Country Overview
Niger
At a glance
Same-sex Relations for Men Legal Throughout the Country?
Same-sex Relations for Women Legal Throughout the Country?
Legal Gender Recognition Possible?
LGBTI Orgs Able to Register?
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While same-sex intimacy is legal in Niger, the age of consent for same-sex sexual acts is set at 21, higher than that for different-sex sexual acts, set at 13. Lawmakers have made several attempts to revise the criminal code in order to criminalize same-sex intimacy, with former President Mohamed Bazoum announcing in January 2023 his plans to establish a committee of experts to propose punishments for a range of acts, including same-sex sexual acts, LGBTIQ advocacy, public displays of same-sex affection, and same-sex marriage. The military junta that seized control of the country in July 2023 continued to fuel moral panic around gender and sexuality, with the Education Minister declaring in October of that year that the government intended to crack down on alleged attempts by "satanic circles, in collaboration with a foreign power and a small group of greedy Nigeriens" to introduce "LGBT practices and discourse" in the country, “particularly in the education sector.”
The 2021-2023 Afrobarometer ranks Niger among the worst countries in the world in terms of acceptance of sexual diversity, with 94.2 percent of respondents in the country claiming that they would dislike having "homosexuals" as neighbors. A 2022 survey shows that only 15 percent of respondents in Niger believe that the country is a good place for lesbian and gay people to live in. LGBT+ asylum seekers from other African countries who were stranded in Niger reported in 2022 that they were "living like prisoners" due to rampant discrimination and harassment.
Trans people cannot change their legal gender markers in Niger. Intersex infants and children are not protected from non-consensual medical interventions. LGBTIQ organizations exist in the country but cannot legally register and have to operate in secret, and the transition to military rule and increased targeting of human rights activists have likely made LGBTIQ organizing more difficult.
*Outright research indicates that the bodily autonomy of intersex people is not respected and protected in this country.
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