Engaging LGBTI communities in the global south and east

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This guide was created for groups working in the field of women and children’s health but will be useful to others as well. It covers the benefits of engagement, safety and do-no-harm, and it has a number of recommendations for insuring services are inclusive.

A primary reason to engage with local communities is to be able to understand their lived experience and their needs, while respecting their right to self-determine their own sexuality and gender. In addition, local communities have expertise in what works and what doesn’t, and can often serve as advisors to the design and implementation of local programs.

When facing questions about whether serving LGBTI people will pose too many risks of safety and security, local LGBTI communities are probably in the best position to assess risks when making do-no-harm calculations. Not only are they aware of local risks, they have likely developed strategies to avoid or mitigate these risks.