A wave of “family values” conferences held across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone is drawing concern from activists who say these events are orchestrated by well-funded conservative Christian groups many linked to the U.S. religious right to undermine women’s rights, LGBTIQ+ protections, and reproductive freedoms.
The conferences promote “traditional” gender roles and heterosexual family structures while pushing for anti-abortion laws, criminalization of LGBTIQ+ identities, and restrictions on sexuality education. In Kenya, these gatherings have helped fuel proposed laws like the Family Protection Bill, which would impose life sentences for same-sex relationships, outlaw public cross-dressing, and criminalize LGBTIQ+ advocacy.
Groups such as Family Watch International are leveraging language around “child protection” and “religious freedom” to mask regressive policy aims, gaining traction by aligning with local religious and political leaders. African feminists and human rights defenders warn this movement is part of a broader transnational anti-gender agenda aimed at rolling back hard-won human rights gains.
Compiled from: Jesse Williams, “ Africa family values conferences ‘undermining rights of women and LGBTQ+ people’,” The Guardian, May 9, 2025.