ECOM — Eurasian Coalition on Health, Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity, is an international association with a mission to support the development of national LGBT communities and their activism, to promote human rights, health, and social well-being for people of gender and sexual diversity.
The main objectives of ECOM are to ensure that health and human rights issues in relation to LGBT people are consistently and effectively addressed in national and international policies and programs.
1. Background
Conflict, authoritarian governance, and systemic discrimination in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) have triggered significant displacement among LGBT people. While global research highlights vulnerabilities of queer communities in forced displacement, evidence specifically from EECA remains scarce. In particular, little is known about displacement drivers, lived experiences in transit, and the effectiveness of host country responses in Central and Eastern Europe. To address this gap, ECOM seeks to commission a consultant to conduct a focused study on LGBT displacement from EECA, with the aim of informing regional advocacy, humanitarian response, and donor engagement.
2. Objectives
The consultancy will:
- Generate evidence on the drivers and dynamics of displacement among LGBT people from EECA.
- Document lived experiences of LGBT refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons across displacement phases.
- Assess access to health, legal, and social services in transit and host countries, with particular attention to HIV care and gender-affirming services.
- Identify resilience strategies and the role of grassroots LGBT-led organizations.
- Provide actionable recommendations for policy, humanitarian response, and donor investment.
- Develop a peer-reviewed academic manuscript based on the final report, suitable for submission to an international journal.
3. Research Questions
- What are the main drivers of displacement among LGBT people from EECA?
- How do migrants and refugee receival and protection systems in key host countries (e.g., Moldova, Poland, Germany, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia , Kazakhstan, Georgia) respond to LGBT-specific needs?
- What role do LGBT-led organizations and LGBT communities in host countries play in supporting displaced LGBT people
- What challenges do LGBT people face during different phases of displacement (pre-departure, transit, asylum, settlement)?
- What intersecting forms of discrimination (e.g., gender identity, ethnicity, religion, HIV status) affect displaced LGBT persons from EECA?
- What policy and programmatic changes are needed to improve protection, health, and inclusion of displaced LGBT people from EECA?
4. Scope of Work
The consultant will:
- Develop a detailed research design and tools (survey, interview guides, desk review framework).
- Conduct a desk review of relevant literature, including the QFDI report and EECA-specific sources.
- Collect and analyze data through desk research and interviews with displaced LGBT persons, community leaders, and service providers.
- Ensure compliance with GDPR (data protection and confidentiality).
- Ensure ethical approval for the study; ECOM will support the consultant in obtaining this.
- Draft a comprehensive report and advocacy outputs.
- Prepare a draft academic manuscript for peer-reviewed journal submission, based on the final report.
5. Deliverables
- Research protocol (methodology, workplan, ethical and GDPR compliance framework).
- Draft research report (~30 pages) with preliminary findings.
- Final research report (incorporating feedback from ECOM and partners).
- Advocacy outputs: policy brief (2–3 pages), summary slide deck, and 1 infographic.
- Academic manuscript based on the final report, ready for journal submission.
6. Timeline (October 2025 – January 2026)
- October 2025: Inception report and research tools finalized.
- November 2025: Desk review and data collection.
- December 2025: Data analysis and drafting of report.
- January 2026: Submission of final report, advocacy outputs, and academic manuscript draft.
7. Consultant Qualifications
- Advanced degree in public health, social sciences, migration studies, or related field.
Proven expertise in migration/displacement, LGBT rights, or humanitarian research in EECA. - Experience with qualitative research.
- Familiarity with ethical research and GDPR compliance with vulnerable populations.
- Excellent writing and communication skills in English and Russian languages.
- Experience in preparing manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals is desirable.
8. Management and Reporting
The consultant will report to ECOM’s Project Manager/SRHR Coordinator and work in close coordination with a research steering group composed of regional experts and LGBT-led organizations. Regular check-ins will be required.
9. Budget and Payment
The consultancy fee will be negotiated based on experience and deliverables. ECOM expects up to 20 days of work. Payments will be made in tranches linked to outputs:
- 50% upon approval of the research protocol.
- 50% upon delivery of final report, advocacy outputs, and manuscript draft.
10. Application Process
Interested candidates are invited to submit the following documents by 30 September 2025, 18:00 Tallinn time to tenders@ecom.ngo with the name of the call “Research on the Displacement of LGBT People from the EECA Region”:
- Curriculum Vitae (CV).
- Research proposal (max. 3 pages) including methodology, workplan, and timeline.
- Financial proposal: the cost of consultancy services (daily rate, where 1 day = 8 hours), with a breakdown of expenses.
We strongly encourage applications from LGBT researchers and consultants, particularly those with lived experience of displacement.