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LBTQ Caucus Statement – 8 December 2017 – Phnom Penh

CSBR had the pleasure of joining ASEAN SOGIE CAUCUS, Sayoni, UN Women Asia Pacific & Justice for Sisters to organize and facilitate a 2-day forum on lesbian, bisexual and queer women’s issues from 4-5 December 2017, ahead of the ILGA-Asia 2017 conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Over the two days, 40 or so participants joined in the discussions, personal story sharing, queer movement history mappings, and the distillation of key issues and concerns for lesbian, bisexual, trans women, trans men and queer (LBTQ) persons. A diverse group of LBTQ rights activists were represented from across Asia, including from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Lebanon, Nepal, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

The LBTQ Caucus was a first of its kind at the ILGA Asia conference, and took place due to the demands of LBQ activists to address the consistent marginalization of LBQ women’s visibility and leadership within the wider movements for LGBTIQ+ human rights.

The caucus resulted in a collaborative statement which highlights core concerns that emerged and eleven recommendations moving forward towards strengthening movements for LBTQ rights across the region.

Read the statement below and download the PDF here: LBTQ Caucus Statement 2017-Phnom Penh

__________________________________________________________________

Statement of the LBTQ CAUCUS*

8 December 2017 | Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Lesbian, bisexual, trans women, trans men, and queer persons (LBTQ) exist in all of human diversity. Our issues and concerns cut across diverse groups and communities, including other marginalized groups such as people with disabilities, refugees, migrant workers, and indigenous peoples.

LBTQ persons experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and violence in multiple spaces based on our assigned, actual, or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC). We face arbitrary persecution, socio-economic marginalization, and violation of our self-determination, sexual autonomy, and bodily integrity because of our SOGIESC. Our experiences are often invisible, silenced, and unaddressed.

Gender based violence

The multiple and intersecting layers of discrimination and violence that LBTQ persons experience are underpinned and informed by patriarchal socio-cultural, religious and familial values and structures that expect or impose heteronormative,[1] cisnormative,[2] and socially prescribed behaviors and relationships. Failure to adhere to these norms results in stigma, social exclusion, and increased vulnerability to discrimination, violence, and other forms of punishment.

Families are often sites of violence and discrimination against LBTQ persons.[3] Families can act as powerful enforcers of deeply held patriarchal values that demand of women and persons assigned female at birth to accept a subordinate place in social and familial hierarchies, and to uphold family and community interests. This becomes an integral part of the continuum of violence and discrimination that is perpetuated against LBTQ persons in public institutions and society at large.

Domestic violence and intimate partner violence within LBTQ communities remain unaddressed, due in part to a lack of data, tools, and understanding of how to respond to these forms of violence. While some community support mechanisms exist, their scale and reach remain limited. Moreover, people who experience domestic and intimate partner violence often face isolation, and are pressured to keep silent on these issues by the society at large as well as their own communities.

Criminalization

States institutionalize discrimination and violence against LBTQ persons through laws, policies, and practices, arbitrarily marking us as criminals or deviants. Across national contexts, our consensual sexual relations are criminalized, with several countries even imposing the death penalty. Increasingly, laws are also being used to criminalize and restrict our freedom of assembly, association, and expression.

Even when LBTQ persons are not criminalized, we are at heightened risk of harassment, intimidation, arbitrary arrest, or trumped-up charges by state actors with impunity. In plural legal systems, the multiple layers of anti-LBTQ norms and regulations from quasi-state and non-state legal institutions and actors add to the oppression that LBTQ persons experience and create complications in our efforts to access justice. Advocacy often focuses on how discriminatory laws and policies target gay men, which speaks of the need to expand recognition and understanding of the cascading effects of criminalization on lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender persons.

Physical, sexual, and mental health

The discrimination and violence that LBTQ persons experience impacts adversely on our physical, sexual, and mental health. Depression, substance abuse, and self-harming behaviors, even suicide, are common among LBTQ people. The lack of family and social support, and the lack of accessible health services, aggravate the effects of these problems. Medical health professionals generally lack consciousness about the health issues of LBTQ persons or are not trained to deal with us. In general, society and even LGBTIQ+ movements have failed to acknowledge the serious health dimensions of the discrimination and violence that LBTQ people experience. This includes the physical and psychological harms caused by medically unnecessary and invasive surgery on intersex people. Sexual and reproductive health rights of LBTQ peoples are still not seen as a priority concern within existing SOGIESC advocacy.

Feminist organizing and movement building

LBTQ persons continue to mobilize resistance to the discrimination and violence we face, and to protect and promote our rights across Asia. The movement for LBTQ rights is growing, and it also faces many challenges. Externally, our organizing is taking place amidst rising political authoritarianism and religious fundamentalisms, the expansion of neoliberal trade policies that increase disparities in social welfare and the feminization of poverty, as well as forced migration and displacement due to conflicts and climate change. Feminist movement building is all the more urgent in this context.

Within the broader movement for the recognition, protection, and promotion of the rights of all persons of diverse SOGIESC, the dominance of cisgender gay male leadership, discourse, and practices shapes the movement’s international and national advocacy priorities, and poses a challenge to the struggle of LBTQ persons to be visible, recognized, and respected. The use of English as a medium in practically all areas of regional and international advocacy, including communication materials, has further marginalized LBTQ people who do not speak the language.

Movement building has also been affected by funding models, results-oriented criteria, and frameworks of donor organizations that do not reflect the lived realities of LBTQ women, thereby reinforcing our marginalization. The added layer of global north organizations and networks acting as intermediaries and directing regional priorities and the flow of financial resources limits the genuine growth of grassroots and global south led initiatives, and maintains existing disparities. Global resource reviews from 2013-2015 showed that funding for lesbians makes up 3-5% and for bisexuals less than 1% of the total funding for LGBTIQ+ organizations outside the United States.[4] There is a critical need to review existing donor frameworks and to address the significant funding gap for global south LBTQ organizing.

LBTQ persons continue to experience resistance to integrating our concerns within other movements. Our concerns are still perceived as “too political” or “too controversial”, potentially jeopardizing the progress of the feminist, development and human rights agenda.

LBTQ human rights defenders

Presently LBTQ human rights defenders face increased threats, intimidation, censorship and persecution within a context of rising state crackdowns on human rights organizing across the region. In some contexts, there is no protection at all for human rights defenders. This has created fertile ground for collusion between state and non-state actors to proceed with impunity in targeting LGBTIQ+ people and communities. While some data exists,[5] there remains a clear gap in our understandings of the nature and expanse of threats specifically against LBTQ human rights defenders.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Guiding Principles. In the adoption of measures and interventions to eliminate discrimination and violence against LBTQ and to address our needs and concerns, state and non-state actors should uphold the right to self-determination, autonomy and bodily integrity of LBTQ persons. Participation of LBTQ persons and communities in the revision or creation of legislation and programs must be a priority. Our human rights must be respected, protected, and promoted at all times.

Decriminalization. States should work toward repealing all laws criminalizing LBTQ persons based on assigned, actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or consensual sexual acts. This includes all laws criminalizing and restricting freedom of assembly, association, and expression of LGBT groups and the work of human rights defenders.

