PLEASE DONATE: WE NEED YOUR HELP TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY IN UKRAINE, AT THE BORDERS AND BEYOND – NO CONTRIBUTION IS TOO SMALL!

EL*C is operating at the borders with Ukraine providing emergency support and housing, supplying essential goods and services, but also ensuring long-term solutions for refugees through our lesbian hosting network, as well as organising humanitarian aid for our community in Ukraine, in coordination with our partners NGOs.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!
These actions are URGENT and COSTLY.

So far we have been relying on our own human and financial resources, but we will rapidly run out of our reserves, while the needs and demand are increasing.

We need your support to ensure the SUSTAINABILITY of the different actions – in Ukraine, at the borders and beyond.

Please consider DONATING, and read below about other ways to HELP!

https://gofund.me/d11a83f6

WHAT WE ARE DOING

EL*C has mobilized to provide support through the following actions:

1) Emergency support at the borders of Ukraine in all neighbouring countries (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Moldova, and Romania)
· Operating a 24/7 emergency helpline
· Organising pick-ups at the borders and transportation to the safe houses
· Managing emergency safe housing
· Provision of essential goods (food, medicine, hygiene products, clothes, etc)
· Coordination with NGO partners in neighbouring countries

2) Relocation to countries across Europe, through our Lesbian Hosting Network

3) Provision of information and services, including psychological, medical and legal support, help in obtaining other needed services and accessing rights

4) Collecting and organizing delivery of humanitarian aid in Ukraine

5) Providing financial assistance to lesbian* organisations in the neighboring countries or inside Ukraine.

On March 2nd, we started operating a 24/7 hotline and set up a reception system & shelters at the borders. Within 24 hours, the members of the EL*C team on the ground were picking up the first rainbow families, with their children, dog and bikes, and bringing them to safety.

Since then, we have received numerous requests for help or information, and coordinated the safe transportation and housing of refugees through our network of around 200 lesbian households ready to be hosts from all over Europe. And the network keeps growing, while the first hosts are preparing to welcome families in the Netherlands and Portugal.

With every day, we do our utmost to react swiftly and provide adapted solutions to each situation – the lesbian couples, the families with toddlers, the families with grand-parents, folks with their cats, dogs or pet rats, and everybody else that comes to us.
We spare no efforts to provide what is needed, including solutions for particular individual circumstances or medical conditions.

According to recent estimates from the United Nations, over one and half million Ukrainian refugees have already left their country, fleeing the conflict that began last week with Russia’s invasion. Many more are expected to cross the borders in the coming days.

We want also to draw your attention toward the specific situation of people of color that are having a harder time getting out of Ukraine. As EL*C we welcome all of them.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

DONATE on our fundraiser
JOIN our hosting network by filling out this form (link )
SHARE this call for support around you
❖ FOLLOW us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up with our actions

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT !

#LGBTRefugeesWelcome
#BlackRefugeesWelcome

 

PLEASE DONATE: WE NEED YOUR HELP TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY IN UKRAINE, AT THE BORDERS AND BEYOND – NO CONTRIBUTION IS TOO SMALL!

EL*C is operating at the borders with Ukraine providing emergency support and housing, supplying essential goods and services, but also ensuring long-term solutions for refugees through our lesbian hosting network, as well as organising humanitarian aid for our community in Ukraine, in coordination with our partners NGOs.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!
These actions are URGENT and COSTLY.

So far we have been relying on our own human and financial resources, but we will rapidly run out of our reserves, while the needs and demand are increasing.

We need your support to ensure the SUSTAINABILITY of the different actions – in Ukraine, at the borders and beyond.

Please consider DONATING, and read below about other ways to HELP!

https://gofund.me/d11a83f6

WHAT WE ARE DOING

EL*C has mobilized to provide support through the following actions:

1) Emergency support at the borders of Ukraine in all neighbouring countries (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Moldova, and Romania)
· Operating a 24/7 emergency helpline
· Organising pick-ups at the borders and transportation to the safe houses
· Managing emergency safe housing
· Provision of essential goods (food, medicine, hygiene products, clothes, etc)
· Coordination with NGO partners in neighbouring countries

2) Relocation to countries across Europe, through our Lesbian Hosting Network

3) Provision of information and services, including psychological, medical and legal support, help in obtaining other needed services and accessing rights

4) Collecting and organizing delivery of humanitarian aid in Ukraine

5) Providing financial assistance to lesbian* organisations in the neighboring countries or inside Ukraine.

On March 2nd, we started operating a 24/7 hotline and set up a reception system & shelters at the borders. Within 24 hours, the members of the EL*C team on the ground were picking up the first rainbow families, with their children, dog and bikes, and bringing them to safety.

Since then, we have received numerous requests for help or information, and coordinated the safe transportation and housing of refugees through our network of around 200 lesbian households ready to be hosts from all over Europe. And the network keeps growing, while the first hosts are preparing to welcome families in the Netherlands and Portugal.

With every day, we do our utmost to react swiftly and provide adapted solutions to each situation – the lesbian couples, the families with toddlers, the families with grand-parents, folks with their cats, dogs or pet rats, and everybody else that comes to us.
We spare no efforts to provide what is needed, including solutions for particular individual circumstances or medical conditions.

According to recent estimates from the United Nations, over one and half million Ukrainian refugees have already left their country, fleeing the conflict that began last week with Russia’s invasion. Many more are expected to cross the borders in the coming days.

