Study of the impact of the discourses and actions of anti-gender movements on LGBTQI community mobilization and the sex work movement in West Africa

Context

In 2022, Queer African Youth Network (QAYN) and Initiative Sankofa d'Afrique de l'Ouest (ISDAO) co-published " Qui peur du genre, a study of gender ideology and the anti-gender campaigns that support it in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Senegal to better understand the structure, organization and manifestation of so-called "anti-gender" movements in West Africa ."

Indeed, the first of its kind in the sub-region, this study revealed the existence of anti-gender movements in the three countries covered by the study. These movements, more or less organized, have common agendas: to deconstruct all the gains made in preserving the rights of women in their socio-professional diversity and identity, and of LGBTQI people with the support of politicians and through popular mobilization.

A few years ago, in Burkina Faso, a group of clerics ordered the burning of a historic brothel occupied by sex workers in the town of Bobo-Dioulasso. Since then, there have been regular attacks on brothels and an increase in abuse and public aggression against sex workers in this city, which has a reputation for being historically peaceful towards sex workers.

Since 2021, in Bamako and other major cities in Mali, HIV/AIDS organizations have recorded regular attacks on the homes of sex workers. These attacks are led by young people claiming to be members of Muslim religious organizations.

In Senegal, the Jamra and And Samm Jikko religious movements, in addition to being very vocal as an anti-LGBTQI movement, have attempted to toughen Senegal's already existing criminalization of LGBTQI people by proposing a law to Parliament. Very recently, in the interior of the country, in the town of Kaolack, a group of people from a religious movement exhumed the mortal remains of a supposedly "homosexual" person in a cemetery, then cremated them in the public square. A previous event took place in 2008, when the body of an alleged "homosexual" was exhumed and dragged through the street before being abandoned in front of his parents' home. A regular fatwa is issued in Senegal against LGBTQI communities.

In addition to these actions, in Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, etc., digital content producers present on social networks are organizing anti-LGBTQI propaganda ranging from hate speech to a clear call for the lynching and murder of LGBTQI people, with the support of religious leaders in these countries.

Similar actions take place in other countries in the sub-region and are generally documented by the local and/or international press.

These discourses and actions by anti-gender actors and movements have a considerable impact on the organization of LGBTQI and sex worker movements. In formal and informal conversations, activists and social justice actors involved in these movements talk about them. But how do these impacts manifest themselves? How do they affect the historically hostile context for these communities? How are movements reorganizing to counter anti-gender actions and discourses?

That's why ISDAO, as a feminist fund led by LGBTQI communities and through the Special Love Alliance Initiative, intends to conduct an evaluative study of the impact of anti-gender actors' discourses and actions on LGBTQI and sex work movements in West Africa, with a focus on ISDAO's nine focal countries.

In collaboration with the Director of Communications and Knowledge Management, the consultant will coordinate the implementation of the study, including the development of questionnaires and the data collection framework, as well as the drafting of the final report.

Guided by the principles of feminist research, the consultant will propose a methodological approach to be applied within the framework of this study. It will be both documentary/quantitative and qualitative. It will be targeted at various actors and stakeholders, including LGBTQI organizations and sex workers; key anti-gender organizations and actors; sexual and gender minority communities; opinion leaders and certain personnel from the health, social action, justice and security sectors and/or state services of the countries concerned; and a number of donors active in the sub-region. The aim will then be to propose an appropriate methodology for the study, which will make it possible to identify all possible analytical aspects of the impacts of the actions and discourses of anti-gender actors on LGBTQI and sex work movements in West Africa.

Deliverables and Formats

The final report should be in English or French. It will be prepared as follows:

• A draft research report meeting the general and specific objectives of the assignment.
• A report on the research results validation workshop.
• A final research report with recommendations.

Objective of the Consultancy

General objective:

Generally speaking, the aim of this study is to use a feminist approach to carry out an evaluative analysis of the impact of the discourses and actions of anti-gender actors on the organization of LGBTQI and sex work movements in West Africa.

Specific objectives :

Specifically, this involves :

• Produce an evaluative analysis of the impacts of anti-gender actors' discourses and actions on sex worker and LGBTQI movements in West Africa, with a focus on ISDAO's 9 focal countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo).
• To analyze these impacts from the following angles, but not limited to: psychological, community, political and philanthropic, on the organization of LGBTQI and sex worker movements in West Africa.
• Obtain recommendations from key actors (in particular, community movements, feminist movements and philanthropic actors) to mitigate these impacts on the organization of LGBTQI and sex worker movements in West Africa.

This study should provide an analytical report on the impacts of the discourses and actions of anti-gender actors on the LGBTQI and sex worker movements. The study report should present, but not be limited to, the following impacts: emotional impacts, impacts on community mobilizations, impacts on advocacy processes, impacts on the legal context, impacts on the mobilization and safeguarding of financial resources, impacts on the provision and follow-up of care by those concerned.

The study report will also include recommendations to community stakeholders, technical partners and the philanthropic sector on intervention approaches to mitigate these impacts.

The mission is scheduled to last 45 days over 4 months, from March 2024 to July 2024, with data collection in the field and remotely.

The consultant will propose a detailed timetable for the mission based on its duration, methodology and key activities, including validation of the research methodology and report. The research mission will take place in West Africa, with a focus on the 9 ISDAO focal countries.

Consultant profile

We are looking for a consultant experienced in evaluations and data collection in the philanthropic sector, international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Africa :

• The consultant must have proven experience in social science research in Africa and in the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data,
• The consultant must have a demonstrated commitment to LGBTQI rights, gender workers, women's rights and/or gender issues.
• The consultant must have experience in directing and/or carrying out research as part of a multinational project.
• The consultant must have research experience in at least one of ISDAO's focal countries,
• The consultant should be able to work with a multi-lingual and multi-geographical team,
• The consultant must have knowledge of the LGBTQI movement in West Africa and/or the sex work movement in West Africa and an understanding of the obstacles, constraints and challenges faced by organizations working on LGBTQI issues,
• The consultant must be able to work on this assignment in French and English.

The consultant will work directly with ISDAO's Director of Communications and Knowledge Management.

Candidates interested in this mission may send their application for consideration, including

• A technical bid, including a description of why they are interested in the assignment and relevant experience,
• A budget / financial offer
• Two references from former and/or current clients
• CV(s) of key person(s) for this assignment

Applications must be sent in French and English.

Applications should be sent to ISDAO at recruit@isdao.org, with the subject "Anti-gender Impact" no later than Monday, March 25, 2024.

NB. Applications from teams of consultants are also welcome.