Legal protection from gender-based violence, discrimination and mechanisms for redress. States should pass comprehensive anti-discrimination and other appropriate laws that explicitly include protections for all forms of discrimination and violence on the basis of SOGIESC. Domestic violence laws should cover diverse forms of families, relationships, and violence. Governments should also explore alternative redress and support mechanisms beyond criminalization, particularly at the municipal levels. Community-driven prevention and support mechanisms, including targeted social services for LBTQ people, should be budgeted for, established and made accessible.

Legal gender recognition. Governments and communities should work toward the legal recognition and affirmation of trans people’s gender identity, based on self-determination and bodily autonomy, without mandating medical interventions.

Review international human rights norms and standards. The sex and gender binary of male and female and the heteronormative framework of many international human rights standards need to be reviewed, including in CEDAW documents.

Documentation and research. Documentation and research on varied forms of discrimination, lived experiences and needs of LBTQ persons and human rights defenders is imperative, using feminist and participatory framework and methodology. Research should be action-oriented, and produce disaggregated data based on gender identity and intersecting groupings.

Addressing physical, sexual, and mental health issues. LBTQ people’s experiences of physical, sexual, and mental health issues must be heard and define any interventions to be made. Health care and support service professionals need to be provided appropriate training in order to enact sensitive and gender-responsive approaches to LBTQ persons’ health needs, without necessarily medicalizing or pathologizing our concerns. Comprehensive and accessible healthcare information and services for LBTQ people, including friendly and affirming sexual reproductive health services and counseling, must be established and integrated in national healthcare systems.

Education. Gender, SOGIESC, and comprehensive sexual health and rights education should be introduced and integrated in school curricula.

Political participation. Affirmative measures designed to increase the political participation of LBTQ persons in community, government and international processes and institutions, including measures designed to ensure that the LBTQ people are represented in elective positions, must be adopted.

Movement building. Movement building is critical in empowering LBTQ people and enhancing our capacity to take action to address the discrimination and violence we experience and to transform social attitudes towards us. Grassroots LBTQ community-led initiatives must be supported as the foundation of building effective and sustainable movements for the protection and promotion of our human rights. Responsive budgeting and financial commitments should be made to ensure meaningful participation and language justice for diverse LBTQ persons, including on the basis of disability and language accessibility.

Funding, Donor and Program priorities. Consistent with the principles of participation and self-determination, donors, women’s rights, human rights, development, and LGBTIQ+ organizations must ensure that decisions on funding LBTQ groups and projects targeting LBTQ issues are made after consultations with the affected LBTQ groups or communities. Projects must be implemented in partnership with us, with a practical and applied commitment to accountability, transparency, and LBTQ led organizing.

* This statement emerged from a 2-day forum focusing on lesbian, bisexual and queer women’s needs, organized by ASEAN SOGIE Caucus (ASC), Sayoni, UN Women Asia Pacific, Justice for Sisters & the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR) and supported by OutRight Action International and ILGA Asia. For the caucus, women is based on self-determination, and includes intersex, transgender, cisgender and all who identify as women. The LBTQ Caucus was held from 4-5 December 2017, in advance of the ILGA-Asia regional conference which ran from 6-8 December 2017 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Notes

[1] Heteronormativity refers to the assumption that all persons are heterosexual; practices and norms of heterosexual persons form the dominant narrative.

[2] Cisnormativity refers to the assumption that all persons are cisgender and norms of cisgender persons apply. Cisgender persons refer to persons whose sex and gender ‘match’ or persons whose lived experiences match the assigned identities at birth.

[3] Violence: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Trans People in Asia (2014); Negative Family Treatment of Sexual Minority Women and Transmen in Vietnam: Latent Classes and Their Predictors (2015); Research Report on Opinions, Attitudes and Behavior toward the LGBT Population in Cambodia (2015); Cambodians’ Attitudes Toward LGBT Surveyed (2015); Hitting Close to Home: Homophobia and Transphobia In Asia = Family Violence (2016).

[4] Global Resource Report: Government and Philanthropic Support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Communities (2014) ; LGBT Grantmaking by US Foundations (2015)

[5] Violence: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Trans People in Asia (2014)

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

Students hit the road to fight street harassment in Kuala Lumpur – in pictures

On a global day of action for sexual and bodily rights in Muslim societies, Malaysian students stood against harassment in public spaces.

The organising team from Sisters in Islam sported shirts reading “Muslim Women Speak.” Credit: CSBR.

“Cats are cute, catcalls are not”; “Don’t keep calm and stop sexual harassment”; “My name is not baby.” These were some of the slogans on signs floating above a group of about 40 people gathered at Petaling Jaya city council square, in greater Kuala Lumpur last month.

The university students and activists chose to highlight fights against street harassment in the Malaysian capital as part of the annual ‘One Day One Struggle’ campaign, on 9 November, organised by the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies.

Armed with audio samples of common verbal insults and catcalls, they invited passersby to listen, share their own experiences, and show support for the anti-harassment campaign.

“Cats are cute, catcalls are not”

One of the organisers Andi Suraidah said the action was inspired by “rising awareness as a result of #MeToo campaign globally.” She said: “The time could not have been better to ride on the campaign by bringing it to the local level.”

“As a woman, being harassed on the street is not uncommon,” she said, describing having to wear “clothes that will attract less attention” and “assessing my surrounding consistently when going out alone.”

She added: “The experience of harassment could even be worse, depending on which race or religion you belong to, if you do not fit within the stereotype of male/female framework; these elements give harassers extra bullets to attack you with.”

Credit: Empower Malaysia.

University of Malaya students conducted a survey with 113 respondents on campus. 80% said that they had experienced sexual harassment in public spaces before.

There is little official data on street harassment in Malaysia. There are statistics on gender-based violence, but street harassment specifically is poorly documented.

Credit: Sisters in Islam.

Activists participating in the anti-street harassment action posed for a photo. One member of the team captured it on video.

Sisters in Islam, one of the organising groups, is a leading Malaysian organisation advocating for women’s rights within the framework of Islam and human rights.

Credit: Sisters in Islam.

Passersby were intrigued by the campaign. Some stopped to listen to audio samples prepared by students with examples of common verbal insults and catcalls.

This creative tactic was designed to encourage reflection and conversations on how one could respond and intervene when witnessing street harassment.

Credit: Sisters in Islam

University students talk to members of the public collecting pledges to combat street harassment.

The action engaged passersby to think of everyday personal actions they could take to build a culture of respect.

Credit: Sisters in Islam

Sisters in Islam staff member Zaffan Ariffin acted as a ‘group leader’ for five university students talking to the public to raise awareness against street harassment during the action.

They used sandwich boards to highlight unwanted sexual advances that women commonly hear on the streets.

Credit: CSBR

Volunteers hold signs asking drivers to “Honk if you’re against sexual harassment”!

Suraidah, one of the organisers, said tackling mindsets is one strategy against street harassment. Another is anti-discrimination law and policy.

Credit: CSBR

The organising team from Sisters in Islam sported shirts reading “Muslim Women Speak.”

The group aims to amplify women’s rights within the frameworks of Islam, universal human rights, and democratic politics.

