March 2023

The Women’s Fund in Georgia held the research presentation

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The Women’s Fund in Georgia held the presentation of the research “Read Between the Lines”.

The research “Read Between the Lines” examines the experiences of women’s and human rights organizations, queer collectives, and activists in the Black Sea region amid ongoing crises, including the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The results of the research were presented by a feminist researcher and activist Nukri Tabidze.

The research was conducted between March and December 2022 and about 70 activists and civil sector representatives were interviewed in Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Georgia.

The research covers the following main issues:

  • The general experience of Ukrainian women’s rights organizations in 2022, their situation before and after the beginning of a full-scale war;
  • How do artistic, feminist, queer, and political spaces managed by women function in Georgia? The impact of the mentioned crises on their lives and cooperation with other activist collectives operating in Georgia;
  • What was the response of CSOs in Bulgaria to the crisis caused by the pandemic and the war, their relationship with the government, and the prevention of professional burnout.

 

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LGBTQ Activists Prepare Rwanda’s First Pride

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After several years of active work, obtaining funding and selecting a suitable venue, Rwandan LGBTQ activists are ready to host the First Pride Festival. This is a country where Coming out poses a serious threat to one’s safety.

Due to the restrictions of Covid-19, LGBTQ activists are waiting for up to 200 people at the Pride Festival. It will be held in July in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. Representatives of the state and media will also attend the festival.

“The main purpose of this event is to remind the public about our existence once again. We are here, we need equal treatment and involvement in society.” – Albert Nabinibo told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The coordinator of the local LGBTQ coalition Isange, and a 36-year-old gospel singer who came out in 2019 on TV.

“We have personal stories to share with you as evidence of the discrimination we face.” – Nabonibo said in the same interview.

Rwanda is one of the few African countries where gay relationships are not criminalized. Although LGBTQ marriage is still banned in this conservative country, and as LGBTQ rights activists say, homophobic sentiments are widespread in the country.

LGBTQ Rwandans say they are often fired, evicted, equated with demonic creatures, and in the case of coming out, family members and friends are threatened with violence and forced to leave the country.

Victor Chicalogwe, a Rwandan activist and director of the NGO People Against Suffering, Oppression and Poverty, describes the Rwandan Pride Festival as a bold and hopeful move.

“Pride marches are rare in Africa because public marches can pose a serious threat to LGBTQ people and make them a target.” – says Roche Kester, an activist from South Africa. She has been organizing the Pride March in South Africa since 1990.

Rwanda Pride organizers plan a variety of fun and educational activities during Pride Week, including a football match between LGBTQ activists and members of the media to get to know each other better.