About us
Our history
Context
In West Africa, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people live in an increasingly hostile environment. In recent years, a sharp rise in homophobic laws, violence, and arrests has brought renewed attention to the struggles of LGBTQ people in the region. Historically, gay men and men who have sex with men (MSM) have received attention from philanthropists, particularly in response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. This has overshadowed the issues faced by lesbians, bisexual women, trans people, and other West Africans who identify as queer and gender non-conforming.
However, in recent years, new LGBTQ organizations with broader bases have emerged, often led by queer or gender-nonconforming women. These organizations face many challenges, some of them similar, in establishing their structure and supporting their work, particularly in French-speaking Africa, where the LGBTQ civil society infrastructure is relatively weak.
Key moments
To address these challenges—and following growing interest from donors in LGBTQ activism in West Africa—a group of activists and donors came together to discuss the need for a fund led and managed by activists in West Africa.
Key moments
Representatives from American Jewish World Service (AJWS), Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, Foundation for a Just Society (FJS), The East African Sexual Health and Rights Initiative (UHAI-EASHRI), and the Queer African Youth Network (QAYN) formed a "Brain Trust" to begin an exploratory and participatory process toward establishing the Fund. To this end, the Brain Trust raised funds to map LGBTQ activism in West Africa and analyze the funding landscape, on the one hand, and organized sub-regional meetings with LGBTQ activists and other stakeholders to identify the ideal model for the fund and its priorities, on the other.
Between 2014 and 2015, a team of six consultants mapped LGBTQ organizations in West Africa, with the participation of 50 groups and 180 activists from nine countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo.
Key moments
In July, during the "Changing Faces, Changing Spaces" conference in Kenya, a meeting with donors and a panel discussion with activists from the sub-region provided an opportunity to share the initial results of the mapping exercise with a wider audience.
In August, the first sub-regional meeting was held in Côte d'Ivoire, with 38 activists from nine countries, as well as representatives from Pan-Africa ILGA, the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL), and UHAI-EASHRI. During this meeting, participants validated the preliminary mapping report, discussed expectations for the fund, and strengthened their understanding of participatory fund models.
Following this meeting and in response to the activists' recommendations, a direct nomination process and a call for applications led to the establishment of an Interim Steering Committee (ISC) composed of activists from Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria, and Togo. The ISDC's mandate was to deliberate, make decisions, and provide strategic guidance to define ISDAO's mission, objectives, and preliminary operating mechanism.
A second sub-regional meeting was held in Senegal in November. Participants examined different models of participatory funds and governance structures and defined a "roadmap" to launch the operational phase of the fund.
Key moments
The report We Exist: Mapping LGBTQ Organizations in West Africa is launched in March.
The CDI develops the strategic framework for ISDAO, including the vision, mission, guiding principles, key strategies, and long-term goals. Between April and May, the CDI held consultations on the strategic framework in Burkina Faso, Liberia, and Nigeria, as well as a virtual consultation with more than 60 participants from Burkina Faso, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea Conakry, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, and the diaspora.
In August, the CDI became an interim board of directors (IBD) and new members were recruited. The IBD commissioned an analysis of the legal and fiscal environment of several West African countries to determine where to register the fund.
At the end of 2016, the Board of Directors will be dissolved.
Key moments
After a break, ISDAO convenes a Consultative Committee of activists from West Africa to finalize the development of ISDAO, building on the foundations laid by the Interim Steering Committee/Council, and to prepare a call for projects for 2018. Members of the Brain Trust and Advisory Committee participate in the Changing Faces Changing Spaces Conference in Kenya in June to update activists and donors on the ISDAO process and to connect with them.
In July, at the first joint meeting of the Advisory Committee and the Brain Trust, the ISDAO Interim Governance Group (IGB) was formed. The IGB composed of members of the Advisory Committee (four activists from West Africa, two French-speaking and two English-speaking) and former members of the Brain Trust, two of whom are voting members. The IGB that UHAI EASHRI would become the fiscal host of ISDAO, with the eventual goal of establishing ISDAO as an independent organization in West Africa, and that members of the UHAI EASHRI team would serve on IGB non-voting members.
In October, ISDAO publishes an open call for additional IGB members.
In November, the IGB in Accra, Ghana, to promote the development of ISDAO and to meet with local activists and members of the LGBTQI community.
Key moments
Three new IGB members, all activists from West Africa, join the IGB January.
In March, ISDAO awarded its first grant to Pan-African ILGA (PAI) to fund the participation of West African activists in the 2018 PAI Conference and to ensure the inclusion of French speakers (through interpretation in French and English) at the Conference.
In May, the IGB meets in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, to promote the development of ISDAO and to meet with local activists and members of the LGBTQI community. The IGB important decisions necessary to advance staff recruitment, grants, and communications in 2018.
Key moments
Recruitment of the first Executive Director of ISDAO and other staff members.
Awarding of the first series of grants decided upon by activists in the West African region.
Key moments
Increase in the number of grants awarded in the region.
In response to the global COVID-19 crisis, ISDAO has awarded resilience grants to groups/organizations in the region. In addition, ISDAO has increased grants to promote safety and security through the Respond fund.
ISDAO has also expanded its portfolio with Asanka Grants to specifically support Creative Initiatives within the LGBTQI movement, and In Touch Grants to directly support the organizational communication capacities of groups/organizations.