The report should not exceed 5 pages. Please answer ALL questions and
follow the structure outlined below.
I.
Organizational details
Project title:
Reporting period:
Implementing organization:
Contact information (post, e-mail, phone):
Contact person:
Date of report submission to ILGA-Europe:
Documentation
of
cases
of
discrimination in the field of access to
health in the process of gender
recognition procedure in Ukraine
January - December 2014
Insight public organization
PO Box 351B, director@insightukraine.com.ua
Olena Shevchenko
18.02.15
Number of people working on the project (staff and volunteers):
10
Changes in the project leadership (if different from the application):
II. Narrative Report
1. What kind of information did you collect?
We collected information about gender recognition procedure in Ukraine and it`s impact
on transgender people’s lives.
We asked trans* people about:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Their identities, their medical and social needs.
Access to procedure.
Treatment during procedure.
Problems caused by procedure (inability to change passport and other
official documents without undergoing surgery; need to spend a month in
a mental institution; need to pass the Commission, located in Kiev, for
people living in the regions; high cost / unavailability of necessary health
services and professionals; inability to pass the procedure because of
discriminatory / outdated diagnostic criteria and requirements, etc).
We interviewed 28 trans* people from different regions of Ukraine, including
eastern part and Crimea. It was also people with different identities
(including non-binary), different age and social status.
Also we interviewed two medical professionals – one friendly gynaecologist
and one psychologist, who worked in Institute of social and forensic
psychiatry and narcology, where the “Commission for a change/correction
of sex” is based, and conducted psychological examinations of
transgender people. Other doctors and members of Commission
unfortunately were closed and refused our propose to take part in
research (motivating by lack of time, lack of payment for participation in
research, etc). In total we contacted 9 doctors, seven of them refused to
participate.
“Commission for a change/correction of sex” - it's institution which issues
permissions for surgeries and changing documents. It is multidisciplinary
– includes psychiatrists, sergeants,endocrinologists, psychologists etc.
There are 12 persons, most of them are not decision-makers, they are
just extras.
At first we contacted secretary of Commission and he told us, that he can't
participate without permission of the head of Commission. Later we had a
meeting with him and his boss – Irina Pinchuk. And she said that she is
not interested in her personal participation or participation of other
Commission members, because it takes a lot of time and we don't provide
payment for participation. She also didn't give us contacts of other people
from Commission. Other two members of Commission, which we asked
later, just told us, that they don't interested. Psychiatrist from Kiev mental
institution told us: «I have no time, you should go to Commission, they'll
tell you more». We also tried to contact medical practitioners from
regions. Sexologist from Zaporizhzhia told us that once he gave a referral
to mental hospital for one patient, transgender man, but it was long time
ago and he don't want to speak about. Psychiatrist from Kirovograd told
us by phone, that he have no time.
We tried to analyse reasons – why that happened. Speaking about members
of Commission – first of all, they just don't like us because of our public
critics of their work and also they are afraid to do anything without
permission. It's really awful bureaucratic institution. Other psychiatrists, as
we think, just were not motivated. Maybe we should find something to
propose them in future, like possibility to participate for free in some
trainings, or publishing their interviews somewhere, or money – as last
option. Or we should try to collaborate with Ministry of Health and provide
research . The psychologist agreed to participate because at that time he
was going to leave Commission and was found other work. Gynaecologist
is our old friend, we collaborate with her several years.
That June our friends from “Labrys”, Kyrgyzstan will organize training to
share their experience in communication with medical practitioners – they
have really good results now. We have plans to participate.
2. What methodology did you use to collect the information? If it differs from the
methodology initially planned, please provide explanations.
We developed two questionnaires – one for transgender people and one for medical
professionals, - and made personal in-depth interviews, partly using skype, to include
more people from the regions. We had no possibility to record trans* people`s
stories on video, as we planned before (because part of them were interviewed by
skype voice call and other part think it`s can be dangerous for their safety and
privacy). And we decided to realise our plans to make short movie on trans* issues
other way next year (2015), involving volunteer trans* activists, who are ready to be
open.
3. Please describe main success / challenges / difficulties of the project. How did you
deal with them?
The biggest challenge was communication with medical professionals from Commission
and regional mental institutions, who were not motivated to participate in our
research, because our project did not cover payment for participants, and they have
no time, and they “can`t speak about it without permission”, etc.
4. Did you have any partners in this project? If yes, please briefly describe the role of
each partner.
