Skip to content

#VoiceandChoice Summit 2026

VoiceandChoice Summit 2026

#VoiceandChoice Summit 2026

Gender Links is holding the Voice and Choice Summit from 15 - 17 March 2026. 

  • #Voiceand Choice Summit 2026
  • Summit slide 3
  • Summit slide 2
  • Sunrise winners slide1

The Voice & Choice Summit brings together over 200 activists, community leaders, entrepreneurs and media from across Africa to learn, connect and share experiences in advancing gender equality, diversity and inclusion.

The Summit concludes with the Voice & Choice Awards, recognising outstanding leadership, innovation and impact advancing gender justice across Southern Africa.

Full list of Voice & Choice Awards winners 

Event programme downloads:

Take a look at the Social Media Toolkit

Entries
Entries for the awards are powerful examples of resilience, leadership and innovation.
Click a category title to jump to the entries.

Change strategiesLeadership Marang MediaStories of changeOrganisational development

Change strategies

Communication and outreach
Botswana: Engaging rural men and masculinities to advance LGBTIQ+ health and rights
Botswana: Engaging rural men and masculinities to advance LGBTIQ+ health and rights
Botswana: Strengthening Law Enforcement Collaboration and Human Rights Documentation for LGBTIQ and IPV Advocacy
Botswana: Strengthening Law Enforcement Collaboration and Human Rights Documentation for LGBTIQ and IPV Advocacy
Cameroon: #EndTaxOnPad237 Digital Advocacy and Outreach Campaign
Cameroon: #EndTaxOnPad237 Digital Advocacy and Outreach Campaign
Mauritius: No One Left Behind - A Trans-Led Campaign for Health, Equality & Institutional Change
Mauritius: No One Left Behind - A Trans-Led Campaign for Health, Equality & Institutional Change
Namibia: Dismantling Harmful social and cultural Narratives towards the LGBTI community
Namibia: Dismantling Harmful social and cultural Narratives towards the LGBTI community
South Africa: 1000 Women Trust Chatbot-initiative
South Africa: 1000 Women Trust Chatbot-initiative
South Africa: Change the Script - Stories That Refuse Silence
South Africa: Change the Script - Stories That Refuse Silence
Movement building
South Africa: Empowering women and youth to lead GBV prevention and community advocacy
South Africa: Empowering women and youth to lead GBV prevention and community advocacy
South Africa: Inter Faith Action to end GBV - Empowering Leaders, Transforming Communities
South Africa: Inter Faith Action to end GBV - Empowering Leaders, Transforming Communities
Tanzania: 30+ Years of Legacy in Advancing Gender Equality
Tanzania: 30+ Years of Legacy in Advancing Gender Equality
Strategic litigation
Botswana: Beyond the Rainbow
Botswana: Beyond the Rainbow
Botswana: jkwe'n
Botswana: jkwe'n
Botswana: From incremental gains to institutional accountability for LGBTIQ rights
Botswana: From incremental gains to institutional accountability for LGBTIQ rights
Mauritius: Committed to creating spaces where people feel valued, respected and loved
Mauritius: Committed to creating spaces where people feel valued, respected and loved
Namibia: Rainbow Justice - Empowering communities and service providers through LGBTIQ legal literacy trainings
Namibia: Rainbow Justice - Empowering communities and service providers through LGBTIQ legal literacy trainings

