Organizational Description
The ITF is the only global participatory grantmaker that is exclusively dedicated to supporting trans-led groups to secure the rights and improve the lived realities of trans people. The mission of the ITF is to mobilize and facilitate sustainable resources for strong, trans-led movements and collective action, and to address and eliminate funding gaps impacting trans groups across the globe.

Our Purpose
– To develop and sustain a mechanism to support trans-led groups of different sizes working on a range of issues at the international, regional, country and local levels, with emphasis on smaller groups with limited resources.
– To educate our peers in the philanthropic community on trans issues and influence other funders and strategic allies in trans related commitments and strategies.
– To increase and enhance access to resources to support trans movements by increasing financial resources dedicated to trans-led organizations and groups; providing access to non-financial resources for trans organizations, such as skills building, organizational strengthening, leadership development and activist support; and improving advocacy in philanthropy to increase access to new donors.

In order to achieve our goals, the ITF seeks to (1) increase the funding available to trans-led groups, whether through the ITF or by influencing other donors; (2) support to trans groups becoming increasingly sustainable, autonomous and responsive to the needs of their communities; and (3) increase the representation and influence of trans activists in social justice advocacy and philanthropy.

Background
Trans persons and their human rights: Most trans persons cannot access official documents that reflect their gender identity; if there is a process available to change legal gender, it has rights-violating requirements such as psychiatric evaluations or forced sterilisation. Lacking documents that match their identity, trans persons face discrimination in housing, healthcare, education and employment resulting in poverty and marginalisation. In Africa, trans persons face harsh criminalisation, including moral policing and violence. Access to gender-affirming healthcare is almost non existent and trans persons report harassment when attempting to access care. Trans women in Africa are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. South Africa and Namibia are the only countries that expressly enable legal gender recognition but both have prohibitive requirements. Across all regions, duty bearers have limited understanding of the rights of trans persons. In addition to rights-violating laws and policies, cultural norms and stigma shape the everyday lives of trans persons.

Purpose
The ITF is seeking a committee as advisors to help conduct a capacity building and regional networking workshop in Africa. The workshop will gather trans activists in a safe engagement space to strengthen relationships, develop shared advocacy strategies, and share best practices for engaging duty bearers and strengthening African trans networks. The objective of the workshop is to increase the capacities of trans activists and their organizations to strengthen local and national human rights initiatives and build regional alliances in Africa.

Outcome
We expect the outputs to include:
– 30 trans activists trained on how to better address human rights violations.
– 30 trans activists receive information on best practices on advocacy and networking.
– 3 – 4 sub-regional trans networks participated in an information sharing exchange for regional networking.
– Stakeholders in trans organizing trained to understand the needs of trans persons.

We expect the outcomes to include:
– Strengthened capacities of trans activists in countries in Africa to carry out local initiatives and build their grassroots and nascent trans movements including addressing the human rights violations facing trans communities.
– Enhanced regional networking and advocacy through exchanging best practices and lessons learned with the result that trans activists are supported to promote awareness raising and the understanding of human rights particularly to the violations of trans persons.
– Trans groups empowered to respond to their rights, needs and constraints through capacity building and networking, including training and support for advocacy and strengthening human rights initiatives.
– Promoting trans rights and engaging duty bearers to protect trans rights.

Committee Responsibilities
In a duration of 2-3 months via at least 5 quarterly meetings, the committee will be responsible for the following:
– Contribute ideas for a capacity building and regional networking workshop in Africa.
– Determine the themes of the workshop guided by the priorities of trans activists in Africa. including best practice advocacy and/or safety and security strategies by sub-regional networks.
– Consult and assess capacity needs of their network members and identify priority areas for support.
– Identify workshop participants and agenda.
– Identify sub-regional networks, appropriate capacity-building providers and other knowledgeable expert facilitators to facilitate the workshop including a session tailored to the unique capacity needs to be addressed.
– Identify local duty bearers and stakeholders as participants to promote awareness and understanding of needed trans rights.
– Select a host organization.

Committee Criteria
– Identify as transgender and based in Africa.
– Individuals who can contribute ideas, share knowledge, resources, strategies and experience in trans regional convenings, working to address trans rights violations, trans advocacy, networking and capacity building.
– Have at least two years’ experience in trans organizing including organizing and participating in regional convenings for trans persons.
– Demonstrated ability to make objective decisions and have a track record of planning skills, regional experience and being resourceful.
– Have deep connections with other trans activists and trans sub-regional networks.
– Must have experience working with stakeholders and duty bearers related to trans organizing.
– Experience with the most marginalized trans communities including trans refugees, trans sex workers and trans persons who are HIV positive.

Could this be you?
We invite you to submit a Letter of Interest. Please share with us your experience in trans activism or any similar examples in Africa. There will be an honorarium for committee members.

Please submit the Letter of Interest to [email protected]. The deadline has been extended to January 31, 2022.

We are also accepting Letters of Interest – Host organization for capacity building support and regional networking workshop in Africa