UN submission on discrimination and violence against lesbians

On 1 August 2021 Listening2Lesbians provided submissions in response to the following from the Commission on the Status of Women:

“Any individual, non-governmental organization, group or network may submit communications (complaints/appeals/petitions) to the Commission on the Status of Women containing information relating to alleged violations of human rights that affect the status of women in any country in the world. The Commission on the Status of Women considers such communications as part of its annual programme of work in order to identify emerging trends and patterns of injustice and discriminatory practices against women for purposes of policy formulation and development of strategies for the promotion of gender equality.”

Commission on the Status of Women: Communication Procedure

Information was provided to the UN on incidents dating back approximately 2.5 years across the 57 countries we have reported on in that time.

Legal, social and familial punishment of lesbians for failing to conform with the expectations imposed on women illuminates the status of women around the world. Homosexuality is understood to be a breach of sex-based expectations. Strictly enforced sex roles are accompanied by increased consequences for those who break them, individually or collectively. Lesbians, or women read as lesbians, are doubly punishable for their non-conformity, both overt and inferred.

Listening2Lesbians is not an expert on these countries and provided this information to augment and support the information provided by women from individual communities. We can only provide information on cases we have been able to locate and based our submissions solely around the available facts. Please note that we welcome corrections and updates.

We are painfully aware of the many communities not represented.

Anyone with information on missing communities is invited to contact us with information on reporting violence and discrimination against lesbians in their community.

Liz, Ari and Devorah @ Listening2Lesbians

Submissions:

• Afghanistan
• Algeria
• Argentina
• Australia
• Barbados
• Bolivia
• Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Brazil
• Bulgaria
• Burundi
• Cameroon
• Canada
• Chile
• China
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• Cuba
• Equatorial Guinea
• France
• Germany
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Hungary
• Iceland
• India
• Indonesia
• Iran
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Jamaica
• Japan
• Kazakhstan
• Kenya
• Lebanon
• Madagascar
• Mexico
• Namibia
• The Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Nigeria
• Peru
• The Philippines
• Poland
• Portugal
• Russia
• Saudi Arabia
• Serbia
• South Africa
• Spain
• Sri Lanka
• Uganda
• The United Kingdom
• Ukraine
• The United States of America
• Venezuela