LGBTQ

Despite the unquestionable global progress concerning women’s autonomy, their human rights to decide freely and responsibly on sexual and reproductive health remain to an unacceptable degree unfulfilled. Therefore, this particular issue constituted the central theme of presentations at the Fourth International Gender Workshop in Warsaw. 

In order to reflect on the regional implications of the presumably global trend of “backlash” in gender relations the offices of the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Belgrade, Berlin, Kyiv, Moscow, Prague and Warsaw invited scholars and activists from Armenia, Belarus, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine to attend the Third International Gender Workshop in Berlin (27-29.09.2014).

Polish accession to the European Union, the election of female representatives, and existing European legislation raised high hopes for the possibility of legislative improvements for women and LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) people. How, then, did the first decade of Polish female representatives in the European Parliament look? Has the presence of Polish women influenced the agenda of the institution? Have there been any issues with legislation concerning equal rights, equal opportunities, and anti-discrimination?

International organizations are beginning to pay attention to the problems of the Belarusian LGBT community. This year, reports about violations of the rights of gays and lesbians in Belarus have been published by the majority of international organizations. However, this does not translate into an actual government effort. For the time being, state authorities try to avoid addressing publicly the issue of LGBT rights, thereby hindering any public debate on this subject.

The European public opinion is informed about the situation in Belarus mainly in the context of spectacular or highly important political events. There is definitely a lack of up-to-date information and current analysis on subjects that do not appear on the first pages and – in case of Belarus- rarely become the subject of analytical expertise. However, these subjects are crucial for the evaluation and monitoring of the process of democratic transformation.