This study was carried out by VPride at the end of 2022 and the early beginning of 2023, with financial support from United National Development Programme (UNDP). The main question asked by the study is how COVID-19 impacted SOGIE-diverse people in Vanuatu. This question is important, because worldwide, we have seen that COVID-19 disproportionally affected all marginalized groups, including SOGIE diverse people. However, because standard data collection in Vanuatu, whether by government, INGOs, or other institutions, typically does not include data on SOGIE diverse people, very little is known about how they are impacted by COVID-19 or by other natural disasters.

Furthermore, while SOGIE-diverse people are a marginalized group – socially, politically, and economically-, they have not been part of any of the targeted social relief packages, such as the Oxfam cash transfer program, carried out in 2021 and 2022.
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VPride used trained survey and interview staff and survey software to carry out the study. While it was difficult to identify sufficient numbers of respondents, those who did participate generously shared their valuable time, insight and experience.