving consenting persons. A distinction, drawing from the “Palermo Protocol,”[9] must be clearly demarcated between voluntary sex work and involuntary and coercive exploitation and trafficking, including the non-consensual trade of persons for this purpose.[10] UN agencies, such as WHO, UNAIDS, OHCHR, UNDP, international organizations such as ILO, UN treaty monitoring bodies, and UN Special Rapporteurs carefully distinguish between sex work and trafficking and sexual exploitation, and UN Women should follow the same practice.[11]

4. The importance of decriminalization and removal of related punitive laws and policies[12]

Strong evidence shows that criminalization and otherwise punitive and restrictive regulation of sex work puts sex workers at greater risk of violence and poor health outcomes. In contrast, an enabling legal environment for sex workers increases their access to justice and services. Indeed, The Lancet suggests that decriminalization could avert 33–46% of HIV infections globally in the next decade.[13] In doing so, decriminalization is an important tactic for reaching several of the SDGs, including SDG 3 (good health), SDG 5 (gender equality) and SDG 10 (reduced inequality).

Criminalization and the application of other punitive or restrictive regulations that violate the rights of sex workers and foster discriminatory practices and stigmatizing social attitudes, do not eliminate sex work, but rather, create barriers to sex worker’s access to essential services like health care or legal redress. It places women engaging in sex work at a higher risk of violence,[14][15] and reduces sex workers’ ability to organize with the aim to improve their health and safety or advance their rights.[16]

Positive measures, including decriminalization of sex work, that respect and protect the rights and promotes the well-being of sex workers should be supported. This includes full decriminalization of sex work consultation with sex workers prior to any introduction of regulations that aim to protect the rights, health and safety of sex workers, including the formulation and implementation of workplace occupational health and safety standards; recognizing sex work as labor and as an economic contribution to society; provision of non-discriminatory health and social services; non-discriminatory access to health insurance and social protections such as maternity leave; protection of labor rights; and protection from forced eviction, police brutality and violence. [17]

5. Addressing all forms of violence against all sex workers

UN Women’s policy should be anchored in evidence, and comprehensively address all forms of discrimination and violence against sex workers. Violence against sex workers occurs not only because of economic, social and legal disadvantages, but it is perpetrated with impunity by state (law enforcement officers) and non-state actors. Sex workers are often left without legal recourse or access to health and legal services. Hence, a comprehensive structural response is needed in order to eliminate violence against sex workers.[18] And indeed, full decriminalisation of sex work in combination with the recognition of sex worker’s rights and introduction of health and safety protections for sex workers can lead to a dramatic reduction of violence against sex workers of all genders and the reduction of corruption or organized crime.[19]

UN Women’s sex work policy should emphasize the importance of advancing sex workers’ access to equal protection of the law,[20] and address their lack of access to justice, remedies and redress. As suggested by the call by UN Women and the IOM to the UN General Assembly on the occasion of UN Summit for refugees and migrants[21], national or migrant sex workers should have access to justice mechanisms, as well as fair and adequate compensation for their work. They should also have access to health care facilities. The access should be non-discriminatory, free from stigma, youth-friendly, and the testimony and wishes of sex workers should be prioritized.[22] Health services should be available upon request and should not require second-party (spousal guardian or parental) consent.

SIGNATORIES:

