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Please find below the contribution from ASHISH SRIVASTAVA from India.

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Alastair
e-Forum Facilitator

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Regarding effective interventions in improving sexual minorities health services understanding & accessment of socio-economic structure & conditions,universalisation of education,gender empowerment,living standards,improved
environmental condition are essential for prevention of HIV/AIDS vulnerability in sexual minorities in many countries.

In developing world above factors are responsilble for discrimination in sexual minorties. Sexual minorties term & conditions could be eliminated by using human development program including national GDP,standard of living, literacy rate,gender related development & sexual minorties empowerment measures.

National understanding of gender's right & empowerment (health,education & nutrition)can give economic & social prograss for sexual minorties. Strategic interventions in the area of social & structure opportunities for sexual minorties could eliminate social discrimination.

In developing nations addressing religious & cultural malpractices are challenges.Vulnerability of HIV/AIDS,stigma,discrimination could be eliminated by addressing disadvantages of religion & cultural based malpractices in many countries.

Above factors should include gender empowerment,rights,livelihood, human ecology,socio-legal prohibition on inhuman approaches causing sexual minorties,awareness of science,bio-behaviour,social-acceptability,universal benefits,cultural diversity,national & state HIV prevention program accessment.

Social acceptability is also a challenge  can include national health & services support by providing employment,trade,grassroot work & shelter for sexual minorties.

Thank you,

ASHISH SRIVASTAVA
Ex-International marketing
C.C.M(SEAR-INDIA)81237

Find below the contribution received by e-mail from Dickson Omandi from Kenya.

Alastair
e-Forum Facilitator

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Intervention which are proven to be effective in improving sexual minority access to service:

- Community awareness raising activities that will help to reduce stigma and violence.

- Open Centers which are sexual minorities user friendly.

- Advocacy programs that will help to change policies and law which are criminalising this vounerable group in countries and Institutions.

- Counceling peer-to-peer activities.

Please find below the contribution from A. P. Gautam from Nepal.

Thank you for your contribution!

Alastair
e-Forum Facilitator

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First intervention from Government itself, but which has always been lacking  so to involve more grassroots NGOs ,CBOs and social workers to educate them to improve the sexual minorities and health support programs from local Government ,International doners, through local NGOs  with awareness

The challenges for sexual minorities is not  to recognise their problems by any one . More will talk for big isues but this issues mostly negleted issues at any health fourms at any international institutions  none have taken this as serious problems . So I advice to first look into this issues and accept their problems with priority.

Best regards,

A. P. Gautam

Please find below the contribution from Martha from Zimbabwe.

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Alastair
e-Forum Facilitator

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As far as I know there have been no interventions in Zimbabwe specifically targetted at sexual minorities as there seems to be an "ostrich head-in-the sand" approach. No one really wants to acknowledge that there are sexual minorities.

The challenges are more to do with state-led and religion-fed homophobia. Sexual minorities will definitely not reveal any sexual practice to the health-worker for fear of retribution and arrest. And if they have an STI that may give away their sexual practices or orientation, then they may stay away from health facilities altogether.

Regards,

Martha

Please find below the contribution from Mariasururu from Kenya.

Thank you for your contribution!

Alastair
e-Forum Facilitator

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It is important to note that sexual minorities undergo physical, psychological and social injuries and scars, and as if that is not enough, they are also traumatized, stigmatized and ostracized by those who traditionally would be expected to provide care and support for there welfare. If the perpetrators are relatives and material providers, the abuse is usually kept secret within the family circles while the sexual minorities continue to suffer repeated abuse in silence or, live under the physical threats and intimidation by the adults.

From my point of view, the intervention to be effective, it is important to have programs that are designed for practical implementation within cultural context, while ensuring the victims' membership of their communities.  The intervention should also be by way of providing a transitional safety and supportive amenities, while undertaking civic education starting with community opinion leaders, counseling and supporting the sexual minorities simultaneously.

The strategic objectives should be to have an informed data from the field, that can be summarized in the following categories: activities that involve educating the parents and the public at large, activities that involve direct and immediate support for the victim (minorities), which may include counseling and provision of welfare needs, and finally, those activities that involve immediate physical relocation of the victim to a new home and environment along with the provision of health services and any other necessary support.