Leadership

Drivers of change
Angola: Strengthening greater social inclusion and non-discrimination in communities
Angola: Strengthening greater social inclusion and non-discrimination in communities
Botswana: Young Leader Advancing LGBTIQ+ Rights Through Strategic Advocacy and Community Power
Botswana: Young Leader Advancing LGBTIQ+ Rights Through Strategic Advocacy and Community Power
Lesotho: Building new norms for LGBTIQ+ economic empowerment through mindset change
Lesotho: Building new norms for LGBTIQ+ economic empowerment through mindset change
South Africa: Leave No One Behind Skills Development Training
South Africa: Leave No One Behind Skills Development Training
South Africa: Building our safe squad-knowledge is our armor
South Africa: Building our safe squad-knowledge is our armor
South Africa: I will not watch and do nothing, together we can fight Gender Based Violence
South Africa: I will not watch and do nothing, together we can fight Gender Based Violence
South Africa: A young director restoring organisational power through Black queer feminist leadership
South Africa: A young director restoring organisational power through Black queer feminist leadership
South Africa - Mosadi Ithlokomele Protecting Women and Girls Against GBVF
South Africa - Mosadi Ithlokomele Protecting Women and Girls Against GBVF
South Africa: Healing Communities by Empowering Youth to End GBV
South Africa: Healing Communities by Empowering Youth to End GBV
Tanzania: A feminist fund rewriting laws, power, and public narratives
Tanzania: A feminist fund rewriting laws, power, and public narratives
Zimbabwe: Educating communities for better health outcomes
Zimbabwe: Educating communities for better health outcomes
Youth leadership
Botswana: Leading the Way to LGBTIQ+ Inclusion for Transformational Change
Botswana: Leading the Way to LGBTIQ+ Inclusion for Transformational Change
Cameroon: Breaking the silence-empowering women and girls for a safe society
Cameroon: Breaking the silence-empowering women and girls for a safe society
Mauritius: Young Queer Activist – from the closet to advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights in the open
Mauritius: Young Queer Activist – from the closet to advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights in the open
South Africa: The Digital SOS
South Africa: The Digital SOS
South Africa: Young woman leader disrupting patriarchy from community justice to Parliament
South Africa: Young woman leader disrupting patriarchy from community justice to Parliament

Marang Media

Botswana: Work place reforms impede economic inclusion for Queer Person
Botswana: Work place reforms impede economic inclusion for Queer Person
Botswana: The overlapping realities of LGBTIQ+ persons with disabilities
Botswana: The overlapping realities of LGBTIQ+ persons with disabilities
Lesotho: Lesotho's first transgender political candidate sparks hope
Lesotho: Lesotho's first transgender political candidate sparks hope
Lesotho: Living authentically: Royal's journey to self-discovery
Lesotho: Living authentically: Royal's journey to self-discovery
Mauritius: Neuf Mauriciens sur dix estiment que les personnes intersexes méritent des droits égaux
Mauritius: Neuf Mauriciens sur dix estiment que les personnes intersexes méritent des droits égaux
Namibia: The silent struggles of LGBTQ+ learners
Namibia: The silent struggles of LGBTQ+ learners
Namibia: Youth Hour
Namibia: Youth Hour

