Refugee women and queer people experience multiple oppression in our society, which also is reflected by the existing solidarity structures in Bern. These structures are so far mainly supporting cis-men.

The multiple discrimination is also evident in other places. In the federal asylum centres for example, queer people and women are forced to live in large dormitories, which present a particularly unsafe living space for them. Access to gynecological treatment is made extremely difficult or even denied. Furthermore, women and queer people are additionally burdened financially; for example because of additional requirements of hygiene products. Since INAYA was formed, it has also become apparent, that it is nearly impossible for trans people to recieve necessary gender-affirming treatments in the federal asylum centres. There is no counseling or medical support whatsoever in that regard. These barriers, which are asylum-related, that means nationalistic, racist and classist, and intersect with a cis-sexist system, make the psychologial and social situation of refugee trans people nearly unbearable.

Specifically, this means that INAYA supports people in different areas of life, by making use of the networking with solidarity doctors, interpreters or existing organisations, like the Solidaritätsnetz Bern or the Transgender Network Switzerland. These helplines and health centres can connect people to INAYA if their resources have come to a limit - and in return INAYA can arrange appointments together with affected people, by connecting them to the corresponding organisations, if needed.

Support can take place financially, or also through seeking out inaccessible information, accompanying asylum seeking people to specialized departments and helplines or through arranging journeys or organizing interpreters. In the search for housing, INAYA can connect people to local networks and, if possible, also support financially.

With the term "women" we mean trans-, cis- and intersex people, who identify as "woman" and/or "female". We use "(gender)queer people" as a term to address (non-female) trans, nonbinary, agender, gender diverse people, as well as people with any other gender realities outside of a strictly binary (and colonial) logic. Meaning: all people, who are structurally negatively affected by anti-trans hostility, cissexism and anti-queer hostility.

We are all affected by these structures - but for people who don't fit into these societal majorities, being affected by them has severly negative consequences. We provide this kind of support also because we are convinced, that gender is based on selfdefinition and we clearly position ourselves against anti-trans hostile, transmisogynistic and cissexist categories.