What is ILGA-Europe
ILGA-Europe are a driving force for political, legal and social change in Europe and Central Asia. Our vision is of a world where dignity, freedoms and full enjoyment of human rights are protected and ensured to everyone regardless of their actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics.
Print HTMLILGA-Europe are an independent, international non-governmental umbrella organisation bringing together over 600 organisations from 54 countries in Europe and Central Asia. We are part of the wider international ILGA organisation, but ILGA-Europe were established as a separate region of ILGA and an independent legal entity in 1996. ILGA itself was created in 1978.
The three main pillars of ILGA-Europe work are:
1. advocating for human rights and equality for LGBTI people at European level, before organisations such as the European Union, the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in particular in relation to asylum, hate crime and hate speech, education, employment, family, freedom of assembly, association and expression, health , legal gender recognition and bodily integrity. Read more about our advocacy work here.
2. strategic litigation by using European courts to advance the rights of LGBTI people, usually as part of a wider advocacy campaign. The use of European courts to ensure full recognition and implementation of human rights for everyone – irrespective of their sexual orientation, gender identity or sex characteristics – is one of the key working methods of ILGA-Europe to achieve full equality for LGBTI people in Europe. Read more about our strategic litigation work here.
3. strengthening the LGBTI movement in Europe and Central Asia by providing training and support to its member organisations and other LGBTI groups on advocacy, fundraising, organisational development and strategic communications and much more. Read about our work supporting the LGBTI movement.