Stories of change

Story of change - GBV
Eswatini: Break the Silence - end the cycle of violence
Eswatini: Break the Silence - end the cycle of violence
Mauritius: Safe Haven Halfway Home
Mauritius: Safe Haven Halfway Home
South Africa: Using Feminist Political Education and Art to Build Inclusive GBVF Responses
South Africa: Using Feminist Political Education and Art to Build Inclusive GBVF Responses
South Africa: Empowering Rural Women to Shatter GBV Silence in Vhembe District
South Africa: Empowering Rural Women to Shatter GBV Silence in Vhembe District
South Africa: Threads of change, stitches to success
South Africa: Threads of change, stitches to success
South Africa: GBVF School Club
South Africa: GBVF School Club
South Africa: Men as allies - An African feminist approach to ending GBV
South Africa: Men as allies - An African feminist approach to ending GBV
South Africa: TFGBV from group chats to changemakers
South Africa: TFGBV from group chats to changemakers
South Africa: Cultivating food security to combat GBV
South Africa: Cultivating food security to combat GBV
South Africa: Female GBV survivor becomes independent against all odds
South Africa: Female GBV survivor becomes independent against all odds
South Africa: From feminist political education to systemic change and agency
South Africa: From feminist political education to systemic change and agency
South Africa: From Burnout to Resilience: Strengthening Community Healing Through Trauma
South Africa: From Burnout to Resilience: Strengthening Community Healing Through Trauma
South Africa: Amplifying Change for Survivors of Domestic Violence
South Africa: Amplifying Change for Survivors of Domestic Violence
South Africa: Thusanang Trauma Centre empowers GBV survivors through justice and support
South Africa: Thusanang Trauma Centre empowers GBV survivors through justice and support
Zimbabwe: Engaging men as champions for change
Zimbabwe: Engaging men as champions for change
Story of change - SRHR
Botswana: Advancing inclusive healthcare for trans persons
Botswana: Advancing inclusive healthcare for trans persons
Cameroon: Knowledge Could Have Changed Everything
Cameroon: Knowledge Could Have Changed Everything
Kenya: Dr. Afrikanah Book Club
Kenya: Dr. Afrikanah Book Club
Malawi: Young women reclaim bodily autonomy through legal literacy
Malawi: Young women reclaim bodily autonomy through legal literacy
Mauritius: A Grassroots Trans Woman Centering Sex Workers’ Realities in Trans Rights Advocacy
Mauritius: A Grassroots Trans Woman Centering Sex Workers’ Realities in Trans Rights Advocacy
Namibia: Dream Decide Lead
Namibia: Dream Decide Lead
Namibia: From 60,000 Signatures to Draft Abortion Law Reform
Namibia: From 60,000 Signatures to Draft Abortion Law Reform
Nigeria: In Benue, local chief pledges support for continued awareness on inclusive SRHR for women with disabilities
Nigeria: In Benue, local chief pledges support for continued awareness on inclusive SRHR for women with disabilities
South Africa: Advocacy for menstrual health and bodily right
South Africa: Advocacy for menstrual health and bodily right
South Africa: Breaking Taboos, Building Futures
South Africa: Breaking Taboos, Building Futures
South Africa: From Knowledge to Choice: Advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights for young people
South Africa: From Knowledge to Choice: Advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights for young people
South Africa: Path to Safety and Health
South Africa: Path to Safety and Health
South Africa: Networking helped Tamia find her voice and inspire others beyond sanitary dignity
South Africa: Networking helped Tamia find her voice and inspire others beyond sanitary dignity
South Africa: Bleeding with dignity: Ending period poverty for good
South Africa: Bleeding with dignity: Ending period poverty for good
Tanzania: Advocacy for Extended Maternity Leave
Tanzania: Advocacy for Extended Maternity Leave
Zimbabwe: SafePath - Guiding Girls Towards A Secure Future
Zimbabwe: SafePath - Guiding Girls Towards A Secure Future
Story of change - Challenging gender norms, Economic and climate justice
Lesotho: Queer storytelling challenging gender norms and exclusion
Lesotho: Queer storytelling challenging gender norms and exclusion
Mauritius: Building safe spaces for parents of LGBTQIA+ Individuals
Mauritius: Building safe spaces for parents of LGBTQIA+ Individuals
Tanzania: She Rose Against the Norms
Tanzania: She Rose Against the Norms
South Africa: Gender on the Agenda
South Africa: Gender on the Agenda
Senegal: Les efforts en matière du Genre réalisés par la région d'Afrique de l'ouest: Cas du Sénégal
Senegal: Les efforts en matière du Genre réalisés par la région d'Afrique de l'ouest: Cas du Sénégal
South Africa: How one woman reclaimed a community's future
South Africa: How one woman reclaimed a community's future

Organisational development

Botswana: Building Sustainable Movements Through Strong Finance and Compliance Systems
Botswana: Building Sustainable Movements Through Strong Finance and Compliance Systems
Namibia: From Compliance to Excellence: MPower community trust's governance transformation
Namibia: From Compliance to Excellence: MPower community trust's governance transformation
Namibia : MPower Community Trust: Strengthening Fundraising and Resource Mobilisation for Organisational Sustainability
Namibia : MPower Community Trust: Strengthening Fundraising and Resource Mobilisation for Organisational Sustainability
South Africa: Forum for the Empowerment of Women - Strengthening Foundations for Sustainable Growth
South Africa: Forum for the Empowerment of Women - Strengthening Foundations for Sustainable Growth
South Africa - The Long Term
South Africa - The Long Term
Lesotho: Lesotho International Human Rights Lab - Driving Institutional Change for Inclusive Justice
Lesotho: Lesotho International Human Rights Lab - Driving Institutional Change for Inclusive Justice
South Africa: Building robust governance and financial systems from training to sustainability
South Africa: Building robust governance and financial systems from training to sustainability
South Africa - Nyara Youth Development: Organisational Development and Growth to sustain our LeapLadder Flagship
South Africa - Nyara Youth Development: Organisational Development and Growth to sustain our LeapLadder Flagship
South Africa: Capricorn Ignited LGBTI: Strengthening visibility and awareness of LGBTIQ+ persons in Limpopo
South Africa: Capricorn Ignited LGBTI: Strengthening visibility and awareness of LGBTIQ+ persons in Limpopo
South Africa - Mosadi Ithlokomele Protecting Women and Girls Against GBVF
South Africa - Mosadi Ithlokomele Protecting Women and Girls Against GBVF
South Africa : Empowering sustainability for vulnerable communities
South Africa : Empowering sustainability for vulnerable communities
South Africa : From Compliance to Feminist Governance
South Africa : From Compliance to Feminist Governance

More information

Objectives
High level programme
For more information, contact