NSWP Member Organisation Platform Layalat Release Statement Calling for Transgender Women's Representation in the Global Fund Country Dialogue

Author
Platform Layalat

Platform Layalat, a network advocating in Morocco for the rights of sex workers in general and transgender women sex workers in particular, released the following statement regarding the lack of representation of transgender women in the country dialogue for the new grant request to the Global Fund.

“As an organization that advocates for the rights of LGBTI individuals, we believe that it is important to ensure that all voices are heard and all needs are addressed in any discussions related to healthcare and funding. Unfortunately, there is no representative of trans workers in the CCM, which means that their needs are not being taken into consideration in this dialogue.

As a community that is disproportionately concerned by HIV and TB, it is essential that our voices are heard in decision-making processes that impact our health and well-being.

We call on all stakeholders involved in country dialogue to ensure that transgender women are included and represented in these discussions. This includes planning consultations with enough time to ensure our community's involvement, ensuring that we are well-represented in the dialogue, organizing consultations separately for each key population, and providing transparency ahead of the dialogue on how it will be organized.

Transgender women have unique needs and experiences that must be taken into account when developing policies and programs related to HIV and TB. By including us in country dialogue, we can ensure that our perspectives are heard and that our needs are addressed.

We urge all stakeholders to prioritize transgender women's representation in country dialogue and to work towards creating more inclusive spaces for our community.

We are hoping to gather support from other organizations and advocacy groups to help us advocate for the inclusion of transgender workers in this dialogue. We believe that it is important to gather data and statistics on the impact of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria on transgender communities in Morocco to present a strong case for their inclusion.”

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