About Trans Advocacy Week
UN Trans Advocacy Week is an international advocacy initiative run by six partners: the Asia-Pacific Transgender Network (APTN); Transgender Europe (TGEU); The Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Rights (RFSL); Global Action for Trans Equality (GATE); East Africa Trans Health and Advocacy Network (EATHAN); and the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA World). Since 2017, TAW has brought trans and gender diverse community leaders to UN spaces in Geneva to engage in international advocacy, delve into ways in which human rights defenders can engage with UN Treaty Bodies and Special Procedures, and interact with senior UN officials and Special Procedures mandate holders.
What are we doing for Trans Advocacy Week 2025?
This year, 4 delegates selected from the APTN’s Amplify Trans Advocacy Fellowship Programme and among our partners, have been fully sponsored to join Trans Advocacy Week (TAW) 2025 during the 59th United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva.
APTN and TAW partners have prepared a range of advocacy opportunities across the HRC. We organized both online and in-person training in Geneva to prepare fellows to meaningfully engage with the HRC and amplify their voices and advocacy efforts.
Throughout the week, APTN has collaborated with the fellows to craft impactful interventions across the HRC. These include delivering a statement during the Interactive Dialogue with the Independent Expert on SOGI, as well as making advocacy calls during meetings with diplomatic permanent missions in Geneva. This year, the fellows will also participate in a global advocacy effort calling for the renewal of the IE SOGI mandate. APTN also co-organizes a side event at the HRC, titled ‘Defunding Equality’, to highlight the impact of aid cuts for trans movements in Asia and the Pacific, and to ensure that trans voices from our region are heard.
Additionally, we have integrated an arts component into the programme by co-hosting a screening of the Malaysian documentary ‘Queer as Punk’, directed by Yih Wen Chen. The film follows the life of Faris, a trans man, and his queer peers who use their punk band as a tool for narrative change.
We believe that TAW serves as a vital platform for activists to amplify their local advocacy in international spaces, and to learn how to utilise global platforms to address trans human rights issues back home.