Bridging the Gaps: COC Netherlands

The Bridging the Gaps programme aims to improve the health and human rights situation of LGBTI people, sex workers and drug users. COC has been collaborating with over 40 LGBTI partner organisations in ten countries in Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central and South East Asia.

With the support of COC, LGBTI partner organisations are strengthening their movements, increasing their advocacy skills and holding their governments and civil society partners to account. COC accompanies organisations in their development, provides financial support, links movements and organisations, and supports learning and the strengthening of practice and relevance.

Bridging the Gaps is being implemented by an alliance of Dutch and international organisations, and the programme receives financial support from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The first phase of the programme (BtG1) ran from 2012–2015. The second phase of the programme (BtG2), currently being implemented, will run through 2020.

Bridging the Gaps: Alliance

Bridging the Gaps (BtG2) is an alliance program.

Bridging the Gaps mission: Achieving universal access to HIV/STI prevention, treatment, care and support for LGBT people, sex workers and people who use drugs (PWUD), including those living with HIV,  to contribute to the end of the AIDS epidemic among key populations. Have a look at the Briging the Gaps website.

The alliance consists of nine international organisations (among them COC Netherlands) and networks and more then 80 local and regional organisations working in 15 coutnries. The Aidsfonds is the lead agency.

The Bridging the Gaps program works towards a world where there is no hostility against homosexuality, where a drug user can access clean needles without risking arrest and where a sex worker doesn’t need to fear any violence from clients nor from the police.