We want also to draw your attention toward the specific situation of people of color that are having a harder time getting out of Ukraine. As EL*C we welcome all of them.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

DONATE on our fundraiser
JOIN our hosting network by filling out this form (link )
SHARE this call for support around you
❖ FOLLOW us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up with our actions

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT !

#LGBTRefugeesWelcome
#BlackRefugeesWelcome

 

EL*C has always put great attention in highlighting the issues faced by lesbians in healthcare. Healthcare systems that take into account and respond to lesbians’ needs is one of EL*C strongest demand.

The present report is a summary of the findings, data and information that we were able to collect in these years of work and collaboration with researchers, activists, experts and organisations engaging in countering the effects on lesbians of sexist and heteronormative oppression in healthcare.

Lesbians, being at the intersection of these societal issues, are particularly affected by them. This results in discrimination, disregard and ignorance of our specific needs as well as invisibility in research and data collection. Because of this, there are direct and worrisome consequences on lesbians’ physical and mental health and those institutions that perpetuate the system are directly responsible.

Many initiatives exist at the community level, many lesbians put work and expertise into this effort. We addressed this report to the UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, but our findings concern a much broader audience. The pandemic has put healthcare on the agenda and we could not fail to notice our underrepresentation and invisibility in those debates. It is time that public authorities, services providers, funders and academia start to take care of lesbians.

Download the full report here!

[embeddoc url=”https://europeanlesbianconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ELC-SUBMISSION-IE-SOGI-health1.pdf”]

EL*C has always put great attention in highlighting the issues faced by lesbians in healthcare. Healthcare systems that take into account and respond to lesbians’ needs is one of EL*C strongest demand.

The present report is a summary of the findings, data and information that we were able to collect in these years of work and collaboration with researchers, activists, experts and organisations engaging in countering the effects on lesbians of sexist and heteronormative oppression in healthcare.

Lesbians, being at the intersection of these societal issues, are particularly affected by them. This results in discrimination, disregard and ignorance of our specific needs as well as invisibility in research and data collection. Because of this, there are direct and worrisome consequences on lesbians’ physical and mental health and those institutions that perpetuate the system are directly responsible.

Many initiatives exist at the community level, many lesbians put work and expertise into this effort. We addressed this report to the UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, but our findings concern a much broader audience. The pandemic has put healthcare on the agenda and we could not fail to notice our underrepresentation and invisibility in those debates. It is time that public authorities, services providers, funders and academia start to take care of lesbians.

Download the full report here!

[embeddoc url=”https://europeanlesbianconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ELC-SUBMISSION-IE-SOGI-health1.pdf”]

Job title: Finance and Administration Manager 

Contract duration: 1 year contract (with the possibility of extension)

Yearly salary: 48.000,00 EUR (Gross II)

Working hours: full time (40 hours a week) 

Based in: Europe or Central Asia

Work space: remote (all EL*C staff work remotely) 

EL*C Presentation:

The EL*C – EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community is a non-governmental organisation, representing the needs of lesbian, queer, bi and trans women and of lesbian organisations, formally established in 2017 in Vienna, Austria. EL*C aims to advocate for lesbian rights in Europe and Central Asia. EL*C has been established as a pan-European- Central Asian Lesbian Network, driven by the objective of increasing the visibility of lesbian issues in all spheres, including social, legal, health, and political ones. The EL*C was founded with the aim to improve the lives of lesbians and to (re)build the lesbian movement, as a response to the growing lack of the fundamental structures, tools and mechanisms to fight lesbophobia, sexism, misogyny, transphobia and all other types of discrimination experienced daily by lesbians.

The EL*C uses the word “lesbian” as a broad inclusive term, including lesbians who identify as trans, non-binary, as well as intersex lesbians, and bisexual or queer women.

Job summary:

The Finance and Administration Manager plays a vital for the proper running of EL*C’s financial and administrative systems. The Finance and Administration Manager has a great deal of responsibility for EL*C’s financial and administrative functioning under the supervision of the Executive Directors and Board, especially in dealing with enquiries, processing payments, monitoring and documenting revenues and expenses, managing cash flow, maintaining cooperation with the accountants and auditors, and providing administrative support to other staff members.

Main duties and responsibilities:

Financial administration: maintaining and improving EL*C’s financial and administrative system, executing everyday financial activities including petty cash, expenses, travel order claims, and income and expenditure records, documenting and keeping financial records up to date, preparing financial reports for various donors and national financial bodies, in cooperation with the Executive Directors;

General administrative work: purchasing supplies, maintaining the functionality of the online tools and equipment, managing the inventory list of EL*C’s assets, communicating with external and internal financial stakeholders in relations to membership fees, services and purchases, keeping EL*C’s documentation and administration files in order, preparing materials for meetings and other events, etc.;

Members’ database management: on periodic basis updating membership database, collecting membership documentation and administrating changes of member organizations;

Self-regulated learning: follow the current trends and changes in relevant Austrian financial, accounting and tax laws and bylaws in order to ensure up to date functioning of financial and administrative systems;

Other duties and responsibilities:

– Preparing monthly, quarterly and annual financial reports and assisting the Executive Directors in preparation of financial reports for the Board and the Annual General Assembly, preparing documentation for external audits, as well in all other aspects of financial and administrative work;

– Assist other employees within the scope of financial and administrative aspects of their work;

– Assist in all strategic planning sessions, staff meetings, and other relevant events;

– Assist in organising the Annual General Assembly, Conferences and other events;

– Assist, when necessary, the Board members in organising their meetings, travel and accommodation;

– Provide logistical support to all staff and Board when necessary;

PERSONAL SKILLS

Experience 

At least 5 years of professional experience in financial management and administration, ideally for international or regional non-governmental organizations; 

Essential: 

– Experience in setting up, improving and maintaining financial management and accounting systems;

– Experience in book-keeping and computerised accounting systems.

