Women’s rights: Campaign updates from around Africa
Coalition Members
African Centre for Democracy And Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS), Akina Mama wa Afrika, Association des Juristes Maliennes, Cellule de Coordination sur les Pratiques Traditionelle Affectant la Sante des Femmes et des Enfants, Coalition on Violence Against Women, Equality Now-Africa Regional Office, FAHAMU, FAMEDEV-Inter-African Network For Women, Media, Gender and Development, FEMNET - African Women's Development and Communication Network, Foundation for Community Development, Inter-African Committee on Harmful Traditional Practices (IAC), Oxfam GB, Sister Namibia, Union Nationale des Femmes de Djibouti, Voix de Femmes, University of Pretoria Center for Human Rights, Women's Rights Advancement and Protection Alternatives, Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF)
Burkina Faso
After the authorization for the ratification of the Protocol was given by the National Assembly on 20th May 2005, the finalization of the administrative procedure for the deposit of the instrument of ratification at the African Union is still pending. While waiting for this, the Association Voix des Femmes, a SOAWR member, is undertaking several activities aimed at popularizing the contents of the Protocol, enhancing the participation of women in local politics and coming up with strategies to make the Protocol a reality at the level of the judiciary and the whole society. In this regard, a televised debate around the Protocol took place in August 2005 and brought together representatives of several women's associations. This provided the opportunity to discuss the evolution of the process of ratification by questioning the structures that are charged with this task, provide information on the Protocol as it compares to the existing legal texts and also for the benefit of the associations present, and to make known the actions undertaken in the context of their work with a view to making the Protocol effective. The program was so well received that a retransmission has been requested and will be made in September.
Cape Verde
Cape Verde deposited its instrument of ratification on 22nd July, becoming the 12th country to ratify the Protocol.
Djibouti
Besides the finalization of the activities mentioned in the last update, UNFD has continued undertaking activities on the promotion and protection of the rights of women based on the Protocol. UNFD's action is spread out on several key areas covered under the Maputo Protocol and are aimed at improving the living conditions of Djiboutian women, in areas such as education and health. Regarding the last issue, several programs consisting of sensitizing, prevention strategies and supporting the urban as well as the city dwellers with regard to HIV/AIDS is on course for the year 2005-2006. Similarly, UNFD has undertaken several actions of sensitization on a continuous basis to fight against the continuation of the practice of FGM in the whole country. Parallel to the action of civil society activists with whom she works in close collaboration, the Minister for Promotion of Women and Family Affairs plans to undertake in the coming months the first assessment of the general status of women in Djibouti. The first step is to undertake a status audit of the national legal texts that relate to the protection of the rights of women and the family. More precisely, this study will have as an objective to establish the conformity or lack thereof of the national law of Djibouti with the texts and conventions that have been ratified by the Republic of Djibouti and which then form an integral part of its collection of laws. As such, the outcome of the study will contribute to and facilitate the domestication of the Maputo Protocol into Djibouti national law. The desk research will be accompanied by the organization of preparatory workshops in the whole country (including the rural zones) aimed at itemizing the totality of issues that could slow the empowerment of women, especially within the framework of their domestic, social and professional life. The outcome of the study will be put in use in February 2006.
The Gambia
On 6th September, The Gambia deposited its instrument of ratification becoming the 13th country to have ratified it. SOAWR released a press communiqué to highlight the progress towards the coming into force of the Protocol and urged the remaining 40 countries to expedite their ratifications.
The African Center for Democratic and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS) has continued carrying on sensitization of the Protocol. It has distributed the Arabic translation of the Protocol amongst the Muslim community and is encouraged by the response. ACDHRS intends to carry out a campaign for the review of the reservations entered by the Gambia. It has involved a larger coalition of people in the Protocol campaign.
Republic of Guinea
The Republic of Guinea has already ratified the Protocol to the African Charter through a vote in the National Assembly in 2004 but has not to-date deposited its instrument of ratification at the African Union. CPTAFE has continued to undertake activities aimed at informing and sensitizing the population on the content of the Protocol and its socio-political values and its applicability in their lives; and lobbying the government to officially deposit its ratification. More specifically, CPTAFE undertook the following activities:-
? Two transmissions on radio and TV during which several personalities commented on the Protocol and its potential positive impact on the improvement of conditions of the lives of women in Africa.
? A procession of young girls marched through the city of Conakry on 27th August (the National Day of Women) chanting slogans in favor of the Protocol.
? Face to face lobbying amongst the decision makers :-
o Ministry of Social Affairs and the Promotion of Women and Children
o Ministry of Foreign Affairs o Ministry of Interior and Decentralization
o Speaker of the National Assembly
In the light of the delay in the depositing of Guinea's ratification, CPTAFE reached out to the First Lady who committed to make a solemn declaration in favor of the Protocol at a dinner that will be organized by CPTAFE on 14th September 2005. CPTAFE anticipates that this would have the desired effect of mobilizing the decision makers into action.
