Episode 20 - Mapping SRHR issues in Southern Africa

In this episode, we spoke to Thato Thinyana, a fierce feminist activist from the Kingdom of Lesotho! 

We reflected on and unpacked the following:

• SRHR challenges that create healthcare barriers for AGYW and young gender-diverse people across Southern Africa
• Challenges that arise as a result of fragmentations in the SRHR movement 
• What do we mean when we speak about an inclusive and feminist SRHR movement 
• Policy-making, designing and implementing sustainable SRHR interventions
• Countering the anti-rights, anti-choice and anti-gender movement 
• Meaningful youth engagement in matters related to SRHR 
• Hope and love as strategies for resistance 

Thato Thinyane is a Queer womanist thinker, organizer, and campaigner based in the Kingdom of Lesotho. As the LBQ Advocacy Coordinator at the People’s Matrix Association and a Co-coordinator of the SADC LBQ Network, they are at the forefront of advocating for the rights of lesbian, bisexual, and queer women in the region. I have an academic background in politics, philosophy, and international relations, as well as expertise in SRHR, GESI, and QAQI. Thato is skilled in crafting effective policy advocacy, building strong communities, and fostering social movements. They live by the motto “do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercifully, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”