NSWP/Global Network of Sex Work Projects (UK/Global)
CREA (India)
CREA (Global)
VAMP/Veshya Anyay Mukti Parishad (India)
Dandelion Kenya (Kenya)
IWHC/International Women’s Health Coalition (US/Global)
African Sex Workers Alliance/ASWA (Kenya/Regional)
Mama Cash (Netherlands/Global)
Davida – Prostituição, Direitos Civis, Saúde (Prostitution, Civil Rights, Health) (Brazil)
Daspu (Brazil)
RedTraSex, (Regional)
Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers/APNSW (Regional)
Global Fund for Women (US/Global)
Urgent Action Fund Sisterfunds (Fondo Acción Urgente (UAF-Latin America), Urgent Action Fund Africa, Urgent Action Fund)
Caribbean Sex Work Coalition (Regional)
Guyana Sex Work Coalition (Guyana)
Balance (Mexico)
UHAI, EASHRI (Eastern Africa)
African Women’s Development Fund/AWDF (Regional)
La Strada International (Europe)
Rose Alliance (Sweden)
South Asia Women’s Fund (Sri Lanka/Regional)
Sexuality Policy Watch, a project based at ABIA (Brazil)
Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice (US)
Foundation Aid Care Prostitution/SHOP- Stichting Hulpverlening Opvang Prostitutie (Netherlands)
SWAN/Sex Workers’ Rights Advocacy Network in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (Hungary/Regional)
International Network of Women who use Drugs (Global)
Akahata – Equipo de Sexualidades y Generos (Argentina)
Associação Mulheres Guerreiras (Brazil)
Rights4Change (Netherlands)
UCO Legalife-Ukraine (Ukraine)
TAMPEP International Foundation (Europe)
Arab Foundation for Freedoms and Equality
GATE/Global Action for Trans Equality (Global)
SWOP/Sex Workers Outreach Project (US)
Arab Foundation for Freedoms and Equality
Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women/GAATW (Global)
ARC International (Canada)
Red Umbrella Alliance, New Jersey (US)
RESURJ/Realizing Sexual and Reproductive Justice Alliance (Global)
Red Umbrella Fund (Global)
Red Umbrella Sexual Health and Human Rights Association (Turkey)
HIVOS (Netherlands/Global)
International HIV/AIDS Alliance (UK/Global)
AJWS/American Jewish World Service (US)
The Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW) (Malaysia/Regional)
Best Practices Policy Project (US)
Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights (Global)
Prostitution Policy Watch – Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
Atria – Institute for Gender Equality and Women’s History (Netherlands)
Netherlands Council of Women (Netherlands)
Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights (Canada)
PONY, Prostitutes of New York (US)
Global Health Justice Partnership, Yale University (US)
Gender at Work (Canada/Global)
Point of View (India)
Count Me In! Consortium (Partnership of AWID, CREA, JASS, Mama Cash and the Urgent Action Funds)
Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (Global)
IWRAW-AP/International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (Malaysia/Global)
SANGRAM/Sampada Gramin Mahila Sanstha (India)
CASAM/Centre for Advocacy on Stigma and Marginalisation (India)
Nazariya (India)
Coalition of African Lesbians (South Africa, Regional)
Sexual Rights Initiative (Global)
Center for Women’s Global Leadership (US)
Naripokkho (Bangladesh)
AWID/Association for Women’s Rights in Development (Global)
Just Associates/JAS (Global)
Sex Workers Project, Urban Justice Center (US)
Hydra e.V. (Germany)
ASTRA anti-trafficking action (Serbia)
Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights/WGNRR (Global)
African Sky
FairWork, (Netherlands)
LEFÖ – Information, Education and Support for Migrant Women (Austria)
Association of Women and the Law/Vereniging Vrouw en Recht (Netherlands)
Rede Brasileira de Prostitutas (Brazilian Network of Prostitutes)
Gempac (Grupo de Mulheres Prostitutas do Pará – Brasil )
Rutgers: for sexual and reproductive health and rights (Netherlands)
DAWN/Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (Global)
TIYE International (Netherlands)
Association PROJOB (Netherlands)
Pathways of Women’s Empowerment (UK)
International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe/ICRSE (Europe).
Coyote, Rhode Island (US)
Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network (Canada)
MATCH International Women’s Fund (Canada)
Taso Foundation – Women’s Fund and Memory Research Center (Georgia)
CFEMEA – Centro Feminista de Estudos e Assessoria (Brazil)
Dutch CEDAW Network (Netherlands)
Stepping Stone Association of Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada)
CVC/Caribbean Vulnerable Communities (Jamaica/Regional)
Sex Worker Education and Advocacy Taskforce (South Africa)
Sisonke National Sex Worker Movement of South Africa
AMSHeR/African Men for Sexual Health and Rights (Continental Africa)
Asia Pacific Network of People Living With HIV (APN+)
International Council of AIDS Service Organizations/ICASO (Canada/Global)
Coalition of Asia-Pacific Regional Networks on HIV/AIDS (7 Sisters)
Simone de Beauvoir Leadership Institute/Instituto de Liderazgo Simone de Beauvoir (Mexico)
Stella, l’Amie de Maimie (Canada)
Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (South Africa)
Sisonke National Sex Worker Movement of South Africa (South Africa)
Maggie’s Toronto Sex Workers Action Project (Canada)
APDES (Portugal)
Asociación Civil Angel Azul (Peru)
Feminist Ire (Ireland)
Gender and Sexual Health Initiative (Canada)
Healthy Options Project Skopje (Macedonia)
Ghapro VZW (Belgium)
Comitato per i Diritti Civili delle Prostitute onlus (Italy)
OTS-ES (El Salvador)
STAR-STAR (Macedonia)
Pace Society (Canada)
Operation Snatch (Canada)
L’association Nationale de Protection des Femmes et Enfants Haïtiens (Haiti)
Pacific Rainbows Advocacy Network (Fiji)
Zi Teng (Hong Kong)
Respect Inc. (Australia)
Women’s Network for Unity (Cambodia)
HPLGBT (Ukraine)
HIV/AIDS Research and Welfare Centre (Bangladesh)
WONETHA (Uganda)
Espace P (Brussels)
Asociación de Mujeres Las Golondrinas (Nicaragua)
Genera: Asociación en defensa de los derechos de las mujeres (Barcelona)
Athena Network (US/Global)
Kenya Sex Workers Alliance -KESWA
Sisonke Botswana
Alcondoms Cameroon
WOPI -Nigeria