– Strong experience in reporting to different grant-making institutions/organizations in the non-governmental context;

– Extensive experience with grants funded by the European Commission;   

– Knowledge of relevant laws and by-laws in Austria;

Desirable 

– Experience in working with national, regional or international non-governmental organizations or government bodies on the topic of LBTI women’s and non-binary persons’ rights; 

– Experience in HR policies and procedures and administration systems;

– Experience in setting-up and managing office systems;

– Excellent IT skills, including Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel);

– Good planning and organisational skills and efficient work methods;

Skills/abilities

Essential: 

– Excellent organisational and archiving skills;

– Sense of initiative and ability to be self- reliant, including ability to deliver under pressure and within tight deadlines;

– Ability to analyse, synthesize and keep track of complex administration material;    

– Strong interpersonal skills, in particular ability to work well within a team and in a multicultural context;

– Demonstrated intersectional feminist background;

– Fluency in English; 

– Computer literacy

The following skills are an asset:

– Knowledge of additional languages, especially German;

– Personal experience of being part of an oppressed social group;

– Good at dealing with Dyke Dramas 😉

JOB CONTEXT 

The EL*C Team 

The successful applicant will be part of a team of 6 persons. They will liaise with a network of very diverse national and international NGOs in Europe and Central Asia.

Contract/Working Hours 

The successful applicant will receive a full-time 1 year contract (with a possibility of extension) to work 40 hours a week over 5 working days. 

Special conditions: 

Available to work irregular hours (i.e: occasional weekend meetings, occasional meetings in the evening, etc.), time off in lieu is provided. Availability to travel. 

Remuneration Package 

The person will be employed under their national residency law. The Gross II salary (CTC – cost to company) applicable to this position is 48.000,00 EUR (Gross II) per year.

HOW TO APPLY?

Please send your CV and a cover letter (no more than 2 pages) which outlines why you would be a good fit for the position and for EL*C to the following e-mail address: squad@lesbiangenius.net

Please send us 2 contacts from your ex-girlfriends.. no, we are joking, from your previous work references.

The closing date will be 11.00pm CET the 13th February 2022 and the interviews will be held via Zoom, on February 24 and 25th 2022. 

We are an equal opportunities employer and will provide any necessary assistance to applicants with any special requirements to participate equally in the selection process.

 

Job title: Finance and Administration Manager 

Contract duration: 1 year contract (with the possibility of extension)

Yearly salary: 48.000,00 EUR (Gross II)

Working hours: full time (40 hours a week) 

Based in: Europe or Central Asia

Work space: remote (all EL*C staff work remotely) 

EL*C Presentation:

The EL*C – EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community is a non-governmental organisation, representing the needs of lesbian, queer, bi and trans women and of lesbian organisations, formally established in 2017 in Vienna, Austria. EL*C aims to advocate for lesbian rights in Europe and Central Asia. EL*C has been established as a pan-European- Central Asian Lesbian Network, driven by the objective of increasing the visibility of lesbian issues in all spheres, including social, legal, health, and political ones. The EL*C was founded with the aim to improve the lives of lesbians and to (re)build the lesbian movement, as a response to the growing lack of the fundamental structures, tools and mechanisms to fight lesbophobia, sexism, misogyny, transphobia and all other types of discrimination experienced daily by lesbians.

The EL*C uses the word “lesbian” as a broad inclusive term, including lesbians who identify as trans, non-binary, as well as intersex lesbians, and bisexual or queer women.

Job summary:

The Finance and Administration Manager plays a vital for the proper running of EL*C’s financial and administrative systems. The Finance and Administration Manager has a great deal of responsibility for EL*C’s financial and administrative functioning under the supervision of the Executive Directors and Board, especially in dealing with enquiries, processing payments, monitoring and documenting revenues and expenses, managing cash flow, maintaining cooperation with the accountants and auditors, and providing administrative support to other staff members.

Main duties and responsibilities:

Financial administration: maintaining and improving EL*C’s financial and administrative system, executing everyday financial activities including petty cash, expenses, travel order claims, and income and expenditure records, documenting and keeping financial records up to date, preparing financial reports for various donors and national financial bodies, in cooperation with the Executive Directors;

General administrative work: purchasing supplies, maintaining the functionality of the online tools and equipment, managing the inventory list of EL*C’s assets, communicating with external and internal financial stakeholders in relations to membership fees, services and purchases, keeping EL*C’s documentation and administration files in order, preparing materials for meetings and other events, etc.;

Members’ database management: on periodic basis updating membership database, collecting membership documentation and administrating changes of member organizations;

Self-regulated learning: follow the current trends and changes in relevant Austrian financial, accounting and tax laws and bylaws in order to ensure up to date functioning of financial and administrative systems;

Other duties and responsibilities:

– Preparing monthly, quarterly and annual financial reports and assisting the Executive Directors in preparation of financial reports for the Board and the Annual General Assembly, preparing documentation for external audits, as well in all other aspects of financial and administrative work;

– Assist other employees within the scope of financial and administrative aspects of their work;

– Assist in all strategic planning sessions, staff meetings, and other relevant events;

– Assist in organising the Annual General Assembly, Conferences and other events;

– Assist, when necessary, the Board members in organising their meetings, travel and accommodation;

– Provide logistical support to all staff and Board when necessary;

PERSONAL SKILLS

Experience 

At least 5 years of professional experience in financial management and administration, ideally for international or regional non-governmental organizations; 

Essential: 

– Experience in setting up, improving and maintaining financial management and accounting systems;

– Experience in book-keeping and computerised accounting systems.