______

By: Rima Athar and Bérengère Sim

About the authors: Rima Athar is coordinator of the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies. Bérengère Sim is a journalist based in Paris.

Re-Posted from: 50.50 Open Democracy, published 8 December 2017.

CSBR Featured, News on Sexual & Bodily Rights, Statements

Joint Statement: EU must ensure its humanitarian aid to war victims upholds their right to non-discriminatory medical care in line with IHL

CSBR joined over 90 international NGOs to call for the provision of non-discriminatory medical and sexual & reproductive health services in conflict settings under international humanitarian law (IHL), including access to safe abortion. Read the letter below, and download the PDF here: via Global Justice Center.

————————–

H.E. Federica Mogherini

High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission

H.E. Christos Stylianides

Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management European Commission

1049 Brussels, Belgium

23 November, 2017

Re: The EU must ensure its humanitarian aid to war victims upholds their right to non-discriminatory medical care in line with IHL

Dear Vice-President Mogherini and Commissioner Stylianides,

In September 2015, the European Commission laudably took a historic step in making clear that women and girls raped in armed conflict deserve equal medical protection under international humanitarian law (IHL). In response to Members of the European Parliament, you stated:

“In cases where the pregnancy threatens a woman’s or a girl’s life or causes unbearable suffering, international humanitarian law and/or international human rights law may justify offering a safe abortion rather than perpetuating what amounts to inhumane treatment. Women and girls who are pregnant as a result of rape should first receive appropriate and comprehensive information and be provided access to the full range of sexual and reproductive health services.”[1]

Previously, the European Union’s position was that national abortion laws in conflict countries–not IHL–govern the scope of available care for women and girls in conflict settings. In 2015, the EU joined a growing chorus of human rights advocates, legal experts, United Nations bodies and national governments to acknowledge the primacy of IHL in conflict, including when it comes to safe abortion. [2] The European Commission’s latest position also received wide cross-party support in a number of parliamentary resolutions and several Member States have voiced their support for this policy for its compliance with IHL. Unfortunately, since 2015, no steps have been taken to implement this policy.

Women and girls continue to be denied care, including abortions, in humanitarian settings, even where rape is routinely used as a weapon of war. In light of increasing attacks on their right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, largely driven by a dangerous anti-abortion ideology in the United States, now is a

critical time for the EU to shift its position from paper to practice. Since the EU, a long with its Member

States, is the largest humanitarian aid donor in the world, it holds a unique responsibility to ensure international medical protocol follows the principle of non-discrimination enshrined in IHL.

We therefore request that the European Commission make clear that international law–not politics–determines the right to medical care of women and girls affected by armed conflict, and take the following steps:

• Issue a memorandum to your humanitarian partners and grantees to inform them of your updated policy concerning safe abortions for war rape victims, IHL’s protections for medical personnel, and the primacy of IHL in armed conflict settings.

• Develop a monitoring framework together with your humanitarian partners and grantees to ensure IHL obligations are met, and specifically that women and girls receive appropriate care, including the provision of safe abortion under the conditions set out in your policy.

• Ensure EU funds are kept separate from US humanitarian funds in all accounts, and as separate from any other donor funds that may prevent EU aid from being administered in full compliance with IHL.

We urge you to take decisive action and thank you for your attention to this important matter.

1. Action Aid

2. Actions des Femmes pour les Droits et le Développement (DRC)

3. AdvocAid (Sierra Leone)

4. AFFORD (United Kingdom)

5. Afghan Women Skills Development Center (Afghanistan)

6. Africa Development Interchange Network (Cameroon)

7. Alliance for Choice Northern Ireland (United Kingdom)

8. Arab Women’s Solidarity Association (Belgium)

9. Association des Femmes Juristes de Centrafrique (CAR)

10. Association Française des Femmes Médecins (France)

11. Association of War Affected Women (Sri Lanka)

12. Awaj Foundation (Bangladesh)

13. Baghdad Women Association (Iraq)

14. CAFSO-WRAG for Development (Nigeria)

15. Cameroon Youths and Students Forum for Peace (Cameroon)

16. CARE International (Belgium)

17. Catholics for Choice (USA)

18. Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (Uganda)

19. Center for Reproductive Rights (USA)

20. Choice for Youth and Sexuality (The Netherlands)

21. Civil Society Coalition on Migration and Development (Nigeria)

22. Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies

23. Darfur Bar Association (Sudan)

24. Dutch CEDAW Network (Netherlands)

25. Encadrement des Femmes Indigènes et des Ménanges vulnérables (DRC)

26. European Network of Migrant Women

27. European NGOs for Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights (Belgium)

28. European Women’s Lobby

29. Eyzidi Documentation Center (Iraq)

30. Face Past for Future Foundation (Uganda)

31. Facilitating Peace (USA)

32. Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l’homme (FIDH)

33. FemJust (USA)

34. Finnish Refugee Council (Finland)

35. FOKUS-Forum for Women and Development (Norway)

36. Global Justice Center

37. Global Network of Women Peacebuilders

38. Human Rights Watch

39. Humanitarian Assistance for the Women and Children of Afghanistan

40. IMA Research Foundation (Bangladesh)

41. INGWEE (Belgium)

42. International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion

43. International Centre for Eritrean Refugees and Asylum Seekers (United Kingdom)

44. International Planned Parenthood Federation (European Network)

45. International Rescue Committee

46. International Youth Alliance for FamilyPlanning

47. Ipas (USA)

48. Iraqi Al-Amal Association (Iraq)

49. Iraqi Women Network (Iraq)

50. Johanniter International Assistance (Germany)

51. Kins of Africa for Development and Reintegration (Nigeria)

52. Kvinnefronten i Norge (Norway)

53. Le Fonds pour les Femmes Congolaises (DRC)

54. Lietuvos etninių grupių moterų verslininkių draugija (Lithuania)

55. Madre (USA)

56. Médecins du Monde (France)

57. Medica Mondiale (Germany)

58. Medical Women’s International Association

59. Melissa Network of Migrant Women (Greece)

60. Migrant Women Association (Malta)

61. Movimiento Amplio de Mujeres de Puerto Rico (USA)

62. Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (Iraq)

63. Pacific Women’s Indigenous Networks (New Zealand)

64. PAIMAN Alumni Trust (Pakistan)

65. Physicians for Human Rights

66. Plan International

67. Povod (Slovenia)

68. Radha Paudel Foundation (Nepal)

69. Riksförbundet För Sexuell Upplysning (Sweden)

70. Rutgers (Netherlands)

71. Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP (Nigeria)

72. Solidarité Féminine pour la paix et le développement Intégral (DRC)

73. Synergie des femmes pour les victimes de violences sexuelles (DRC)

74. TAPEPUKA (United Kingdom)

75. Tiye International (Netherlands)

76. WO=MEN, Dutch Gender Platform (Netherlands)

77. Women for Afghan Women (USA)

78. Women Now For Development (Syria)

79. Women Peace Network–Arakan (Myanmar)

80. Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (Philippines)

81. Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights Africa (Tanzania)