131. Rights Not Rescue Trust (Namibia)

SWATU (Swaziland)
Rwanda Sex Worker
Bar Hostess Empowerment and Support Programme (Kenya)
Philippine Sex Worker Collective (Phillipine)
The Stepping Stone Association (Canada)
Réseau Solidarité pour le Droit des Travailleuses du Sexe (Burundi)
Association Nle de Protection des Femmes et Enfants Haitiens (Haiti)
Safe Harbour Outreach Project (Canada)
Sexual Health Options, Resources & Education Centre (Canada)
Sex Professionals of Canada / SPOC (Canada)
Voices of Women in Western Kenya/VOWWEK (Kenya)
East Africa Trans Health and Advocacy Network (EATHAN)
Fundación Arcoiris (Mexico)
The Global Network of People Living with HIV/GNP+ (Netherlands/Global)
Center for Health and Gender Equity/CHANGE (US)
Options for Sexual Health (Canada)
FEM Alliance Uganda
SCOT-PEP (Scotland, United Kingdom)
Associação das Prostitutas dr Minas Gerais (Brazil)
Caribbean Sex Work Coalition (Caribbean, Regional)
Jamaica SW Coalition (Jamaica)
Guyana SW Coalition (Guyana)
HIPS (United States)
Crested Crane Lighters (Uganda)
OPSI (Indonesia)
Organization for Gender Empowerment and Rights Advocacy (Uganda)
Amitiel Welfare Society (Pakistan)
Aids Myanmar Association (Myanmar)
Philadelphia Red Umbrella Alliance (United States)
Kisauni Peer Educators (Kenya)
Lady Mermaid’s Bureau (Uganda)
Malawi Sex Workers Alliance (Malawi)
Transgender Equality Uganda (Uganda)
Tanzania Community Empowerment Foundation (Tanzania)
Ohotu Diamond Women Initiative (Nigeria)
Sex Workers Outreach Project Chicago (United States)
Homme pour Les Droits et la Santé Sexuelle (Congo)
Alcondoms (Cameroon)
Cameroon Sex Worker Alliance (Cameroon)
SeksworkExpertise (Netherlands)
Aids Fund/Soa Aids (Netherlands)
PROUD (Netherlands)
Geledes Instituto da Mulher Negra (Brazil)
CEPIA/Cidadania Estudo Pesquisa Informação Ação (Brazil)
Rede Nacional Feminista de Saúde Direitos Sexuais e Direitos Reprodutivos (Brazil)
Pivot Legal Society (Canada)
Astitva Trust (India)
Asia Pacific Transgender Network
Uganda Health and Science Press Association
LGBTI and Sex Workers Rights to Health in Public Health Policy and Law in Uganda
Empower Foundation (Thailand)
JJJ Association (Hong Kong)
Teenz Links Uganda (Uganda)
Action Humanitaire pour la Santé et le Développement Communautaire (Congo)
MAIZ (Australia)
Association of HIB Affected Women and their Families (Lithuania)
Le Collectif Femmes de Strasbourg-Saint-Denis (France)
Butterfly Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network (Canada)
Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya/GALCK (Kenya)
Asia Pacific Transgender Network/APTN (Thailand/Regional)

[*] All signatories are listed at the end of the letter. Several of the signatories are networks that represent a number of other organizations, each of which did not sign individually but as part of the network. The Global Network of Sex Work Projects, for instance, has over 200 members.

[1] Sex workers include “female, male and transgender adults and young people (over 18 years of age) who receive money or goods in exchange for sexual services, either regularly or occasionally”. Sex work may vary in the degree to which it is “formal” or organized. It is important to note that sex work is consensual sex between adults, which takes many forms, and varies between and within countries and communities.

[2] UNAIDS. UNAIDS Guidance Note on HIV and Sex Work, Geneva, 2012. http://www.unaids.org/en/media/unaids/contentassets/documents/unaidspublication/2009/JC2306_UNAIDS-guidance-note-HIV-sex-work_en.pdf

[3] UNAIDS Guidance Note on HIV and Sex Work that has been published in 2012. http://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/sub_landing/JC2306_UNAIDS-guid…

[4] UN Women. Note On Sex Work, Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking. 2013. See also UNAIDS Guidance Note On HIV and Sex Work, 2012; UNFPA Guidance Note On HIV/Aids, Gender and Sex Work – complete reference; NSWP Consensus Statement reaffirms NSWP ’s global advocacy platform for sex work, human rights and the law. 2013.

[5] International Labour Organization, Recommendation concerning HIV and AIDS and the World of Work (No. 200) adopted 2010. Available at http://www.ilo.org/aids/WCMS_142706/lang–en/index.htm

[6] Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Anand Grover. New York (NY): United Nations; 2010 (A/HRC/14/20); see also Global Alliance Against Trafficking in Women (GAATW), “The Cost of a Rumour” available at http://www.gaatw.org/publications/WhatstheCostofaRumour.11.15.2011.pdf; and Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) “Sex Work is not Trafficking” available at http://www.nswp.org/resource/sex-work-not-trafficking.

