FRANCOPHONE
FORUM
The early warning and proactive response mechanism for Francophone GBMSM organizations across West and Central Africa
The first regional coordination space built to connect, anticipate, protect, and strengthen GBMSM-led organizations navigating hostile environments
11 FOUNDING MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS – 7 COUNTRIES
ONE COLLECTIVE VOICE
Across Francophone West and Central Africa,
GBMSM-led & serving organizations are operating in one of the most difficult environments in recent memory — deteriorating legal landscapes, collapsing funding, intensifying anti-rights movements at country and region level, and growing security threats.
When a community in one country faces a threat, organizations in neighboring countries often find out too late. The coordination, strategies, and solidarity that exist across the region simply don’t reach the right people in time.
This is the gap the Francophone GBMSM Forum was built to close
The Forum is a regional early response and collective preparedness & prevention mechanism, convened by GBGMC designed to connect Francophone GBMSM-led & serving organizations before crises escalate, equip them with the tools and intelligence they need to anticipate threats, and build the collective infrastructure for sustained, coordinated responses to an evolving anti-rights landscape.
— WHAT HAS BEEN BUILT —
Conducted a comprehensive landscape analysis of the legal, political, and funding environment across Francophone West and Central Africa.
Mapped and engaged 14+ GBMSM-led and GBMSM-serving organizations across 7 Francophone countries.
Held the first-ever Coordination Virtual Meeting within the francophone region — bringing organizations from Benin, DRC, Togo, Burkina Faso, Sénégal, Cameroon, and Gabon.
Formalized 11 Founding Member organizations across 7 countries through signed MoUs, including: Réseau SIDA Bénin, ACJEN, Réseau Bénin Synergie Plus and Jeunes Dynamiques (Bénin); Rainbow Sunrise and ROIPOC (DRC); Réseau Cupidon (Togo); Réseau Plural Gabon (Gabon); Human Health (Burkina Faso); and Positive Vision and Roche Hopes (Cameroon), Renaissance Santé (Sénégal)
Developed a jointly agreed implementation work plan for the first phase of activities
— WHAT COMES NEXT —
Activating early response mechanisms in each member country — so no organization faces the next crisis alone
Supporting every member organization in developing an organizational security plan tailored to their country context
Implementing anti-rights movement monitoring tools across the network — building shared, real-time intelligence on emerging threats
Facilitating peer-learning and strategic repositioning sessions to strengthen institutional resilience
Producing the Forum’s first collective knowledge product — a country level and regional analysis of anti-rights trends, legislative threats, and organizational adaptation strategies
Expanding the network by 15+ additional organizations across the Francophone region
Join us
We are looking to connect with organizations and actors based and working in the region who share this commitment:
GBMSM-led and LGBTQI+ organizations across Francophone Africa
Human rights and civil society organizations
Digital security and organizational protection actors
Regional networks and institutional partners
Funders and allies who believe in community-led, proactive responses
If this work resonates with you — or if you know organizations navigating similar challenges in other regions — we want to hear from you. There is much we can build and learn together.