– Strong experience in reporting to different grant-making institutions/organizations in the non-governmental context;

– Extensive experience with grants funded by the European Commission;   

– Knowledge of relevant laws and by-laws in Austria;

Desirable 

– Experience in working with national, regional or international non-governmental organizations or government bodies on the topic of LBTI women’s and non-binary persons’ rights; 

– Experience in HR policies and procedures and administration systems;

– Experience in setting-up and managing office systems;

– Excellent IT skills, including Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel);

– Good planning and organisational skills and efficient work methods;

Skills/abilities

Essential: 

– Excellent organisational and archiving skills;

– Sense of initiative and ability to be self- reliant, including ability to deliver under pressure and within tight deadlines;

– Ability to analyse, synthesize and keep track of complex administration material;    

– Strong interpersonal skills, in particular ability to work well within a team and in a multicultural context;

– Demonstrated intersectional feminist background;

– Fluency in English; 

– Computer literacy

The following skills are an asset:

– Knowledge of additional languages, especially German;

– Personal experience of being part of an oppressed social group;

– Good at dealing with Dyke Dramas 😉

JOB CONTEXT 

The EL*C Team 

The successful applicant will be part of a team of 6 persons. They will liaise with a network of very diverse national and international NGOs in Europe and Central Asia.

Contract/Working Hours 

The successful applicant will receive a full-time 1 year contract (with a possibility of extension) to work 40 hours a week over 5 working days. 

Special conditions: 

Available to work irregular hours (i.e: occasional weekend meetings, occasional meetings in the evening, etc.), time off in lieu is provided. Availability to travel. 

Remuneration Package 

The person will be employed under their national residency law. The Gross II salary (CTC – cost to company) applicable to this position is 48.000,00 EUR (Gross II) per year.

HOW TO APPLY?

Please send your CV and a cover letter (no more than 2 pages) which outlines why you would be a good fit for the position and for EL*C to the following e-mail address: squad@lesbiangenius.net

Please send us 2 contacts from your ex-girlfriends.. no, we are joking, from your previous work references.

The closing date will be 11.00pm CET the 13th February 2022 and the interviews will be held via Zoom, on February 24 and 25th 2022. 

We are an equal opportunities employer and will provide any necessary assistance to applicants with any special requirements to participate equally in the selection process.

 

Job title: Media, Journalism and Communications Dykerector 

Contract duration: 1 year contract  (with the possibility of extension)

Yearly salary: from 48.000,00 to 66.000 EUR (Gross II)

Working hours: full time (40 hours a week) 

Based in: Europe or Central Asia

Work space: remote (all EL*C staff work remotely) 

EL*C Presentation:

The EL*C – EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community is a non-governmental organisation, representing the needs of lesbian, queer, bi and trans women and of lesbian organisations, formally established in 2017 in Vienna, Austria. EL*C aims to advocate for lesbian rights in Europe and Central Asia. EL*C has been established as a pan-European- Central Asian Lesbian Network, driven by the objective of increasing the visibility of lesbian issues in all spheres, including social, legal, health, and political ones. The EL*C was founded with the aim to improve the lives of lesbians and to (re)build the lesbian movement, as a response to the growing lack of the fundamental structures, tools and mechanisms to fight lesbophobia, sexism, misogyny, transphobia and all other types of discrimination experienced daily by lesbians.

The EL*C uses the word “lesbian” as a broad inclusive term, including lesbians who identify as trans, non-binary, as well as intersex lesbians, and bisexual or queer women.

EL*C & Media Activism 

From the start, media and communication have been one of the main pillars of  EL*C’s work. On the one hand, lesbians are still invisible in all domains and the word “lesbian” in itself has still a derogatory connotation. Either because it is considered a slur, conveying shame and pain, or because it is associated with pornography, making social media and internet research engines censoring this specific word. On the other hand, since the beginning, the EL*C group was composed by media activists with great experience in utilizing media and communication technologies for social and political movements, publishing news on EL*C website, creating video and audio investigations, spreading information about protests, or organizing campaigns relating to media and communications policies, enhancing the creation of communities online over specific issues and social connections.

EL*C’s media strategy uses the coverage of traditional mass media outlets in order to gain significant traction in lesbian visibility struggles. Today, hundreds of articles and videos mention EL*C all over the world, including big national outlets like the Corriere della Sera, the National Geographic, Vice, Kyivpost, Euronews, Rusnext, Le Monde, Bild, EL Pais, Fox News, The Washington Post, and many more. For more information, check out EL*C online Press Review: https://europeanlesbianconference.org/elc-in-the-media-press-review/.

Job summary:

The Media, Communications and Outreach Dykerector is responsible for enabling effective and efficient external and internal communications and for providing editorial, strategic, creative and operational support across the organization. This position reports to the Executive Co – Directors and plays a key role in ensuring that EL*C’s communications are both informative and influential for the full range of stakeholders. 

