Rights, Democracy & Civic Freedom Portfolio
PROTECTING AND PROMOTING THE
HUMAN, CIVIC AND DEM
CRATIC RIGHTS
OF LGBTQI+ PERSONS IN AFRICA.
The promise of democracy is being systematically hollowed out across the continent. Civic spaces are shrinking under authoritarian consolidation, militarized populism, and moral panic. These are not isolated events — they are the visible expressions of coordinated, transnational anti-rights agendas that weaponize religion and distorted visions of culture to normalize exclusion.
In this climate, LGBTQI+ communities, and women and youths, face systematic exclusion from democratic life. Many cannot organize openly, speak freely, vote safely, or access justice without fear of violence, surveillance, or arrest. Digital repression and restrictive laws further reinforce this erosion, targeting the very human rights defenders who are the most courageous advocates for democratic values on the continent.
Our Rights, Democracy & Civic Freedoms portfolio exists to reclaim democracy as a practice rooted in care, justice, and shared power. We center those most excluded: queer, feminist, and youth activists, as the architects of Africa's democratic futures, moving beyond formal participation toward lived equality, collective safety, and communities that thrive together.
ADVANCE INCLUSIVE
LEGAL AND POLICY
FRAMEWORKS
We work with movements to lead strategic advocacy at national, regional, and continental levels. By accompanying queer and feminist actors to engage institutions like the African Union and ECOWAS, we ensure that legal reform reflects lived realities and challenges exclusionary regimes that criminalize identity and dissent.
EXPOSE AND COUNTER
ANTI-RIGHTS
AND ANTI-GENDER
MOVEMENTS
We document and analyze the ideological and financial networks driving anti-rights mobilization. By convening movements to share analysis and reclaim distorted narratives, we disrupt the legitimacy of anti-rights actors and reassert justice, autonomy, and freedom as foundational to Africa's history and future.
EXPAND CIVIC
PARTICIPATION AND
LEADERSHIP
We support queer and feminist communities to engage meaningfully in civic life; through advocacy, and public discourse. We prioritize youth-led participation and collective political education that equips communities to demand transparency and inclusion, ensuring democratic engagement extends beyond elite spaces.
HOLD STATES AND
INSTITUTIONS
ACCOUNTABLE
We work with legal practitioners and journalists to document violations and strengthen evidence for advocacy. Holding states accountable to the people they serve, especially those whose voices are often ignored, including women, queer communities, and other marginalized groups.
DemocracyJUN 12 2024
25 Years of Democratic Rule: Are LGBTQI+ Persons Included in Nigeria's Democracy?
READ MORE → 
RightsDEC 1 2022
THE CONSEQUENCES OF INEQUALITY: REFLECTIONS ON HIV
READ MORE → 1 / 2
DemocracyJUN 12 2024
25 Years of Democratic Rule: Are LGBTQI+ Persons Included in Nigeria's Democracy?
READ MORE → 1 / 2
