29 February 2024 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has awarded new grants to key population-led organizations working to counter discriminatory laws, policies and practices and HIV-related criminalization, which hinder access to HIV services. The grants have been awarded through the SCALE Initiative, a UNDP-led partnership that aims to accelerate the removal of structural barriers to HIV services and drive progress on the historic 10-10-10 HIV targets through key population-led efforts.
With these new grants to 11 organizations in Guatemala, India, Malawi, Togo and Ukraine, the SCALE Initiative is currently funding 45 key population-led organizations across 21 countries for a total of more than US$1.5 million. This includes support to attend AIDS 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference in Munich this July, where they will be able to share good practices on law reform and engage with organizations across UNDP and partner networks.
The new grantees are as follows (the complete list can be found at the end of this article):
- Guatemala – Asociación Colectivo Amigos contra el Sida y Asociación Líderes Profesionales (CAS), Asociación Lambda
- India – Dostanasafar, Mist LGBTQ Foundation
- Malawi – MANET Plus, Nyasa Rainbow Alliance
- Togo – Association Femmes Amazones Zen (AFAZ), Club des 7 jours
- Ukraine – Alliance Global, LEGALIFE, Positive Women
Globally, the SCALE Initiative grants now support 45 organizations to engage in key areas identified in the UNDP Evidence Review, led by and for key population communities across 21 countries. These communities include people living with HIV, gay men and other who have sex with men, transgender people, sex workers and people who use drugs. From providing official transgender ID certificates in India, advancing the decriminalization of same-sex sexual relations in Zambia, creating more enabling environments for sex workers in Togo and tackling discrimination against young people living with HIV in Malawi, to promoting the human rights of LGBTI+ people in Guatemala and Ukraine and a new human rights-based law for drug users in Côte d’Ivoire, all organizations are working to improve access to HIV prevention, treatment and care services.
Communities – in particular people living with HIV and other key populations – have been at the forefront of the HIV response for decades. Despite substantial evidence of the power of community-led impact and global commitments to expand their leadership in the HIV response, crackdowns on civil society and pushback on human rights and gender equality threaten progress. Scaling up support and funding for key population-led organizations is necessary to get the world back on track to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
“Accelerating progress on the global 10-10-10 HIV targets will only be possible if we invest in and scale up the work of local key population organizations and embed these efforts in institutions and policies. The SCALE Initiative Law & Access grants are doing just that: strengthening key population leadership, expanding partnerships and increasing solidarity among communities. With a growing cadre of SCALE Initiative grantees comes additional opportunities to share good practice and scale up law reform efforts together with communities and countries, and we must continue to strengthen these efforts to ensure a sustainable HIV response,” said Mandeep Dhaliwal, Director of UNDP’s HIV and Health Group.
Meet all the SCALE Initiative grantees:
AFRICA
Angola - Human Action Association, IRIS Angola Association, Angolan Identity Archive
Cameroon - Association Affirmative Action, Positive Vision, Humanity First Cameroon Plus
Côte d'Ivoire - Community Association Words around Health
Eswatini - Health Plus 4 Men, The Rock of Hope
Malawi – Nyasa Rainbow Alliance, MANET Plus
Namibia - Diversity LGBTITQ Human Rights and Advocacy Association of Namibia, Out-Right Namibia, Rainbow Reflections of Namibia
South Africa - Sisonke National Movement, The Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT), Access Chapter 2
Togo – Association Femmes Amazones Zen (AFAZ), Club des 7 jours
Zambia - The Lotus Identify, Latu Human Rights Foundation
ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
India – Dostanasafar, Mist LGBTQ Foundation
Nepal – Recovering Nepal, Blue Diamond Society, SPARSHA Nepal, National Association of PLWHA (NAP+N)
Philippines - Cebu United Rainbow LGBTIQ+ Sector (CURLS), TLF SHARE Collective, Philippine Anti-Discrimination Alliance of Youth Leaders (PANTAY)
Thailand - SWING Foundation
EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA
Kazakhstan – Answer, Revanche “Revenge”
Kyrgyzstan - Tais Plus "Tais Plus", Attika "Attica"
Tajikistan - SPIN Plus
Ukraine – Alliance Global, LEGALIFE, Positive Women
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Jamaica - Equality for All Foundation
Guatemala – Asociación Colectivo Amigos contra el Sida y Asociación Líderes Profesionales (CAS), Asociación Lambda
Guyana - Proud to Be Trans and Guyana Trans United
Panama - Iguales Foundation
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