LGBTQ+ and human rights activists gathered a few blocks away from Uganda’s United Nations Permanent Mission in New York on Thursday morning to protest the World Bank’s plans to resume financing to the country, despite its enforcement of one of the harshest anti-LGBTQ+ laws in the world.
The protest comes one year after the World Bank halted new loans to Uganda following the signing of the controversial law, which imposed severe penalties on LGBTQ+ individuals — including life imprisonment and, in some cases, the death penalty.
Activists said they are outraged that the World Bank is moving forward with plans to restart lending to Uganda without adequate measures to protect people from discrimination. Protesters, including Ugandans directly impacted by the law, called the decision “disastrous” and accused the World Bank of disregarding its own anti-discrimination policies.
About the author
Rumbi Chakamba
Rumbi Chakamba is a Senior Editor at Devex based in Botswana, who has worked with regional and international publications including News Deeply, The Zambezian, Outriders Network, and Global Sisters Report. She holds a bachelor's degree in international relations from the University of South Africa.
