Seychelles hosts Southern African hate crimes law convening |10 February 2023
The workshop in progress (Photos: Joena Meme)
Seychelles-based civil society organisation LGBTI Sey and international legal non-governmental organisation the Human Dignity Trust jointly hosted a two-day workshop this week on protecting and advancing the rights of LGBT people in Southern Africa.
Held on Wednesday and Thursday, the workshop, ‘Responding to LGBT Hate Crime in Southern Africa – Legislative Options and Perspectives’, grouped together some 25 delegates from LGBTI civil society organisations and human rights institutions from 11 Southern African countries to learn from the experiences of Seychelles, considered a leader in the region in the pursuit of laws which protect vulnerable groups from hatred and violence.
The Seychelles government last year committed towards passing hate crime legislation, and sought the help of Professor Mark Walters of the University of Sussex to draft the Hate Crime Bill 2022.
If enforced, the small-island nation will become one in a handful of African states to enforce legislation combatting prejudice-based offencing.
The sessions which were facilitated by Mr Walters and senior lawyer from the Human Dignity Trust, Rosie Brighouse, provided attendees an opportunity to have discussions on the need for hate crimes legislation in their respective home countries, different models of hate crimes legislation, as well as the challenges in the implementation and enforcement of such laws.
LGBTI Sey chairperson Naddy Vidot deemed the workshop a great opportunity to explore in detail a vital advancement for Southern Africa.
“We know LGBTI communities across the region experience serious and devastating levels of hate crime and our governments need to be doing more in response. The convening allowed us to discuss and compare the specific issues our countries face with hate crimes against LGBTI people and what we could be doing to better protect them,” Mr Vidot stated.
The Hate Crime Bill is applicable to other vulnerable groups and not just the LGBTI community, and aims to further promote human rights in Seychelles. In terms of hate crimes and discrimination against LGBTI individuals, LGBTI Sey has been approached with reports of abuse, and discrimination within various contexts, including in the workplace, in accessing certain services and day-to-day encounters.
Once the Bill is passed, LGBTI Sey intends to work closely with other partners towards ensuring that the law is translated into policies that both law enforcement and the public know how to effectively enforce the provisions.
Managing director of Collectif Arc-En-Ciel, an NGO advocating for human and LGBTI rights in Mauritius, Jean Daniel Wong, said such forums are important to allow for exchanges, especially considering that same-sex sexual activity is still criminalised in numerous African territories.
“We do not yet have hate crime legislation (in Mauritius). We are tending to it within the organisation for which I work, we are preparing our manifesto. We are also awaiting the judgement regarding the depenalisation of sodomy, and our next focus for political advocacy will be to tend to hate crimes, and hate speech,” said Mr Wong.
“We look up to Seychelles because Seychelles is very progressive in their approach, with the decriminalisation of homosexuality and the Hate Crime Bill which is just waiting to be enacted,” Mr Wong expressed to local media.
For her part, Ms Brighouse said it was a huge privilege to co-host the convening with LGBTI Sey, at a time when the momentum for hate crimes legislation is growing across the Southern Africa region.
“The convening allowed us to hear from many amazing voices in the region and learn from each other. What is now needed is for all governments to take concrete steps towards protecting LGBTI communities so they can live their lives freely,” Ms Brighouse stated.
The event was supported by the British high commission.
Laura Pillay
