Protecting Human Rights during Covid-19

Co-Sponsored by: Global Philanthropy Project & Africa Grantmakers’ Affinity Group

Monday, 22 June

Following recent statements by UNAIDS and other global stakeholders expressing concerns that the COVID-19 epidemic is being used to target marginalized and criminalized populations, FCAA joined the Global Philanthropy Project and UHAI-EASHRI to start a discussion on what this means for the lived realities of our communities and the global response to HIV and AIDS.

We invite you to join FCAA, GPP and AGAG for this 1-hour FCAA Connect webinar to discuss how the manipulation of state of emergency and health policy laws are being used to abuse the human rights and health of the LGBTQI and sex worker communities. How do funders respond in this time of increasing and competing needs?

We will be joined by speakers that will share how funders are responding on the ground in East and West Africa. The webinar will also offer time for open dialogue.

This webinar is only open to representatives of funding or philanthropy serving organizations.

Speakers

Caroline Kouassiaman joined ISDAO as the Executive Director in this role in February 2019, bringing 16+ years of experience in international development, human rights and education, including 8 years in philanthropy at American Jewish World Service and Global Fund for Women. While at AJWS, Caroline was involved with ISDAO throughout the first four years of its journey, through the provision of technical and strategic support. She is one of the founding advisors of the Queer African Youth Network. Caroline is a queer Pan-African feminist of Ivorian and African-American heritage, and has lived in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Uganda. She holds a Master of Public Administration degree and a master’s in international relations from Syracuse University (US). Caroline works for a world where LGBTQI persons – in their full and beautiful diversity – have the opportunity, autonomy and resources to live full, healthy and violence-free lives on their own terms.

Roselyn (Roxxy) Odoyo, (She/Her) is a social justice activist and researcher trained as a lawyer based in Kenya. She also identifies as a feminist, proud pan Africanist and human rights advocate that currently works as the Programme Manager for partnerships and communication at UHAI- EASHRI. UHAI- EASHRI is an indigenous African grant maker whose objectives are to facilitate and support the resourcing of Eastern African sexual and gender minorities and sex worker movements through grant making, capacity support, movement building platforms and philanthropic advocacy.

Prior to joining UHAI Roselyn has worked at the Kenyan section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ-K) and sat on the advisory boards of various activist led LGBTIQ organisations.