The EuroCentralAsian Lesbian Community – EL*C is thrilled to announce awarding 802,696 EUR to support 21 projects dedicated to preventing and combating gender-based violence against LBTIQ women and non-binary persons in Europe.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the applicants for their proposals and commitment to combating gender-based violence against lesbians. The selection process was not easy, as each submission demonstrated remarkable dedication to this human rights cause.
The lesbian movement remains one of the most severely underfunded sectors of civil society, often overlooked despite the intersectional challenges faced by lesbian communities. ELC’s grant-making program combating gender-based violence against LBTIQ+ women and non-binary persons is a transformative intervention in this funding landscape, providing much-needed resources to organizations. Through this grant-making program, EL*C advances democracy, human rights, and equality throughout Europe. This financial support provides the means to ensure that the voices of lesbian communities are heard, their rights protected, and their contributions to civil society recognized.
As the selected organizations embark on their journeys, their collective efforts will fortify the principles of equality, security, and human rights for lesbian communities across the EU and in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Albania.
Each organization brings a unique perspective to the forefront of the lesbian rights fight. Meet the EL*C 2024 grant recipients leading the fight against gender-based violence:
Asociación Nós Mesmas , Spain
The project aims to fight gender based violence through the empowerment of LBTIQ women and non-binary people who have been victims of GBV, by supporting and training them. The project includes providing a range of support services to victims, and also the creation of a support group for and by victims of violence.
Bilitis Foundation, Bulgaria
Bilitis Foundation will research the current state of affairs of GBV against LBTIQ women and non-binary persons in Bulgaria to shed light on this under-researched and legally neglected social anomaly. The research results will be used to establish collaboration with service providers to survivors of GBV for enhancing their support to our target groups and more adequate addressing of specific intersectional needs.
Cure Foundation, Bosnia and Herzegovina
CURE Foundation’s project focuses on the empowerment of the LBTIQ community in Bosnia and Herzegovina in providing direct assistance in the process of access to justice to victims of gender-based violence. The project will train and support new community helpers who will act as bridges between LBTIQ communities and available systems for protecting victims of GBV.
Differenza Lesbica Roma APS, Italy
The project aims to uplift and support LBTIQ women and non-binary individuals affected by gender-based violence through specialized professional training, personalized counseling, and theater workshops. These efforts will enhance service quality, aid in healing, and raise community awareness about GBV.
ERA – Women Loving Women Caucus, Serbia
This project aims to analyze national strategies and action plans for gender equality and combating violence against women in Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania, with a focus on the inclusion of lesbian* women. Based on the findings, ERA WLW and its partners in the four countries will advocate for policy improvements to enhance protection and support for these women in the region.
Filosa Associació, Spain
The project envisions a research and community action that aims to bring various actors from the community together who collaborate in the eradication of structural and social violence, especially gender and LBTIQ violence experienced by LBTIQ women and non-binary people on the island of Menorca.
Front d’habitat lesbien (FHL), France
FHL will provide, on the one hand, accommodation and support services for lesbian and trans persons who experienced GBV, in particular for refugees. On the other hand, FHL will provide services also on an outpatient basis, e.g. in cases when refugees suffer violence and discrimination. In addition, the group will also engage with authorities and other NGO actors on this topic regularly.
Institute My Rainbow, Slovenia
Institute My Rainbow will reduce the harm of gender-based violence towards lesbians* and non-binary people in Slovenia through addressing its consequences on the individual level (tailored counselling, community initiatives, self-harm and suicide prevention) and on the community level (tackling gender stereotypes with future social workers, theatre of the oppressed actions in public spaces, raising awareness on online platforms).
Intersex Greece, Greece
The project focuses on exploring intersectionalities within the intersex community in Greece, with a focus on sexual orientation. It introduces a set of activities that aim to support the work of Intersex Greece on GBV and discrimination and empower its members with a focus on intersex LB+ women and non-binary persons.
Kikimora and Kikimora Foundation, Bulgaria
This 5-step project aims to foster a safer environment within bars and nightclubs throughout Bulgaria by researching EU policies on roofies and the depths of the problem in the country. The project also aims to raise awareness on statistics, prevention and good practices in cases of spiking, equipping the staff of nightlife venues with knowledge and skills that will help them keep people at risk safe.
