Policy Report on the Rationale and Scope for Strengthening Support to Adolescents Who Are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex or Questioning
About this Report:
This policy report forms one part of a broader scoping exercise on why and how Plan International could strengthen its programme, advocacy and institutional support to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and questioning (LGBTIQ) adolescents.
The scoping exercise also included mapping and analysing the legal, social and other challenges and opportunities facing LGBTIQ adolescents in the world.
During the process, many of the findings from this broader scoping were found to have meaning and value for other organisations and institutions who are considering how to progress in relation to LGBTIQ adolescents.
This policy report is presented with the intention of sharing learning and promoting discussion amongst CSOs, NGOs, Governments, Donors and the international development community at large.
Methodology:
1. Literature review: A web-based review was conducted of over 100 resources (such as research papers, toolkits and policy reports) of relevance to LGBTIQ adolescents and the work of Plan. They were sourced from Plan and a range of other organisations, including international NGOs, United Nations (UN) agencies, research institutions and LGBTIQ groups.
2. Stakeholder interviews: A total of 41 interviews were carried out. These targeted: 31 representatives of Plan (from Country Office, Regional Office, National Office and International Headquarters); and 10 of external organisations, such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Care International, Stonewall and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DfID).
3. Plan workshop: A one-day workshop was held at Plan UK in October 2014. It involved over 25 (in-person and virtual) participants from within Plan (Country Office, Regional Office, National Office and International Headquarters), as well as selected external organisations. The day included presentations from Plan office in Brazil, Central America, Geneva and Thailand and provided opportunities for open discussion and debate.