Trans and gender diverse activists frequently face emergencies due to political, social, economic, and climate-related developments. One of the primary drivers of such emergency situations is anti-gender opposition. Activists may need to relocate their staff to protect them from harassment, violence, and even death. They may also need to change their office location or install security devices for safety measures. In addition, activists may need to respond to rapidly emerging crises or utilize advocacy opportunities that were not planned in advance. Urgent resources are often needed for these situations, but despite this urgent need for assistance, many organizations find it challenging to operate in such circumstances due to resource limitations.
To help address this issue, GATE has compiled a list of resources that can provide urgent funding and other forms of material assistance.
Resources List
NOTE: This list is not exhaustive, and the availability and applicability of these resources may vary by location. It is, therefore, advisable to conduct additional research to identify resources that are best suited to meet your specific needs.
The following donors can provide urgent funding and other forms of material assistance to support emergency situations. GATE is not affiliated with these organizations. Please consult each donor’s website to understand their scope of work, eligibility criteria, and guidelines before applying:
- Frontline AIDS
- Urgent Action Funds
- Dignity for All
- Protect Defenders EU
- Civil Rights Defender’s Emergency Fund
- OMCT material assistance and emergency support
- Frontline Defenders
- Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders
- Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund
- Digital Defenders
- Shelter City
- The Lifeline Embattled CSO Assistance Fund
- The Crisis Response Fund (CRF) (by CIVICUS)
If you are a funder or provider that offers emergency support and would like to be included in this list, please contact info@gate.ngo with information about what services you offer and how they apply to trans and gender diverse communities.
Emergency Advocacy Support
Trans and gender diverse activists and organizations can use United Nations human rights mechanisms to report human rights violations.
The complaint procedure is intended to address:
Consistent patterns of gross and reliably attested violations of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, regardless of where they occur in the world or under what circumstances.
OHCHR, Complaint Procedure FAQ
It is available to individuals, groups, or non-governmental organizations that claim to be victims of human rights violations or possess direct, reliable knowledge of such violations. The complaint mechanisms are designed to be accessible to everyone without requiring legal expertise or familiarity with technical terms to file a complaint.
Reporting Complaints to the UN
It is crucial to carefully consider the context and potential outcomes before proceeding with a complaint.
If you wish to report a complaint, you can do so with the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council (independent human rights experts), the Human Rights Treaty Bodies (committees of independent experts); or the Human Rights Council.
To find out more about reporting violations to the UN, explore the information in the table (previous link) for an overview of the three main human rights bodies to which you can turn for help. Compare your options in detail using the comparison table.
- Read more about the Human Rights Council Complaint Procedure
- To send your submissions to the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council
- Find out more about submissions to UN treaty bodies