Addressing gender discrimination and violence — focus on Eastern and Southern Africa

 

The past decades have seen notable waves of misogynist, anti-feminist and anti-LGBTQI+ violence and discrimination, coinciding with the rise of authoritarianism and the closing of civic space. Hard-won political and civil rights are being questioned and even lost, and the civic space for contesting this erosion of rights is shrinking. Even in contexts where the rights of various groups are enshrined in law, there has been notable backlash and opposition to progress in access to sexual and reproductive health rights. Increasing legal restrictions on civic engagement are often amplified by attacks against human rights defenders and the LGBTQI+ community.

This project will focus on the threats faced by women's rights, feminist movements and LGBTQI+ activists and organizations in the context of closing civic spaces in Kenya, Malawi and South Africa. It will research the key drivers and actors in the anti-rights agenda and analyze their strategies to respond to structural violence and discrimination. The research will also identify possible strategies to counter increasing threats on marginalized groups, including mobilizing groups and strengthening their capacities in advocacy. It will also support alliance building, transnational solidarity and collective protection strategies, as well as learning exchange sessions with project partners and allies. The research will generate actionable policy recommendations for policy reform and implementation. In addition, the project also includes a capacity-building component, which includes the facilitation of feminist movement-building clinics, earmarked at women’s organizations, LGBTQI+ networks and other groups facing the backlash.