[7] See, for instance, Joanna Busza. Sex work and migration: the dangers of oversimplification-a case study of Vietnamese women in Cambodia. Health and Human Rights, 7:2, 231-249, 2004.

[8] See citations listed in footnote 6. See also the Lancet Special Issue on HIV and Sex Work, July 2014 at http://www.thelancet.com/series/HIV-and-sex-workers; Decker, et al., “Human rights violations against sex workers: burden and effect on HIV, in the Lancet, Volume 385, Issue 9963, 10–16 January 2015, Pages 186–199; J. Amon et. al., Evaluating Human Rights Advocacy on Criminal Justice and Sex Work, International Journal of Health and Human Rights, Jun2015, Vol. 17 Issue 1, p91-101.

[9] The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children, supplementing the
United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (Palermo Protocol). GA resolution 55/25, adopted 15 November 2000. Available at http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/ProtocolTraffickingIn…

[10] UN Women. Note On Sex Work, Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking. 2013;

[11] Global Commission on HIV and the Law. (2012) HIV and the law: risks, rights and health. New York (NY): United Nations Development Programme; 2012; Technical guidance for Global Fund HIV proposals Round 11 (complete), The report of the UNAIDS Advisory Group on HIV and sex work. Geneva: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS; 2011; WHO, UNFPA, UNAIDS, NSWP, World Bank & UNDP, 2013, “Implementing Comprehensive HIV/STI Programmes with Sex Workers: Practical Approaches from Collaborative Interventions” available athttp://www.who.int/hiv/pub/sti/sex_worker_implementation/en/. UNODC 2006 Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. New York (NY): United Nations; 2000 (A/55/49 (Vol. I)); http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/ProtocolTraffickingIn…

[12] Decriminalization measures should include: every consensual act relating to exchanging sex for money; or specific or surrounding acts, such as buying sex and/or soliciting for the purpose of sex work, renting a room for this purpose, or brothel-keeping; and/or use of administrative and local regulations, such as charging with offences like vagrancy, public nuisance, being in parks or other public places after hours and the like. Persons who shall not be punished for activities related to consensual sex work, includes sex workers, clients, third parties such as brothel keepers, receptionists, maids, drivers, landlords, hotels who rent rooms to sex workers and anyone else who is seen as facilitating sex work, as well as families, partners and friends. See The report of the UNAIDS Advisory Group on HIV and sex work. Geneva: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS; 2011. Global Commission on HIV and the Law 2012; Sexual Health, Human Rights and the Law. World Health Organization 2015.; UNAIDS Guidance note on HIV and sex work. Geneva: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS; 2009.; Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Anand Grover. New York (NY): United Nations; 2010 (A/HRC/14/20; CREA, NSWP

[13] Shannon et. al. Global epidemiology of HIV among female sex workers: influence of structural determinants. Lancet Special Issue on HIV and Sex Work, 2015; 385: 55–71.

[14] (UNAIDS 2011b). (Burris et al. 2010; Global Commission on HIV and the Law 2012; Mossman 2007). WHO 2015 (Betteridge 2005; Day and Ward 2007; Reckart 2005; UNAIDS 2009, United Nations 2010). CREA, NSWP; Understanding the De- Criminalisation Demand: Aarthi Pai and Meena Saraswathi Seshu. 2014.

[15] UN Women. Note On Sex Work, Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking. 2013

[16] Sex work, HIV and access to health services in Namibia: national meeting report and recommendations. Windhoek: UNFPA/Namibia; 2011; Prevention and treatment of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections for sex workers in low- and middle-income countries. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2012.; Sexual Health, Human Rights and the Law. World Health Organization 2015. Eight working papers/case studies: Examining the intersections of sex work law, policy, rights and health. New York (NY): Open Society Institute; 2006. (India related reference)

[17] Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (2012) Dutch Policy on Prostitution. Questions and answers 2012 (http://www.minbuza.nl/binaries/content/assets/minbuza/en/import/en/you_and_the_netherlands/about_the_netherlands/ethical_issues/faq-prostitutie-pdf–engels.pdf-2012.pdf, ; New Zealand. (2003) Prostitution Reform Act 2003. Public Act 2003 No 28; República de Colombia Corte Constitucional (Constitutional Court of the Republic of Colombia). (2010) Sentencia T-629/10.Decided on 13 August 2010; South Africa Labour Appeals Court. (2010). Kylie v. Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration and Others. Case No. CA10/08. Decided on 26 May 2010; Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights and Others v. Government of Bangladesh and Others. Case 53 DLR (2001) 1. Dhaka: High Court Division, Supreme Court; 2000 (e.g. Bangladesh; Bangladesh Supreme Court 2000). Prevention and treatment of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections for sex workers in low- and middle-income countries. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2012. Global Commission on HIV and the Law. (2012) HIV and the law: risks, rights and health. New York (NY): United Nations Development Programme; 2012; Sexual Health, Human Rights and the Law. World Health Organization 2015.

