Alice Nkom

Last updated
Alice Nkom
Barrister-Alice-Nkom.jpg
Alice Nkom (2010)
Born (1945-01-14) January 14, 1945 (age 79)
Poutkak, Cameroon
NationalityCameroonian
Occupationlawyer
Known forLGBT advocacy, first black female French-speaking lawyer in Cameroon

Alice Nkom (born January 14, 1945) is a Cameroonian lawyer, well known for her advocacy towards decriminalization of homosexuality in Cameroon. [1] [2] [3] She studied law in Toulouse and has been a lawyer in Douala [4] since 1969. At the age of 24, she was the first black French-speaking woman called to the bar in Cameroon. [5]

Contents

Her work involved the defence in a variety of situations, including young victims of police violence, but she became best known for her defence of people accused of homosexuality (criminalized in Cameroon). In 2003 she founded ADEFHO: the Association for the Defence of Homosexuality. [6] For her achievements in the fight against an "anti-gay crackdown", she was listed number two in The New Yorker 's "The Eight Most Fascinating Africans of 2012" ranking. [7]

Nkom's most famous case was in 2005 when she defended a group of men who were arrested during a raid of a gay bar in the Cameroon capital city. The men were in prison for a year however in 2006 the UN's working group on Arbitrary Detention reviewed the case and criticized Cameroon for arresting the men because of their sexuality. As well the UN labeled the anti-sexuality offenses in Cameroon's Penal Code as a violation of the international human rights laws. [8]

In January 2011, she was threatened with arrest by a representative of Cameroon's Ministry of Communication after ADEFHO was awarded a €300,000 grant by the European Union. [9] Later that year, she represented Jean-Claude Roger Mbede, a man imprisoned for three years for "homosexuality and attempted homosexuality" following a series of SMS messages to a male acquaintance, [9] and who was named a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International. [10]

In 2006 and 2013, she was a keynote speaker at the Human Rights conferences that took place in conjunction with the OutGames, in Montréal, Canada and Antwerp, Belgium, respectively. [11] In March 2014, Alice Nkom was awarded with the "7. Menschenrechtspreis" (7th Human Rights Award) by the German section of Amnesty International. [12]

Nkom has featured in several documentaries about her efforts to defend LGBT people in Cameroon, including Coming out of the Nkuta (2009) [13] and Until it Shines (2022). [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Biya</span> President of Cameroon since 1982

Paul Biya is a Cameroonian politician who is the second president of Cameroon since 6 November 1982, having previously been the prime minister of Cameroon from 1975 to 1982. He is the second-longest-ruling president in Africa, the longest consecutively serving current non-royal national leader in the world and the oldest head of state in the world. He is regarded as an authoritarian leader and a dictator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Morocco</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Morocco face significant challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Ghana</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Ghana face severe challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Sexual acts between males have been illegal as "unnatural carnal knowledge" in Ghana since the colonial era. The majority of Ghana's population hold anti-LGBT sentiments. Physical and violent homophobic attacks against LGBT people occur, and are often encouraged by the media and religious and political leaders. At times, government officials, such as police, engage in such acts of violence. Young gay people are known to be disowned by their families and communities and evicted from their homes. Families often seek conversion therapy from religious groups when same-sex orientation or non-conforming gender identity is disclosed; such "therapy" is reported to be commonly administered in abusive and inhumane settings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Cameroon</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Cameroon face severe challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female kinds of same-sex sexual activity are illegal in Cameroon and LGBT people face prevalent discrimination among the broader population. As of 2020, Cameroon "currently prosecutes consensual same sex conduct more aggressively than almost any country in the world".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Nigeria</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Nigeria face severe challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. LGBT rights are generally infringed upon; both male and female expressions of homosexuality are illegal in Nigeria and punishable by up to 16 years of prison in the conventional court system. There is no legal protection for LGBT rights in Nigeria—a largely conservative country of more than 225 million people, split between a mainly Muslim north and a largely Christian south. Very few LGBT persons are open about their sexual orientation, as violence against them is frequent. According to PinkNews, Nigerian authorities generally target the LGBT community. Many LGBT Nigerians are fleeing to countries with progressive law to seek protection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Tunisia</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Tunisia face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female kinds of same-sex sexual activity are illegal in the country. According to the United States Department of State's 2018 report on human rights in Tunisia, "authorities occasionally use [the anti-sodomy law] to detain and question persons about their sexual activities and orientation, reportedly at times based on appearance alone."

