Fighting Western Imports: The Justification of the Anti-LGBTQ+ Agenda in Africa

• In June 2026, representatives from 20 countries met in Accra, Ghana, for the 4th African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Sovereignty and Values.
• Attendees unanimously adopted the 'African Charter on the Protection of the Family, Sovereignty, and Religious and Cultural Values,' which seeks to resist 'gender ideology' framed as a Western imposition.
• Human rights groups and legal experts warn the charter could undermine existing continental protections for human rights and children's welfare.

The African Charter and 'Gender Ideology'

• The charter defines 'gender ideology' as a set of beliefs separating gender from biological sex, labeling it a threat to traditional African family structures.
• Proponents claim such ideologies are forced upon the continent through international policy and educational curricula, potentially harming children through medical interventions like puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones.
• Article 5 of the document explicitly urges African nations to reject any externally derived concepts of sexuality and gender rights that conflict with local traditions.

Influences and Institutional Backing

• The conference series, active since 2023, has been linked by reports to the US-based organization Family Watch International, led by Sharon Slater, though the group denies direct involvement in promoting specific anti-LGBTQ+ regulations.
• Other key figures, such as Henk Jan van Schothorst of the Netherlands, are reported to be architects of the charter.
• Catholic media coverage has highlighted Africa as a growing center for traditionalist religious values, noting alignment between African bishops and conservative stances on marriage and sexuality.

Regional Context and Criticisms

• Several African nations are currently tightening laws against LGBTQ+ people, including recent legislative efforts in Ghana, Niger, and Senegal.
• Critics argue that the 'un-African' narrative surrounding queerness ignores pre-colonial history where diverse understandings of gender and sexuality were more common.
• Organizations such as the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA) contend the charter represents a regressive shift that threatens established African human rights frameworks.
• At the Accra meeting, South African representatives formally rejected the charter, citing constitutional concerns, while Mozambique abstained from the vote.