Announcement: Transitioning Africa

GENDER DynamiX (GDX) and the Support Initiative for People with atypical sexual Development (SIPD)  have taken their collaboration in the Exchange Programmes in 2010 and 2011 a step further and, together with Transgender and Intersex Africa (TIA), will concentrate its efforts mainly on advocacy in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Forming the tripartite will further solidify and strengthen their work in Africa and a specific mission and vision for the new partnership has been formulated.

The main focus of this new entity is to support a growing transgender and intersex movement and to engage regionally in advocacy for the human rights of transgender and intersex people.

While forming a platform for all regional work of the three organisations, Transitioning Africa is not a new NGO but will remain a formal partnership of the three organisations and thus retain autonomy locally and regionally and the capacity for its activities will be provided by the three organisations in the implementation of its activities, such as capacity building workshops, advocacy support to other organisations, exchange programmes and mentorships.

The vision of Transitioning Africa is to see a strong transgender and intersex movement in Sub-Saharan Africa, based on human rights principles, while the mission is to strive for gender recognition within social movements in Africa.

It aims to build transgender and intersex leadership and capacity, by supporting both individual transgender and intersex activists, as well as transgender and intersex organisations on the continent.

The mission further states that Transitioning Africa will advocate for transgender and intersex issues within regional and international platforms, directly, and support local advocacy efforts when invited.

It will also aim to document the history of the transgender and intersex movement in Africa.

An Advisory Committee will advise Transitioning Africa on its work.

This Committee will consist of 6 members, including the Directors of the 3 partner organisations.

Three members will be recruited strategically to bring in knowledge and/or skills for the benefit of Transitioning Africa.

External link:

• Behind the Mask – Transgender and Intersex Groups Form Pan-African Alliance
• Magnificent – Challenging Gender Roles in the Motherland: Could Transgender and Intersex Activism Unite Africa’s Movements?
• Pambazuka News – Announcement: Transitioning Africa
• The New Age – Transformative leaders wanted