Joël Gustave Nana Ngongang (1982–2015), frequently known as Joel Nana, was a leading African LGBT human rights advocate and HIV/AIDS activist. Nana's career as a human rights advocate spanned numerous African countries, including Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa, in addition to his native Cameroon. He was the Chief Executive Officer of Partners for Rights and Development (Paridev) a boutique consulting firm on human rights, development and health in Africa at the time of his death. Prior to that position, he was the founding Executive Director of the African Men for Sexual Health and Rights (AMSHeR) an African thought and led coalition of LGBT/MSM organizations working to address the vulnerability of MSM to HIV. Mr Nana worked in various national and international organizations, including the Africa Research and Policy Associate at the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), as a Fellow at Behind the Mask, a Johannesburg-based non-profit media organisation publishing a news website concerning gay and lesbian affairs in Africa, he wrote on numerous topics in the area of African LGBT and HIV/AIDS issues and was a frequent media commentator. Nana died on October 15, 2015, after a brief illness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Malawi</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Malawi face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female expressions of same-sex sexual activity are illegal within the nation. The Penal Code prohibits "carnal knowledge against the order of nature", attempts to commit "carnal knowledge against the order of nature", and acts of "gross indecency".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Uganda</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Uganda face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity is illegal for both men and women in Uganda. It was originally criminalised by British colonial laws introduced when Uganda became a British protectorate, and these laws have been retained since the country gained its independence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Senegal</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Senegal experience legal persecution. Senegal specifically outlaws same-sex sexual acts and, in the past, has prosecuted men accused of homosexuality. Members of the LGBT community face routine discrimination in Senegalese society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Zambia</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Zambia face significant challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity is illegal for both men and women in Zambia. Formerly a colony of the British Empire, Zambia inherited the laws and legal system of its colonial occupiers upon independence in 1964. Laws concerning homosexuality have largely remained unchanged since then, and homosexuality is covered by sodomy laws that also proscribe bestiality. Social attitudes toward LGBT people are mostly negative and coloured by perceptions that homosexuality is immoral and a form of insanity. However, in recent years, younger generations are beginning to show positive and open minded attitudes towards their LGBT peers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geuzenpenning</span>

The Geuzenpenning is a Dutch award given to persons or organizations who have fought for democracy and against dictatorship, racism and discrimination. It has been awarded annually since 1987 in the city of Vlaardingen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in the Commonwealth of Nations</span>

The majority of the countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, formerly known as the British Commonwealth, still criminalise sexual acts between consenting adults of the same sex and other forms of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression. Homosexual activity remains a criminal offence in 29 of the 56 sovereign states of the Commonwealth; and legal in only 26.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kasha Nabagesera</span> Ugandan LGBT rights activist

Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera is a Ugandan LGBT rights activist and the founder and executive director of the LGBT rights organization Freedom & Roam Uganda (FARUG). She received the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders in 2011 and the Right Livelihood Award in 2015.

Jean-Claude Roger Mbede was a Cameroonian man who was sentenced to three years' imprisonment on charges of homosexuality and attempted homosexuality. His sentence was protested by international human rights organizations including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, the latter of which named him a prisoner of conscience.

Kondengui Central Prison is a maximum security prison in Yaoundé, Cameroon. It has been the subject of numerous international criticisms for its overcrowding and poor conditions.

Bandy Kiki is a Cameroonian blogger, LGBT activist and a serial entrepreneur based in the U.K. She is the creator of Kinnaka's Blog, a high traffic English-speaking website in Cameroon for news and entertainment. She is a controversial figure due to her political views and LGBT activism, and has been called "The Most Hated Anglophone On Social Media in Cameroon."

Mounir Baatour is a Tunisian lawyer and LGBT activist. He is the leader of the Tunisian Liberal Party, and was the first openly gay presidential candidate in the Arab world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GALZ</span> LGBTI activism in Zimbabwe

GALZ An Association of LGBTI People in Zimbabwe is an organisation established in 1990 in Harare to serve the needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community in Zimbabwe. GALZ's vision is "a just society that promotes and protects human rights of LGBTI people as equal citizens in Zimbabwe".

References

  1. ↑ Duparc, Agathe (2010-03-22). "Au Cameroun, une avocate dénonce la répression de l'homosexualité". Le Monde (in French).
  2. ↑ Flick (2011-01-19). "Campaña de hostigamiento contra Alice Nkom, luchadora a favor de los derechos de gays y lesbianas en Camerún". Dos Manzanas (in Spanish).
  3. ↑ "Cameroon Human Rights – Alice Nkom to be arrested". Cameroon Today. January 2011. Archived from the original on 2021-11-24. Retrieved 2011-05-02.
  4. ↑ BIO Speakers Human Rights Conference Antwerp, 2013
  5. ↑ "Présidents d'honneur et porte-paroles | Fierté Montréal Pride". Archived from the original on 2011-10-24. Retrieved 2011-08-13.
  6. ↑ Chonghaile, Clár Ní (2015-03-10). "Cameroon lawyer urges world to join her in fight against anti-gay legislation | Clár Ní Chonghaile". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2017-11-13.
  7. ↑ Okeowo, Alexis (2012-12-07). "The Eight Most Fascinating Africans of 2012". The New Yorker. ISSN   0028-792X . Retrieved 2017-11-13.
  8. ↑ Anders, Tisa (2012-07-27). "Alice Nkom (1945- )" . Retrieved 2020-10-12.
  9. 1 2 Andrew Harmon (28 November 2011). "A Lone Activist Crusades for Change in Cameroon". The Advocate . Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  10. ↑ "Prisoner of Conscience, Imprisoned for Homosexuality". Amnesty International. 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  11. ↑ BIO Speakers at the Human Rights Conference in Antwerp, 2013
  12. ↑ "7. Menschenrechtspreis (in German)". Amnesty International. 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  13. ↑ "Coming Out in Cameroon". africasacountry.com. 2024-06-04. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  14. ↑ "A SPACE FOR US - UNTIL IT SHINES: ALICE NKOM DEFENDING LGBT RIGHTS IN CAMEROON". www.forus-international.org. Retrieved 2024-06-05.


Flag of Cameroon.svg

This Cameroonian biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.