This is exactly what I have been talking about for the past 10 days or so. The GF is put to the test to actually do something about this immediately before he goes on a mass execution. Gambia is Muslim state and is known to have a gay population for a very long time. Gambia and Kenya are notorius for harboring many Western pediphils tourist that pray on little African girls and boys. If you really take note the "Gay Population" are the first to be targetted and that is most regrettable. if the Global Fund sets stringent conditions that countries must adhere since they are on the beggars end, countries will pay attn. This also applies to all AID agencies/IGOs the Bretton Woods institutions. The GF money makes up a large percentage of the countries budget. These African leaders with very few exceptions are very corrupt and pocket the GF's money once it enters the country and stash it in their private bank account and leave our people to die. If he claims that this is a Muslim dominated country let him provide everything for his people and don't accept Western Aid. No Room for Gays The Daily Observer (Banjul) NEWS 19 May 2008 Posted to the web 20 May 2008 By Alhagie Jobe President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, on Thursday, gave less than 24 hours (until last week Friday) ultimatum to homosexuals, drug dealers, thieves and other criminals, to leave The Gambia or face serious consequences if caught. The president equally warned all those who harbour such individuals to kick them out of their compounds, noting that a mass patrol will be conducted on the instructions of the IGP and the director of the Gambia Immigration Department to weed bad elements in society. "Any hotel, lodge or motel that lodges this kind of individuals will be closed down, because this act is unlawful. We are in a Muslim dominated country and I will not and shall never accept such individuals in this country". He stated that a law is in place regarding this unlawful acts tougher than the Iranian laws and warned those involve in this infamous activities to desist from them. He maintained that foreigners are highly welcome into The Gambia, but not bad elements. The Gambian leader made this remarks on Thursday at the Buffer Zone ground in Tallinding, while addressing thousands of supporters at a victory celebration rally, as part of the 'Dialogue with the People Tour'. Opportunities for youths engaging skilled jobs top the agenda of the meeting. President Jammeh said a lot opportubities have been provided by his administration, but yet few have been utilised by Gambians. He pointed to the public markets within KM which are dominated by foreigners, saying "all stores belonging to Gambians and rented to forigners would be seized. We are tired of investing for only foreigners to the benefits. Today, look at the NYSS as compared to when it was newly created; Gambians have ran away from it and we provide a number of young people people for skilled training. This means that Gambians are difficult to help," he said. The president called for attitudinal change without which poverty would remain elusive. He expressed his dissatisfaction with the attitude of Gambians and urged them to make the best use of the opportunities provided by the government. "Today, the highest concentration of foreigners is in the KM. Government from 1994 to date has invested over US$100 million in projects, but 95% of the bebefits are enjoyed by foreigners," he said. President Jammeh then reiterated his back to the land call to enable the country achieve food self-sufficiency and called on Gambians to change their attitudes and work towards national development etc....

Right on the money Florence

Your institutions and the powers that be are the main obstacles to a successfull initiative. They have a warped worldview. For that reason basic human rights is trampled upon and legislation doesn't respect basic human rights. This is getting progressively worse in East Africa and also Africa as a continent

May Farag, I enjoyed reading your quite informative submission. In the Eastern Mediterenean we see strong forces such as "social disapproval, legally prohibtion and criminalization "of those we need to protect and be inclusive of. That should not deter us to provide services. We need to provide safehouses with toll free numbers or local telephone numbers in designated social areas where we can direct our program participants too that are deprived of services. I know most Islamic states have zero tolerance for this and will not bend or bow. The GF needs to set conditions for countries as a requirement to receive funding to provide safe houses where any kind of services can be accessed without obstacles.

Raising awareness regarding their rights Extending services directly to the sexual minorities. For example setting up health centre for them is very paramount. Carrying out affirmative actions. This involves giving special privileges like adding those free points to enter high institution. Also giving special privileges in politics and other sectors. Legal Aid/ legal protection, people should be sensitized about their rights to access justice. Challenges Inadequate support to sustain the above programmes. Corruption especially in developing countries. Poor governance in developing countries Ramshackled health systems in developing countries Inadequate health rights institutions in Africa.

a) Partnering with the a critical mass in the community to influence and advocate for gender responsive action towards prevention, care and support services. b) Training/updating health providers to be able to effectively interpret and implement government policies and guidelines in provision of gender responsive services. c) Strengthen district level systems of networking, linkage coordination and collaboration among key stakeholders for the purpose of complementarity and service delivery.

Hi Fenna,

Thanks for your posting. We are translating sumaries of posts from this forum into French, Spanish and Russian, and visa-versa so that the ideas of members posted in the other forums on this topic can cross the language barrier. A Russian participant, for example, would be able to take the ideas shared in the English forum and respond in his own language in the Russian forum. This post would then be summarized, translated and posted in the other three language forums.

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