82. Women’s League for International Peace and Freedom (Ghana section)

83. Women’s League of Burma (Myanmar)

84. Women’s Promotion Center (Tanzania)

85. Women’s Rights Centre (Armenia)

86. World Organisation Against Torture

87. Yazda (United Kingdom)

88. Yemen Organization For Defending Rights & Democratic Freedoms (Yemen)

89. Yemeni Women Network (Yemen)

90. YouAct (United Kingdom)

91. Y-PEER (Bulgaria)

CC:

– Monique Pariat, Director General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection

– Frans Timmermans, First Vice-President of the European Commission

– Neven Mimica, European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development

[1] See response by the European Commission (September 11, 2015), available at:

http://globaljusticecenter.net/documents/Mogherini%20response%20Sept%202015.pdf

[2] See for example United Nations Global Study on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (October 2015), “Exclusion of one medical service, abortion, from the comprehensive medical care provided to the wounded and sick in armed conflict, where such service is needed by only one gender, is a violation not only of the right to medical care but also of the prohibition on “adverse distinction” found in common Article 3, the Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions and customary international law. Importantly, it is also in violation of international human rights law. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) has specified that “it is discriminatory for a State party to refuse to legally provide for the performance of certain reproductive health services for women”. For a compilation of references, including country positions related to protected medical care under IHL, including safe abortion please see:

http://globaljusticecenter.net/documents/IHLandAbortionCitations.pdf

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Video: Sustainable Development Goals & LGBTI+ Organizing in Turkey – WWHR & Lambdaistanbul

Want to understand more about the intersections between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and gender equality? Then take a look at Women for Women’s Human Rights (WWHR)–New Ways’ new video series on the topic: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnsmoVllXaROEw1KJWSr7Ow!

WWHR launched the fourth video as part of this years’ #OneDayOneStruggle campaign (ODOS), interviewing with Sedef Cakmak from Lambdaistanbul on current challenges and opportunities for organizing for LGBTI+ rights in Turkey and how we can link with the SDG framework.

* * * * *

Lambdaistanbul is a volunteer run organization that was formed in Istanbul in 1993, right after the city governor banned the Christopher Street Parade that was supposed to be held in July 1993. Learn more about Lambdaistanbul here: http://www.lambdaistanbul.org/s/

* * * * *

Since its establishment in Turkey in 1993, WWHR-New Ways has worked to support the active and broad participation of women in the establishment and maintenance of a democratic, egalitarian and peaceful social order as free individuals and equal citizens at national, regional and international levels. Learn more about WWHR here: http://www.wwhr.org/

* * * * *

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CSBR at the RRRAP Summit: Rights, Resources and Resilience in Asia Pacific

CSBR was at the Rights, Resources and Resilience in Asia Pacific (RRRAP) Summit, hosted by APCOM in Bangkok from 13-15 November 2017. The RRRAP Summit was an opportunity to reflect on the gains and shifts of the last 10 years of organizing and advocacy to end HIV and improve community health outcomes with a focus on key populations, and new strategies for moving ahead.

Prior to the Summit, APCOM hosted the HERO awards, recognizing community advocates across the region who have been defining leaders in movements for rights and recognition. It was a great night for recognition of the groundbreaking work of activists across Muslim societies, including Khartini Slamah, whose 30+ years of activism has re-shaped support for transgender communities and sex workers’ rights across Malaysia and Asia Pacific.

Our member Bandhu Social Welfare Society was honoured in the Community Organization category, for their over 20 years of leading work as a provider of HIV programs, sexual health services and human rights advocacy throughout Bangladesh.

Bandhu_HeroAwards2017 — *Shale Ahmed, Bandhu Social Welfare Society*

Our Advisory Committee member Dede Oetomo, in his role as APCOM’s Chair, opened & closed the Summit, and presented across multiple sessions on the work of Indonesian civil society in engaging cross-sector collaborations, including faith-based organizations, to further protection, recognition and respect for people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.

Our Coordinator, Rima Athar, presented on a Side Event on “The Uncivil Society”: Of Priviledge, Exclusion and the Work of Social Justice for All”, and on the third day’s Plenary, “From Evolution to Revolution: Merging Movements Towards Broader Social Justice And Change”, alongside groups including Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers (APNSW), UNAIDS Asia Pacific, ILGA-Asia, and Asia Pacific Network of People Using Drugs (ANPUD).

Rima’s contributions explored the language, questions and practices of solidarity & inclusion to strengthen cross-movement collaborations between those focused on HIV & key populations in Asia Pacific, and wider human rights movements, including women’s rights, sexual and reproductive health rights, economic justice and environmental justice as part of the larger ecosystem impacting community health and rights.

CSBR_RimaAthar-RRRAPSummit — *Rima Athar, CSBR*

*3rd Day Plenary speakers left-to-right: Bandhu Social Welfare Society, UNAIDS Asia Pacific, APCOM, CSBR, APNSW, ANPUD, and ILGA-Asia*

Over the three days, over 300 advocates from the region participated in the conversations, ranging from community activists and regional networks, to funders, UN departments and government officials. The Summit highlighted challenges faced by civil society organisations and human rights advocates, opportunities to strengthen resourcing for our organizations, followed by a community forum and strategic planning process to develop stronger and more inclusive strategies moving forward.

Photo Credits: APCOM

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Stress management, burnout prevention, and self-care – Reflections from Nazariya, a Queer Feminist Resource Group | ODOS2017

Nazariya_Logo

___________

9 November 2017

Reflections on Stress Management, Burnout Prevention, and Self-Care

Context

Mental illness is a growing area of interest in India, where about 60 million people are estimated to struggle with some form of mental illness.[1] In spite of such numbers there exists an overwhelming treatment gap; funds allocated to treat mental health problems in national health budgets are disproportionately small in relation to the serious health consequences they pose: the WHO estimates that for every 100,000 people in India, there are only 0.3 psychiatrists, 0.12 nurses, 0.07 psychologists, and 0.07 social workers.[2] With such numbers, the current reality of the situation regarding mental health care services in India is dire. Services and access are limited not only by the scarcity of resources but also by the prohibitive cost. The existing services, particularly in terms of regular psychotherapy and not just prescriptions, are usually only available in urban areas to those who can afford them.

Such services are not only self selective of an urban, upper middle class clientele, but are also heavily bound by heteronormative norms. Mental health care and mental health care practitioners in India are largely unaware of the intersectionality of the field in terms of catering specifically to minority and historically oppressed populations. In the case of the population marginalized on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation, members of the queer community face significant familial, societal, and legal discrimination on the basis of their identity in addition to the stresses brought on by everyday life such as work, relationships, and peer pressure. Homophobia, transphobia, staying in the closet (i.e., concealing one’s identity), and coming out are only a few examples of stressors that take a heavy toll on mental health. Mental wellbeing is severely impacted by the intersection of gender, sexuality, caste, socioeconomic status, and other identities, and it is important that this is recognized and addressed in an appropriate manner.

