Asia’s intersex communities need powerful advocates, but are their own organizations strong enough? Intersex Asia is finding out by launching a vital initiative assessing the capacity and needs of intersex-led groups across Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, and Thailand. This crucial initiative is rooted in our sincere desire to bolster the organizational strength of these organizations at the country level, ensuring that they can effectively advocate for and support Intersex communities.
Evaluating Challenges to Empower Communities!
At the heart of this initiative is our goal to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of their capacities in essential areas such as Governance, Management, Fund Raising, and Advocacy. With a compassionate and holistic approach, we strive to uncover the unique challenges these organizations face, enabling us to offer tailored support that truly empowers intersex communities throughout the region.
So far, we have had the privilege of completing capacity assessments for several organizations. In Bangladesh, we evaluated the strengths of Intersex Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Intersex Forum. In India, we engaged with two distinguished organizations: the Intersex Human Rights Initiative (IHRI) and VoiS. Furthermore, we engaged with Intersex Id from Indonesia, CfC from Nepal, IXPI from the Philippines, and Intersex Thailand in Thailand, utilizing online meetings to facilitate these assessments.
Key Findings: Fundings, Awareness and Skills
The findings paint a picture of organizations grappling with reduced resources while simultaneously facing deepening marginalization of intersex individuals, even within broader LGBTQI spaces. Along with these issues are critical gaps in public awareness and essential digital capacities. These combined factors create significant hurdles for advocacy and support efforts. Below is a detailed breakdown of these key findings:
- Decline in Funding Opportunities: A noticeable decline in funding opportunities for the intersex community across the Asia region, which poses difficulties for organizations striving to maintain and expand their initiatives
- Increased Marginalization: Increased marginalization faced by intersex individuals within the broader LGBTQI spectrum, emphasizing the importance of more inclusive advocacy and support efforts
- Lack of Awareness and Education: A significant lack of awareness about intersex issues, which we believe can be addressed through education and outreach.
- Digital Competencies and Skills: There is a concerning gap in the digital competencies among several organizations, emphasizing the urgent need to enhance their knowledge and capacity in utilizing digital tools
Vino from VoiS India says “ The challenges we face require not just understanding but actionable support to create a change.”
What’s next for us ?
Through this initiative, Intersex Asia is not only gathering valuable insights into the operational strengths and weaknesses of these organizations but also laying the groundwork for future collaborations and support mechanisms that will enhance their ability to serve intersex individuals and promote their rights within their respective countries.
Our commitment to creating a supportive environment where intersex communities can flourish is unwavering. By addressing the specific needs identified in our assessments, we envision empowering these organizations to become resilient and impactful advocates for intersex rights and inclusion. Together, we can build a brighter, more inclusive future for intersex individuals across Asia and beyond!
Intersex Asia sincerely thanks all the organizations that participated in the evaluation. Your valuable thoughts and opinions mean so much to us, and we truly appreciate your support and engagement during this important process. Thank you for your collaboration and support—together, we can make a positive impact!
