TransWave Jamaica

About the Organization Contact and Service Areas Successes and Impact Innovative Solutions for IPV Survivors’ Economic Security Survivor Leadership Understanding Economic Harm in Context

About the Organization

Country

Jamaica

Number of survivors served in a year

20 to 50

Languages

English

Groups most commonly served

Members of the LGBTQIA+ community Women

Type of organization

Nonprofit or non-governmental organization (NGO)

Program model(s)

Holistic crisis response Rights-based economic justice Survivor-centered income generation Systemic change through strategic partnerships Transforming social norms through community-building

Contact and Service Areas

Email

he***@*********ja.org

Address

Kingston, Jamaica

Service Area(s)

Jamaica

Successes and Impact

“It’s through our activities and our reports and our success stories from our programs that persons who are from the trans community can also educate the community. [This] is something that we take pride in: being able to [support] these individuals to . . . have a snowball effect for other persons.”¹

Community trust drives effective programming and policy advocacy

TransWave Jamaica’s community-based approach has cultivated trust with trans and gender non-conforming (TGNC) survivors in Jamaica. By leading targeted outreach initiatives, the organization builds relationships with survivors, gaining insight into their daily realities while also safely documenting experiences of harm.² This on-the-ground knowledge enables TransWave Jamaica to adapt their programming and advocacy efforts—improving support services, strengthening their policy recommendations, and affirming the lived experiences of the TGNC community.

A credible source of information regarding TGNC issues

TransWave Jamaica has established the organization as a credible and reliable source of information regarding TGNC issues. The organization regularly leads focus groups, surveys, and interviews with program participants to better understand the issues they face and publishes yearly public reports with research on violence against TGNC individuals.

“All our research is pretty much driven to improve the well-being of trans persons with areas such as workplace policies, economic sustainability, migration, and mental health, and how these affect the trans community,” the organization notes. These reports not only allow TransWave Jamaica to give policy recommendations grounded in the daily realities and needs of the survivors they work with—the reports also provide information for program participants to engage others about issues faced by the TGNC community.

Innovative Solutions for IPV Survivors’ Economic Security

“What we always hope is that through the work that we do . . . persons from the trans community are equipped with knowledge and know their rights and the different resources that they have available so they can have positive well-being, health, working environment, feel safe, have basic human rights, that their rights are not violated.”

About the Program

TransWave Jamaica addresses the needs of TGNC individuals in Jamaica through a multi-level approach encompassing crisis response, support with long-term economic security, and structural change through research and advocacy. The organization’s cornerstone initiative, the Trans Emergency Fund, provides urgent assistance—such as food, housing support, and funds for medical care—to TGNC individuals in crisis, including survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV).

Beyond emergency aid, TransWave Jamaica strengthens the long-term economic security of program participants through vocational training, entrepreneurship support, and educational grants that foster growth and resilience. The organization also collaborates with civil society partners to advocate for inclusive policies and systems. Additionally, TransWave Jamaica uses community-driven data to publish reports that inform advocacy, challenge harmful narratives around gender-based violence (GBV), and push for expanded access to legal, healthcare, and workplace protections. Together, these efforts improve the daily realities for TGNC individuals while driving broader shifts in public understanding and policy responses to GBV in Jamaica.

Program Development and Key Strategies

TransWave Jamaica employs a number of key strategies to deliver programming tailored to the needs of TGNC individuals:

Delivering holistic crisis response to create a path to long-term growth
Amplifying organizational impact through partnerships
Challenging existing narratives around GBV and survivorship

Delivering holistic crisis response to create a path to long-term growth

Due to entrenched discrimination and the absence of legal protections, TGNC individuals in Jamaica face significant barriers to accessing basic needs such as food, housing, and medical care. The organization notes that these challenges are further compounded for survivors—particularly trans women—who may be forced to depend on their harm-doers, as gender discrimination often prevents them from securing essential resources.

In response, TransWave Jamaica launched the Trans Emergency Fund, a rapid-response initiative intended to provide immediate relief for TGNC individuals in crisis. Survivors can apply for support with a wide range of urgent needs, including food, housing assistance, transportation, medical treatments, and prescription coverage. The Fund is designed to be flexible and responsive to diverse situations, and the organization aims to maintain a reserve so that critical support is available whenever applications are received.

