​Chair:

Simon Fanshawe OBE (Author and member of Kaleidoscope Trust Board of Directors)

Introduction and welcome
Kevin Watkins (Executive Director at ODI)

Panellists

Ms Elizabeth Ohene (Ghanaian journalist, former BBC presenter and former Minister of Information)

Mr Sunil Pant (Head of Blue Diamond Society, a leading gay rights group in Nepal, 2014 Nobel Peace Prize nominee)

Ms Jessica Horn (Women's rights consultant, Akiiki Consulting)

Dr Elizabeth Mills (Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies, and Convenor of the Sexuality, Poverty and Law Programme)

Ms Bjørg Sandkjær (Senior advisor NORAD Department for Global Health, Education and Research)

Mr Fabrice Houdart (World Bank Senior country officer in Maghreb)

Mr Ajit Joshi (Senior LGBT Advisor for USAID)

Ms Marta Foresti (Director Politics and Governance programme at ODI)

Director of ODI, Kevin Watkins kicked off the discussion, highlighting that the legislation being used to crack down on LGBT rights was, in many cases, re-vamped colonial legislation.  But in supporting gay rights, he said, donors need to bear in mind the limits of aid conditionality.  

Women’s rights activist, Jessica Horn, argued that the recent anti-gay moves must be seen within a wider political context, saying that one influence had been that of the religious right.  She also argued that whipping up homophobia was a bid to distract attention from domestic political problems in countries like Nigeria.  

But journalist and Former Minister of Information in Ghana, Elizabeth Ohene, challenged the attention given to LGBT rights.  Are they – she said – the most important of all human rights? Change in Africa wasn’t through politicians, but through social change. “Please let us do our own evolving at our own rate. Like President Obama has, we will also get there.”

Nobel nominee and Nepal gay rights activist, Sunil Pant felt, however, donors could – and should - support LGBT. His experience, though, was mixed – on the one hand donors wanted to work with the grassroots organisations – but then put in place very bureaucratic processes. 

Elizabeth Mills, Research Fellow from the Institute of Development Studies noted how we need to think tactically to support LGBT rights - traditionally this was through HIV and human rights programmes, should we now think about economic entry points?  

Fabrice Houdart from the World Bank highlighted how the Russian and Indian backlash re-energised LGBT there. But he argued that donors can help – through financial support to grassroots, investing in research and evidence to make the case for inclusion and ensuring development programmes include sexual minorities. 

Bjørg Sandkjær, a senior advisor for NORAD, described the delicate diplomacy around this issue. She recounted how diplomatic missions in Zambia had resolved to not have more than four representatives at a court hearing testing gay rights, because they didn’t want it to seem an Africa vs West issue. 

Ajit Joshi, a Senior LGBT advisor at USAID said his organisation’s approach was to see LGBT rights as not specific, just part of human rights.  He stressed the need for inclusive development which includes ’girls, youths, indigenous people’ - non-discrimination being key.

ODI’s Marta Foresti wrapped up by challenging the audience not to put too much store in aid conditionality and not to see grassroots engagement as a panacea; it was also important to think tactically about which political figures within a country’s systems could bring about change.