Omar van Reenen

2025-2026 Obama Foundation Africa Leader

Headshot of Omar van Reenen, 2025-2026 Obama Foundation Africa Leader

Co-Founder and Campaign Manager, Equal Namibia

Namibia

Omar van Reenen is a co-founder and campaign manager at Equal Namibia, the country’s largest civil rights movement since independence in March 1990, fighting state-sanctioned discrimination based on sexual orientation in the country. Their advocacy played a part in the 2023 Namibian Supreme Court decision recognizing same-sex marriages concluded abroad and the 2024 Namibian High Court decision decriminalizing apartheid-era sodomy laws. Omar mobilizes support for strategic litigation, spearheads innovative LGBTQI+ visibility campaigns, promotes queer civic engagement, and builds queer youth networks across Africa. Their commitment to constitutional justice and defending and building inclusive democracies in Africa has paved the way for a more equal Namibia.

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