– Communicating how amazing EL*C is

– Increasing reach and membership  

In addition, this position is also in charge of media and press relations, as well as for maintaining social media accounts, and other online platforms of communication. This position will have a crucial role in developing and strengthening visibility for EL*C  and in contributing to the overall success of the organisation, particularly in relation to communication and dissemination of EL*C activities and projects.

MEDIA

– What we are looking for is a lesbian genius aware of the media landscape in Europe and Central Asia (at least certains parts of it), with a strong network of journalists, and able to get media pieces on EL*C published and broadcasted as often as possible. 

– We want you to be able to feel the international news and understand how to infiltrate some lesbian contents in it. 

ACTIVISM

– If the current news is not enough, we want you to be able to create the news and conceive lesbian political actions bound to make the headlines. 

SOCIAL MEDIA

– We need a dykerector with a strong presence on the social media so as to promote our actions, reports and events and interacts with journalists and media accounts .

Main duties and responsibilities:

To improve EL*C and in general lesbian visibility: in close cooperation with the Executive Co-Directors supports development of external and internal communication policies and procedures; establishes internal and external relations; 

Develops and implements visibility strategy and action plan; maintains social media accounts, maintains and improves EL*C’s website, develops innovative and diversified communication platforms in relations to stakeholders (newsletters, forums, mobile applications etc.), develops and manages media database, maintains good relationships with media representatives;

Develops, manages, updates and writes rich and creative content for different media and visibility platforms; performs press clippings, media monitoring, and media analysis on a regular basis, represents EL*C on local, regional, European and international levels, in close cooperation with the three Executive Co-Directors;

Other duties and responsibilities:

– Assist all staff members in their day-to-day activities in areas concerning communication, public events and advocacy.

– Assist in all activities related to publications and their distribution;

– Assist in preparations of the EL*C Annual General Assembly and Conferences in relation to communication and publicity activities;

– Assist in all strategic planning sessions, staff meetings, and other relevant meetings;

– Assist, when necessary the Board members in their regular work in relation to  communications activities;

– Assist member organizations in their communication capacity building processes;

– Represent EL*C: to act as a spokesperson when needed, represent EL*C and its activities on local, national, regional, European and international levels;

– Assists in capacity building programs relating to communications;

– Track, evaluate and report on social media interactions on a regular basis

PERSONAL SKILLS

Experience 

At least 5 years of journalism, media strategy and communications work whether professional or as a volunteer;

Essential

– Keen awareness of current events and trends that relate to a target audience’s interests (preferably with international scope)

– Very solid experience in producing Newsletters, Press Releases, press kits, webcontent, writing editorials and articles;

– Strong knowledge of Social media management (production, engagement & social media kit development)

– Advanced computer knowledge (Office, Keynote, Canva, Photoshop, WordPress, etc);

– Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills;

– Experience in articulating strategy, rationale, and ideas;

– Experience with media planning and buying and using different online tools;

– Experience working on experiential programs, content creation, and new media platforms;

– Open to travel as necessary;

– Digitally connected with an insatiable curiosity;

Desirable 

– Knowledge of international standards regarding LGBTI and feminist policies, as well as social policies

– Experience working with Civil Society and NGOs in Europe and Central Asia, including umbrella NGOs and Networks

– Experience in working with national or international NGO’s or governments tackling LBTI women and non-binary persons’ rights 

– Experience in national media, communication and campaigning work 

– Strong presence on social media (certified account would be a plus)

– Ability for editing videos

Skills/abilities

Essential

– Strong appetite for new technology, emerging platforms, pop culture, and everything in between;

– Excellent organisation and coordination skills;

– Desire to learn more of the trends shaping lesbian communities’ behavior and general public towards lesbian topics today, in the past and in the future;

– Sense of initiative and ability to be self supporting, including ability to deliver under pressure and within tight deadlines;

– Strong critical thinking skills for efficient campaign development strategizing;

– Curiosity combined with the ability to translate intelligence and ideas is essential;

– Strong communication capacities to accurately convey the vision of a campaign to creative teams and executives, as well as to discuss budget concerns;

– Strong organizational, interpersonal, and project management skills;

– Ability to analyse, synthesize complex material;

– Ability to build relationships with the European and central asian media and journalists but also with LGBTI networks and alliances;       

– Strong interpersonal skills, in particular ability to work well within a small team and in a multicultural context;

– Demonstrated intersectional feminist and antiracist background; 

– Excellent English;

– Good knowledge of another European or Central Asian language;

– Computer literacy

The following skills are an asset:

– Familiarity with human rights / social justice linguo (‘GBV’ ‘feminicide’ ‘lesbophobia’ ‘anti-gender movement’) 

– Familiarity / sensitivity around experiences of human rights defenders / ability to communicate around human rights abuses faced by community members swiftly 

– Knowledge of lesbian specific media outlets (online, print, podcasts) 

– Ability to propose methods to interact with different audiences depending on age, ability etc (podcasts, reports, campaigns, radio) 

– Ability to adapt language / communication depending on stakeholder / audience (high level vs community oriented) 

– Design & creative skills in image and visual production (CANVA or other) 

– Video editing skills 

– Interest in inclusive writing styles 

– Knowledge in making output accessible (hard of hearing or short sighted, ASL etc) 

– Ability to come up with catchy slogans, phrases and titles (for events, reports, talks) 

– Knowledge of additional spoken/written languages 

– Online facilitation skills 

– Personal experience of being part of an oppressed minority

– Good at dealing with Dyke Dramas 😉

JOB CONTEXT 

The EL*C Team 

The person will be part of a team of 6 persons. They will liaise with a network of very diverse national and international NGOs (more than 50 organizations) in Europe and Central Asia.

