The anti-gender movement is a transnational coalition of conservative activists and organizations. They work to counter political gains made by feminist and LGBTIQ+ rights activists and groups and eliminate critical knowledge on gender and sexual diversity. The last years we have seen attacks from the anti-gender movement on gender studies, sexuality education, sexual and reproductive rights and LGBTIQ+ rights in general.
Their attacks are global and African countries are also facing serious consequences. Conservative, evangelical U.S organizations and activists have promoted legislation criminalizing homosexuality and antifeminist agendas in several African countries, often hand in hand with significant sums of money. The anti-gender movement is also trying to ban sexuality education in many African countries.
So what are the implications for women’s and LGBTIQ+ rights of the anti-gender movement pushing their agenda in African countries? How can governments and civil society fight back and how can we support African feminist and queer organizations?
In the panel:
- Caroline Kouassiaman, Executive Director of ISDAO, an activist-led fund dedicated to advocate to strengthen LGBTIQ+ movements in West Africa. Kouassiaman is an African queer feminist with over 17 years of diverse professional experience.
- Haley McEwen, Postdoc at the University of Gothenburg. Among her specialist research areas are anti-gender/pro-family movement; transnational politics of gender and sexuality and radical right knowledge production and discourse.
- Karen Kana Schröeder, works with Equals EU to build capacity in gender-inclusive innovation. Wrote her master’s on the role of family planning and women’s economic empowerment in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where she has also worked as a consultant.
- Bjørg Sandkjær, state secretary for the Minister of Development, Anne Beathe Tvinnereim.
Moderator will be Hector Ulloa, leader of SAIH.
SAIH published a report about the anti-gender movement, written by panelist Haley McEwen, in 2020. Read the report here: https://saih.no/assets/docs/RAPPORT-2020-UK-Web.pdf