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On 8 and 9 December 2014, the Centre for Human Rights hosted a Colloquium on the theme ‘Sexual Minority Rights: Charting the Way Forward’. 

This event comes in the wake of the adoption of increasingly repressive laws in many African countries (such as The Gambia, Nigeria and Uganda), on the one hand, and the adoption by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ rights of its first resolution on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), on the other. Speakers at the Colloquium touched upon the situation pertaining to the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and intersexed (LGBTI) persons in Southern, West/Central and Eastern Africa. 

Two academic papers by internationally renowned experts were presented: The status quo on genetic, scientific and other factors that affect sexual orientation, and its relevance for Africa by Prof Marc Epprecht, Department of Global Development Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada and Prof Rob Wintemute of Kings College, London presented a paper on Can Europe and North America offer any advice on struggles for decriminalization in Africa?

Most of the presenters were alumni of the Centre’s Master’s programme in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa. The Colloquium coincides with the commemoration of 15 years of this Master’s programme which started in 2000.

View the welcoming message by Norman Taku, Assisttant Director of the Centre for Human Rights below.

 

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