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Legal rights are diminishing for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTQ+) people across Africa. The legacy of harsh European colonial laws continues for the LGBTQ+ community and is getting worse for many. Even in countries where homosexuality is decriminalised, public opinion remains hostile.
In the build up to LGBTQ+ History Month in February, Hub Cymru Africa is pleased to host this expert panel discussion with leading LGBTQ+ activists from Africa.
This event is an opportunity to amplify LGBTQ+ voices and celebrate the community’s achievements across Africa.
Through highlighting community activism, the panel will offer an engaging Q&A with the audience around promoting dialogue, encouraging inclusion and strengthening resilience.
The objective of this event is to inspire collaboration and solidarity for LGBTQ+ people across Africa and beyond.
17:00 – 17:10 Welcome and opening remarks
17:10 – 17:15 Introduction by the Chair
The Chair, Julian Rosser will introduce the discussion structure, outline key focus points, and present the panelists to the audience.
17:15 – 18:00 Panel discussion – Voices of Pride
18:00 – 18:20 Audience Q&A
18:20 – 18:25 Closing reflections from panellists
18:25 – 18:30 Conclusion by Hub Cymru Africa
Julian is the Head of Hub Cymru Africa, Wales’ leading international development and global solidarity organisation. It supports organisations across Wales in building sustainable links and projects in partnership with organisations in Africa and beyond.
Originally from Bridgend, Julian is a passionate advocate and campaigner for global solidarity, having volunteered and worked for organisations including Friends of the Earth Cymru, Disasters Emergency Committee Cymru, Oxfam Cymru, Heart of Wales LGBTQ+ group and Fair Trade Wales. Julian now lives in Carmarthenshire with his husband and three cats.
Kim Eve Merari is a proud trans woman from Nigeria whose journey blends creativity, courage, and advocacy. She’s the founder of Arewahotsauce Kitchen, where she expresses her love for food and storytelling through bold, unique recipes. Beyond her work as a chef, Kim is a model, content creator, and activist who uses her voice to push for visibility and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community in Nigeria.
Alpha is an economist, intersectional feminist, and founder & CEO of Nadharia Kenya, a community-based organization advancing queer economic empowerment, creative expression, and safe spaces. Nadharia leads initiatives such as a queer vocational college, a community shelter, and BELOWCLOUD97, a gender-neutral fashion brand. By linking entrepreneurship, art, and social justice, their work fosters sustainable livelihoods while challenging exclusion from formal labor markets.
Passionate about reclaiming indigenous African expressions of fluidity and identity, they view creativity as both cultural resistance and economic power as a pathway to dignity, resilience, and collective liberation.
Omar is the co-founder of Equal Namibia, the country’s largest civil rights movement since independence. It fights state-sanctioned homophobia and intersectional discrimination in the country. Their advocacy was instrumental in the 2023 Supreme Court victory which recognised same-sex marriages concluded abroad; then in 2024, the High Court in Namibia decriminalised apartheid-era sodomy laws, in another victory for the campaign.
As a LGBTQIA+ policy reform leader, Omar mobilizes support for strategic litigation, spearheads innovative LGBTQI+ visibility campaigns, promotes queer civic engagement and builds queer youth networks across Africa. Recognized as The Guardian’s ‘Most Inspiring Persons of 2023’ and the 2024 laureate of the Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Award, their commitment to constitutional justice defending and building inclusive democracies in Africa, has paved the way for a more equal and born-free Namibia.
Friedel is a Namibian gay rights activist from Tsumeb who made history by challenging and overturning colonial-era laws that criminalised same-sex relations. In a landmark victory at Namibia’s High Court, Dausab successfully argued that the laws penalising “sodomy” and “unnatural sexual offences” were unconstitutional and discriminatory against gay men.
As a leader in the Third Sector category of Attitude 101, empowered by Bentley, Dausab has become a symbol of courage and progress for LGBTQ+ rights in Namibia and beyond.
This training will take participants through the essential safeguarding practices and requirements for organisations working in global solidarity with partners in Africa.
View Event This is mandatory training for designated Safeguarding focal points of organisations working in partnership in Wales and Africa, including Safeguarding focal points of partners in Africa.
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