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African Human Rights Standards in Addressing Conversion Practices
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Outright International, would like to invite you to the launch of the publication ‘The Applicability of African Human Rights Standards In Addressing Conversion Practices.’
The publication seeks to enhance the capacity of human rights defenders, survivors, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders in the fight against conversion practices. Drawing from African human rights standards, frameworks, and institutions, the report provides a detailed but user-friendly and accessible guide for those looking to eradicate these harmful practices. The report is designed to be a resource for a wide range of stakeholders looking to make a difference in this area.
This report was researched and written by Dr. Ayodele Sogunro, Senior Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, and reviewed by Khanyo Farisè, Yvonne Wamari, Paul Jansen, and Neela Ghoshal for Outright International. Outright International would like to recognize its national partners, The Initiative for Equal Rights (TIERS), galck+, and Access Chapter 2, whose reports on the nature, extent, and impact of conversion practices informed the conceptualization of this publication and provided much-needed data on the manifestation of conversion practices in Africa.
Moderator: Thiruna Naidoo, Outright's Africa Project Officer
Speakers
Dr Ayodele Sogunro
Dr Ayodele Sogunro is a lawyer, scholar-activist, and writer known for his unwavering commitment to advancing LGBTIQ+ rights and democratic freedoms across Africa. With over fifteen years of experience spanning legal practice, research, and advocacy, Dr Sogunro brings a wealth of expertise to his work. As a Senior Postdoctoral Fellow and former Project Manager at the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, Dr Sogunro led initiatives to bolster the rights of sexual and gender minorities through pioneering research, public policy advocacy at forums like the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and capacity-strengthening trainings for human rights advocates, including coordinating the first African scholarly conference on decriminalisation of same-sex laws in Africa. In his previous role as a Senior Legal Advisor at The Initiative for Equal Rights (TIERs), Dr Sogunro played a pivotal role in documenting laws and policies affecting LGBTIQ+ rights in Nigeria and crafting strategies to challenge Nigeria’s SSMPA. His contributions to legal scholarship are marked by numerous publications, student supervisions, and co-coordination of a human rights module for a prestigious LLM/MPhil degree program at the University of Pretoria. Currently serving as the Sexual Rights Lawyer at the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA), Dr Sogunro oversees the development and strategic direction of SOGIE-related cases across multiple African countries, reaffirming his role as a constant voice in the fight for equality and non-discrimination.
Laurah Arudi
Arudi is a scholar and a passionate human rights advocate dedicated to advocating for the inclusion of marginalised individuals through research and strategic project design and implementation. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Philosophy - Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa from the University of Pretoria. Arudi’s writings focus on the explicit inclusion of LBQ women in the interpretation of various human rights mechanisms in Africa. Currently, she works as a program officer with the Network of African Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI).
Yvonne Wamari
Yvonne Wamari (She, her), is Outright International’s Senior Program Officer - Africa. Her work focuses on monitoring the LGBTIQ environment and responding to challenges faced by LGBTIQ community in Sub-Saharan Africa. She also leads Outright’s work on ending conversion practices in Africa through knowledge and evidence generation, awareness creation, and advocacy. Yvonne has extensive experience in human rights advocacy, security management, and movement building. Yvonne is chairperson of the board of Directors of the Women Human Rights Defenders Hub, which advances women’s rights and a secure environment for women human rights defenders in Kenya.
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