Contract/Working Hours 

The successful applicant will receive a full-time 1 year contract to work 40 hours a week over 5 days. 

Special conditions: 

Available to work irregular hours (i.e: occasional weekend meetings, occasional meetings in the evening, etc.), time off in lieu is provided. Availability to travel frequently. 

Remuneration Package 

The person will be employed under their national residency law. The Gross II salary (CTC – cost to company) applicable to this position is from 48.000,00 to 66.000 EUR (Gross II) per year.

HOW TO APPLY?

Please send us (to the following e-mail address: squad@lesbiangenius.net):

– Your CV;

– A cover letter (no more than 1 page) which outlines why you would be a good fit for the position and for EL*C. Please add to your cover letter an analysis of how you feel EL*C and the lesbians are being dealt with by the media and how we could improve this;

– A short example of your work (an article, a blog/podcast, a book, or press release you are the author of;  articles or media piece you contributed to get published; or big actions in activism you contributed to and were published in the media etc.);

– A small “audit” of your social media accounts (how many followers, are you followed by big accounts?). Please underline if you are followed by journalists or media outlets;

– A small exercise: We are going to organize our third conference in a EU eastern country. Can you write the 10 actions you will put in place before, during and after the conference to ensure great media coverage?

– Please send us also 2 contacts from your ex-girlfriends.. no, we are joking, from your previous work references.

The closing date will be 11.00pm CET the 13th February 2022 and the interviews will be held via Zoom, on February 24 and 25th 2022. 

We are an equal opportunities employer and will provide any necessary assistance to applicants with any special requirements to participate equally in the selection process.

 

Job title: Media, Journalism and Communications Dykerector 

Contract duration: 1 year contract  (with the possibility of extension)

Yearly salary: from 48.000,00 to 66.000 EUR (Gross II)

Working hours: full time (40 hours a week) 

Based in: Europe or Central Asia

Work space: remote (all EL*C staff work remotely) 

EL*C Presentation:

The EL*C – EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community is a non-governmental organisation, representing the needs of lesbian, queer, bi and trans women and of lesbian organisations, formally established in 2017 in Vienna, Austria. EL*C aims to advocate for lesbian rights in Europe and Central Asia. EL*C has been established as a pan-European- Central Asian Lesbian Network, driven by the objective of increasing the visibility of lesbian issues in all spheres, including social, legal, health, and political ones. The EL*C was founded with the aim to improve the lives of lesbians and to (re)build the lesbian movement, as a response to the growing lack of the fundamental structures, tools and mechanisms to fight lesbophobia, sexism, misogyny, transphobia and all other types of discrimination experienced daily by lesbians.

The EL*C uses the word “lesbian” as a broad inclusive term, including lesbians who identify as trans, non-binary, as well as intersex lesbians, and bisexual or queer women.

EL*C & Media Activism 

From the start, media and communication have been one of the main pillars of  EL*C’s work. On the one hand, lesbians are still invisible in all domains and the word “lesbian” in itself has still a derogatory connotation. Either because it is considered a slur, conveying shame and pain, or because it is associated with pornography, making social media and internet research engines censoring this specific word. On the other hand, since the beginning, the EL*C group was composed by media activists with great experience in utilizing media and communication technologies for social and political movements, publishing news on EL*C website, creating video and audio investigations, spreading information about protests, or organizing campaigns relating to media and communications policies, enhancing the creation of communities online over specific issues and social connections.

EL*C’s media strategy uses the coverage of traditional mass media outlets in order to gain significant traction in lesbian visibility struggles. Today, hundreds of articles and videos mention EL*C all over the world, including big national outlets like the Corriere della Sera, the National Geographic, Vice, Kyivpost, Euronews, Rusnext, Le Monde, Bild, EL Pais, Fox News, The Washington Post, and many more. For more information, check out EL*C online Press Review: https://europeanlesbianconference.org/elc-in-the-media-press-review/.

Job summary:

The Media, Communications and Outreach Dykerector is responsible for enabling effective and efficient external and internal communications and for providing editorial, strategic, creative and operational support across the organization. This position reports to the Executive Co – Directors and plays a key role in ensuring that EL*C’s communications are both informative and influential for the full range of stakeholders. 

– Communicating how amazing EL*C is

– Increasing reach and membership  

In addition, this position is also in charge of media and press relations, as well as for maintaining social media accounts, and other online platforms of communication. This position will have a crucial role in developing and strengthening visibility for EL*C  and in contributing to the overall success of the organisation, particularly in relation to communication and dissemination of EL*C activities and projects.

MEDIA

– What we are looking for is a lesbian genius aware of the media landscape in Europe and Central Asia (at least certains parts of it), with a strong network of journalists, and able to get media pieces on EL*C published and broadcasted as often as possible. 

– We want you to be able to feel the international news and understand how to infiltrate some lesbian contents in it. 

ACTIVISM

– If the current news is not enough, we want you to be able to create the news and conceive lesbian political actions bound to make the headlines. 

SOCIAL MEDIA

– We need a dykerector with a strong presence on the social media so as to promote our actions, reports and events and interacts with journalists and media accounts .

