Landmark Victory for Women's Rights in Africa

Over a decade of determined advocacy by African women's groups, including several Global Fund grantees, has resulted in a major victory for the African women's movement.

On October 27, Togo became the 15th member of the African Union to ratify the Protocol on Women's Rights, making it an official part of the African Charter on Human and People's Rights. The Protocol will go into effect on November 25, 2005.

Grantees: Solidarity for African Women's Rights (SOAWR), Kenya
Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF), Togo, Ghana & Zimbabwe Branches

Over a decade of advocacy and hard work by African women's groups, including several Global Fund grantees, has resulted in a major victory for the African women's movement. On October 27, Togo became the 15th member of the African Union to ratify the Protocol on Women's Rights, making it an official part of the African Charter on Human and People's Rights. The Protocol will go into effect on November 25, 2005.

In 2003, after ten years of advocacy by grassroots women's groups in Africa, the Assembly of Heads of States and Governments of the African Union adopted the Protocol on Women's Rights to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. However, the Protocol could not go into effect without the formal ratification of 15 individual member states.

Thus, in 2003, a coalition of African women's groups began a high-intensity campaign across the continent to pressure governments to ratify. The campaign to ratify the Protocol represents the tireless efforts of thousands of African women. The Global Fund for Women provided grants to a number of organizations for their efforts, including:

Solidarity for African Women's Rights (SOAWR), Kenya

A network of 16 African women's rights and development organizations in nine countries, SOAWR negotiated directly with African governments, and engaged in a broad public campaign that involved community radio shows, newspapers, online discussions and other public forums. In an innovative effort to popularize the process, SOAWR encouraged all Africans to SMS (or "text message") their support for the Protocol from their cell phones to leverage pressure on governments to ratify.

Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF), Togo, Ghana & Zimbabwe Branches

A pan-African network of organizations and individuals who work to promote and strengthen strategies which link law and development to increase women's capacity to claim and enjoy all their human rights, WiLDAF lobbied national governments and held organizing workshops with civil society organizations.

The Global Fund has supported the efforts of six women's organizations in six countries to ratify the protocol with grants totaling $131,000.

The Protocol is the only human rights instrument originating in Africa specific to women's rights. It represents the first international law explicitly protecting the right to an abortion in the case of rape, incest or endangerment, and prohibiting female genital mutilation. Furthermore, the Protocol requires African Union member nations to include the principle of equality between women and men in their national constitutions and other legislative instruments, and to commit to the protection of women from all forms of violence, raising the minimum age of marriage to 18, the right of women to own property, and the rights of widows to retain custody of their children and their home.

While a major victory, the ratification is only the first step in achieving recognition and protection of women's rights in Africa. The implementation and enforcement of the Protocol will require increased advocacy. Women's groups also aim to secure the support of those governments that have not yet ratified the Protocol. The Global Fund for Women offers our congratulations to African women who together achieved this milestone. You have set an example for us all.