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Good Practices from Asia-Pacific 6: LGBTIQ+ Rights and Inclusion in Humanitarian Action and Disaster Risk Reduction

Elena Robertson
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Good Practices from Asia-Pacific 6: LGBTIQ+ Rights and Inclusion in Humanitarian Action and Disaster Risk Reduction

This document provides specific examples of emerging best practice for the inclusion of LGBTIQ+ people in humanitarian action and DRR planning and response. The document opens with a brief overview of the pre-emergency status of the LGBTIQ+ population—often the most marginalised in a society—and notes the lack of sexual orientation, gender identity/expression (SOGIE) disaggregated data that perpetuates this marginalisation and invisibility. The paper then provides a summary of an emerging best practice paper—Edge Effect’s ‘Down by the River’ (2018) report—before providing infographics on LGBT awareness.

The document then summarises IPPF’s approach to LGBTIQ+ inclusion, the findings of a recent Pakistan Red Crescent Transgender roundtable,  and the insights from a meeting of Pacific Island LGBTIQ+ community members. The themes of exclusion, discrimination and widespread violence are constant throughout this document.

ER 55 Literature review on sexuality and poverty: Sexuality, Poverty and Law

Elena Robertson
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ER 55 Literature review on sexuality and poverty: Sexuality, Poverty and Law

Development programmes in LMIC are often built around certain assumptions about sexuality and gender, leaving large portions of people such as those within the LGBTI community and often sex workers, excluded from these efforts and the benefits in which they bring. The aim of this literature review is to provide an analysis on the existing literature and the extent of which they assess the role of sexuality in poverty in LMIC; to apply a “web of poverty” to the existing literature, and to provide an overview of the way in which policy in LMIC plays a role in marginalising people through its specific elements.  While there is existing literature in LMIC surrounding law, poverty and sexuality, it generally has a focus on HIV/AIDS prevention and more often than not lacks attention on issues such as social and economic depravation and marginalisation due to sexual identity and gender diversity. This literature review addresses these issues in its findings and highlights the importance of addressing these gaps within the existing literature.

I thought I was the only one: The misrecognition of LGBT youth in contemporary Vietnam

Elena Robertson
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I thought I was the only one: The misrecognition of LGBT youth in contemporary Vietnam

This report demonstrates the ways in which LGBT youth are multiply marginalised in Vietnamese society. Opening with an anecdote that highlights the negative mental health impacts of widespread societal discrimination and enforced invisibility, the report provides an overview of the context of Vietnam, looking at socio-cultural norms and representation in the media. The report emphasises the ways negative media coverage impacts the mental health of young LGBT people in Vietnam: multiple cases of attempted suicide feature in the report.

The report highlights the ways Confucianism continues to play a role in the shaping of modern Vietnamese society, including family, media, policy and educational institutions. The overarching theme of the article points to the constant and multiple ways in which LGBT youth are mis-recognised: in their families, in education systems and in the media. The heteronormative framing of these institutions has negative psychological consequences for LGBT youth who feel invisible and excluded.

The paper moves into recommendations for ways to move forward drawn from interviews. Interviewees recommend, for instance, changes to laws; the importance of education; focusing on sexuality to challenge heteronormativity, homophobia and heterosexism; and moving away from the ‘othering’ of the LGBT community.

I Want to Live with My Head Held High: Abuses in Bangladesh’s Legal Recognition of Hijras

Elena Robertson
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I Want to Live with My Head Held High: Abuses in Bangladesh’s Legal Recognition of Hijras

This report details the harm that hijras experienced following the Government of Bangladesh’s official recognition of hijra as a third gender category in 2014. This recognition was much lauded by international press and institutions but, unfortunately, the Government did not develop or implement guidelines or policies around this recognition.

In practice, according to Human Rights Watch, this meant that hijras–people assigned male at birth but who identify as women and prefer to be recognised as hijra–experienced increased discrimination and harassment following this announcement. For instance, following a Government-issued memorandum, hijras applying for government jobs were forced to undergo dehumanising and purposefully humiliating medical examinations.

This article highlights the danger of policy change without guidelines and protection mechanisms.

Lost in the Chaos: LGBTI People in Emergencies

Elena Robertson
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Lost in the Chaos: LGBTI People in Emergencies

This article provides an analysis on the current state of protection needs of LGBTI individuals in humanitarian crisis zones and how the current accessibility of humanitarian programmes plays a role on achieving rights for LGBTI people in disaster zones. This report shows the ways in which current humanitarian practice–such as the division of tents in refugee camps, dissemination of food and health supplies, safe housing–excludes LGBTI people in disaster zones. It specifically focuses on the experiences of transgender people in crisis settings.

