2020

Case of torture against Yefri Peña, trans woman from Peru, is filed with the UN Human Rights Committee

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Centro de Promoción y Defensa de los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos – Promsex, the Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos – CNDDHH, and Synergía filed the case of Yefri Peña before the UN Human Rights Committee. In October 2007, Yefri Peña Tuanama, a trans woman from Lima, Peru, was attacked by five invidivuals on her way home from her workplace as sexual health educator in the Ate-Vitarte district. Yefri sought help in a police station, yet the police officers denied any form of support because of her gender identity.

The Coalition of LGBTTTI and Sex Workers Organizations from Latin America and the Caribbean celebrate the culmination of another successful OAS General Assembly, despite attempts to restrict spaces for civil society participation.

The Coalition of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Transvestite, Intersex (LGBTTTI) Organizations and Sex Workers of Latin America and the Caribbean that work within the framework of the Organization of American States (OAS), participated in the 50th Ordinary Period of Sessions of the General Assembly, that took place on October 20 and 21, 2020 in Washington DC. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meetings took place virtually. During the Dialogue with heads of delegations, the Secretary General and civil society, that took place on October 19th, two members of the Coalition spoke representing sex workers organizations and LGBTI organizations respectively.

ACHPR Civil Society Organisations’ Side Events (ACSE) closing with plenary featuring the new Commissioners.

ISLA, AMSHeR and Synergía hosted the first virtual session of the ACHPR Civil Society Organisations’ Side Events (ACSE). The two-week webinar series took place from 21 September until 2 October 2020, with a total of 21 webinars hosted in parallel on Zoom and GoToWebinar. All sessions were open to the public, free of charge and in some cases offered simultaneous interpretation services for French and Spanish speaking participants. Over 500 people participated in the online seminars, workshops, plenaries and member meetings. As in previous sessions since 2012, ACSE has managed to successfully engage a global community that remains committed to

Desde Córdoba Diversa una Organización por los derechos del colectivo LGBTIQ + te invitamos a un Webinar sobre Políticas Públicas, Diversidad Sexual y Derechos Humanos: Un camino hacia la igualdad.

El primer encuentro se realizará el día martes 25 de Agosto 11 am ( Argentina) 10 am Washington y Paraguay. Los y las disertantes: Dra Soledad García Muñoz – Relatora Especial DESCA – CIDH Dr Julián López Ministro de Justicia y Derechos Humanos de Córdoba – Argentina Sr Raul La cava Secretario de Desarrollo Social – Municipalidad de Córdoba – Argentina Dra Carmen Colazo Miembra del Grupo Impulsor de Paridad ONUMUJERES Marcelo Ernesto Ferreyra Coordinador Regional para América Latina y el Caribe – SYNERGIA – Iniciativa por los Derechos Humanos. Encuentro vía Zoom Inscripción previa/gratuita haciendo click en este enlace

The Universal Civil Identity Program in the Americas (PUICA) of the Organization of American States (OAS) and Synergía presented the results of the joint project “Recognition of Gender Identity in Latin America” to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights

On July 17th, OAS-PUICA and Synergía presented the reports Overview of the Legal Recognition of Gender Identity in the Americas and Guidelines for the Implementation of the Advisory Opinion no. 24 of the Inter-American Court on Human Rights and the Role of Civil Registries to the judges of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The meeting was chaired by the President of the Court, Judge Elizabeth Odio Benito, and attended by Judge Raúl Zaffaroni, Judge Eduardo Ferrer Mac-Gregor and Judge Ricardo Pérez Manrique, together with the Court’s Executive Secretary Pablo Saavedra and a number of lawyers. The meeting was also attended by the Director

The Universal Civil Identity Program in the Americas (PUICA) of the Organization of American States (OAS) and Synergía, in partnership with the Permanent Mission of Argentina before the OAS, presented the results of the joint project “Recognition of Gender Identity in Latin America”

On May 28th, OAS-PUICA and Synergía, in partnership with the Permanent Mission of Argentina before the OAS, shared the results of a joint project aiming at strengthening access of civil registry institutions to knowledge and good practices for recognition of self-perceived gender identity. The panel was opened by Rebeca Omaña, Coordinator of PUICA, and Stefano Fabeni, Executive Director at Synergía. Panelists were: Juan Pablo Delgado, PUICA Project Manager; Fanny Gómez Lugo, Synergía’s Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy; Víctor Madrigal Borloz, UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity; Flávia Piovesan, Rapporteur on the Rights of LGBTI Persons of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; Marcela

AMSHeR and Synergía celebrate the 6th anniversary of the adoption of ACmHPR Resolution 275/2014

Despite the postponement of the 66th ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACmHPR) due to the current health crisis, the African Men on Sexual Health and Rights (AMSHeR) and Synergía celebrate the 6th anniversary of the adoption of Resolution 275/2014 on May 12th, 2014. Resolution 275 on Protection against Violence and other Human Rights Violations against Persons on the basis of their real or imputed Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity (ACHPR/Res.275(LV)2014) is a groundbreaking document for the protection of all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in Africa. AMSHeR and Synergía will

The Coalition for the Independence of the African Commission (CIAC) is seeking new members among civil society organizations.

The Coalition for the Independence of the African Commission (CIAC) is seeking new members (both ordinary and implementing members) to protect and defend the independence of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The CIAC was established in 2019, following the adoption of Decision 1015 by the African Union (AU) Executive Council in June 2018, and a subsequent convening of civil society organizations in Banjul, The Gambia, in October 2018. Decision 1015 constitutes an unprecedented attack to the independence of a human rights body by AU member states. Current CIAC implementing partners are the African Men for Sexual Health and Rights

Synergía and the OAS LGBTTTI Coalition write to authorities of the Inter-American Human Rights System requesting their statement on human rights abuses generated by the measures taken by governments in the face of the COVID19 pandemic.

As it has been known for more than a month, humanity is facing one of the most challenging threats in recent years in the face of the spread of COVID-19. The insidious ease of its transmission has forced governments to create and implement strategies aimed at blunting the force and reducing the speed with which it has infected countless people around the world. These policies, while aimed at reducing infections, have also dangerous consequences for various social groups. Women’s rights and feminist groups have warned about the likely increment of domestic violence against women, the lack of access to goods

Synergía and OAS LGBTTTI Coalition condemn the killing of Karla Valentina Camarena, trans human rights defender in Mexico and member of our Coalition

Synergía, along with the Coalition of LGBTTTI Organizations of Latin America and the Caribbean that works within the Organization of American States (OAS), composed of 61 organizations from the region, condemns the murder of our colleague, Karla Valentina Camarena del Castillo, a 33-year-old trans woman, human rights defender, member of the Red Latinoamericana y del Caribe de Personas Trans (Redlactrans). Karla was murdered with a gunshot on a street in the municipality of San Felipe, Guanajuato state, Mexico, on March 29, 2020. We request the state of Guanajuato and the Mexican federal government to investigate with due diligence, in accordance

Support Our Work