Main duties and responsibilities:

To improve EL*C and in general lesbian visibility: in close cooperation with the Executive Co-Directors supports development of external and internal communication policies and procedures; establishes internal and external relations; 

Develops and implements visibility strategy and action plan; maintains social media accounts, maintains and improves EL*C’s website, develops innovative and diversified communication platforms in relations to stakeholders (newsletters, forums, mobile applications etc.), develops and manages media database, maintains good relationships with media representatives;

Develops, manages, updates and writes rich and creative content for different media and visibility platforms; performs press clippings, media monitoring, and media analysis on a regular basis, represents EL*C on local, regional, European and international levels, in close cooperation with the three Executive Co-Directors;

Other duties and responsibilities:

– Assist all staff members in their day-to-day activities in areas concerning communication, public events and advocacy.

– Assist in all activities related to publications and their distribution;

– Assist in preparations of the EL*C Annual General Assembly and Conferences in relation to communication and publicity activities;

– Assist in all strategic planning sessions, staff meetings, and other relevant meetings;

– Assist, when necessary the Board members in their regular work in relation to  communications activities;

– Assist member organizations in their communication capacity building processes;

– Represent EL*C: to act as a spokesperson when needed, represent EL*C and its activities on local, national, regional, European and international levels;

– Assists in capacity building programs relating to communications;

– Track, evaluate and report on social media interactions on a regular basis

PERSONAL SKILLS

Experience 

At least 5 years of journalism, media strategy and communications work whether professional or as a volunteer;

Essential

– Keen awareness of current events and trends that relate to a target audience’s interests (preferably with international scope)

– Very solid experience in producing Newsletters, Press Releases, press kits, webcontent, writing editorials and articles;

– Strong knowledge of Social media management (production, engagement & social media kit development)

– Advanced computer knowledge (Office, Keynote, Canva, Photoshop, WordPress, etc);

– Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills;

– Experience in articulating strategy, rationale, and ideas;

– Experience with media planning and buying and using different online tools;

– Experience working on experiential programs, content creation, and new media platforms;

– Open to travel as necessary;

– Digitally connected with an insatiable curiosity;

Desirable 

– Knowledge of international standards regarding LGBTI and feminist policies, as well as social policies

– Experience working with Civil Society and NGOs in Europe and Central Asia, including umbrella NGOs and Networks

– Experience in working with national or international NGO’s or governments tackling LBTI women and non-binary persons’ rights 

– Experience in national media, communication and campaigning work 

– Strong presence on social media (certified account would be a plus)

– Ability for editing videos

Skills/abilities

Essential

– Strong appetite for new technology, emerging platforms, pop culture, and everything in between;

– Excellent organisation and coordination skills;

– Desire to learn more of the trends shaping lesbian communities’ behavior and general public towards lesbian topics today, in the past and in the future;

– Sense of initiative and ability to be self supporting, including ability to deliver under pressure and within tight deadlines;

– Strong critical thinking skills for efficient campaign development strategizing;

– Curiosity combined with the ability to translate intelligence and ideas is essential;

– Strong communication capacities to accurately convey the vision of a campaign to creative teams and executives, as well as to discuss budget concerns;

– Strong organizational, interpersonal, and project management skills;

– Ability to analyse, synthesize complex material;

– Ability to build relationships with the European and central asian media and journalists but also with LGBTI networks and alliances;       

– Strong interpersonal skills, in particular ability to work well within a small team and in a multicultural context;

– Demonstrated intersectional feminist and antiracist background; 

– Excellent English;

– Good knowledge of another European or Central Asian language;

– Computer literacy

The following skills are an asset:

– Familiarity with human rights / social justice linguo (‘GBV’ ‘feminicide’ ‘lesbophobia’ ‘anti-gender movement’) 

– Familiarity / sensitivity around experiences of human rights defenders / ability to communicate around human rights abuses faced by community members swiftly 

– Knowledge of lesbian specific media outlets (online, print, podcasts) 

– Ability to propose methods to interact with different audiences depending on age, ability etc (podcasts, reports, campaigns, radio) 

– Ability to adapt language / communication depending on stakeholder / audience (high level vs community oriented) 

– Design & creative skills in image and visual production (CANVA or other) 

– Video editing skills 

– Interest in inclusive writing styles 

– Knowledge in making output accessible (hard of hearing or short sighted, ASL etc) 

– Ability to come up with catchy slogans, phrases and titles (for events, reports, talks) 

– Knowledge of additional spoken/written languages 

– Online facilitation skills 

– Personal experience of being part of an oppressed minority

– Good at dealing with Dyke Dramas 😉

JOB CONTEXT 

The EL*C Team 

The person will be part of a team of 6 persons. They will liaise with a network of very diverse national and international NGOs (more than 50 organizations) in Europe and Central Asia.

Contract/Working Hours 

The successful applicant will receive a full-time 1 year contract to work 40 hours a week over 5 days. 

Special conditions: 

Available to work irregular hours (i.e: occasional weekend meetings, occasional meetings in the evening, etc.), time off in lieu is provided. Availability to travel frequently. 

Remuneration Package 

The person will be employed under their national residency law. The Gross II salary (CTC – cost to company) applicable to this position is from 48.000,00 to 66.000 EUR (Gross II) per year.

HOW TO APPLY?

Please send us (to the following e-mail address: squad@lesbiangenius.net):

– Your CV;

– A cover letter (no more than 1 page) which outlines why you would be a good fit for the position and for EL*C. Please add to your cover letter an analysis of how you feel EL*C and the lesbians are being dealt with by the media and how we could improve this;

– A short example of your work (an article, a blog/podcast, a book, or press release you are the author of;  articles or media piece you contributed to get published; or big actions in activism you contributed to and were published in the media etc.);

– A small “audit” of your social media accounts (how many followers, are you followed by big accounts?). Please underline if you are followed by journalists or media outlets;

– A small exercise: We are going to organize our third conference in a EU eastern country. Can you write the 10 actions you will put in place before, during and after the conference to ensure great media coverage?