By meeting immediate needs, the Fund creates a pathway toward greater stability and connects program participants to TransWave Jamaica’s broader efforts focused on long-term economic security. These efforts include support for educational and entrepreneurship endeavors, such as entrepreneurship training and grant funding for program participants to support their individual businesses.

Amplifying organizational impact through partnerships

Expanding access to comprehensive support through multi-sector partnerships

Through strategic partnerships, TransWave Jamaica has expanded organizational capacity to provide holistic support, complementing core services with resources that address broader aspects of program participants’ well-being as they work toward economic security. These partnerships have enabled TransWave Jamaica to connect individuals with free legal aid for IPV cases, referrals to trans-inclusive medical providers, access to safe and inclusive housing, and vocational skills training tailored to TGNC communities.

By serving as both a first responder and a trusted referral hub, TransWave Jamaica helps ensure that survivors receive timely and affirming services without overwhelming the organization’s internal resources. In doing so, TransWave Jamaica is not only addressing immediate needs but also bridging the critical gap left by mainstream systems, where fear of discrimination often deters TGNC individuals from seeking support.

Driving structural change through collaborative advocacy

TransWave Jamaica engages in joint advocacy with other LGBTQIA+ and civil society organizations to promote inclusive legislation and systemic change in Jamaica. The organization comments, “When we have a united front, the message comes across more effectively, because this is not just one organization, but a collective saying that, ‘Hey, this is an issue, and we need to deal with it.’” They see this collaborative approach as essential in overcoming barriers to engagement, such as limited access to decision-makers.

TransWave Jamaica’s efforts combine concrete policy recommendations, coordinated media strategies, and high-impact public events—such as annual report launches featuring panel discussions and joint press releases—to elevate the urgency of safety and inclusion for TGNC individuals. These public-facing initiatives are further reinforced by direct advocacy with employers and policymakers to expand access to safe, supportive, and legally compliant workplaces. Through collective action and strategic partnerships, TransWave Jamaica maximizes their advocacy impact and helps drive meaningful policy reform.

Challenging existing narratives around GBV and survivorship

Research and data-driven advocacy

TransWave Jamaica’s research initiatives deepen understanding of how GBV impacts the TGNC community. These include dedicated studies on GBV within the TGNC population in Jamaica, as well as year-round data collection through a shared incident reporting system that tracks human rights violations. Findings from this system are compiled into an annual public report that documents ongoing challenges and systemic violence faced by TGNC individuals.

In addition to GBV-focused research, TransWave Jamaica examines broader factors that affect the economic security of TGNC individuals, such as workplace policies and mental health. These research insights inform advocacy strategies and training programs for various audiences—such as the legal system, healthcare, and community organizations—to ensure that responses to TGNC needs are inclusive and equitable.

Shifting the public narrative about GBV

TransWave Jamaica plays a critical role in shifting public perceptions and increasing awareness of violence against TGNC individuals, who are often excluded from mainstream GBV discourse. Drawing on both their research and direct work experiences, the organization creates practical resources, guides, and educational presentations that serve a dual purpose: equip TGNC individuals to conduct their own peer-to-peer advocacy and engage the public in inclusive GBV education. This supports community sensitization efforts by challenging harmful assumptions about who can be a survivor and highlighting how TGNC individuals are subjected to IPV at disproportionate rates.

Survivor Leadership

“We always ensure to ask what it is that [program participants] need that is different from what we would have tailored for them. They have the space to air how they feel, what they think needs to be improved, and how they can be involved as well.”

As a trans-led organization, TransWave Jamaica ensures that TGNC individuals, including survivors, are involved at every level of their work. The organization regularly conducts workshops, focus groups, and needs assessments to gather direct input from the community, using these insights to improve their programming. Their ambassador program trains program participants as peer advocates, equipping them with the tools to support others and share vital information about GBV within their own networks. By centering survivor leadership and lived experience, TransWave Jamaica builds trust, strengthens community-based responses to IPV, and ensures that all initiatives remain rooted in the realities of TGNC survivors.

