The correlation between sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, legal and social environments and the extent to which people are in a position to claim agency, realise rights and access services, resources and opportunities are well established.

In South Africa, human rights protections are firmly embedded in the constitutional and legal framework, thus affording trans and gender diverse persons and members of the LGBTIAQ+ communities legal recognition and protection. However, despite these legal protections, trans and gender diverse persons and members of LGBTIAQ+ communities continue to experience social exclusion, discrimination, violence and other rights abuses on a daily basis in all aspects of their lives, adversely affecting the extent to which individuals and communities are in a position to claim agency, realise rights and access services without fear of stigma, discrimination, violence and other rights violations.