Nazariya and Our Response

Nazariya is a New Delhi based queer feminist resource group that was formed in October 2014 by a group of queer feminist activists. It was started to sensitize the work and culture of groups and individuals working on issues of gender based violence, livelihoods, education, and health from a queer perspective through research & evaluations, capacity building, and advocacy. We use the word “queer” for people who have diverse gender identities and sexual orientations. A queer perspective helps build links between issues of people marginalized on the basis of gender and sexuality, and the existing work on violence, livelihoods, education, and health in order to impact the discourse on pleasure, desire, rights, and entitlements.

Over the last three months, Nazariya has been engaging with the concept of mental healthcare as a process that extends far beyond clinical diagnoses or prescriptions. Various factors in our personal and professional lives can lead to chronic and acute stress, anxiety, fatigue, burnout, tension headaches, and other issues. Mental health is a vital component of our overall well being, and it is therefore important to develop and learn healthy coping styles for the different stressors that impact us. Given the paucity of resources in our country, it is imperative for us to build community initiatives that focus on mental well-being.

So far, we have hosted two stress management and burnout prevention workshops in partnership with Talking About Reproductive and Sexual Health Issues (TARSHI): a non-residential 4-day workshop for the LBT*FAB (Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer women and Trans*[3] individuals assigned female at birth) community in New Delhi and a residential 2-day workshop human rights defenders/activists working on issues of gender and violence across North India.

Our first workshop was restricted to the LBT*FAB community within the overall queer spectrum of identities in order to provide an intentional space that recognized the additional stress that arises out of the intersection of gender identity and sexual orientation. As the only LBT*FAB organization in North India, Nazariya wanted to highlight the needs of the AFAB (assigned gender female at birth) and transmen community which are largely ignored, even within the queer movement.

Our second workshop focused on human rights defenders, social workers, activists, and educationists who work within the issues of gender, sexuality, and gender based violence. Individuals within this field are often subject to a great deal of stress and burnout. A part of this sector ourselves, this could be a result of the unjust environment that we work in, criticism that we face from others for the work we do, the emergency situations we handle, and not fulfilling expectations and achieving standard that we set for ourselves. When work revolves around the care and welfare of others in such an environment, self-care is often compromised.

As a response to these issues and needs, both workshops functioned on a non-medical model with an emphasis on simple stress management techniques that can be practiced individually without any additional equipment/resources necessary.

Reflections from the Workshop

In both the workshops, our discussions often focused on the importance of self-care as we responded to participants’ expectations of the workshop and their reasons for participating. LBT*FAB participants reported struggling with self acceptance, fears of rejection based on their identity, and isolation. The activists and human rights defenders mostly reported wanting to learn how to better manage their stress and work/life balance. Overwhelmingly, however, the participants of this workshop also mentioned their interest in the workshop because they wanted to carry forth their learning into their casework/fieldwork and improve their counselling skills with their clients. This focus on the care and welfare for others even within a workshop meant to focus on the individual demonstrated to us the need for conversations on self-care.

All participants, LBT*FAB and activists, were quick to agree that self-care is a feminist issue because it calls on women and individuals serving the community to consciously and deliberately take the time to focus on themselves. This is often at odds with societal expectations of women, who are expected to take care of and nurture others, and caseworkers/activists, who are expected to be on call 24/7. As feminists, as activists, and as individuals, we are aware of the importance of self-care and advocate for it but have a hard time committing to it ourselves. Many participants admitted to feeling guilt or shame when they took time out for themselves because there is always the thought that they could be “doing something useful” with this time.

Participants in both workshops also were unanimous in their opinion that there is a lack of community space and support to be able to speak and reflect openly on such unique stressors and experiences. LBT*FAB participants spoke about feeling invisible or silenced within larger queer spaces and the activists/caseworkers reported a complete lack of avenues speak about their experiences, especially when boundaries between work and life are constantly blurred. It is therefore imperative to keep creating spaces where people can share their experiences, speak out about the stressors they battle, and have a support system that understands that self-care is not a luxury, but a necessity.

_____________

Notes

[1] http://www.indiaspend.com/cover-story/nearly-60-million-indians-suffer-from-mental-disorders-68507

[2] http://www.searo.who.int/india/topics/mental_health/about_mentalhealth/en/

[3] Trans* is an umbrella term for transgender people, genderqueer people, or people who do not conform to notions of gender assigned to them at birth.

[4] All pictures courtesy of Nazariya.

[5] This piece is published on the occasion of #OneDayOneStruggle 2017, as part of the campaign for sexual and bodily rights as human rights, coordinated by CSBR.

____

For more information on Nazariya, see: https://nazariyaqfrg.wordpress.com/

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

One Day One Struggle 2017 – Bigger & Brighter than ever!

Every 9 November communities around the world come together in celebration of sexual and bodily rights as human rights, as part of the One Day One Struggle! campaign (ODOS), coordinated by the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR).

Running 9 years in a row, ODOS 2017 is bigger and brighter than ever with actions planned by groups across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Turkey and Uganda!

See a brief listing of the planned actions below, and keep up with us on Twitter (@SexBodyRights, #OneDayOneStruggle) and Facebook (facebook.com/CSBRonline) on November 9th for more details and updates as the actions occur!

* * * * *

AFGHANISTAN

In Afghanistan, sexual and reproductive health advocates are holding a workshop with women university students to discuss sexual health and negotiating healthy relationships.

BANGLADESH

In Bangladesh, Bandhu Social Welfare Society is hosting a sensitization discussion with journalists to discuss how to improve reporting and coverage of third gender rights in Bangladesh.

Bandhu started its journey in 1996, and after 20 years, Bandhu is sincerely continuing to serve the communities with undivided commitment and is paving the way for obtaining their social justice, equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Find out more: http://www.bandhu-bd.org/

EGYPT

Building on last year’s action on bodily integrity and autonomy, Nazra for Feminist Studies is holding an interactive online campaign on “Prejudgement”.

“Pre-judgement” highlights the social stigmatization of bodies that transgress the social norms and rules relating to imposed concepts of masculinity and femininity. For this year’s campaign, Nazra opened a call for submissions for personal reflections, writings and graphics about people’s relationships to their bodies; the extent to which community-based stigma and social policies impact that relationships, whether on a physical or psychological level; and how individuals overcome and negotiate their bodily autonomy and integrity.

On 9 November 2017, the submissions will be shared online through Nazra’s website: http://nazra.org/ and Facebook: @Nazra.for.Feminist.Studies, using the hashtag #حكم_مسبق .

INDIA

Building on their work on self-care and well-being for lesbian, bisexual and trans people assigned female at birth, Nazariya is publishing a reflective piece detailing some of the lessons and insights for strengthening movements for queer justice moving forward.

Nazariya is a Delhi-based resource group that was established in 2014, which works towards affirming the rights of queer people (LBT) by making visible their lives and creating an enabling environment where queer lived realities is a non negotiable and informs the work and discourse of organizations and institutions. Find out more about Nazariya here: https://nazariyaqfrg.wordpress.com/

INDONESIA

In Indonesia, on 9 November GAYa NUSANTARA begins a documentary film project that explores transgender Muslims’ experiences and perspectives on faith, gender and sexuality. The film will be launched at the end of the month through community screenings and online as a resource.

