Robert Carr Fund/2019-2021 RedLacTrans

Red Latinoamericana y del Caribe de Personas Trans (RedLacTrans)

RedLacTrans – the Network of Trans People in Latin America and the Caribbean — is a regional network of 25 organizations led by trans people.

 

Grantee type:
Regional
Grant:
$550,000
Grant period:
2019-2021

 

Key organizations supported with RCF funding include (alphabetically by country): ATTTA (Argentina), DMarco (Bahamas), Trans Advocacy & Agitation (Barbados) Trans In Action (Belize), Red Trebol (Bolivia), RedTrans Brasil, Amanda Jofré Cerda (Chile), Red Comunitaria Trans (Colombia), Transvida (Costa Rica), Asociación Alfil (Ecuador), ASPIDH (El Salvador), Otrans (Guatemala), ACIFVH (Haiti), Colectivo Unidad Color Rosa (Honduras), Red Mexicana de Mujeres Trans (Mexico), Redtrans Nicaragua (Nicaragua), Asociación Panameña de Personas Trans (Panama), Panambi (Paraguay), Red de mujeres Trans de Perú (Peru), COTRAVETD (Dominican Republic), and Asociación Trans (Uruguay).

 

Context           

  • Research in Argentina, Brazil, El Salvador, Peru, and Uruguay, as well as in other countries around the world documents that transgender people are at higher risk of discrimination, gender-based violence and other human rights violations, and face reduced access to employment, education, housing, and services.
  • These vulnerabilities correlate with disparities in health, including higher rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Studies interviewing trans women typically document very high (over 50%) rates of lifetime sexual violence, very high (over 20%) rates of HIV and STIs, oftentimes undiagnosed and untreated, and a lack of access to services that are affirming, affordable, and targeted to their needs related to gender identity, sexual health, behavioral health, and practical legal, economic and social needs. Significant disparities are also seen within trans populations in relation to age, race, migration and documentation status, and histories of sex work or drug use.
  • Transgender people have important direct experience of HIV-related health needs and barriers to health services. The capacity of networks of transgender people 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, effectiveness and accountability of national and international funding for health and human rights.

 

RCF funding 2019-2021

RedLacTrans received US$ 550,000 in funding from the Robert Carr Fund for work during 2019-2021, which was a continuation of steady RCF funding support since 2013. This funding was allocated to both core and strategic program costs across organizations in 15 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to help build the capacity of each organization and to support collective action across the region.

 

Geographic coverage   

RedLacTrans is a regional network convening and supporting organizations and individuals in more than 22 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, including Argentina, Belize, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.

 

Population coverage    

Through the RedLacTrans network organizations led by trans people in more than 22 countries are supporting the empowerment, leadership, health and rights of trans and gender non-conforming people.

 

Activities 2019-2021   

With RCF funding in 2019-2021, RedLacTrans will

  • Coordinate and lead regional advocacy for the rights of trans people at the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and will organize regional competency trainings for health providers from Latin American countries.
  • Sustain and strengthen its regional governing Board and organizational management capacity, strategic planning and capacity trainings for Board members and staff.
  • Organizations in the RedLacTrans network will conduct advocacy for improved gender identity laws in multiple countries and will work to respond to the health needs and human rights needs of trans people in their countries, including needs related to HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care.