CEDAW and Senegal: Discriminations Still Persist Published: 10 December 2019 Analysis Alongside CEDAW, the Maputo Protocol ratified in 2005 also serves as a guarantee of gender equality in Senegal. Despite progress, the country still lags behind when it comes to the discrimination of women. By Zeinaba Kane
CEDAW and Poland: Backtracking on Gender Equality Published: 10 December 2019 Analysis Poland was among the first countries to ratify CEDAW. In which ways has the convention facilitated progress - and what is the impact of the backlash on the implementation of CEDAW? By Liliana Religa
CEDAW and Colombia: A Balance Between Lights and Shadows Published: 10 December 2019 Analysis Stereotyped gender roles continue to be reinforced from a very early age in Colombia. Traditional concepts of masculinity and femininity are very deeply rooted in the collective mentality of the macho culture. By Margarita Sarmiento and Nicolás Ospino
CEDAW and the USA: When Belief in Exceptionalism Becomes Exemptionalism Published: 10 December 2019 Analysis The United States it the only established democracy in the world failing to ratify CEDAW. While common justification lies in the realm of patriarchy and religion another lies in the notion of American exceptionalism – in fact its exemptionalism. By Liane Schalatek
CEDAW 40 Years In: What Have We Learned and What Has Improved Published: 10 December 2019 Introduction CEDAW is a key international human rights treaty aimed at the achievement of gender equality worldwide. It helps women around the world to bring about change in their daily life.
T. Jayashree’s Story: Queer Archive as a Site of Activism in India Published: 9 December 2019 There was an atmosphere of fear, yet at the same time the need to confront and fight for basic human rights became urgent. There was also a need to document everything that happened and that is what this story is all about. By T. Jayashree
The UN mandate for protection of LGBT persons extended: " The mandate holder is our megaphone" Published: 26 September 2019 Article Mandate of the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. By Caroline Ausserer
Michael’s Story: Where is Your Museum? Everywhere! Published: 12 September 2019 In times when discriminatory and derogatory language is still a daily routine in many countries, exhibitions showcasing same-sex desire or other non-normative life paths are crucial to re-write our own history. A museum in Colombia without formal museum space offers its own contribution. By Michael Andrés Forero Parra
Sumitra's Story: Enter the Archive – Experience the Closet! Published: 12 September 2019 The Closet is a space that is both safe, a site of trauma as well as a construct which ‘needs’ to be broken out of. Placing the Closet in a gallery is an attempt to create a pocket of space that allows outsiders entry into its cruel existence. By Sumitra Sunder
Houssem’s Story: How to make Wikipedia more queer in all languages? Published: 12 September 2019 Wikipedia has a limited amount of content directly or indirectly related to LGBTI+ topics. Moreover, this content is not available in all languages and therefore not accessible for people around the world. The Write for rights project sought to redeem this situation. By Houssem Abida
Chanathip’s Story: Retrieving Memory of a Trans Child through Re-reading My School Report Cards Published: 12 September 2019 Who is missing from the historical record? How can private collections of documents contribute to the formation and growth of queer archives and what can these items tell us about the societies they originate from? This is a professional and personal journey through private documents and how they portray societal relations towards trans children in Thailand. By Chanathip Suwannanon
"We can all recognize ourselves in those stories" Published: 2 July 2019 Interview The 41st UN Human Rights Council will decide on the renewal of the mandate of the UN Independent Expert on the Protection against Violence and Discrimination based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI). Caroline Ausserer spoke with the current mandate holder, Victor Madrigal-Borloz. By Caroline Ausserer
Backlash in feminism - Out of reverse gear Published: 17 June 2019 Background Violence against women, gender pay gap, homo hatred - the gender backlash is in full swing worldwide. That is why we need encouraging feminism. By Jana Prosinger
Decriminalizing homosexuality in Kenya Published: 15 February 2019 On the 24th of May 2019, Kenya's High Court will decide whether the sections of the Kenyan penal code that proscribe homosexual activity are unconstitutional. The Kenyan National Gay and Lesbian Commission (NGLHRC) has for years been fighting to repeal these laws. By Caroline Kioko
A feminist peace in Colombia? Published: 14 February 2019 Analysis The inclusion of a gender perspective in Colombia's peace agreement: past, present, and future. By Catalina Ruiz-Navarro
Rethinking the Mobility (and Immobility) of Queer Rights in Southeast Asia: A Provocation Published: 26 December 2018 Background Seventy years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations General Assembly. While all human beings are deemed born automatically free with equal rights, the very definition of human itself in practice is not always neutral. By Hendri Yulius
The Yogyakarta Alliance: A Postcolonial League Published: 17 December 2018 Report A serious and critical examination of the German colonial history needs a concept of inclusion for LSBTIQ in development cooperation. By Sarah Kohrt
“Because I would have to be sterilized” Published: 26 November 2018 Report Across Europe, trans people are denied their right to have their gender recognized, unless they fulfill invasive requirements. Human rights bodies have clearly affirmed: this is a violation of trans people’s human rights. By Dodo Karsay
The Yogyakarta Principles +10 Published: 26 November 2018 Reflection International human rights law and the rights of trans people. The Yogyakarta Principles plus 10 reflects on how international law has evolved in this area. By Dodo Karsay
Section 377 is scrapped! Sexual Minorities become full citizens of India Published: 5 October 2018 Shubha Chacko is a prominent LGBTQ activist from India. On the occasion of the landmark Supreme Court judgment decriminalizing a portion of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, she writes on the long fight against section 377, the challenges ahead and what it means for the society at large. By Shubha Chacko