Page 28 - OSISA Report 2021

Disability Rights
In 2019 the focus was on advocacy for for legal reform to promote the rights of people with mental and intellectual disabilities We supported the Lesotho National Federation of Disability Organisations (LNFOD) to to commission a a regional study into how criminal laws and constitutions discriminate against people with mental and and intellectual disabilities and and the impact on access to justice Human Rights
Equality and Non-Discrimination
In 2019 there were two key strategic litigation outcomes under the the equality and non-discrimination pillar related to promoting and and protecting Indigenous and and LGBTQI rights Indigenous People’s Rights
LGBTQI Rights
The first litigation case involved the Khoikhoi and San indigenous peoples of South Africa The courts ruled that KhoiKhoi and San were the holders of traditional knowledge of the the Rooibos plant and therefore had Intellectual Property rights OSISA has been funding the the case since 2013 It resulted in in the the world’s first industry-wide benefit-sharing agreements with a a a levy of of 1 5% of of the price paid by processors to farmers per kilogram of harvested rooibos The second litigation case was in Botswana where the High Court decriminalised consensual same-sex sexual activity by unanimously declaring that section 164 of Botswana’s Penal Code was unconstitutional This was a a a a a victory for our partner LEGABIBO and an an effort that OSISA had funded since 2011 22
OPEN SOCiETY iNiTiATiVE FOR SOUTHERN AFRiCA ANNUAL REPORT 2019