The laureates

Frédéric OBIANG has long been committed to defending the rights of LGBT+ people in Gabon. He currently serves as the director of external affairs for the Gabonese NGO “JAD” (Jeunes Acteurs de Développement), which works in several sectors by supporting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by and for young people. He is particularly involved in issues related to sexual and reproductive health, the fight against certain epidemics, and the promotion of the rights of sexual minorities. In this capacity, he also serves as a community health worker at care centers for people living with HIV, as well as a trainer and peer educator on sexual and reproductive health. He was one of the pioneers in the fight for the decriminalization of homosexuality, which was officially enacted in Gabon in 2020. Since 2023, he has been involved in training peer educators on STIs, tuberculosis, and HIV, as well as on self-esteem, gender-based violence, and the fight against homophobia and transphobia.

For several years, Frédéric Obiang served as secretary-general of the NGO Santé+ Pro Humanitus and as permanent secretary of the SAFE SPACE inclusive community prevention program in Libreville. He has completed several high-level professional training programs, including the Mandela Washington Fellowship in civic engagement at Drexel University in Philadelphia in 2023.