Muslim LGBTQ Activist Rafiul Alom Is The Only Indian In The UN Women's Beijing+25 Youth Task Force

Noted LGBTQ Activist and founder of The Queer Muslim Project, Rafiul Alom Rahman has been named as one of the 30 members of the 'Beijing+25 Youth Task Force' announced by the UN Women.?

The Beijing+25 Youth Task Force comprises of young leaders from different youth-led and youth-serving organizations, with diverse areas of expertise and from all regions of the world. They represent young people in all their diversity and across intersectional complexities including marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, indigenous and ethnic identities, and refugee or migrant status.

The task force was announced ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, in 2020, one of the most comprehensive blueprints for women’s rights worldwide.

The youth leaders will support and guide UN Women’s efforts to place young people at the centre of the Beijing+25 process; be part of a network of young supporters that will foster momentum on youth engagement for gender equality on a global level; and exchange expertise and knowledge with other young people that are working towards the same goals.

"The Youth Task Force is an advisory board which will advise the UN Women on the review process of the Beijing Declaration. We will also center the voices of young people who have a stake in improving gender equality, " Rahman explained.?

BCCL/FILE

"The Idea of the Youth Task Force is to bring young people, from diverse backgrounds like sexuality, marital status, location, etc," he added.

Rahman who is one of the most prominent faces in the LGBTQ community and his Queer Muslim Project is India’s first and only organization working to address intersectional issues affecting LGBTQ Muslims.?

"I am very hopeful that I will be able to raise the voices that would otherwise be marginalized.? It is a validation of the work that I have been doing for all these years. We have a lot of LGBTQ people who interact with us every day. I feel that I will be able to empower their voices in a much bigger platform," he said.