# Alice Nkom

Alice Nkom (born January 14, 1945) is a Cameroonian lawyer, politician, and human rights activist known for her advocacy in defending the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals in Cameroon. She is the first woman in Central Africa to become a lawyer and is noted for her efforts in advocating for the decriminalization of homosexuality in the region.
Nkom studied law in Toulouse, France, and has practiced law in Douala, Cameroon, since 1969. At the age of 24, she became the first Black French-speaking woman admitted to the bar in Cameroon. She currently serves as the president of the Central African Human Rights Defenders Network (French: Réseau des défenseurs des droits humains en Afrique centrale, Redhac).
In recognition of her work, particularly during an "anti-gay crackdown," she was ranked second on The New Yorker's list of "The Eight Most Fascinating Africans of 2012."

## Early life and education

Alice Nkom was born in Poutkak, Cameroon, where she spent her early years. She pursued a legal education at the University of Toulouse, France, and became a licensed attorney at 24, as the first woman lawyer in Cameroon.

## Career

Nkom began her legal career in the 1960s and became known for advocating for marginalized communities. In 2003, she established the Association for the Defense of Homosexuality (ADEFHO), an organization that provides legal and social support to LGBTQ+ individuals in Cameroon, where same-sex relationships are criminalized.
Nkom has represented numerous clients prosecuted under Section 347 bis of the Cameroonian Penal Code, which imposes penalties of up to five years in prison for same-sex relationships. Her work has garnered international attention and support, while also exposing her to challenges such as death threats and efforts to revoke her legal license.
Nkom's most famous case was in 2005 when she defended a group of men who were arrested during a raid of a gay bar in the Cameroon capital city. The men were in prison for a year however in 2006 the UN's working group on Arbitrary Detention reviewed the case and criticized Cameroon for arresting the men because of their sexuality. As well the UN labeled the anti-sexuality offenses in Cameroon's Penal Code as a violation of the international human rights laws.
In January 2011, she was threatened with arrest by a representative of Cameroon's Ministry of Communication after ADEFHO was awarded a €300,000 grant by the European Union. Later that year, she represented Jean-Claude Roger Mbede, a man imprisoned for three years for "homosexuality and attempted homosexuality" following a series of SMS messages to a male acquaintance, and who was named a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International.
In 2006 and 2013, she was a keynote speaker at the Human Rights conferences that took place in conjunction with the OutGames, in Montréal, Canada and Antwerp, Belgium, respectively. In March 2014, Alice Nkom was awarded with the "7. Menschenrechtspreis" (7th Human Rights Award) by the German section of Amnesty International.
In March 2020, Paul Atanga Nji, the Minister of Territorial Administration accused Redhac under Nkom's leadership of being engaged in a "conspiracy" against Cameroon and security services. On 6 December 2024, the Minister banned Redhac alongside several other civil rights organisations, citing concerns with its use of funding. On 10 December, Nkom was summoned to a police interview in Wouri after breaking the seal placed on the doors of Redhac's offices in Douala. Nkom did not attend this or subsequent summons, requesting a postponement until January 2025 to guarantee she would be able to have a lawyer present. On 18 December at a military court hearing, Nkom was accused of raising funds to support armed groups in English-speaking regions of Cameroon, and on 31 December she was summoned to an interview with the national gendarmerie's central judicial investigation department.
Nkom has featured in several documentaries about her efforts to defend LGBT people in Cameroon, including Coming out of the Nkuta (2009) and Until it Shines (2022).