ECOM has prepared a comparative analysis of national legislation related to LGBT rights and HIV in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, and North Macedonia for the period 2017 to 2019. The analysis contains information on barriers that prevent gay men, other MSM and trans* people from fully realizing their rights, and also illustrates trends related to […]

On 11-13 November within the 68th session of UN Committee against Torture (CAT), Uzbekistan is under its fifth country review. In May 2019 ECOM in cooperation with Central Asian groups submitted report to the UN CAT on Human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Uzbekistan for the List of Issues and […]

The United Nations Human Rights Committee is a UN body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by its 172 State parties. Tajikistan went under its third periodic review at UN Human Rights Committee within the 126th session on 1-26 July 2019. ECOM has submitted its alternative report to the HRCtee […]

On July 25 and July 26 training on the topic of Prevention of Stigma and Discrimination took place in Yerevan. The training was held by New Generation Humanitarian NGO based on the Training Module on work with Public Officials on Human Rights and Combating Stigma and Discrimination against gay men, other MSM and trans people prepared and […]

LIFE 9 training of activists on leadership, volunteerism and inclusion of volunteers in the National programme on the Response to HIV was held on March 27-29, 2019. The training was held within the framework of Regional Program “Right to Health“. The goal of the training is to introduce the activists to the importance of the […]

Eurasian Coalition on Male Health – ECOM opens a Call for Proposals from LGBTQ community-based organizations and unregistered initiative groups for Small Grants program under the regional program “Right to Health”. The Goal of the Small Grants Program 2019 is to increase advocacy capacity of trans people, experiencing stigma based on their gender identity, HIV status and […]

The stigmatizing and discriminatory social and political environment in CEECA countries leads to  self-stigma among LGBT people, strengthens barriers to accessing services and leads to an increase in HIV infection among LGBT community in the region. According to the organizers of the campaign, “Chase Stigma Not People”, launched on the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia […]

Participants of an ECOM training on legal literacy and activism were able to develop their skills on using international legal mechanisms to protect and promote the right to health. The training was attended by activists from countries involved in the implementation of ECOM’s regional program “Right to Health”. During the training, human rights activists from […]

ECOM publishes National Reports on Human Rights Violations among LGBTQ people in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, and North Macedonia in 2018. The reports describe the human rights situations of LGBTQ people in these countries, in particular the right to health, and also reflect existing situations related to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and/or […]

From March 27th till March 31st 2019, a transgender sex worker from STAR-STAR (North Macedonia) participated at the Transposyum and Transgender’s March upon invitation by the Trans Network Balkan, organized in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. During the Transposyum, the Macedonian representative holds 90 minutes oral-speech session on sex work behind the door. The other […]

The Eurasian Coalition on Male Health (ECOM) started preparations for the 3rd Regional Consultation on HIV among MSM and Trans People in Eastern Europe and Central Asia to be held in November 2019 in Tallinn, Estonia. Currently, ECOM works on the agenda and technical issues related to the organization of the Consultation. Currently, the goal […]

The Eurasian Coalition on Male Health (ECOM) presents information products, which are unique for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA), offering the key information on HIV among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in different countries of the region. The Briefs reflect the situation with HIV prevalence among MSM and the […]

On 4-5 March the Republic of Estonia is under review of UN Human Rights Committee for the 4th time. Here is the summary of all SOGI-related references during 2-days dialogue between the Committee members and the Estonian Delegation. Ms. Kaisa Knight from Equality Policies Department in Ministry of Social Affairs, announces that they have applied […]

On March 4-5, 2019, the Republic of Estonia is under review of UN Human Rights Committee (HRCtee) during its 125th session in Geneva. In List of issues prior to submission of the fourth periodic report of Estonia among others there were such important questions from the HRCtee in block “Non-discrimination and prohibition of advocacy of […]

Eurasian Coalition on Male Health invites to join an open webinar on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E). The webinar will provide an introduction to M&E of advocacy projects and essential M&E documents, templates and forms, recommended by ECOM. Date: 13.02.2019 Time: 14.00 (Tallinn time) Working language: English The webinar is conducted by an ECOM consultant – Marichka Makovetska […]

Since 2017 ECOM implements the Regional Program “Right to Health”. The goal of the program is to contribute to an increased uptake and retention across the continuum of HIV care for MSM and trans people in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. One of the objectives of the regional program is to strengthen enabling environments […]

On November 6, 2018 within the framework of the “Right to Health” program funded by the Eurasian Coalition on Male Health (ECOM), implemented by “New Generation” Humanitarian NGO, a training on the MSMIT Toolkit has been held in Armenia for the first time among the representatives of RA CCM, RA AIDS Prevention National Center and […]

ECOM, as part of the program “Right to Health”, implemented with the support of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, developed the first ever Regional Training Module on work with Public Officials on Human Rights and Combating Stigma and Discrimination against gay men, other MSM and trans people. According to UNAIDS data, […]

Eurasian Coalition on Male Health (ECOM) prepared a Regional Report on violations of the right to health of gay men, other MSM and trans people in the CEECA region in 2017. In 2017, monitoring of human rights violations, in particular violations of the right to health, was carried out by the LGBT community in 5 […]

The Eurasian Coalition on Male Health (ECOM) presents the results of analyses unique to the EECA region concerning the national legislation in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, and Macedonia, which was conducted within the framework of the project called “Right to Health,” backed by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Within the framework […]

Eurasian Coalition on Male Health (ECOM) opens a Call for Proposals from LGBTQ community-based organizations and initiative groups for Small Grants program under the regional program “Right to Health” with the financial support of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The Goal of the Small Grants Program is to increase advocacy capacity of underserved subgroups of […]

Georgia has adopted the Law on elimination of all forms of discrimination that includes sexual orientation and gender identity among protected grounds, and also made corresponding amendments to other key norms that regulate different areas of public life.  In the same time, in terms of HIV, country has stigmatizing “Law on HIV/AIDS” in Georgia, according […]

The Government of the Republic of Armenia has made certain steps to introduce changes to the legislation discriminating against PLWH, gay men, other MSM and trans people, however, in the current legislation there are still many regulations, which contradict the requirements of the international human rights treaties signed by the Republic of Armenia. This is […]

The Republic of Macedonia has made significant progress in protecting the rights of the LGBT and removing legal barriers for people living with HIV. There are no restrictions on the migration of people living with HIV, and there is no ban on blood donation for MSM. However, there are issues in the country leading to […]

Eurasian Coalition on Male Health (ЕCОМ) conducted legislative analysis related to LBGT rights and HIV in Republic of Belarus in 2017. Analysis demonstrated compliance of the Belarusian laws with the international requirements in terms of the freedom of movement for people living with HIV – there is no prohibition for the entry of PLWH and […]

Introduce amendments into the national legislation on prohibition of LGBT discrimination, improve the system of response to the cases of such discrimination from the side of law enforcement and judicial authorities, ensure adequate investigation of the cases of attacks on LGBT., – these and other recommendations are included in the «Legislative analysis related to LGBT […]

Involvement of communities in the decision-making processes in the field of HIV prevention among key populations remains low in Central, Eastern Europe and Central Asia (CEECA). It is both because of existing structural barriers and lack of resources and understanding of the country dialogue processes within the communities. Such a conclusion can be made after reviewing […]