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🏔️Improving Access to Remedies for LGBTQIA+ People in Malaysia

In Malaysia, criminalization and discrimination significantly impact the quality of life and aspects of LGBTQIA+ people’s lives - their ability to live with dignity, to be socially accepted by family and communities and form meaningful relationships, and to access healthcare, employment, and education without prejudice.

In this context, LGBTQIA+ people face multiple barriers in seeking justice. Their experience of discrimination is often ignored, neglected, and in turn, normalized by society, and sometimes even by LGBTQIA+ persons themselves.

The criminalization of LGBTQ people discourages LGBTQIA+ people from reporting rights violations owing to fear of being outed or further exposed to discrimination by authorities or other actors.

SUHAKAM study has revealed that violence and abuse by family members, intimate partners, members of the public, state authorities were some of the common experiences faced by transgender people in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

Another local research shows that 59.1% of LGBTQIA+ respondents do not feel comfortable reporting discrimination cases to government agencies in Malaysia, meanwhile, 72.7% of the respondents do not think that their cases will be treated seriously if they choose to report them. This indicates a high trust deficit among LGBTQIA+ persons towards government agencies, including the police. And this underscores a wide gap in LGBTQIA+ people’s access to justice and remedies in Malaysia.

How can we start changing the current situation and improve LGBTQIA+ people’s access to justice and remedies?

All institutions and organizations, be it state, schools, or private companies already and should have a complaint mechanism. Complaint mechanisms or other redress mechanisms improve overall awareness and understanding of access to justice. Having a robust complaint mechanism facilitates trust within the institutions and shows institutions’ commitment to upholding human rights standards.

Making complaint mechanisms LGBTQIA+ friendly is one step in improving access to justice for LGBTQIA+ people. This toolkit aims to support that goal.

Who is this toolkit for?

This toolkit can be used by anyone, including state and non-state agencies and institutions with complaint mechanisms.

What does this toolkit contain?

This toolkit contains a variety of sections with information and suggested measures on:

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