Strategies of resistance: Combating violence against lesbian, bisexual and trans women
It has become increasingly recognized that lesbian, bisexual and trans women are subjected to targeted violence and killings based on their actual and sometimes perceived sexual orientation and gender identity. The panel explored ways in which lesbian, bisexual and trans women’s groups are resisting the violence specifically targeting women and trans people.
Panelists
Opening remarks were made by the Swedish Minister for Gender Equality, Maria Arnholm.
Rhoda Awino Odhiambo, Minority Women in Action, ILGA Women’s Secretariat, Kenya
Ulrike Lunacek, Member of the European Parliament (Greens/Austria), Co-President of the LGBT Intergroup in the EP
Tamara Adrian, Diverlex, ILGA Trans Secretariat, Venezuela
Dana Zhang, Common Language and Chinese Lala Alliance, China – Read her presentation, click HERE
Moderator
Maria Sjödin, RFSL, Sweden
Coordinator
Patricia Curzi, ILGA
The opening welcoming of the panel was made by the Swedish Minister for Gender Equality, Maria Arnholm.
Ulrike Lunacek, Member of European Parliament said “Violence can start starts with language, not naming or making issues invisible. Not providing appropriate space or not claiming and taking public space. We need the support of civil society groups”.
Dana Zhang, Executive Director of Common Language and Lala Alliance China, shared the experience of groups in China who used their own bodies to react against violence and empower themselves: those bodies tell their own stories and become resistance themselves.
Tamara Adrian, ILGA Trans Secretariat and Director of Diverlex, disclosed the first outcomes of a research on violence against trans people. Preliminary figures for 2012 indicate that between January 2008 and December 2012, a total of 643 murders against trans people occurred around the world, Latin America recording the highest number. Violence suffered by trans people is an aggravated form of gender based violence.
Rhoda Awino from Minority Women in Action, Kenya, mentioned about the negative and the positive strategy of being invisible. On the negative the example was given on violence in same sex couples: physical, mental, self- blame, isolation, anger etc., are identical to the experience of heterosexual women. But with the aggravation that lesbian women cannot run to the police or seek shelter in safe spaces.
To conclude a few strategies of resistance were named such as using visibility/invisibility, extensive use of research and data, work with allies outside the LGBT Community
The panel was attended by over 60 people and Interaction with the audience was made possible.
Click HERE to see the photos of the panel on ILGA’s Facebook page
Thanks to the support of
The Government of Sweden
Minority Women in Action, Kenya
Commission Communautaire Française, Belgium
Education International
Read ILGA and RFSL Written statement on violence against women that was posted on CSW website, click HERE
Read the Oral statement on behalf of the LBT Caucus, click HERE