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2020


Civil Rights Defenders


East Africa


Civil Rights Defenders


Completed

Support for organisations in East Africa 2020-2021

The Rainbow Fund supports Civil Rights Defenders to ensure that the LGBTQ movement in the region is supported for 12 months in order to remain in place and eventually create a network and business.

The crucial significance right now is that there is support for organisations and groups to be able to build up capacity so that they can continue to be a LGBTQ rights movement.

Deteriorating situation in East Africa

LGBTQ people in East Africa live under extreme vulnerability with an almost constant threat of violence from the police and authorities, from society at large, and even often from close family members.

We are building capacity at local LGBTQ organisations

Since 2017, there has been a sudden and dramatic deterioration in the situation for LGBTQ people in the region. The discriminatory legislation has always been there, but countries that have previously been places where LGBTQ people could live in relative security and had the opportunity to organise have now also increased their oppression instead.

Arrests, sudden termination of rental contracts for organisations, statements from a high political level on special forces within the police to hunt down lesbians and gays place several countries in the region on the list of countries where it has become life-threatening to openly live as a LGBTQ person.

It is a great challenge for LGBTQ organisations in the region to find resources and space to fight for their rights. Organisations and informal LGBTQ groups often have weak capacity and are very vulnerable, so they need a lot of close support.  

The Rainbow Fund supports Civil Rights Defenders to ensure that the LGBTQ movement in the region is supported for 12 months in order to remain in place and eventually create a network and business. The crucial significance right now is that there is support for organisations and groups to be able to build up capacity so that they can continue to be a LGBTQ rights movement.

The support partly concerns core support for LGBTQ organisations to staff basic functions in order to contribute stability and long-term sustainability, and it’s partly about mentoring. The strength of the organisations is that the members are committed and courageous in their work. However, they often have limited experience of seeking funding from aid providers, and mentoring should offer guidance in project management, reporting and expectations from donors. Mentoring works by Civil Rights Defenders providing support on issues such as internal capacity development.

Read more, in swedish, about the situation in Tanzania at Civil Rights Defenders webb här.

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About Regnbågsfonden

The purpose of the Fund is to financially help HBTQ people around the world, as well as individuals, primarily in countries where HBTQ people are stalked and harassed by authorities, police and religious institutions.

Our funds will not go to organisations or individuals who do not respect human rights and freedoms. These include racism, and antisemitism, sexism and children’s rights.