Kolektiv MANA, Serbia
The project will, through trainings and supporting activities, equip youth workers in Serbia with the knowledge and skills to recognize, prevent and react to LGBT+ GBV, providing support to LGBT+ people affected by GBV who do not have access to dedicated LGBT+ centers.
L*-Communio, Serbia
The project is designed to reach out to LBTI women in rural areas in Serbia who do not have the opportunity to report violence, who do not know their rights, to empower them to report violence and help them through the process. The project includes a media campaign through social networks, and experience exchange with sister organizations in Serbia and surrounding countries (Croatia and Slovenia), outreach and support services for LBTI community members, as well as cooperation with state parties on GBV.
Labris – Lesbian Human Rights Organization, Serbia
The project aims to create a society where LBTIQ women and non-binary persons can live free from fear of partner violence and have access to the support and protection they need to thrive. The project will achieve this by increasing knowledge and understanding about violence in romantic relationships, empowering LBTIQ women and non-binary persons with skills and knowledge to recognize signs of abuse and seek help, advocating for policy changes, providing psychological support and counseling services, and establishing partnerships with other civil society organizations.
Les Lesbiennes Dépassent les Frontières, France
The project seeks to meet the specific needs of lesbian survivors of GBV by increasing support through the provision of services (housing, legal, psychological, medical, administrative support). The project also aims to strengthen the internal capacities of the Lesbians Beyond Borders solidarity network by training additional members of the network in supporting lesbians through the asylum-seeking process and through social administrative procedures.
Lesbiche Bologna APS, Italy
The project aims to raise individual and collective awareness about LBTIQ intimate partner violence, understanding this as a specific and invisibilized form of gender-based violence. The projects also aims to improve the services and spread the word about the Lesbian and Anti-Violence Hotline in the community.
Lìberas, Italy
The main objective of the project is to improve the service offered by Lìberas to victims of GBV and to raise awareness among the LBT* community in Sardinia on the issue of gender-based violence. The project will conduct research among LBT* community members about their perception of GBV, and will also include training of Liberas service providers as well as an awareness-raising campaign.
LORI, Croatia
The main goal of the project is to ensure availability and adequate support and protection for LBTIQ women and non-binary persons who are survivors of gender-based violence in Croatia. The project encourages the collaboration of women-focused organisations through various activities such as: national research, developing guidelines for providing support to LBTIQ women and non-binary persons who survived GBV, networking event, capacity building and awareness-raising actions.
Rainbow Ignite, Serbia
Rainbow Ignite’s project aims to produce a comprehensive report on the needs and challenges faced by LBTIQ+ women in Serbia, with a focus on gender-based violence (GBV), leveraging existing connections with private, public, and civil society sectors. The project seeks to provide data on GBV, foster public awareness, and advocate for policy changes to ensure long-term improvements in the lives of LBTIQ+ women and non-binary persons.
Rromnjako Ilo, Serbia
The project aims to contribute to more inclusive GBV protection mechanisms for LBTIQ Roma women and minority women in Serbia. The activities to support this goal are: provisioning of gender-sensitive support services to LBTIQ women and non-binary persons, such as victim support tailored to their specific needs, and awareness raising aimed in particular at creating links and animating communities in the field of preventing and combating gender-based violence against LBTIQ women and non-binary persons.
Stichting Ondersteboven, Netherlands
The project will strengthen and expand the network of stakeholders, including policy-makers, community (LBTIQ+) and family members and other allies (feminist and LGBTIQ organizations) in order to diminish GBV against LBTIQ women and nonbinary persons in a sustainable way. Tools will include workshops, formal and informal meetings, community building, the creation of a strategic plan as well as monitoring.
Transfeminiinit ry, Finland
By reviewing the literature on gender based violence and engaging with the community, the project aims to bring the issues of lesbian identifying trans women, and trans, nonbinary and intersex feminines to the forefront while finding community based solutions. The result of the mapping will be used to advocate for legislative revision and reform.
EL*C is proud to support these organizations, and we are confident that their work will advance human rights within and beyond the EU.
Funded by the European Union, this EL*C grant-making program plays an important role in advancing the fight against gender-based violence. For those inspired by this mission, the next opportunity to apply for EL*C grant on combating gender-based violence against lesbians* will open in 2025.
Become a member of EL*C to be the first to know when the call for proposals opens.