Furthermore, the article discusses the exclusion of men from meaningful definitions of sexual violence. The report shows that men and boys often have no access to sexual violence resources and often face threats of counter-prosecution under strict sodomy laws. The article calls for the expansion of gender considerations in humanitarian crisis response in the hope that gender identities and expressions that vary from the normalised male-female are included.

It’s Happening to Our Men as Well: Sexual Violence Against Rohingya Men and Boys

Elena Robertson
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It’s Happening to Our Men as Well: Sexual Violence Against Rohingya Men and Boys

There is little known about sexual violence perpetrated against men in conflict. The type of systematic and widespread rape and sexual violence perpetrated against Rohingya women and girls is well-documented—yet violence against men and boys is not.

This scoping study aimed to ascertain the extent of conflict-related sexual violence against males.

The study revealed six key findings:

  1. In addition to women and girls, Rohingya men and adolescent boys appear to be targeted for conflict-related sexual vioelence in Myanmar. The magnitude of this crisis is unclear, but findings suggest it is common, particularly as a precursor to execution. Forced witnessing of sexual violence against women and girls, genital violence and anal rape were the most common forms of sexual violence against males reported by Rohingya refugees. Violence is primarily perpetrated by the Myanmar Army and sometimes by (non-Rohingya) civilians.
  2. Conflict-related sexual violence against Rohingya men and boys intersects with violence against Rohingya women and girls. Men and boys are forced to witness sexual violence perpetrated against female family and community members. Some respondents indicated a correlation between male experiences of violence and increases in controlling behaviours and intimate partner violence against women.
  3. Some Rohingya men and boys are subjected to sexual abuse and exploitation in Cox’s Bazar, although few survivors have come forward. Adolescent boys and young men, boys with disabilities, persons with diverse SOGIESC and boys/men in informal work are particularly at risk.
  4. Male survivors have significant psychological, physical and social needs.
  5. Services for male and female survivors require urgent strengthening. Few services are available for male surivofs in Cox’s Bazar although some efforts were underway at the time of data collection. No protection measures for Rohingya with diverse SOGIESC were identified in this study.
  6. There are multiple barriers to service availability and accessibility. The failure of humanitarian actors to recognise genital violence and forced witnessing as forms of sexual violence were notable barriers.

The study makes a variety of recommendations, notably that donors should, without compromising targeted support for women and girls, support the piloting and evaluation of programs to comprehensively prevent and respond to sexual violence against men, boys and persons with diverse SOGIESC; fund the development of evidence-based tools and guidance on establishing programs for male survivors including persons with diverse SOGIESC; and support additional survivor cantered research into sexual violence including against people with diverse SOGIESC.

Research Report: Introductory Research on the Feasibility of Cash and Voucher Assistance in Rural Fiji

Elena Robertson
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Research Report: Introductory Research on the Feasibility of Cash and Voucher Assistance in Rural Fiji

This report led by Save the Children presents the findings of a cash based intervention to support disaster response in Fiji.

The study found that, in general, cash interventions are feasible across all the different types of areas of Fiji covered in the study. However feasibility in these areas varied between the immediate aftermath of a disaster, and longer term feasibility. The study noted that pre-existing access challenges and post-disaster access challenges must be addressed in CVA decision making and program design. The study also highlighted the need to identify the specific needs and challenges for vulnerable groups (such as diverse SOGIESC people), and to consider how they might be addressed by CVA. 

The report recognises that further targeted research is required to understand the appropriateness of CVA, and therefore CVA program design, for particular vulnerable groups of people , such as SGM groups. While the report did not offer scope to look specifically at the needs of diverse SOGIESC people, it did recognise that such people fall within multiple groups and their CVA needs cannot be met with a one-size fits all approach.

The study is part of the work of the Pacific Cash Preparedness Partnership which seeks to ensure humanitarian responses in the Pacific better meets immediate and protracted recovery and relief needs of households and communities following disasters.

