In conversation with Arudi Laurah
In this episode, the African Rights Talk Podcast hosts Arudi Laurah, Programme Officer at the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI), about her work in advancing the rights of SOGIE persons and human rights defenders across Africa. Arudi shares insights from the recent NHRI training held in Pretoria in April 2025, which focused on building the capacity of national human rights institutions to implement African Commission Resolutions 275 and 552. These resolutions address the protection of LGBTQ+ individuals and intersex persons from violence and discrimination. Drawing on her experience as an HRDA alumna and her sociological background, Arudi reflects on the challenges of working in politically and culturally sensitive contexts and underscores the importance of equipping NHRIs with the tools to navigate these complexities. The episode highlights a call to action for broader stakeholder engagement, emphasising collaboration, contextual strategies, and peer learning as vital for sustainable human rights advocacy in Africa.
Laurah Arudi Cori is a Kenyan interdisciplinary human rights advocate currently serving as Programmes Officer for Human Rights Defenders and SOGIESC (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics) at the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI). In this role, she leads efforts to strengthen the capacity of national human rights institutions across Africa, with a focus on implementing key African Commission resolutions, including Resolution 275 on the protection of LGBTQ+ persons and Resolution 552 on the rights of intersex individuals. Arudi holds a Master’s degree in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa from the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, complementing her academic background in sociology and psychology. Arudi is also a dedicated researcher and writer, with a passion for promoting gender equity, sexual diversity, and human dignity through community engagement and policy advocacy.
This conversation was recorded on 11 April 2025.
Youtube: https://youtu.be/MpQFogU6lns Music and news extracts: Inner Peace by Mike Chino https://soundcloud.com/mike-chinoCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Libraryhttps://youtu.be/0nI6qJeqFcc Limitless https://stock.adobe.com/za/search/audio?k=452592386