Dr. Lamyaâ Achary is a sociologist, human rights researcher, and Pan-African feminist whose work interrogates the intersections of gender, sexuality, power, and state violence across North Africa. Rooted in decolonial feminist theory, their research challenges dominant narratives by centering the knowledge, resistance, and lived realities of communities historically excluded from institutional frameworks. For over a decade, Dr. Achary has conducted research and advocacy in politically sensitive and legally repressive contexts, focusing on gender equality, sexual diversity, and the shrinking of civic space. They have worked and collaborated with leading regional and international organizations, including the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, the Astraea Foundation, and the African Women’s Development Fund, where they serve on the board of directors. Dr. Achary also works as a documentary photographer, engaging visual methodologies to explore political memory, intimacy, and the contested boundaries of public and private space.
Research Summary:
This research investigates how queer and feminist grassroots movements in North Africa engage in knowledge production as a means of resisting marginalization and structural repression. In contexts where political and legal structures systematically suppress dissent, documentation emerges as a critical and strategic practice. Documenting and archiving thus safeguard collective memory, affirm marginalized subjectivities, and assert the epistemic right to self-representation. Focusing on community archives, cultural production, and alternative narratives, the research analyzes how these initiatives challenge dominant frameworks and contribute to broader efforts toward justice and visibility. Archiving is examined not as a passive repository, but as a dynamic political tool, enabling collective survival and the reclamation of erased histories. Grounded in decolonial feminist theory and queer thought from the Global South, this project draws on over a decade of research and collaboration with civil society actors across the Maghreb. Through qualitative methods, including interviews and analysis of grassroots materials, the study explores how knowledge can function as resistance, advocacy, and care. This work contributes to ongoing policy and academic conversations around human rights, epistemic justice, and the role of grassroots knowledge in shaping more inclusive futures.