Qbukatabu is a new collective formed in March 2017 to establish an Indonesian language online resource center on sexuality. Each month Qbukatabu produce new content amplifying feminist and queer perspectives: November’s theme is “Terlahir Kembali”, or “Reborn”.

On 9 November, Qbukatabu is taking to social media to amplify women and transpeople’s perspectives on bodily autonomy, including the moments when struggle is transformed through thought, action, and embodied meaning.

Keep an eye out for pop-media content throughout the day, including articles, videos, and interviews on Qbukatabu’s Instagram, Twitter & Facebook. Follow along with the hashtags #ODOS2017ID, #1Hari1Perjuangan, #ODOSLahirKembali #QbukaODOS.

KAZAKHSTAN

In Kazakhstan, Feminita – the Kazakh Feminist Initiative – created a video of personal reflections from two activists on the importance of solidarity that cut across identity politics, especially in times of rising stigmatization, discrimination and violence against women who defy the norms; whether through their sexuality or religion or cultural background. Stay tuned for the launch!

KYRGYZSTAN

In Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek Feminist Initiative along with teenage magazine Boktukorgon, will launch a video in support of bodily autonomy and self-expression in Kyrgyzstan. The video shows the double edges of dress code regulations, and the stigma and discrimination women and girls face, whether they wear a hijab or shorts. Stay tuned for the launch!

A group of community organizers in Kyrgyzstan will be holding a two day event, including a film screening and a discussion on the theme of faith & sexuality.

MALAYSIA

Women’s Aid Organisation is taking the conversation online to challenge the policing of women’s dress in Malaysia, which has seen a spike since April 2017 when women lawyers being stopped from entering court because their below-the-knee skirts were deemed “indecent” by security guards. Follow Women’s Aid Organisation on Facebook @womens.aid.org, Twitter @womensaidorg and Instagram @womensaidorg and amplify the conversation!

PAKISTAN

In Pakistan, VISION along with the United Nations Information Center (UNIC) and the National Human Rights Commission of Pakistan is hosting a screening of the documentary “My Body My Right”, followed by a policy discussion to strengthen the human rights perspective in the proposed Protection of Transgender Persons Bill, which was introduced in September 2017.

The panelists include: Honorable Senator Ms. Sitara Ayaz, head of the Senate’s Sub-Committee on reviewing the bills on protection of female transgender; Honorable member NCHR Mr. Chaudary Shafique; and Honorable Director General Human Rights Mohammad Arshad from Ministry of Law and Human Rights. “My Body, My Right”, showcases the efforts of transgender women from three districts: Mardan, Multan and Rawalpindi, who participated in VISION’s participatory street theatre program and developed performances based on their lived realities, in Urdu and Pashto. There were 28 performances of this street theater in the above districts in 2016, some of which were performed as part of ODOS 2016.

Creative Alley is publishing an article on the theme of love, sexual and reproductive health and disability.

Creative Alley is a Lahore based initiative that provides a platform for those who believe in themselves and feel they have what it takes to be in the limelight. Creative Alley seeks out young, enthusiastic, people who want to come up front and reveal themselves–people who can be handed a mic, given a stage, an audience and last but not least a chance! Stay tuned!

Learn more about Creative Alley here: https://www.facebook.com/CreativeAlleyHQ/

Forum for Dignity Initiative will launch a video amplifying transwomen’s perspectives on bodily autonomy and community leadership. FDI is a rights-based organization in Islamabad that strives for an equitable society for transgender people, sex workers, and girls and young women. Read more about FDI here: https://www.fdipakistan.org/.

PHILIPPINES

The Philippines is set to pass national level legislation against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity this year, which is the result of country wide mobilization. Building on their work through ODOS in the past five years, PILIPINA Legal Resources Center (PLRC) along with PILIPINA Davao will be holding a public lecture and policy discussion workshop to strengthen support for sexual & bodily rights as human rights amongst the women’s movement in the Philippines. This includes support for the national level legislation, as well as the implementing rules and regulations of the Davao municipal legislation.

TURKEY

Women for Women’s Human Rights-New Ways (WWHR) and LAMBDA Istanbul joined forces to create a video advocating for the holistic integration of LGBTIQ rights in human rights based work, as part of WWHR’s ongoing ongoing video series targeted towards civil society organizations (CSOs) working in fields such as education, environment, climate change, youth and SRHR.

Through this project, WWHR aims to empower the cross-sectoral alliances among CSOs, while also documenting on-going efforts and initiatives towards realizing the SDGs in diverse fields.

UGANDA

Safe spaces for young women and girls to discuss sexual violence are few and far between. As part of opening such spaces and fostering community support, Islamic Women’s Initiative for Justice, Law and Peace (IWILAP) is holding round table discussion with young Muslim women on sexual harassment, sexual violence and rape. After the round-table IWILAP will support girls to strategize how they can best raise awareness and lead change to speak out against gender-based violence in their communities.

ACROSS CONTEXTS

This year, CSBR and IWRAW-Asia Pacific are co-hosting a Twitter chat on advocating for #SafeandLegal abortion through the human rights framework, this 9 November 2017, from 5pm – 6.30pm (GMT+8). Mark your calendars and join us!

We’ll be in conversation with the Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW), Aware Girls (Pakistan), Women’s Aid Organization (Malaysia), RESURJ, Hidden-Pockets Collective (India), Rutgers WPF Indonesia, Balance AC (Mexico), and Fondo MARIA.

* * * * *

As always, our greatest appreciation to the efforts of the organizers and participants of the campaign!

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

EIPR demands the immediate release of detainees and warns against violations in detention EIPR calls on the media to halt its hate speech and incitement against LGBTQI individuals

Press Release

متوفر بالعربية

Wednesday, 4 October, 2017

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) condemns the ongoing crackdown targeting LGBTQI individuals, or those perceived to be, that began on September 22 after some audience members at a concert in Cairo raised the rainbow flag, known to symbolize sexual diversity and acceptance of all genders. Since the campaign began at least 57 individuals have been arrested in Cairo and a number of other governorates (the number now stands at 54). Little evidence exists to link the overwhelming majority of those arrested to the incident at the concert let alone the fact that the act itself is not punishable by law. Sexual relations between two consenting same-sex adults should also not be considered a punishable offense.EIPR also condemns the lack of guarantees of due process and fair trial for those arrested, particularly the refusal to allow detainees to contact their families and lawyers and the speedy referral of cases to court without adequate time for the defense to review police reports or investigation records. Detainees have also been subjected to various forms of violations while in detention.

Finally, EIPR condemns the parallel campaign in Egyptian media that employs a discourse of hate and discrimination to incite against a segment of Egyptian citizens based on their sexuality. EIPR calls on the media to demonstrate a minimum degree of professionalism and moral responsibility.

Unprecedented crackdown and massive violations

The crackdown started when a small number of people waved the rainbow flag, recognized commonly as a symbol of sexual diversity and acceptance of all genders, during a concert by Lebanese band Mashrou’ Leila at one of Cairo’s biggest malls on September 22. After the concert, photos circulated on social networking websites and several media figures, as well as political and religious personalities joined voices against those who were assumed to have waved the flag. In response to this incitement, police forces arrested dozens of individuals — who are either LGBTQI or perceived to be — most of whom have no link to the concert whatsoever, in the most vicious clampdown of its kind in two decades.

