Our Initiatives
Over the years, LGBTQI+ people have faced increased discrimination and attacks due to their actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity. This grim reality revealed Nigeria’s societal and political structure, which fails to safeguard the rights of LGBTQI+ citizens. This system’s failure led to their vulnerability to atrocities, ostracism, homelessness, unemployment, and exclusion.
We are implementing a temporary safe shelter initiative for the Nigerian LGBTQI+ community. By addressing the challenge, the house is a haven for LGBTQI+ people who are ostracized, facing homelessness, are in danger, or need shelter for three months or more before entering society. This step aligns with our goal of promoting inclusion and advocating for a community that is safe and upholds the rights of all.
The landscape of Nigeria has long been fraught with challenges for LBTQI+ individuals, particularly women, who face multifaceted layers of discrimination and societal constraints. From enduring social stigmatization to navigating the complexities of legal frameworks, the journey toward equality remains difficult.
This initiative spotlights the challenges faced by LBTQI+ women in Nigeria and seeks to create awareness of gender-based violence and challenge patriarchal points of view in Nigeria. Through this initiative, we have provided more than 20 LBTQI+ women with essential legal skills and knowledge, fostering professional development and empowering them to advocate for the LGBTQI+ community.
The Nigerian mainstream media operates on subjective and biased principles that mostly do not positively portray LGBTQI+ issues. The press adheres to patriarchal, heteronormative practices, making it challenging to spotlight publicized content and news about the LGBTQI+ community to the public, unlike their heterosexual counterpart. This unfortunate situation has, over the years, been a strategy the anti-gender movement used to promote public homophobia and the exclusion of the LGBTQI+ community in Nigeria.
For this, we launched the ISHRAI TALKS podcast to tackle the issues around misrepresentation and exclusion in the media.
The ISHRAI Talks podcast project is ISHRAI’s mission to promote visibility, inclusion, and equity through public advocacy, education, amplification of voices, and efforts to spotlight the lived experiences of the LGBTQI+ community in Nigeria.
Through this project, we advocate for and spotlight the different issues the LGBTQI+ community faces. We also educate on SRHR, mental health, safety, security, etc. Since its inception, we have recorded 12 episodes on different topics with listeners worldwide.
As catalysts for social change, we strongly believe in the power of education and constructive media advocacy in changing narratives, creating visibility, and empowering our communities with the correct information. This will contribute to our efforts in championing change. Our podcast is available on all podcast platforms.
The Key Population Community HIV/AIDS Services Action and Response-1 (KP CARE1) project, subgranted by Heartland Alliance Limited by Guarantee (HALG) under the USAID-funded HIV project, focused on providing comprehensive HIV and STI prevention, testing, and treatment services for key populations and their sexual partners through the provision of high-quality HIV prevention intervention, treatment, and support services for members of the LGBTQI+ community. The goal of the KP CARE1 project is to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS on the LGBTQI+ community, which is already criminalized and vulnerable.
The community is vulnerable to HIV due to the level of risky sexual behaviors and the barriers attached to living as an LGBTQI+ person in Nigeria.
Recognizing the pressing need for a holistic approach to healthcare, our partnership with APIN is a testament to our unwavering dedication to providing accessible and inclusive services. Through this joint effort, we continue to bolster our efforts in addressing the multifaceted challenges faced by the LGBTQI+ community in Nigeria, particularly about sexual and reproductive health.
SDG 1 aims to end all forms of poverty and ensure a dignified life for all, regardless of background, location, sexual orientation, or gender identity. However, LGBTQI+ people, particularly in Nigeria, face criminalization, which keeps economic opportunities out of their reach. These structural barriers create challenges for LGBTQI+ people seeking economic opportunities.
The Tech4Equity project is our initiative to provide tech skills for queer youths. Our mission is to birth a generation of LGBTQI+ tech professionals who will create more opportunities for other queer people in the tech industry in the coming years.
In line with our mission to promote empowerment and acceptance, for this project, we provide a haven for learning, representation from the diverse sub-groups in the LGBTQI+ community, and avenues for skill development and capacity strengthening. We offer tech skills such as web design, content creation, social media management, UIX, graphic design, etc. In line with this project, we also provide complimentary employability skills for our members not interested in developing an up-to-date CV, using Microsoft Office effectively, and leveraging LinkedIn to access opportunities and networks.
Our intentionality towards this project is rooted in our understanding of our communities’ challenges regarding economic opportunities. We understand the power of empowerment and financial independence in our struggle for respect, protection, and liberation. Technology is a crucial driver of our lives all over the universe, as it gives different opportunities for growth, self-development, and economic security. It also offers avenues for remote and multiple sources of income generation. If our communities are empowered, we can use our potential to achieve great things and contribute to the growth of our society and community.