– Please send us also 2 contacts from your ex-girlfriends.. no, we are joking, from your previous work references.

The closing date will be 11.00pm CET the 13th February 2022 and the interviews will be held via Zoom, on February 24 and 25th 2022. 

We are an equal opportunities employer and will provide any necessary assistance to applicants with any special requirements to participate equally in the selection process.

 

In the current rise of far right discourses, nationalism and anti-gender movements, lesbophobia is present now more than ever but it remains a phenomenon misunderstood, underestimated and often not even nominated. For this reason, in the past months, EL*C has taken action, collecting cases and data from all over Europe and Central Asia, consulting with all its members’ organisations and discussing with lesbians active in many different contexts.

 

The results of this work are now available in a new report that show how misogyny plays a fundamental role in lesbophobia and how lesbophobic hate crimes are used to silence, punish and oppress lesbians. Yet analysis, policies and legislation on gender-based violence and hate crime do not consider the specifities of lesbophobia and once again lesbian falls between the cracks. Long before this report, lesbians have been analysing and raising awareness on lesbophobia, because we were aware that not speaking about it will not make lesbophobia disappear, it will just make it  stronger. Data and information are here, it is now time to listen and act.

Download the full report on lesbophobia here

[embeddoc url=”https://europeanlesbianconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Lesbophobia-3.pdf”]

 

 

About lesbian identities and intersectional oppressions

In the title of this report, we have decided to refer to lesbophobia as an “intersectional” form of violence, because it relates always to oppressions depending both on gender inequalities as well as to stigma against non-conforming sexual orientation. It is however important to note that intersectionality is a term coined and conceptualised by Kimberle Crenshaw in 1989[a] and related originally to experience of oppression of black women, at the intersection between gender and race. Since then, intersectional analysis has been used, in different contexts, to identify and analyze forms of oppressions based on the interlocking of different social identities.

Therefore, we are aware that the experience of lesbophobia is not homogenous in our community. We want to put a focus on lesbophobia in this report while not forgetting that the levels of stigma multiply and intensify depending on other perceived or claimed social identities, such as ‘gender identity’, ‘race,’ ‘citizenship status’, ‘refugee/asylum seeker status’, ‘class,’ or ‘ableness.’ and others that a lesbian might embody. From this shared, but different, history of oppression we work to build a community and allyship capable of freeing every lesbians, even when our shackles are not the same[b].

[a] K. Crenshaw (1989) “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics”, University of Chicago Legal Forum, Vol. 1989 Issue 1, Article 8.
[b] The reference here is to the phrase “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own” pronounced by Audre Lorde in the speech “THE USES OF ANGER: WOMEN RESPONDING TO RACISM”, keynote presentation at the 1981 National Women’s Studies Association Conference, Storrs, Connecticut

 

In the current rise of far right discourses, nationalism and anti-gender movements, lesbophobia is present now more than ever but it remains a phenomenon misunderstood, underestimated and often not even nominated. For this reason, in the past months, EL*C has taken action, collecting cases and data from all over Europe and Central Asia, consulting with all its members’ organisations and discussing with lesbians active in many different contexts.

 

The results of this work are now available in a new report that show how misogyny plays a fundamental role in lesbophobia and how lesbophobic hate crimes are used to silence, punish and oppress lesbians. Yet analysis, policies and legislation on gender-based violence and hate crime do not consider the specifities of lesbophobia and once again lesbian falls between the cracks. Long before this report, lesbians have been analysing and raising awareness on lesbophobia, because we were aware that not speaking about it will not make lesbophobia disappear, it will just make it  stronger. Data and information are here, it is now time to listen and act.

Download the full report on lesbophobia here

[embeddoc url=”https://europeanlesbianconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Lesbophobia-3.pdf”]

 

 

About lesbian identities and intersectional oppressions

In the title of this report, we have decided to refer to lesbophobia as an “intersectional” form of violence, because it relates always to oppressions depending both on gender inequalities as well as to stigma against non-conforming sexual orientation. It is however important to note that intersectionality is a term coined and conceptualised by Kimberle Crenshaw in 1989[a] and related originally to experience of oppression of black women, at the intersection between gender and race. Since then, intersectional analysis has been used, in different contexts, to identify and analyze forms of oppressions based on the interlocking of different social identities.

Therefore, we are aware that the experience of lesbophobia is not homogenous in our community. We want to put a focus on lesbophobia in this report while not forgetting that the levels of stigma multiply and intensify depending on other perceived or claimed social identities, such as ‘gender identity’, ‘race,’ ‘citizenship status’, ‘refugee/asylum seeker status’, ‘class,’ or ‘ableness.’ and others that a lesbian might embody. From this shared, but different, history of oppression we work to build a community and allyship capable of freeing every lesbians, even when our shackles are not the same[b].

[a] K. Crenshaw (1989) “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics”, University of Chicago Legal Forum, Vol. 1989 Issue 1, Article 8.
[b] The reference here is to the phrase “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own” pronounced by Audre Lorde in the speech “THE USES OF ANGER: WOMEN RESPONDING TO RACISM”, keynote presentation at the 1981 National Women’s Studies Association Conference, Storrs, Connecticut