[18] UN Women. Note On Sex Work, Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking. 2013

[19] Sexual Health, Human Rights and the Law. World Health Organization, 2015.

[20] (General Recommendation No. 19: Violence against women. New York (NY): United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women; 1992 (A/47/38). United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women; 1999. (A/54/38/Rev.1, Chapter I Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. New York (NY): United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child; 2000 (A/RES/54/263) (Entered into force 18 January 2002).; Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. New York (NY): United Nations; 2000 (A/55/49 (Vol. I); Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Anand Grover. New York (NY): United Nations; 2010 (A/HRC/14/20). Prevention and treatment of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections for sex workers in low- and middle-income countries. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2012.

[21] http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2016/9/statement-un-women-and-iom-call-on-world-leaders-to-make-migration-policies-that-work-for-women

[22] NSWP Consensus Statement sets out sex workers entitlements and demands around sex work, human rights and the law. 2013.

CSBR CSBR Activities, Featured, News on Sexual & Bodily Rights, Resources & Tools, Statements

Holding governments to account for the sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights of women and girls around the world

On the occasion of the 1st Anniversary of the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), CSBR joined 60+ organizations and International Planned Parenthood Federation in writing to the UN General Assembly President and UN Secretary-General to urge them to hold UN Member States accountable to their committments to sexual and reproductive health rights, gender equality and women’s empowerment. Read the letter below.

* * * * * *

13 September 2016

To the President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), HE Ambassador Peter Thomson of Fiji and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban-Ki Moon,

On the anniversary of the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) we, the undersigned, call on you, in your roles as the President of the United Nations General Assembly and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, to hold Member States to account for their progress towards achieving SDG 5 on gender equality and women’s empowerment. As you know, gender equality is central to achieving sustainable development, and the target on universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights is a pre-requisite for that change.

The ambition set out in the SDGs is clear. Gender equality, women’s and girls’ human rights, and the empowerment of girls and women will not be possible without the realization of sexual and reproductive health and rights. Providing the full range of sexual and reproductive health services, information and education so that all women and girls can make free and informed choices about their sexuality and their reproductive lives is a basic human right and central to realizing the full range of women’s rights, and to progressing gender equality.

Achieving sexual and reproductive health and rights, and gender equality is not just an end in itself. Enabling everyone to access these life-changing services will support the elimination of poverty and hunger, achievement of gender equality and quality education, reduction of inequality, adaptation to climate change, and sustainable consumption. Without access to sexual and reproductive health services and education achieving some of the other goals will become a much harder task, while others will be impossible to realize.

We must ensure that the commitments made just one year ago are not forgotten. We cannot risk failing on all the goals due to a lack of political will to implement those related to gender equality and SRHR.

In this 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, one year after the SDGs were adopted, we urge you to work with Member States to turn their ambition into reality by supporting their efforts for implementation, encouraging effective partnerships and ensuring their commitment through strong accountability mechanisms. In advance of The High Level Political Forum in 2017, which will be focusing on goals 3 and 5, now is the opportunity to work with Member States to help them to meet their commitments on SRHR and move towards a sustainable world where no one is left behind.

Signed

Action Works Nepal

AFLED Mali

AKAHATÁ

Akina Mama wa Afrika

American Jewish World Service

Arab Women Organization of Jordan

Association for Farmers Rights Defense, AFRD – EUFRAS Georgia

Balance from México

Caidre Cameroon Association

CARE International

China Family Planning Association

Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies

Coordinadora de la Mujer – Bolivia

Danish Family Planning Association

Family Planning New Zealand

Family Planning NSW

Family Planning Tasmania

Family Planning welfare Northern Territory

FOKUS- Forum for Women and Development

Forum International des Femmes d’lespace Francophone

Fundación para el Estudio e Investigación de la Mujer

Gender and Development Network

Gender-Center Republic of Moldova

GENDERS AC

GROOTS Trinidad & Tobago

INPPARES- Perú

International Community of Women Living with HIV

International Council of AIDS Service Organizations

International Federation of Women in Legal Careers

International Federation of Women Lawyers

International Peace Initiatives

Isis-Women’s International Cross Cultural Exchange

Japan Family Planning Association

Japanese Organization for International Cooperation in Family Planning

medica mondiale

Mexfam

Mongolian Family Welfare Association

National Alliance of Women’s Organisations Nigerian Network of Women

Exporters of Services Orchid Project

‘Pacificwin’ Pacific Women’s Indigenous Networks

Papua New Guinea Family Health Association

Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Red Federación Mujeres & Municipalidades A.L.C- Enlace Perú

