Event Description

Sexual and gender minorities are represented all over the world, including in all communities in which international development organisations work. Too often, cultural relativism is used as a reason not to engage proactively in efforts to ensure sexual and gender minorities are accessing their rights. As a sector we are committed to ‘leave no one behind’- yet there is limited dialogue and very few resources towards achieving human rights for people with diverse sexual orientation, gender identities and sexual characteristics, particularly in lower and middle income countries. It is likely that most INGOs have a sentence in our Safeguarding Policy that commits to inclusive protection of sexual and gender minorities. But beyond this, what can – and should – our sector do to ensure our LGBTIQ+ community members aren’t a marginalised global group who are left behind?

This Valentine’s Day, SWIDN are hosting an online Working Group to better understand issues affecting LGBTIQ+ community members across lower and middle income countries. We are delighted to be hearing from South-West based organisation AmplifyChange, who are actively working towards a safer world for LGBTIQ-identifying people through their work on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. This informal, lunch time working group session will focus on:

• Recognising the exclusion of LGBTIQ+ people from the ‘leave no one behind agenda’
• Understanding the key challenges facing LGBTIQ+ people in the diverse countries in which we work
• Recognising the role INGOs can play in building inclusive, transformative environments for LGBTIQ+ community members and in challenging hostility

We’ll also divide into two breakout rooms to connect with each other and share learning in greater detail. We’ll focus these on:

1. Building Safer Organisational Cultures

2. Designing Inclusive Programmes

Our Working Groups are free and open to all SWIDN Members and their partners.

REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT HERE!!

RESOURCES FOR SHARED LEARNING

AmplifyChange Learn – open access online resource hub

EdgeEffect – an INGO building the evidence base for diverse SOGIESC (aka LGBTQI+) inclusion in humanitarian and development programs

‘We will find some other reason: A personal reflection on queerphobia within women’s rights work and the Official Development Assistance sector’ – a blog from Social Development Direct

The Global Resources Report – Mapping government and philanthropic support to LGBTQI+ communities internationally

WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN FURTHER TRAINING?

If you would be interested in further training on this topic, please let us know by adding your name here. This training would seek to address the following:

• Sensitive and inclusive programme design in country contexts which criminalise same-sex relationships
• Ensuring policies and practices are non-discriminatory and inclusive, particularly of gender and sexual identities
• Strategies to build awareness and sensitivity into organisational cultures
• Contextualising LGBTQI+ discrimination through an intersectional lens e.g. awareness of specific issues affecting LGBTQI+ people who are also living with disabilities, unable to access employment, from lower income groups, identify with a faith group that discriminates against them, or other excluded groups, etc