In commemoration of International Women’s Day 2024, USAID Khutlo in collaboration with the International Human Rights Lab and National university of Lesotho faculty of Law, convened a moot court and debate session in Maseru Lesotho, under the theme Inspire Inclusion. The purpose of which was to interrogate and evaluate the legal and policy scope in Lesotho on issues of gender equality, sexual orientation, gender diversity and sexual and reproductive health.
‘’It was important for us to focus on the theme inspire inclusion so as to interrogate heteropatriarchal bias of the concept of gender which perpetuate discrimination, stigma, inequality and GBV’’, said Dr Mosioua Ramakoele, Sonke’s Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Advisor.
‘’One of the debate topics was ‘should gender be binary; a consideration for inclusion’, we were intentional in choosing such topics as one of USAID Khutlo Activity’s goal is to reduce stigma, discrimination and GBV against LGBTQI+ communities as well as Cishet women and girls’’ he adds.
The participants expressed appreciation for the opportunity to interrogate real life issues that are not part of everyday discourse. They indicated that the issue of sexual orientation and gender diversity has long been shrouded by secrecy and it needs to be a legal and policy agenda item to ensure that there is gender equality and social inclusion.
“The issue of gender diversity is not new in our community as Basotho, however, we have to find culturally sensitive ways to re-engage and situate it rightfully in policy and legal frameworks’’ Says Advocate Lerato Khutlang, Sonke’s Community Mobilizer for Capacity Development.
LLB 3rd year Student Kobasi Tjabaka says taking part in this process was challenging yet rewarding, ‘’I had to argue in favour of the status quo, which often overlooks the rights of marginalized groups such as the LGBTQIA+ Community, but with the help of my team we managed to provide nuanced arguments which led us to victory. Competitions such these are crucial to keep the conversation going with regards to human rights. I hope that in the future these debates can have wider audiences and a bigger impact, to foster more discussions amongst Basotho in furtherance of promoting gender-based rights and inclusivity frameworks in our society.”
Among some of the organisations that supported this event was the Law Society of Lesotho, women and Laws in Southern Africa, Federation of Women Lawyers as well as Girls Guides Association.‘’ A takeaway and reflections from the event was that there is need to advocate for gender legal recognition in Lesotho to ensure that queer people human rights are prompted and protected. ‘’ Dr Mosioua Ramakoele, Sonke’s Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Advisor concluded.