Regional Centre for International Development Cooperation

Rural Women’s Network Nepal

Rutgers

Samoa Family Health Association

SDGs Kenya Forum and GCAP Kenya

Sexual Health information networking & education SA Inc

Sexual Health Switzerland

Society of Catholic Medical Missionaries

Solar Cookers International

SOVA Somalia

Stichting Ultimate Purpose

Support for Women in Governance Organization

The Association of War Affected Women

The Central America Women’s Network

The German Medical Aid Organization

The Global Initiatives for Human Rights – Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights

The International Alliance of Women Equal Rights – Equal Opportunities

The Swedish Women’s Lobby

Tonga Family Health Association

Trust for Indigenous Culture and Health Union de l Action Feministe

Väestöliitto ry

Vision Spring Initiatives Lagos Nigeria Womankind Worldwide

Women for Women’s Human Rights-New Ways

Women Peacemakers Program

Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights

World Vision Finland

View the PDF letter here: http://www.csbronline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/IPPF_UNGALETTER_SRHR_SDGS_SEPT-2016.pdf

CSBR CSBR Activities, News from Member Organizations, News on Sexual & Bodily Rights

CSBR at the AWID Forum 2016!

is GOING TO the AWID Forum!

Will you be attending the AWID Forum on Feminist Futures: Building Collective Power for Rights & Justice this week?

If so, come say hello!

_______________________________

The Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR) is hosting two sessions at the forum:

DAY 2: 09 September, 11:30 am – 13:00 pm

Teaching participatory video: A hands-on workshop in using cellphilms for sexual rights advocacy.

What’s a cellphilm you ask? Come find out!

Participatory visual methodologies have much to offer feminist movements for social change, especially in the realm of sensitive/ taboo topics that sexual rights often encompass. In this interactive session, participants will create short videos using cellphones to explore the theoretical and practical aspects of participatory video for community advocacy (Limited Space: 20 pax).

Co-organized by: the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR), Unit for Visual Methodologies for Social Change (Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa), Participatory Cultures Lab (McGill University, Canada)

Facilitators: Rima Athar (CSBR), Jennifer Radloff (APC)

Location: Ala Mar – Lobby

_____

DAY 3: 10 September, 14:30 – 16:00.

Successful Strategies for Sexual Rights Advocacy: Building our Collective Power in Muslim Societies and Beyond

PLRC_ODOS2015_Kaye How can we learn from successful initiatives to strengthen our collective power around sexual rights advocacy? From trailblazing Anti-Discrimination legislation for LGBTI rights in the Philippines, to transnational organizing for women factory-workers in Bangladesh, to evidence-based inter-faith advocacy across MENA and Asia-Pacific, we’ll explore WHRD’s successful strategies to find out.

A talk show with : Mary Kristine Antonio (PILIPINA Legal Resources Centre) • Mangala Namasivayan (ARROW) • Dina Siddiqi (BRAC University). Rima Athar (CSBR)

Location: Ala Mar – Gran Bahia 2

* * * * * * * *

Additionally, members from the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR) are part of a number of exciting actions at the forum, including:

* * * * * * * *

Pre-Forum

07 September, 9:00 – 5:00. Imagine A Feminist Internet!

Organized by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC).

APC_ImagineAFeministInternet-AWID2016 This Pre-Forum event will bring together 90 participants to discuss the evolving Feminist Principles of the Internet, and how we can collectively strengthen our movements for autonomy, access, privacy, and more through a look at feminism and technology. Read the blog post here: http://www.forum.awid.org/forum16/posts/recoding-power-hacking-occupying-and-creating-feminist-internet

If you are interested in learning more about the Feminist Principles of the Internet, check out APC’s website: http://feministinternet.net/

* * * * * * * *

DAY 1

08 September, 10:00 – 17:00: Solidarity with detained feminist scholar Homa Hoodfar

Organized by Shirkat Gah

#FreeHoma

A renowned anthropologist, Professor Hoodfar has published widely on gender and development, Islamic family law, refugees, informal economies, Muslim dress codes, and women’s political participation. She has conducted fieldwork in multiple countries across the Middle East and North America.

Since her arbitrary arrest on 6 June 2016, Homa Hoodfar has been kept in solitary confinement, denied access to essential medicines and been unable to contact her lawyer and family. She was recently hospitalized, and remaind in Evin prison with her health is rapidly deteriorating.

Come to the WHRD Hub throughout the day (8 September) for flashtalks and solidarity actions organized by Shirkat Gah and the Free Homa Hoodfar campaign. For more details on Homa Hoodfar’s arrest, health and ways to get involved, see: homahoodfar.org.