III. Project impact
1. What product has come out of the project if any (e.g. report, CD ROM, survey)?
Please, give a short description.
We made a report, in two language versions - English and Ukrainian - which contains
analyses of collected data and examples from peoples stories (with changed names and
other details). Now this report is at the stage of proofreading and translation. Publication
will be made at late January. The delay was caused by a problem with collecting
interviews of health professionals, which resulted that the analysis of the data was
started later than planned.
2. What are the main outcomes of the project? Give details here on:
a) How you plan to use this information - for advocacy or other purposes (at local,
national and/or European level)?
We plan to use the information, represented in our report, for advocacy at all levels: at local
- to introduce doctors, lawyers, psychologists, other professionals with situation and
problems of transgender people and with limitations of the existing gender recognition
procedure in Ukraine; at national - as the evidence base in negotiations with the
Commission and representatives of the ministries and agencies that have an impact on
the process of changing the legislation; at European/worldwide - to represent recent
information and to motivate international/European human rights and medical institutions
and organizations to make an impact on the process of changing gender recognition
legislation in Ukraine.
b) Who is your key target audience who needs to understand the collected
information?
Medical professionals, psychologists, governmental officials, lawyers, journalists, human
rights activists.
c) Provide a short description and concrete steps on how you plan to approach your
target audience.
- We will made public presentation of our report.
- We will distribute the publication among friendly organizations and professionals, as well
as during various meetings and events.
- We will give our report to representatives of the Ministry of Health, Commission and other
institutions that have an impact on the process of changing gender recognition
legislation.
- In the process of gathering data, we met with transgender people, who are ready to
challenge violations of their rights in court. Thus, the study will be the basis for future
strategic litigation.
d) What impact will this have on legislative / decision-making level (e.g. change in
laws/policies, new relations with policy makers etc.), if any.
Now we are providing advocacy work to change gender recognition legislation (Order of the
Ministry of Health № 60). This process is mediated by the Office of the Ombudsperson.
Representatives of the Commission, the Ministry of Health and another mandated
ministries and institutions are attended. In late November, the first meeting was
organized, and representatives of Commission, the Ministry of Health and the Office of
the Ombudsman agreed, that it`s appropriate to cancel sterilization as requirement for
changing documents. At 2015 we plan next meetings, to be attended by representatives
of the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Justice. The data presented in our report would
play an important role as the evidence base in this advocacy process.
3. What impact (positive/negative) had the project on your organization?
This project had positive impact, because we have updated and established new links with
transgender people in the regions, as well as identified some problems (lack of access to
medical specialists and their lack of motivation to work with us), finding the solutions of
which will help us to work more effectively in future.
4. What are the lessons you have learned internally? What learning would you share
with others undertaking similar projects?
Most important lesson - it`s be sure, that people have motivation to participate. And
it`s need to looking for solutions to deal with this problem and reaching new skills
and experience.
IV. ILGA-Europe
How satisfied you are with the quality of cooperation with ILGA-Europe? Please, give a
maximum of three positive and three negative points / examples, preferably with
suggestions on how the latter can be improved.
We are satisfied in cooperation with ILGA-Europe because:
1) ILGA supports the relevant areas of research that are important for advocacy.
2) ILGA provides simple and clear application process.
3) One of your priorities – supporting transgender initiatives. It is very important,
because trans* groups have very few possibilities to get founding.
PLEASE, INCLUDE A COPY OF THE PRODUCT THAT HAS COME OUT OF THE
PROJECT (DOCUMENT, CD ROM etc) WITH THE ACTIVITY REPORT.
The text of our report is now at the stage of proofreading and translation. Publication will
be made at late March. The delay is due to several reasons. At first, we had a
problem with collecting interviews of health professionals (who were not motivated to
participate in our research, because our project did not cover payment for
participants, and they have no time, and they “can`t speak about it without
permission”, etc.). Analysis of the data was started later than planned. Our
researcher, because of the delay in collecting the material, could not work without
interruption, as she had combined it with her personal work schedule for January and
February. At second, the person to whom we ordered layout and prepress, recently
declined for personal reasons, and we had to find a new, who can do it in the
beginning of March. We apologize for the delay and shall send a copy of the study
report as soon as possible.
V. Financial report
Please, provide the financial report using the attached excel sheet. In case if deviations
from the original budget occurred, please provide explanations. All expenditures need to
be accompanied by certified copies of supporting financial documents (bills, invoices,
pay slips, bank statements etc.)