LGBTI groups around the
world have conducted advocacy campaigns at different stages of the electoral
cycle to influence those who have responsibility for implementing policy
decisions. In some countries, civil society groups have reached out to
political parties and candidates ahead of the election, seeking to place LGBTI
rights in the political agenda and to ensure the politicians’ commitment with
inclusive policies. During the post-election period, civil society
organizations can also do advocacy work, approaching parliamentarians, EMBs and
other institutions to ensure participation and inclusion of all citizens in the
political process, regardless their gender identity and sexual orientation.
Through global advocacy
efforts, organizations can also raise awareness on the human rights situation
of LGBTI persons and support their participation and civic engagement. In line
with the Declaration of Montreal, “LGBT human rights must be mainstreamed into
global debates about social and political issues.”[1]
Example: In the framework of the 2017 French legislative elections, a
group of LGBTI associations conducted an advocacy campaign addressed to
candidates, asking them to subscribe an engagement charter on human rights of
LGBTI persons to fight discrimination and violence against this community. The
organizations supporting this initiative included Inter-LGBT, Caelif, Mag
Jeunes and Glup.[2]
Example: In Pakistan, TransAction, along with other civil society
organizations, launched the “Transgender and Intersex Community Election Manifesto
2018” before the 2018 general elections, aiming at integrating their human
rights claims in the political agenda and public debate, fight discrimination
and promote inclusive policies empowering this community.[3]
Example: In Macedonia, civil society groups made advocacy efforts to
engage parliamentarians in favor of human rights for the LGBTI community by
promoting inclusive legislation, with support from NDI. The organization Health
Education and Research (HERA) testified at several parliamentary committee
hearings on issues such as contraception, abortion rights, harassment and the
care and treatment of people living with IHV/AIDS. They also successfully
advocated for the establishment of a parliamentary caucus on HIV issues, which
integrated 10 parliamentarians from six different parties. The Coalition for
Sexual Health Rights and Marginalized Communities advocated for a parliamentary
declaration on hate speech, in response to increasing hostility towards LGBTI
persons. Although the declaration was not finally adopted, the Coalition
succeeded at ensuring broad press coverage and enhanced public debate on hate
speech.[4]
Example: In Nepal, the Blue Diamond Society made advocacy efforts to
promote LGBTI rights and push for the implementation of the 2007 Supreme
Court’s ruling in the case Pant vs. Nepal,
which recognized full rights for sexual and gender minorities and determined
that gender identity should be based on self-identification, creating a “third
gender” category, in addition to “male” and “female”. According to this civil
society organization, as a result of these advocacy efforts, the Election
Commission of Nepal decided to include a “third gender” category in its voters’
list form, complying with the Supreme Court’s decision.[5]
Example: In 2017 International IDEA released the film “LGBTI
Political Inclusion Journeys”, featuring the trajectories of LGBTI groups in
Nepal and Malawi. It aims “to showcase strategies for political inclusion of
LGBTI persons as a principle of democratic participation in public life”,
advocating for increased political participation and civic engagement of this
community globally. Some of the inclusion strategies outlined in the film
include raising awareness on the human rights situation of the LGBTI community,
challenging discriminatory laws before domestic courts and conducting advocacy
campaigns reaching out to political parties and parliamentarians.[6]
[4] National Democratic
Institute (2014): “Civic Update. Political Inclusion of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
and Transgender (LGBT) Population”, January 2014.
See:
https://www.ndi.org/civic_update
