NGO Echo administrated project «Assessment of the situation of lesbian, bisexual and queer women in Kazakhstan». Project activity carried out by Feminita.
This project was aimed at developing an evidence-based and cooperative program of empowerment and protection of rights of lesbian, bisexual and queer women. That was be done by employing a two-step approach, where first a comprehensive research was conducted throughout the whole country, allowing to get a ‘portrait’ of different communities of lesbian, bisexual and queer women in Kazakhstan and identifying their social, legal, economic and political needs.
Project Objectives
- Conduct a comprehensive qualitative research on the social, economic and political situation and needs of lesbian, bisexual and queer women in various regions of Kazakhstan: 80 to 100 lesbian, bisexual, queer women were interviewed and surveyed using the method of ‘snowball sampling’ based on respondents already interviewed.
- Develop an LBQ community development program jointly with grassroots lesbian, bisexual and queer women’s groups identified in the course of research, based on results of the same research: Those lesbian, bisexual and queer women interviewed as part of the research in the previous stage of the project who showed interest in activism or have experience of informal organising in their own local communities were selected as ‘multipliers’ and focal points representing their regions in further work in developing a more integrated and aware LBQ community throughout Kazakhstan;
Project outcomes:
Key stakeholders in the country, including but not limited to governmental agencies, national and international human rights organisations, individual human rights, journalists, scholars and the general population are informed about the situation of lesbian, bisexual and queer women in Kazakhstan;
Evidence-based advocacy for fighting stigma, discrimination and violence against LBQ women in Kazakhstan is enabled, creating communication bridges with the relevant national and international institutions;
Currently disenfranchised and disengaged LBQ community throughout the country is aware of other groups and is mobilised towards greater integration with shared goals and resources;
Financial and institutional sustainability of emerging LBQ movement in Kazakhstan is ensured via registration of Feminita as an NGO. LBQ women and society at large have access to continued education and sensitisation concerning relevant queer and feminist issues nationally, regionally and internationally via development of Feminita’s website.