EIPR documented at least 57 arrests in Cairo, Giza, Ismailia, South Sinai and Damietta. The majority of those arrested are facing charges of “habitual debauchery,” or “promoting debauchery,” in accordance with articles 9 and 10 of Egypt’s anti-prostitution and debauchery law 10/1961. Others face charges of facilitating debauchery, and two face charges of joining an outlawed group that aims to disrupt the provisions of the Constitution and the law through inciting “deviancy.” Remarkably, a number of these individuals have already been found guilty of charges and 10 defendants in 9 cases have received harsh prison sentences, ranging from one to six years.

Police forces are continuing their campaign to arrest individuals assumed to have been involved in waving the rainbow flag. Starting at 9 pm Monday, up until the writing of this statement, police were still raiding homes.

Security forces arrested both Ahmed Alaa and Ali Farag in Damietta, and transferred them to the Damietta police precinct, from where Farag was later released. Before his release, Farag was questioned by a National Security Agency officer about his involvement in the flag waving “incident,” and was asked about his knowledge of others who may have been involved. Sarah Hegazy was also arrested in Cairo simultaneously. Hegazy and Alaa were both interrogated on Monday morning at the Supreme State Security Prosecution, and were charged with joining outlawed groups that aim to disrupt the provisions of the Constitution and the law, as mentioned above. The police also raided the homes of a number of other women suspected to have participated in waving the flag, but who escaped arrest as they weren’t home at the time.

“We are sure that the scale of the crackdown is much larger than we know. Every single time lawyers have been to the prosecution, or to court, they have discovered more arrests than they expected. They also noticed that all of those arrested, either through online entrapment, or from LGBTQI friendly spaces, were being interrogated in separate cases,” says EIPR executive director Gasser Abdel-Razek.

The arrests, interrogations and indictments are all replete with blatant violations of the right to a fair trial and its guarantees, as stipulated by the Constitution and international conventions that have been ratified by successive Egyptian governments. In particular, EIPR expresses its deep concern at the rapid referral of these cases to court, without enabling defendants to exercise their constitutional rights to contact their families and choose their lawyers.

“They wanted to refer the arrested to court so quickly, that the prosecution referred some cases to divisions that have no competent jurisdiction, which they pointed out,” explains Alaa Farouk EIPR’s lawyer.

In at least one case, the public prosecutor’s office referred a minor to the Misdemeanor court. Ahmed Hossam, the human rights lawyer who attended the inquiry recounts: “The prosecution had a health inspector present a certificate stating that the age of the arrested is 19. We had to present a birth certificate to the court to prove that he is 17. In the second session, the court decided not to try him as an adult and referred him to juvenile court.”

Testimonies from lawyers, as well as similar experiences over the past few years, suggest the strong possibility that the detainees are being subjected to degrading and harsh treatment, in addition to forced anal examinations that are often conducted soon after arrest. In 2002, the United Nations Committee against Torture stated that these tests are “a form of cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment that can rise to the level of torture.”

“It has been proven over and over again that forced anal examinations are based on flawed science. Not only are the detainees’ bodies violated without their consent, but they also face violations in the transfer from the police department to the forensic department. They are subjected to insults and defamation on the street by the policemen accompanying them. Moreover, these examinations reflect a prevailing notion among the state that debauchery only afflicts the person being penetrated,” says Dalia Abdel-Hameed, EIPR’s Gender and Women’s Rights Officer.

Egyptian media promotes hate speech and is a partner in incitement

Since the first day of the security crackdown, Egyptian media has incessantly called on the police and other state institutions to pursue LGBTQI people, or those suspected of being LGBTQI. They have promoted a speech of hate and discrimination against individuals by claiming that the waving of the flag, as well as anyone who is LGBTQI, poses an illusionary threat to the values and morals of Egyptians.

In one newspaper, an article was published titled: “Leila’s audience thanks those waving the gay flag at the concert,” in a thinly-veiled insinuation that all those attending the concert are LGBTQI. Another newspaper reviewed reactions on social networks, including comments by those who welcomed the waving of the flag and those who condemned it. This has contributed to inflaming the general climate and aided in the incitement and mobilization against LGBTQI people.

Other media outlets hosted or held calls with guests that included religious figures and public personalities, such as the head of the Musicians Syndicate, who all joined the chorus of incitement, calling on security services to act. One caller demanded “Islamic retribution” against those who waved the flag, as well as the organizers of the concert. This is in addition to the leveling of insults against anyone who participated in the concert, and claims of “sexual deviancy.”

The campaign widened in the days following the concert, and included members of the National Council for Human Rights and members of parliament, some of whom filed requests for investigations. A member of the Legislative and Constitutional Affairs committee in Parliament announced that the committee would look into strengthening the penalty for homosexuality, despite this not constituting a crime in Egypt.

Some media outlets went as far as publishing news about the expulsion of a Helwan University student by the university council, after they allegedly established he was at the concert waving the flag. The paper failed to conduct any fact checking and did not comment on the standards by which such decisions should be undertaken, including proper investigations, etc.

Media outlets continue to publish news in a manner that encourages the pursuit of LGBTQI individuals, mostly through entrapment online, without considering the illegality of their actions. This is in addition to the slander of those arrested by publishing their personal details in the news before interrogations are concluded or formal charges are made.

The Supreme Council for Media also issued a statement which read: “Homosexuals should not appear in visual, broadcast media or the Press,” and considered homosexuality to be “a disease and a shame that is best kept hidden, not promoted,” in flagrant violation of the most basic rules of the profession, and in clear contradiction of modern medicine and the knowledge provided by the World Health Organization on homosexuality.

Not an isolated incident

The current crackdown on LGBTQI individuals shouldn’t be seen in isolation from the organized campaign that has been waged by the “morality police” against LGBTQI individuals for over four years. EIPR has recorded the arrest of 232 people, who are either LGBTQI, or are perceived to be, between the last quarter of 2013 and March of 2017. The overwhelming majority of those arrested were referred to court under the aforementioned anti-prostitution and debauchery laws.

Through the cases collected by EIPR and the testimonies of former prisoners and defendants, we have compiled evidence of a wide range of violations against LGBTQI individuals throughout this campaign, particularly against men having sex with men and transgender individuals. The common manner of arrest is through online entrapment, in which an officer or member of the morality police uses a gay or transgender dating application to pose as a man seeking gay sex, luring others to meet, at which point they are arrested. This entrapment and assumed intention is considered clear incitement to commit a crime by security forces.

Moreover, all interviewees confirmed having been subjected to various forms of harsh and inhumane treatment, amounting to torture in many cases. These include vicious beatings, persistent insults in police stations and threats of sexual violence. Some have been threatened with being placed in a cell with other prisoners who have been incited to rape them. EIPR noted that several of those arrested in this crackdown were subjected to anal examination, which as explained above is a degrading and inhumane measure that could amount to torture.

