Human Rights Council

62nd regular session of the Human Rights Council

ID with IE on SOGI

18 June 2026

Statement by Federatie Van Nederlandse Vereningen Tot Integratie Van Homoseksualiteit - COC Nederland 

Delivered by: Rosanna Flamer-Caldera

Dear President,

In patriarchal societies, as women who are already experiencing structural inequality and oppression, LBQ women face intersecting marginalisation for deviating from heteronormative expectations. State unwillingness to directly address the pervasive violence faced by LBQ women and adopt antidiscrimination laws leads to significant barriers in accessing justice, healthcare, housing, and employment due to fear of exposure in the absence of legal protections.

Despite the CEDAW committee recommendation in the case of Flamer-Caldera v. Sri Lanka in 2022 to “decriminalise consensual same-sex sexual conduct between women who have reached the age of consent” and “ensure lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex women, have access to effective civil and criminal remedies and protection,” the government has not taken any steps towards implementation. Colonial era public security laws are frequently misapplied to prosecute transgender women and masculine-presenting lesbians, particularly those who are sex workers, homeless, or perceived to be “loitering” leaving LBQ women at risk of arbitrary arrest, police harassment, and blackmail. 

We thus welcome the report from the Independent Expert, and urge the states to recognise LBQ women as a legally protected group and to adopt decriminalisation and anti-discrimination policies. We further highlight the need to capacitate and sensitise local authorities, law enforcement, and all government and judicial officials to treat LBQ women with dignity and respect and protect their access to justice.

Thank you!