The LBTQ Women’s Fund has been established by GiveOut to support organisations working to advance the human rights of lesbian, bisexual, trans, and queer women around the world.
LBTQ women face particular challenges within the global movement for LGBTQI human rights due to the intersection of their gender and sexuality, especially in countries where the rights of women are limited.
In 41 jurisdictions, private, consensual sexual activity between women is criminalised. Even where this is legal, LBTQ women are often threatened with violence and arrest. LBTQ women are also affected by gender-based violence including corrective rape and forced marriage, with trans and gender nonconforming women being especially vulnerable.
Despite the need for more funding to overcome the challenges caused by this increased marginalisation, LBTQ women organisations receive just 8% of total funding for LGBTQI issues worldwide.
RESOURCING WOMEN’S ACTIVISM
The LBTQ Women’s Fund supports LBTQ women to advocate for their needs within the global movement for LGBTQI human rights to ensure that their expertise and experiences are amplified.
We want to empower LBTQ women and allies to support the global movement for LGBTQI human rights, while ensuring that organisations working to protect the human rights of LBTQ women can access sustainable and flexible funding. GiveOut’s LBTQ Women’s Fund therefore seeks to enable women and their allies to stand in solidarity with organisations supporting LBTQ women around the world.
GET INVOLVED
We are building a community of LBTQ women and allies who are passionate about advancing global LBTQ women’s human rights.
If you would like to join us, there are several ways to get involved:
Become a supporter. You can donate at any level to the LBTQ Women’s Fund as a one off donation or monthly donation.
Fundraise to support LBTQ women. Get your friends and family involved in raising vital resources for LBTQ women around the world so they can campaign for lasting change and a fairer future.
Get your business involved. We offer a range of ways for businesses to support LGBTQI equality and inclusion, including sponsorship opportunities, in-kind support, employee engagement and payroll giving. We will also celebrate your support on this page and across our social media channels.
For any questions or to discuss how to get your business involved, please contact GiveOut’s philanthropy team at give@giveout.org.
UHAI EASHRI, East Africa - supporting LBTQ women in one of the hardest places to be LGBTQI
UHAI EASHRI is Africa’s first indigenous activist fund supporting sexual and gender minorities, and sex worker human rights. Established in 2009, and based in Nairobi, the organisation funds activists organising in 7 East African countries—Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda—and Pan-African organisations working across the continent.
“WOMEN ARE ORGANISING, STANDING UP AND DEMANDING THAT THEIR VOICES BE HEARD”
Under the Women’s Fund, GiveOut is supporting UHAI’s work with LBTQ women in Uganda through 10 grassroots organisations. The movement for women’s rights in Uganda has seen significant progress over the past 30 years, however the environment is increasingly hostile to those working on LGBTQI rights issues. LBTQ women face particular threats to their human rights, with the passing of the Anti-Homosexulity Act in 2023 introducing the death penalty for same-sex relations and legitimising a climate of violence and hostility towards LGBTQI people.
How one woman’s activism is changing LGBTQI lives in Sri Lanka
LGBTQI people in Sri Lanka face significant challenges, including discrimination, harassment, and violence. Same-sex relations are criminalised and carry a penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment. LBTQ women in Sri Lanka face daily homophobia and sexism, and the colonial sodomy laws were rewritten to target same sex relationships between women. GiveOut’s partner in Sri Lanka, EQUAL GROUND, is led by an incredible woman activist, Rosanna Flamer-Caldera.
Rosanna knew things had to change. In 2004, she founded EQUAL GROUND, a grassroots LGBTQI activist organisation that campaigns for equality in Sri Lanka and supports the LGBTQI community, in particular LBTQ women. She spearheaded a strategic litigation case with the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, which ruled that criminalising same-sex relations between women was a human rights violation. Following this landmark ruling and years of campaigning, the Government of Sri Lanka has committed to decriminalise same sex relations.
Rosanna is an incredible example of how one woman can make a huge difference. She said: “It’s going to take a lot more sensitising and educating, but at least now we will have the law on our side. So many things have to change, because ultimately, it’s not about the law, it’s about people’s perceptions, and there are a lot of homophobic people still in Sri Lanka.”
There are incredible women like Rosanna all around the world who can make a huge difference to the lives of LGBTQI communities, but they need the resources and support to make change.