Good Practice Review 9: Disaster Risk Reduction

Elena Robertson
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Good Practice Review 9: Disaster Risk Reduction

This 382 page document provides a global status update on best practice in disaster risk reduction, response and recovery. The report is organised by process (institutionalising DRR within organisations; project planning); by special topics (inclusion by gender, age, disability and minorities; working with communities and participation; indigenous knowledge and coping strategies; communities and technology) and by clustered themes (livelihoods and disaster risk reduction–DRR; communications, information, education; policy, regulation, accountability and advocacy; financial mechanisms; managing urban risk; drought, food security and famine; social crisis and conflict); and finally by stages of implementation (preparation, risk reduction after disaster and M&E).

The book opens with a description of disasters and the capacity of wealthier versus poorer countries to prepare for and respond to disasters. Generally speaking, wealthier countries can better manage the disaster risk reduction and response cycle. A description of DRR and the various stages is then given with examples from Ethiopia and elsewhere. The connections between the development sector and DRR are made throughout, with an emphasis on the role of NGOs in supporting response

Chapter 5 discusses inclusion (i.e. social inclusion) with the recognition that different people experience disasters differently based in no small part on their pre-disaster marginalisation and access to resources. The working definition of gender does not extend beyond the binary until section 5.6.3, which spends on paragraph on the additional marginalisation people with diverse genders, sexual orientations and sex characteristics may face in disasters. Gender is the primary characteristic discussed in this section; age, disability, indigeneity and migrants are mentioned as well.

Section 5.6.3 starting on page 113 speaks to the discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGBT) people in disaster response. This section notes that discrimination is evident even in countries will relatively high levels of acceptance. Discrimination is particularly evident in emergency shelters, where sexual minorities may face hostility from other inhabitants and emergency responders themselves; in the allocation of resources as a result of official regulatory bodies reliance on outdated understandings of ‘traditional’ (cisgendered, heterosexual and two-parent) families. The report notes that “disaster managers do not, at present, consider the needs and capacities of LGBTQI+ people in their disaster planning or identify them as a specific audience for preparedness advice.”

Human Rights and Transgender People in Pakistan

Elena Robertson
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Human Rights and Transgender People in Pakistan

The report documents the events leading to the arrest and conviction of Shumail Raj and his wife, Shahzina Tariq. After Shahzina’s father testified that Shumail was not a man, a medical examination was ordered by the judge. Although the examination revealed that Shumail had undergone gender re-assignment surgery, the judge ruled that Shumail was not a man. Therefore he and his wife were accused of perjury and the legality of their marriage came in to question.

The report documents the international and local support the couple has received, and describes how the case has led to public discussion about a previously silenced issue. The report discusses the importance of the upcoming ruling for Pakistan’s legal recognition and protection of transgender people  – particularly as same-sex marriages are not recognised. The IGLHRC makes a number of recommendations in the report to protect and promote the human rights of non-heterosexual people and also women (in their right not to be forced into marriage).

How to collaborate with Pacific Churches for development research: Guidance for effective approaches to collaborations with Churches in the Pacific for development research

Elena Robertson
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How to collaborate with Pacific Churches for development research: Guidance for effective approaches to collaborations with Churches in the Pacific for development research

The guide provides advice across the research cycle: preparing for collaboration, managing collaboration, and ethical practice for collaboration. The guide identifies particular areas for which practical principles for managing research collaborations with Pacific Churches may vary from secular research partnerships. These include building supportive team cultures by developing genuine relationships that demonstrate respect for Pacific cultures and involve ongoing relationship-building activities (such as attending the church). It also includes the provision of psychological and emotional support for ‘insider’ researchers for whom the research subject can be quite personal.

The guide also advices that managing emerging challenges can be done by identifying individuals who can assist in building bridges and explain Christian values -based conflict resolution processes to non-Christian partners. The guide provides detailed advice on how to design or choose research methodologies and data collection processes (including developing Terms of Reference and gaining access to communities) in ethical and respectful ways.

The guide identifies, and provides guidance on, how to navigate topics that are potentially sensitive in Pacific Church communities. This includes topics on LGBTQI rights, gender equality, family and gender violence, human rights, disabilities and divorce. In relation to diverse SOGIESC communities, the guide identifies LGBTQI rights as a potentially sensitive topic for which non-Christian and Pacific Church partners will need to reach agreement on to ensure a successful research collaboration. Some Churches that have had success in including other vulnerable groups (such as women and children) show enthusiasm for taking the same approach to human rights and inclusion for LGBTQI communities.

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42 Degrees is currently self-funded by Edge Effect. Startup funding was provided through the Not In Kansas Anymore project, an Australian aid initiative implemented by Edge Effect on behalf of the Australian Government. The views expressed on this site are not necessarily the views of the Australian Government.