View the latest press release from the family here: http://www.homahoodfar.org/press-release-30-august-2016

* * * * * * *

DAY 2

9 September, 7:50 am – 8:50 am: Donor/Activist Engagement Lab

What does a rights-based funding approach to challenging religious fundamentalisms and advancing women’s rights look like? Surfacing issues, challenging assumptions, finding opportunities

This interactive and informal session will bring activists and donors together to engage in critical analysis of the present moment faced with the rise of religious fundamentalisms and the challenges and opportunities of funding feminist activism in all diverse contexts facing backlash by religious fundamentalist actors.

Location: Ala Terra, Bahia 03, Feminist Resource Mobilization (FRM) Hub

9 September, 1:20 – 2:30 PM: Caucus–Gender Justice and International Human Rights

Location: Al Agua – Canario

9 September, 14:30 – 16:00 Pt. 1; 16:30 – 18:00 Pt. 2: Umbrella Session on Reclaiming Democratic Spaces!

Through the influence of feminist and other social justice movements, our understanding of “democracy” has evolved. More than a system of governance, democracy is a framework guiding human relationships and practices in a wide range of institutions, including in the private sphere. However, in recent years, democratic spaces and human rights norms have been rapidly eroded through a variety of economic, social and political processes. This session will explore how to reclaim these shrinking democratic spaces and claim new ones.

* * * * * * *

DAY 3

10 September, 11:30 am – 1 pm: What does solidarity look like? A cross-movement dialogue on challenging religious fundamentalisms

Organized by AWID

Come and hear a candid and provocative discussion with activists from different movements on the challenges they face working together in the context of the sharp rise of religious fundamentalisms and their innovative ideas and proposed actions on what is needed to strengthen solidarity and a more cohesive response.

* * * * * *

Day 4

11 September, 09:00 am – 12:00 pm

BDS and the intersection of feminism and national liberation struggle

Through joint cross-movement engagement and transnational feminist solidarity, this 3-hour session will spotlight ripe opportunities for anti-colonial, feminist and queer engagement with Palestine and the global movement for the campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS).

The BDS campaign against Israel serves as one manifestation of resistance to colonialism and imperialism and towards envisioning an alternative future. We will map the movement’s victories and successful local and international campaigns, and examine the different challenges and dilemmas encountered in organizing. Finally, this session will advocate for concrete cross-movement solidarity that can result in more and better collaborative action for Palestine.

11 September, 1:20 – 2:30pm: Caucus–Gender Justice & International Human Rights Pt. 2

* * * * * *

Across the three days, check out the numerous events from the Observatory on the Universality of Rights (OURs) working group members: http://oursplatform.org/2016/09/01/awid-forum-2016/, and get in touch if you would like to be involved!

* * * * * *

If you want to keep up with CSBR’s news at & after the forum, follow us on Twitter (@SexBodyRights), Facebook (@CSBROnline), and/or sign up to our public listserve by emailing coordinator@csbronline.org with “Newsletter” in the subject line.

CSBR CSBR Activities, Featured, News from Member Organizations, News on Sexual & Bodily Rights, Statements

Justice for Hande Kader

31 August 2016

H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

President of the Republic of Turkey
T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Genel Sekreterliği
06689 Çankaya, Ankara, Turkey
Tel: +90 312 525 5555
Fax: +90 312 525 583
Email: contact@tccb.gov.tr

Your excellency,

As members and allies of the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR), we are writing to call for justice, and to express our grief and despair, at the fate of Hande Kader, the 23 year-old transgender woman who was tortured, raped, and burned to death earlier this month.

Her body was found in Istanbul on 12 August 2016, and to our knowledge no effectual investigation has been made into her murder, and no steps taken by the authorities to bring the perpetrators of this unlawful act and violent crime to justice.

Hande Kader was a strong and outspoken young woman, who proudly worked for Turkish citizens to be able to exercise their inalienable civil, political and human rights. She earned a living as a sex worker. She is one of but too many Turkish citizens whose bodily integrity and lives have been brutally violated and cut short, by people whose bigotry and fear has manifested in unacceptable violence against women, violence against transgender youth, and violence against those who speak up for justice.

As many in the international community are asking, we ask you now, ‘how is beating, raping and burning someone to death more acceptable than being transgender?’ #HandeKadereSesVer

According to a civil society report, Turkey has the highest rate of reported murders of transgender persons in Europe, and the 9^th highest rate of reported murder of transgender persons in the world.[1]

There is never an excuse for violence against women, and violent hate crimes cannot continue with impunity.

In 2012, Turkey took a historic step in being the first country to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, which explicitly includes gender identity as categories of non-discrimination under Art. 4(3). It is the obligation of the state to fully address violence against women in all its forms and to take measures to prevent violence against women, protect its victims, and prosecute the perpetrators.

