A trans woman in Mauritius is leading a trans‑led movement grounded in dignity, ancestral knowledge, visibility, and institutional change reshaping national advocacy, public attitudes, and leadership representation.
Hana Telvave is a transgender woman, human rights activist and the founder of EkiT, a trans‑led collective at the forefront of health, equality, and institutional transformation in Mauritius. Her leadership journey spans grassroots organising, national advocacy, and strategic communication. Earlier, she coordinated the national project Advancing Transgender Rights in Mauritius with Collectif Arc‑en‑Ciel, leading advocacy planning, communication strategies and media production.
From this work, Hana witnessed a structural gap: trans people were discussed in advocacy spaces but rarely positioned as decision‑makers or strategists. Advocacy remained mostly institutional and disconnected from lived realities. Trans people continued to face exclusion in healthcare, education and employment, while public‑facing activism was limited.
EkiT emerged in response a trans‑led movement grounded in a decolonial, care‑centered philosophy. Hana integrates modern organisational systems with ancestral and pre‑colonial ways of knowing, honoring elders, protecting children, and nurturing intergenerational responsibility. She believes trans liberation must be built not only through policy reform but through dignity, safety and collective memory.
The change began through a multi‑layered approach combining national advocacy, movement‑building, and a transformation in communication strategy. Through campaigns, documentaries and public conversations, Hana humanised trans experiences. She introduced artivism, photography, video storytelling, exhibitions and community dialogues, shifting the narrative from stigma‑center messaging to dignity, joy and complexity.
Her leadership also catalysed structural change. She identified the Marang LGBTIQ Fund opportunity, initiated engagement with Gender Links, and supported EkiT in becoming a grantee establishing it as a formal, resourced, national actor. She now facilitates leadership and community‑building workshops that strengthen trans and gender‑nonconforming people’s confidence and advocacy capacity.
These combined efforts have transformed transgender visibility and leadership in Mauritius. Advocacy, once hidden, is now public, creative and trans‑led. Trans people are participating as storytellers, strategists and advocates rather than passive beneficiaries. Public attitudes have improved significantly. The Fear & Fairness Survey by The Other Foundation shows that 82% of Mauritians believe communities should protect transgender people, and 97% say they would never be violent toward a transgender person.
Community engagement is stronger; trans people now approach EkiT for support and join national campaigns and movement‑building spaces. Storytelling initiatives have strengthened collective identity, reduced isolation, and increased public empathy. The transformation is evident in in in-service access, public attitudes, and leadership representation.
Sustainability lies in strengthening EkiT’s governance systems, creating leadership pipelines and mobilising resources. Hana is committed to developing new trans leaders through training, mentorship and facilitation to ensure that the movement does not depend on one individual. EkiT is institutionalising values of accessibility, radical inclusion and humane storytelling.
Scaling will involve expanding national campaigns, exhibitions, and storytelling initiatives. Collaboration with civil society, artists, healthcare actors, and legal advocates will deepen the work. Over time, these foundations support strategic litigation, policy influence and systemic reform rooted in trans‑led legitimacy.
Quotes
Tacy Laboucheri, Thanks to you I know who I am. You made me feel safe and helped me see that my voice matters.
Brooklyn Huet, Thank you for everything you do for the trans community we have a voice thanks to you.
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