Understanding Economic Harm in Context

Jamaica’s legal and social context fundamentally shapes the economic realities faced by TGNC survivors. The following key factors influence how survivors experience economic harm in their region:

Pervasive discrimination and stigma impact the LGBTQIA+ community
Legal and social exclusion limit access to basic needs and economic resources

Pervasive discrimination and stigma impact the LGBTQIA+ community

Gaps in legal protections put LGBTQIA+ individuals at risk of harm and criminalization

LGBTQIA+ individuals in Jamaica face widespread discrimination under a legal framework that offers little to no protection for their rights. The Constitution of Jamaica does not explicitly include “sexual orientation,” “gender identity,” or “gender expression” as protected grounds for discrimination, and no comprehensive anti-discrimination laws exist to safeguard LGBTQIA+ individuals in areas such as employment, housing, or education.

“There aren’t any workplace policies that say you will be punished or penalized if you don’t hire a trans person,” the organization comments. Further, legal gender recognition is not possible, and consensual same-sex sexual acts continue to be criminalized, placing many LGBTQIA+ individuals at risk of prosecution.

LGBTQIA+ individuals face social stigma rooted in entrenched cultural and religious beliefs

TransWave Jamaica reports that legal gaps are worsened by dominant ideologies that deny the existence of TGNC individuals. These ideologies are often rooted in the belief that homosexuality and gender diversity are legacies of colonialism—a mischaracterization that reinforces stigma and marginalization of the LGBTQIA+ community.⁵

TransWave Jamaica explains that religion can perpetuate prejudice against LGBTQIA+ individuals: “Our culture is heavily a Christian society. . . . LGBTQIA+ identity is not necessarily accepted here. It’s changing slowly, but it’s still a fight.” The organization identifies entrenched heteronormative expectations as another root cause for stigma and discrimination, observing that “persons within the LGBTQIA+ community don’t really feel safe when it comes to gender expression and gender identity.” These oppressive dynamics are also reflected in ongoing attacks on TransWave Jamaica’s work, both in person and across social media platforms.

Legal and social exclusion limit access to basic needs and economic resources

Discrimination in healthcare creates obstacles for LGBTQIA+ individuals

TransWave Jamaica reports that their program participants are often reluctant to seek out necessary services, such as healthcare, due to the widespread discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community. The organization points out that though it is a doctor’s “ethical duty to protect and give care to LGBTQIA+ persons, . . . the doctor may not want to be with them because of [discriminatory] beliefs.” TransWave Jamaica observes that this leads many participants to feel unsafe when attempting to access medical treatments and procedures.

Weak housing protections impede reliable access to shelter

TransWave Jamaica notes that due to the absence of legal protections against housing discrimination, many TGNC people struggle with housing insecurity: “[TGNC individuals] aren’t always able to get housing because of their gender identity. It’s not easy for them to find landlords or persons who want to rent to them.”

The organization comments, “As a result of that, TGNC individuals cannot get housing by themselves, so they’ll have to find somebody to house with.” They note that the precarity of survivors’ living situations becomes a tool of coercion for their harm-doers, who may exploit this insecurity by threatening eviction or homelessness to maintain control.

Limited access to economic resources trap TGNC survivors in cycles of violence and financial control

Similarly, systemic barriers to education and employment lead to widespread economic exclusion for TGNC individuals, forcing many to rely on intimate partners for financial support. TransWave Jamaica indicates that this dependence can be weaponized by harm-doers: “It’s a domino effect, how this affects survivors. . . . The partners who are the breadwinners . . . want to control the situation. Survivors are restricted not only emotionally, but also financially, as well as being abused.”

Notes

Direct quotes are slightly edited for style and flow.
The abbreviation “TGNC” is used when referring to individuals that the organization works with, while “LGBTQIA+” is used when referring to a more general group.
ILGA World, “IGLA World Database: Jamaica,” Accessed June 13, 2025, https://database.ilga.org/jamaica-lgbti.
ILGA World, “IGLA World Database: Jamaica.”
Jamilah King, “Outing the Center: Homophobia in Jamaica,” Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection 380 (2006), https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/380.