APCOM Report Finds Involvement of Indonesia’s MSM and Transgender Community in the Global Fund New Funding Model Need to Be Strengthened

APCOM and GWL-INA, the national network of MSM and transgender communities in Indonesia, has launched the Scoping Report: INDONESIA: The involvement of the MSM and transgender community with the Global Fund New Funding Model Country Processes. APCOM has conducted a scoping report in the country to assess the level of community engagement in the Global Fund New Funding Model (NFM) Country Processes. Generally, the Scoping Report aims to assess the level of engagement of the MSM and transgender community with the country dialogues in Indonesia. In addition, the report also aims to determine the level of engagements between the community and the Global Fund Indonesian CCM. This activity has been supported by the Robert Carr Civil Society Networks Fund through the Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks hosted by MSMGF.

The active involvement of Key Affected Populations (KAP), including the men who have sex with other men (MSM) and transgender people, in the Global Fund against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) country processes is a key feature of its New Funding Model. The GFATM instituted the Country Dialogue – an on-going process that occurs at the country level among the government, the private and public sectors, the networks of KAP, civil society and other technical partners as a means to ensure meaningful involvement of KAP leading towards the development of a robust concept note. However, the complexity of the model poses a challenge to the KAP and their communities to know when and how they can best participate.

GWL-INA’s Dedicated Staffs

“The country processes is a very good opportunity for the MSM and transgender community in Indonesia to voice out their issues in a proper platform, especially now that the country’s sexual minorities are facing political backlash,” said Midnight Poonkasetwattana. “We share Global Fund’s objectives that the MSM and transgender people should be given the space to participate in discussions that are directed to them.”

The report found that the involvement of the MSM and transgender community representatives, including the young population, has contributed to the concept note development under the NFM. The community representatives have brought into the process sufficient knowledge on the issues and experiences from the ground. However, the concept note development process was described by the community as ‘intense process’, there were no specific kinds of support extended to the representatives of the MSM and transgender community during the country process and concept note development. In order for the MSM and transgender community, and their representatives, to articulate their issues and provide relevant feedback to the discussions, technical support and capacity building must be provided.

The country processes is a very good opportunity for the MSM and transgender community in Indonesia to voice out their issues in a proper platform, especially now that the country’s sexual minorities are facing political backlash.

“I hope, with the scoping report, the community involvement of GWL (Gay, transgender and other MSM) community in Indonesia country processes within the GF NFM can be improved much further, and the country processes can accommodate the needs of the community,” said Meilandi Panca Wardhana, GWL-INA Executive Director. “Ensuring community involvement and representation of the transgender and young key population will heighten the needs of the community.”

The representation of the transgender community is also found to be lesser than the MSM population. Hence, the issues of the transgender population are not adequately addressed in the concept note development. In addition, the report also found that there are challenges in gathering feedback on salient issues from the general key affected population groups due to limited time.

APCOM is currently providing support to GWL-INA to create partnerships between and among CCM, community-based organisations, civil society, and service provider facilities and make use of existing websites, social media and other online platforms in publishing and disseminating information related to the Global Fund NFM. In addition, APCOM is also providing support for the establishment of communication mechanism, which is facilitated by the MSM and transgender community, between the CCM and the key population sub groups.

In 2014, APCOM is accredited as a technical assistance provider under the Global Fund Communities, Rights and Gender Department.

Also See:

+ Engagement Report from Other Countries

+ Global Fund New Funding Model Country Dialogue Fact Sheets