In accordance with Turkey’s commitments under the Istanbul Convention, we ask you:

To publicly denounce the rape, torture and murder of Hande Kader, and ensure a full, effective investigation into her murder and the prosecution of the perpetrators;

To ensure effective investigations of all reported gender-based hate-crimes in Turkey, including by allocating adequate resources and trainings to investigating agencies;

To regularly run awareness-raising campaigns on prevention of violence and discrimination against transgender women and women sex workers, with effective collaboration from civil society groups;

To consistently monitor, collect and publish statistical data on the number of complaints of violence against transgender women and women sex workers, the responses from the authorities to each complaint, and the results and redress available in each investigation of a complaint;

To take all administrative measures to strengthen legal protections to prevent discrimination and violence against transgender women and women sex workers, in consultation with Turkish civil society groups.

Hande Kader and all young women have the right to live their lives free from violence. We ask you to take action today to uphold that right.

We thank you for your attention and look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Rima Athar
Coordinator, Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR)

Ahlem Belhaj
Chairwoman, Association Tunisienne des Femmes Démocrates (ATFD), Tunisia

Dede Oetomo
Founder & Trustee, GAYa NUSANTARA Foundation, Indonesia

Evelyne Accad
Professeur Emerite, University of Illinois & Lebanese American University, Lebanon

Isabelita Antonio
Executive Director, PILIPINA Legal Resources Center, Philippines

Najma Kousri Labidi
Co-Coordinator, Commission on Sexual & Reproductive Rights, ATFD, Tunisia

Nursyahbani Katjasungkana
National Coordinator, Indonesian Women′s Association for Justice (APIK), Indonesia

Saskia E. Wieringa
Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR), University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

Şehnaz Kıymaz Bahçeci
Executive Board Member, Women for Women’s Human Rights – New Ways, Turkey

Tahir Khilji
Executive Director, VISION, Pakistan

Kaos Gey ve Lezbiyen Kültürel Araştırmalar ve Dayanışma Derneği

Flu Baykuş

SPOD Sosyal Politikalar Cinsiyet Kimliği ve Cinsel Yönelim Çalışmaları Derneği

Pembe Hayat LGBTT Derneği

Hevi LGBTI Derneği

Mersin LGBT 7 Renk Eğitim ve Araştırma Derneği

Kırmızı Şemsiye Cinsel Sağlık ve İnsan Hakları Derneği

Ah Tamara LGBTI Wan

Istanbul LGBTI Dayanışma Derneği

T-Kulüp (Transmaskülen Kültür Üretim Platformu)

Trabzon Mor Balık

HDK LGBTİ Meclisi

LGBTİ Barış Girişimi

CC:

H.E. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim
Office of the Prime Minister
Başbakanlık, 06573 Ankara, Turkey
Fax: +90 312 417 0476

Women’s Status General Director Gülser Ustaoğlu
T.C. Aile ve Sosyal Politikalar Bakanlığı
Eskişehir Yolu Söğütözü Mahallesi 2177.Sokak No:10/A
Çankaya, Ankara, Turkey
Email: gulser.ustaoglu@aile.gov.tr
Fax: +90 (312) 705 53 49

[1] See http://transrespect.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/TvT_TMM_IDAHOT2016_Tables_EN.pdf, and http://dagmedya.net/2016/08/16/dunyadaki-trans-cinayetleri-verileriturkiye-trans-cinayetinde-avrupada-1-sirada-dunyada-9/

****

PDF of Letter sent to H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, H.E. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, and Women’s Status General Director Gülser Ustaoğlu: http://www.csbronline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/CSBR_JusticeforHandeKader_31Aug2016-1.pdf

*Demand immediate investigation of the death threats*

* Demand Government stops harassment of activists organising and participating in peaceful actions *

is GOING TO the AWID Forum!

_______________________________

The Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR) is hosting two sessions at the forum:

DAY 2: 09 September, 11:30 am – 13:00 pm

Teaching participatory video: A hands-on workshop in using cellphilms for sexual rights advocacy.

Location: Ala Mar – Lobby

DAY 3: 10 September, 14:30 – 16:00.

Successful Strategies for Sexual Rights Advocacy: Building our Collective Power in Muslim Societies and Beyond

Location: Ala Mar – Gran Bahia 2

Additionally, members from the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR) are part of a number of exciting actions at the forum, including:

07 September, 9:00 – 5:00. Imagine A Feminist Internet!

08 September, 10:00 – 17:00: Solidarity with detained feminist scholar Homa Hoodfar

9 September, 7:50 am – 8:50 am: Donor/Activist Engagement Lab

9 September, 1:20 – 2:30 PM: Caucus–Gender Justice and International Human Rights

9 September, 14:30 – 16:00 Pt. 1; 16:30 – 18:00 Pt. 2: Umbrella Session on Reclaiming Democratic Spaces!

10 September, 11:30 am – 1 pm: What does solidarity look like? A cross-movement dialogue on challenging religious fundamentalisms

Day 4

11 September, 09:00 am – 12:00 pm

BDS and the intersection of feminism and national liberation struggle

11 September, 1:20 – 2:30pm: Caucus–Gender Justice & International Human Rights Pt. 2

Demand immediate investigation of the death threats