{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}} {{Infobox organization | name = Mawjoudin | native_name = موجودين | native_name_lang = ar | full_name = Mawjoudin Initiative for Equality | logo = Mawjoudin We Exist Logo.png | type = Non-governmental organization | purpose = Promotion of equal rights for sexual minorities | region_served = Tunisia | founded = {{start date and age|2014|12}} | headquarters = Tunis, Tunisia | website = {{URL|www.mawjoudin.org}} }}
'''Mawjoudin''' ({{langx|ar|موجودين||[we] exist}}), or '''Mawjoudin Initiative for Equality''', is a non-governmental organisation that advocates for the rights of sexual minorities, especially LGBTQI+ people, in Tunisia.
== History == The organisation was founded in December 2014 by feminist and LGBTQI+ activists that had in common the fight against heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and sexism or any other form of discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and sexual characteristics.<ref>{{Cite web|title=LSVD bLOG » Strategic litigation and safe spaces|date=18 October 2016|url=https://blog.lsvd.de/?p=13477|access-date=2020-12-29|language=de-DE|archive-date=2 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502084130/https://blog.lsvd.de/?p=13477|url-status=live}}</ref>
== Mission == The association offers safe spaces for support and psychological follow-up to the victims of discrimination. It proposes places for peer listening between the members of the community and provides information on the rights of LGBTQI+ people.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2018/01/17/en-tunisie-un-festival-de-cinema-pour-faire-une-place-aux-minorites-sexuelles_5242796_3212.html|title=En Tunisie, un festival de cinéma pour faire une place aux minorités sexuelles|last=|first=|date=17 January 2018|newspaper=Le Monde.fr|publication-date=17 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502084130/https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2018/01/17/en-tunisie-un-festival-de-cinema-pour-faire-une-place-aux-minorites-sexuelles_5242796_3212.html|archive-date=2 May 2021|access-date=|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.peaceinsight.org/fr/conflicts/tunisia/peacebuilding-organisations/mawjoudin/|title=Mawjoudin|last=|first=|website=peaceinsight.org|language=fr|publication-date=November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327085857/https://www.peaceinsight.org/fr/conflicts/tunisia/peacebuilding-organisations/mawjoudin/|archive-date=27 March 2019|access-date=|url-status=live}}</ref>
=== Awareness and monitoring === The association of Mawjoudin regularly provides reports on the rights of LGBTQI+ people to promote human rights, particularly sexual and bodily rights. Its members offer interventions in universities' spaces.<ref name=":0" />
The organisation has a network of health (psychotherapists, psychologists and doctors) and legal (jurists and lawyers) professionals, as well as its important work in advocacy challenging cases of arbitrary arrests that are solely related to gender identity or sexual orientation, and even other cases of torture perpetrated by the police.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mawjoudin|url=https://www.peaceinsight.org/en/organisations/mawjoudin/|access-date=2021-05-10|website=Peace Insight|language=en|archive-date=9 September 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240909150857/https://www.peaceinsight.org/en/organisations/mawjoudin/|url-status=live}}</ref>
This association also offers workshops that allow the expansion of the network of the people sensitive to this issue and put in place acts of solidarity with the community.<ref name=":0" />
A member, for instance, have created two comic strips based on testimonies of LGBTQI+ people.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jeuneafrique.com/510379/societe/tunisie-lancement-du-premier-festival-queer-dans-le-monde-arabe/|title=Tunisie : lancement du premier festival Queer du pays|last=Syrine|first=Attia|website=jeuneafrique.com|language=fr|publication-date=15 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200218192901/https://www.jeuneafrique.com/510379/societe/tunisie-lancement-du-premier-festival-queer-dans-le-monde-arabe/|archive-date=18 February 2020|access-date=|url-status=live}}</ref>
In May 2020, Mawjoudin stated that reports of recognition of same-sex marriage in Tunisia were wrong and disappointing.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Reid-Smith|first=Tris|date=2020-05-04|title=False marriage claims in Tunisia have led to anti-LGBT+ attacks|url=https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/false-marriage-claims-in-tunisia-have-led-to-anti-lgbt-attacks/|access-date=2021-05-10|website=Gay Star News|language=en-GB|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510144411/https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/false-marriage-claims-in-tunisia-have-led-to-anti-lgbt-attacks/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
=== Mawjoudin Queer Film Festival === Every year since 2018 Mawjoudin has been organising the Mawjoudin Queer Film Festival, the first festival of its kind in the country and in North Africa, in Tunis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://queerfilmfestival.mawjoudin.org/fr/a-propos/|title=About|last=|first=|date=|website=queerfilmfestival.mawjoudin.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200328214347/https://queerfilmfestival.mawjoudin.org/fr/a-propos/|archive-date=28 March 2020|access-date=|url-status=live}}</ref>
== Partners == The organisation counts among its international partners institutions operating outside of the theme of Tunisian LGBTQI+ communities.<ref name=":0" /> It is a part of the Tunisian coalition for the rights of LGBTQI+ people, amongst other organisations such as Chouf (organisers of the feminist festival Chouftouhonna) and Damj.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffpostmaghreb.com/2017/02/22/tunisie-lgbtqi-droits_n_14925472.html|title=En Tunisie, les associations LGBTQI s'unissent pour internationaliser la lutte pour leurs droits|last=Boukhayatia|first=Rihab|website=huffpostmaghreb.com|publication-date=22 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190522181125/https://www.huffpostmaghreb.com/2017/02/22/tunisie-lgbtqi-droits_n_14925472.html|archive-date=22 May 2019|access-date=|url-status=usurped}}</ref> It is also a founding member of the Maghreb Queer Coalition.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-01-04 |title=Mawjoudin organization |url=https://etihad-mena.org/en/mawjoudin-organization/ |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=Etihad Community |language=en-US |archive-date=9 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240909151015/https://etihad-mena.org/en/mawjoudin-organization/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
== References ==<!-- Inline citations added to your article will automatically display here. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:REFB for instructions on how to add citations. --> {{reflist}}
== See also == {{Portal|LGBTQ|Africa }} * LGBT rights in Tunisia {{Africa topic|LGBT rights in}}
Category:LGBTQ organisations based in Tunisia