Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks
The Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks is a global collective of networks, organizations and individuals working to advance the health and human rights of gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people.
| Grantee type:
Global Consortium |
| Grant:
$2,992,500 |
| Grant period:
2016-2018 |
| Lead organization:
Mpact (Formerly The Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF)) |
Partner organizations:
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During 2016-2018, the Robert Carr Fund supported the work of 12 organizations within this consortium. Those organizations included the African Black Diaspora Global Network (ABDGN), African Men for Sexual Health and Rights (AMSHeR), the Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCOM), Central Asia Coalition of MSM and Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people (CA MSM/GBT), Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC), Eurasian Coalition on Male Health (ECOM), Gay Latino, International Reference Group for Transgender People (IRGT), Middle East and North Africa MSM Network (M-Coalition), MPact Global Action for Gay Men’s Health and Rights (MPact), and the South Caucasus Network on HIV (SCN).
- 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 41% of new infections in Latin America, more than 25% of new HIV infections in Asia and the Pacific and the Caribbean, about 20% of new infections in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions, and an estimated 12% of new infections in West and Central Africa.
- Disparities are fueled in part by systematic human rights violations in every region of the world, including discrimination, criminalization, a lack of protection by police, and violence and abuse from police. This potential for discrimination, violence, and other human rights violations creates barriers to access to health services.
- During the past decade, global HIV funders such as the Global Fund and PEPFAR 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 low- or middle-income country is reaching MSM and transgender people at sufficient scale to control epidemics of HIV and STIs. Furthermore, the trend of national health financing and integration of HIV programs into broader health programming threatens the limited targeted HIV programming that exists for MSM and transgender people.
- Gay men and other MSM have important direct experience of HIV-related health needs and barriers to health services. The capacity of networks of gay men and other inadequately served populations (ISPs) to organize and advocate is central to efforts to improve human rights environments, improve HIV service accessibility, and improve efficiency and effectiveness of national and international funding for health and human rights.
RCF funding 2016-2018
The Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks received US$ 2.99 million in funding from the Robert Carr Fund during 2016-2018. This funding was allocated to both core and strategic program costs across all major regions of the world to help build the capacity of each consortium partner and to support collective action globally. In 2019, the Robert Carr Fund allocated over US$ 4 million in renewed funding to most of the same Consortium partner organizations, including through a grant to a new consortium called SHAG (Sustainable Health Advocacy with Gay Men) and additional large grants to AMSHeR, CVC, and M-Coalition.
Geographic coverage
The Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks was a global consortium, convening and supporting organizations and individuals in more than 60 countries across all regions of the world. Key countries for organizing and capacity-building included Armenia, Barbados, Brazil, Guyana, Estonia, Jamaica, Lebanon, Nigeria, Paraguay, South Africa, and Thailand.
Population coverage
The Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks focused on the global empowerment, leadership, health and rights of gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people. With RCF support to the Consortium, gay men and trans people in countries as diverse as Brazil, and Nigeria, have strengthened their national, regional and global organizing, advocated for human rights and legal protections, and developed sexual health guidance documents and campaigns.
Activities 2016-2018
With RCF funding in 2016-2018, the Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks was able to support national, regional and global organizing, advocacy for human rights and legal protections, and development of sexual health guidance documents and campaigns. Examples of consortium member activities include:
- Trainings, coalition building, and organizational strengthening of gay and trans networks such as the Caribbean Trans Network (CTN), the Eurasian Coalition on Male Health (ECOM), Gay Latino, the Middle East and North Africa MSM Network (M-Coalition), and the South Caucasus Network on HIV (SCN).
- Regional advocacy for human rights and legal protections at the African Commission for Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) and related production of ACHPR shadow reports from Nigeria, Eritrea and Togo.
- National advocacy for human rights and legal protections in countries as diverse as Armenia, Brazil, Georgia, Guyana, Philippines, and Trinidad and Tobago, creation of a “shared incident database” for human rights violations reporting in the Caribbean, and mobilization of international support for human rights emergencies in countries such as Burundi, Malawi and Tanzania.
- Trainings for monitoring of health service quality, including regional trainings for Caribbean transgender activists and an innovative “secret client” training developed and implemented in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
- Development of sexual health guidance documents and campaigns such as the “Out With It” technical brief on sexual health of young MSM produced with WHO, UNDP and UNFPA, the “Anal About My Health” sexual health campaign adapted and used in multiple regions, and a sexual health campaign and a Dream, love, live: undetectable” campaign in Brazil.
Results 2016-2018
The results from the work of the Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks are extensive, with longer-term results likely to be realized for many years to come.
- Network strength and influence: The work of the Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks has strengthened regional and national coalitions and networks of gay men and transgender people. For example, because of sustained support over many years for regional organizing, organizational development, and fundraising, regional networks such as the African Men for Sexual Health and Rights (AMSHeR), Eurasian Coalition on Male Health (ECOM) and the Middle East and North Africa MSM Network (M-Coalition) are operating with strong governance, experienced staff, extensive programming and multiple funders.
- Network strength and influence: The work of the Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks has strengthened the global movement for the human rights and health of gay men and transgender people. With RCF funding to the Consortium, dozens of organizations across the world are now aligned in their advocacy for rights and health and have experience in collaborative work. One indicator of this strength is fundraising: the Consortium calculates that in 2018, the RCF investment of approximately US$ 1 million was matched by an additional US$ 9 million raised by Consortium organization, all of which happened in part because of proven capacity to implement and manage programs well.
- Human rights: The work of the Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks has led to advances in human rights and legal protections for MSM and transgender people. Even as reversals are experienced or threatened in countries such as Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, and Tanzania, significant legal victories were achieved in Armenia, Belize, Georgia, Guyana, and Trinidad, and groundwork was established for successful legal change in many other countries.
- Access to services: The work of the Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks has strengthened health information and advocacy campaigns by and for gay men and transgender people. National health authorities, health providers, and communities of gay men and transgender people have new guidance documents, trainings, and networks to support high quality sexual health services.