Multi-stakeholder dialogue: building regional civil society solidarity on LGBTIQA+ Rights in Africa: Lessons Learned from the Namibia Supreme Court Decision. – 29 May 2023

On 16 May, Namibia’s Supreme Court recognised same-sex marriages from other countries. In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court of Namibia voted 4 to 1 in favor, declaring that Namibian citizens married to foreign nationals in foreign jurisdictions should be afforded the same recognition as any other couple within the country, paving the way for the broader legal recognition of same-sex marriage in Namibia.

This event aimed to bring together a diverse group of experts, activists, and civil society actors from various countries across sub-Saharan Africa. By fostering an inclusive and engaging platform, we aspire to build greater solidarity regionally and continentally in relation to LGBTIQA+ rights.

Panellists Included:

John Jeffery – Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development (South Africa); Wendy Isaack – Senior Advocacy Coordinator, JASS Just Associates; Sisanda Mavimbela – Executive Director, Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities (Swaziland); Pedro Kapirika – Conflict Manager, Alternative Violence Project (Namibia); Chester Samba – Director, GALZ (Zimbabwe); Dário De Sousa – ??Research, Training and Human Rights Officer at LAMBDA (Mozambique); Baboloki Semele – youth activist (Uganda); Linda Bermann – Human Rights and LGBTQI activist (Namibia)

We anticipate a thought-provoking and productive session that will shed light on the current state of LGBTIQA+ rights in Africa and explore avenues for further progress.

View full meeting here: https://fb.watch/kZHHtKBgDp/