Kenya
COVAW and Equality Now discussed and generated advocacy plans (to be implemented by COVAW with support from Equality Now) to encourage the Kenyan government to ratify the Protocol which included staging a demonstration on 29th September 2005, the date that the AUC has scheduled to celebrate Pan-African women's Day, various meetings with MPs, media interventions such as speaking on talk shows and generating advocacy material. Subsequently, a joint meeting with the Director for Gender Affairs Department was held to find out about the status of Kenya's ratification. Unfortunately the Director was newly appointed and did not have updated information and hence was briefed. A future date for follow-up was scheduled. Equality Now, in addition, solicited the intervention of a couple of key officials: (a) the Chair of the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA), Honorable Beth Tett, who was keen to know more about the campaign and help with the ratification process. Equality Now subsequently sent her a package of information.. Honorable Tett, who is also the Assistant Minister for Local Governments, expressed interest in involving KEWOPA in the awareness and sensitization process and indicated that she might call on Equality Now and other SOAWR members to make a presentation to its members on the campaign. (b) Hon Linah Kilimo, Minister for Immigration Affairs, who is an anti-FGM activist and has been at the center of pushing for Kenya's ratification in September 2004 when she hosted an international conference on FGM in Nairobi. Hon. Kilimo also expressed support and indicated she would raise the matter with the relevant government officials.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNHRC) has also taken a keen interest on the ratification of the Protocol. One of the Commissioners has made contact with the Minister for Gender and is scheduled to follow up with him so as to get the government commitment to ratification before the end of September. COVAW and Equality Now have been following closely KNCHR's initiative.
Equality Now also received communication from the government with a positive response that Kenya's ratification might be a reality soon.
At the beginning of September, Equality Now's Africa Regional Director made a presentation at a regional training in Nairobi on the Equal Status and Human Rights of Women in East Africa, organized by the Education Center for Women in Democracy (ECWD) and the Swedish Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights. The conference brought together 25 human rights activists from Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. She shared with them the history of the Protocol, what it offers African women, and discussed the campaign for the popularization, ratification and domestication of the Protocol. Following group discussions, the participants generated several action steps that they hopped to undertake back home. Their focus was to push for the ratification by their countries (with the exception of Rwanda which already ratified it) and to build up momentum on popularization and public outreach activities starting off with their own organizations.
Mauritania
The recent coup d'etat in Mauritania is likely to affect the progress of the ratification process. However, Equality Now sent a letter to the President with a red card enclosed and urged for the process to be completed soonest.
Nigeria
WRAPA Secretary General, Saudatu Mahdi, and Ms Chibogwu Obinwa of BAOBAB for Women's Human Rights amongst other African women participated in a global consultation on ratification and use of the Optional Protocol of CEDAW which was hosted by the International Women's Rights Action Watch-Asia Pacific (IWRAW) from August 27- 30th, 2005 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Mahdi presented a paper on "Ratification of the Optional Protocol to CEDAW: Strategies and Challenges in Nigeria" among others bringing out issues such as:
(a) high turnover of elected/appointed leadership and government functionaries without political ideology that is gender oriented which jeopardizes any gains made;
(b) national gender machineries and women groups which lack adequate expertise and technological support for programming, literature and comparative experiences to effectively implement their mandate; and
(c) strong opposition to gender related reforms or laws which has created a distance between those who would ordinarily lend support to the cause of CEDAW and its mechanisms in fear of negative social and religious labeling.
The paper also outlines strategies applied in pushing for ratification of the Optional Protocol to CEDAW and lessons learnt which would come in handy for advocacy around the domestication of the African Women's Protocol.
Saudatu anticipates that the same challenges would be faced in the efforts to domesticate and implement the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa as Nigerian activists prepare for advocacy to effect domestication. However, while CEDAW as an international law might be viewed with apprehension for the changes it portends and perceived as an incursion based on its 'external' origins and the intentions of its authors; the African Women's Protocol might stand a better chance of acceptability in coming out as an African initiative to right the wrong done onto women. Borrowing from the success of the SOAWR campaign, the creation of an Africa CEDAW Coalition was proposed to take charge of pressuring African countries to ratify and implement CEDAW.
WRAPA has continued to work on popularization of the African Women's Protocol through the media. WRAPA has also been working on cultivating good relationship with the new Minister for Gender updating her on the past collaboration with the Ministry around the campaign for the ratification of the Protocol and the additional work remaining to be completed.
Togo
On 27 July 2005, the Council of Ministers adopted a bill approving ratification of the Protocol. (WiLDAF West Africa). Togo currently holds a Yellow card.
Uganda
Equality Now received a response from the Legal Counsel of the President who seemed eager to assist in securing his country's ratification. Equality Now wrote back and urged him to get in touch with Akina Mama Wa Afrika (AMWA). AMWA has since received contact and is following up with the Legal Counsel.
Zambia
On 3rd August 2005, Zambia became the 38th country to sign the Protocol. On Behalf of SOAWR Equality Now issued a press release highlighting it and urged the Zambian government to make the critical step of ratification. The press release also called for more countries to move on in delivering their commitment to African women.
Zimbabwe
WiLDAF Regional Office has taken every opportunity to relate the Protocol to all its work, especially the linkages between CEDAW, the SADC Gender Declaration and the African Women's Protocol. At a meeting of SADC NGOs held in Botswana before the SADC Summit, the WiLDAF representative made a presentation on constitutional and legal rights of women within SADC countries in which she pointed out that the provisions of the Protocol take the issue of women's rights a major step further for all of us. She decried the slow pace of ratification by SADC members (to date only four countries - Malawi, Namibia, Lesotho and South Africa - of the 14 SADC member states have ratified.)
WiLDAF is issuing a newsletter in September addressing violence against women with reference to the Protocol. There is unfortunately not enough awareness on the Protocol and its implications for the advancement of the rights of women. WiLDAF believes that women cannot claim rights that they are not fully aware of. As such, capacity building and sensitization/awareness creation are critical components of WiLDAF's campaign. WiLDAF has therefore developed a program to create more awareness among NGOs in SADC countries on the importance of having the Protocol ratified, domesticated and implemented. This will be done in all SADC countries that have not yet ratified the Protocol. It also includes the development of a simple document on the Protocol to be used in legal rights education programs. These programs will be carried out by members of the WiLDAF network as soon as funds are secured.