Re-posted from: https://eipr.org/en/press/2017/10/egyptian-state-wages-unprecedented-arrest-campaign-against-individuals-based-their

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

Human rights and freedom of expression in Egypt – trapped between security services and the media

Human rights and freedom of expression in Egypt:

Trapped between security services and the media

Following the escalating violent attempts to suppress and divide civil society organizations, restrict their resources, and increase security measures to silence advocates for human rights and freedom of speech and expression in Egypt, the Egyptian state and media have exceeded all expectations in spreading fear, discrimination and encouraging hate speech inciting Egyptian citizens against each other.

During the past week, the Egyptian state arrested Egyptian citizens for raising a rainbow flag during a concert organized by a band, “Mashrou’ Leila”, on Friday, September 22, 2017. The local media supported these arrests by publishing numerous articles and interviews encouraging hate speech against groups and individuals that have gender non-conforming identities and sexual orientations, especially targeting LGBT people in Egypt. These provoking articles invaded most news and social media platforms.

Consequently, the security attacks increased causing the arrest of more citizens who were charged of “inciting immorality” and attending the abovementioned concert. The Egyptian police’s statement alleged that arrested individuals are “homosexuals who raised the LGBT flag and encouraged the practice of immoral acts.” Political figures, political parties’ representatives, Members of Parliament and Al-Azhar religious scholars have also pressured the state to put an end to – what they called – attempts to corrupt the youth.

In addition, many media organizations – news websites, newspapers and broadcast media – launched campaigns to promote for hate speech using stigmatizing and demeaning terminology against individuals and their dignity. In doing so, these media organizations have neglected the journalism’s code of ethics, international human rights’ values, objectivity and violated the dignity of citizens and their rights to privacy and security against violence, social discrimination and their freedom of speech and expression.

We, the undersigned individuals and organizations, would like to remind media outlets that inciting hate speech violates human rights’ values, diversity and freedoms; we disapprove with repeated state arrests based on sexual orientation and gender identity; we refuse all acts that violate international laws and conventions such as torture in prison, humiliations and forced anal tests; and we confirm our commitment to freedom of expression and the right to security.

First: We call for human rights organizations, civil society, the international community, journalists, media experts, lawyers and all individuals who are interested in protecting human rights values to join their voices to ours and sign this statement.

Second: We remind the Egyptian state of its important responsibility of protecting the security of Egyptian citizens and guaranteeing the freedom of speech and expression as stated by the Egyptian Constitution and International Conventions.

Third: We call for media organizations to respect the values of professionalism during their coverage and defend human rights and avoid hate speech and demeaning terminology against Egyptian citizens, and refrain from giving a space to sources who intentionally spread fear and hate.

#الألوان_مش_عار

#ColorsRNotShame

2 October 2017

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 News on Sexual & Bodily Rights, Resources & Tools

Resource: Rights at Risk – New report from Observatory on the Universality of Rights (OURs)

The trend is unmistakable and deeply alarming:

In international human rights spaces, religious fundamentalists are now operating with increased impact, frequency, coordination, resources, and support.
Anti-rights actors are chipping away at the very content and structure of our human rights concepts, institutions, and protections, with disastrous consequences for human rights and gender justice. Their aim is to erode the very basis on which we can claim our rights.

This report is the first of a series on human rights trends produced by the Observatory on the Universality of Rights (OURs) initiative, a collaborative and multi-organizational project that aims to monitor, analyze, and share information on anti-rights initiatives.

The report analyzes key trends and developments mapped over 2015 to late 2016 in order to inform and support our collective advocacy.

A sneak peek in the report

Introduction

Anti-rights mobilization at the international level constitutes a response to the significant feminist and progressive organizing and impact therein over the past three decades. It also represents ultra-conservative actors’ new commitment to multilateral processes as a space of influence. Today we are witnessing a set of interlocking factors that paint an unsettling picture of our human rights system under attack: increased coordination of religious fundamentalists across regional, institutional, and religious lines in human rights spaces, and the strategic and proactive undermining and co-optation of our human rights framework.

Key opposition actors

Imperatives for the future include…[t]o take energetic action within the NGO process to blunt or prevent new assaults on family integrity; to identify, protect, and help advance existing “friends of the family” within the U.N. Secretariat; to “place” such friends in positions of current or potential influence within the U.N. Secretariat; and to build an international movement of “religiously grounded family morality systems” that can influence and eventually shape social policy at the United Nations.

– Allan Carlson, founder of the World Congress of Families

Read the Chapter summary

Key opposition discourses

Actors using arguments based on anti-rights interpretations of religion, culture, tradition, and rhetoric linked to State sovereignty have made significant strides in implementing and institutionalizing their regressive agenda at the UN in recent years. As any participant or witness of policy negotiations will note, the ‘battle for rights’ is fought in large part on the level of language and rhetoric. Many conservative actors have creatively and effectively regrouped in this area, with increased success towards achieving their goal of undermining rights related to gender and sexuality.

Read the Chapter summary

Key opposition strategies and tactics

Influence and impact are not won by rhetoric alone. Anti-rights actors are making inroads into our human rights standards not only because of their increased numbers and networks, or their imaginative and sustained re-conceptions of what human rights norms should and do mean. The success of any movement is also integrally driven by its organizing tactics.

Like their shifts and feints in discursive strategy, the religious right active in international human rights policy spaces has not remained static in their organizing. This landscape reflects several overarching trends: learning from their opposition, namely feminists and other progressives and their strategies at United Nations conferences in the 1990s; mirroring successful tactics developed in partnership with powerful elites from the domestic level to the international; and moving from a paradigm of symbolic protest to ‘insiders’, with the attendant changes in opportunity mapping and approach.

Read the Chapter summary

Key impacts on the international human rights system

Anti-rights actors’ discourses and strategies have had a substantive impact on our human rights framework and the progressive interpretation of human rights standards, and especially rights related to gender and sexuality.

Over 2015 and 2016, we have witnessed the watering down of existing agreements and commitments; deadlock and conservatism in negotiations; sustained undermining of UN agencies, treaty monitoring bodies, and special procedures; and success in pushing through regressive language in international human rights documents.

Read the Chapter summary

Download PDF

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, 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 Featured, News on Sexual & Bodily Rights, Resources & Tools

Resource: FDI Legal Analysis of Transgender Persons Protection Bill 2017

Forum for Dignity Initiatives-FDI is a research and advocacy forum working for the human rights of most marginalized groups both gender and sexual minorities in Pakistan. FDI is closely working at policy level evidence based advocacy to improve the human rights situation for identified groups in Pakistan.

A bill on the protection of transgender persons was presented to Senate of Pakistan on January 9, 2017 as a private member bill by Senator Babar Awan.

FDI organized a multi-stakeholders consultation to review this recently presented bill on the protection of transgender persons in Pakistan. Consultation provided an opportunity to key stakeholders including; parliamentarians, representatives from ministry of human rights, civil society representatives, legal experts, academia, religious scholars, media and transgender community representatives to sit together, carefully review this bill and share their reservations followed by a set of recommendations to improve the gaps in current status of this bill before it becomes a law.

Read a copy of the legal analysis here: Transgender Persons Protection Bill 2017

FDI has printed this analysis also and those who are interested can request a copy of it. For more information see: www.fdipakistan.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.