Robert Carr Fund/2019-2021 M-Coalition

M-Coalition

The M-Coalition is a regional network in the Middle East and North Africa aimed at promoting the health and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people throughout the region.

 

Grantee type:
Regional
Grant:
$400,000
Grant period:
2019-2021

 

Hosted fiscally and administratively by the Arab Foundation for Freedom and Equality (AFEMENA), the M-Coalition network includes organizations such as MARSA and SIDC in Lebanon, ATL and ATP+ in Tunisia, ALCS and AMSED in Morocco, and AIDES and Dream to Live + in Algeria.

  • Worldwide data show that MSM and transgender women are at higher risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) than the general population and have less access to safe, competently delivered health services. For example, gay men and other MSM account for an estimated 20% of new infections in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
  • LGBT people in the Middle East and North Africa have disproportionately limited access to health services. Disparities are fueled in part by systematic human rights violations, including discrimination, criminalization, a lack of protection by police, and violence and abuse from police.
  • During the past decade, global HIV funders such as the Global Fund and the French 5% Initiative have made efforts to increase attention to HIV among MSM and transgender people, but national HIV programs struggle to tailor and fund health services to be appropriate, accessible, and accountable to population needs. No country in the Middle East and North Africa is reaching LGBT people at sufficient scale to control epidemics of HIV and STIs. Furthermore, to be financed by national governments, HIV programs are at risk of being integrated into broader national health programs, and this threatens the limited targeted HIV programming that exists for LGBT people.
  • LGBT people have important direct experience of HIV-related health needs and barriers to health services. The capacity of networks of LGBT people and other inadequately served populations (ISPs) to organize and advocate is central to efforts to improve human rights environments, improve health service accessibility, and improve efficiency and effectiveness of national and international funding for health and human rights.

RCF funding 2019-2021

M-Coalition received US$ 400,000 in funding from the Robert Carr Fund for work in 2019-2021.  This funding was allocated to both core and strategic program costs for the regional network operations and collective action. M-Coalition is also a funded partner in the global SHAG Consortium, which links M-Coalition’s regional work with work in sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and Latin America.

 

Geographic coverage

M-Coalition is a regional network, convening and supporting organizations and individuals in Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordon, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan, and Tunisia, as well as in other Arabic-speaking countries.

 

Population coverage

M-Coalition focuses on the empowerment, leadership, health and rights of LGBT people in the Middle East and North Africa, especially LGBT people who are younger, economically vulnerable, and less connected to sexual health and behavioral health services such as LGBT people who are migrants, sex workers and/or people who use drugs. RCF funding for M-Coalition also includes support for the MENA Rosa network to work with male, female and trans sex workers in at least 5 countries in the MENA region.

 

Activities 2019-2021

With RCF funding in 2019-2021, M-Coalition will:

  • Regularly convene the network’s regional Steering Committee and coalition, improve network communications, engage new partners, and develop new programming and targeted fundraising.
  • Sponsor trainings and meetings to increase legal literacy, generate evidence about human rights violations, and support advocacy for human rights.
  • Support organizations in multiple countries in the implementation of HIV-related activities funded through the Global Fund and the French 5% initiative, including by helping organizations to learn about and adopt international best practices for HIV prevention, treatment and care, sexual health services, mental health services, and substance use and harm reduction services.
  • Sponsor trainings to increase understanding of national health spending and develop methods for monitoring national health budgets and advocating for investments in high-quality accessible health services, including sexual health services, mental health services, and substance use services, especially for LGBT people who are younger, economically vulnerable, or migrants, sex workers or people who use drugs.

Intended results 2019-2021

The intended results from this work during 2019-2021 will include:

  • Network strength and influence:  Continued collaboration and shared programming among M-Coalition partners in Lebanon, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, with ongoing efforts to engage and involve additional organizations and advocates in the network.
  • Human rights:  Activists in multiple countries will maintain high legal literacy, will generate evidence about human rights violations, and will advocate for human rights.
  • Access to services: Activists in multiple countries will work with national processes associated with the Global Fund and the French 5% initiative to promote international best practices for HIV prevention, treatment and care, sexual health services, mental health services, and substance use and harm reduction services.
  • Resource accountability: Advocates will develop capacity and methods for researching and tracking national health spending and health budgets, and will use this knowledge to advocate for improved investments in high-quality accessible health services.