Stakeholder Workshop: Platform for the Inclusion of Non-Normative Gender and Sexualities (NNGS) in CCA Policy and Action
The University of Auckland, in collaboration with Indonesian and Filipino partners, orchestrated a stakeholder workshop titled "Platform for the Inclusion of Non-Normative Gender and Sexualities (NNGS) in CCA Policy and Action." This event took place on April 20, 2021, and drew participation from various regional stakeholders, including NGOs such as the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Equal Asia Foundation, United Nations Women, UNDRR, ASEAN SOGIE Caucus, Philippine Commission on Women, Djogjakarta Community Action, Pacific Islands Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (PIANGO), Raoul Wallenberg Institute, Philippine Office of Civil Defense, and Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC).
Neen Sapalo from the University of the Philippines moderated this event, which served as a follow-up to the previous NNGS Regional Workshop held in February. During the workshop, discussions centered around the 'Johari Window,' a framework that aids in enhancing understanding of one's relationship with oneself and others. In this context, it aimed to foster a deeper understanding of four key backgrounds:
1. What the transgender community and stakeholders both know and possess.
2. What the transgender community knows and has but stakeholders do not.
3. What the transgender community does not know and have but stakeholders know and have.
4. What both the transgender community and stakeholders lack in knowledge and resources.
Building upon these discussions, the workshop explored a path forward for the transgender community, which expressed readiness to support and collaborate with government programs, particularly in disaster response, social assistance, reporting cases, and arts and culture initiatives. The transgender community also outlined their needs, including raising awareness about the heightened vulnerabilities faced by transgender individuals. They further detailed their intentions, which involve creating an advocacy platform and extending support to other transgender individuals at the grassroots level.
It's important to note that this workshop represents just one step in an ongoing process. As a continuation, the next event in the NNGS Workshop series will take the form of a Capacity-Building session, delving deeper into discussions about Non-Normative Genders and Sexualities.
