On October 19th, 2024, KELIN joined other civil society organizations (CSOs) at the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) in Banjul, Gambia, to celebrate and showcase achievements of the ACHPR Office of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa (SRRWA).
The celebratory side event convened by the Regional Cluster of the Coalition for the Solidarity of Women’s Right in Africa (SOAWR) also sought to identify key barriers to implementation of women’s rights in Africa, particularly impact of anti-gender movements.
“Women have always been at the forefront of activism. Despite regression and growth of the anti-rights movement, we must celebrate various milestones including 25 years since establishment of the office of the SSRWA, 20 years since adoption of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the rights of women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) as well as 20 years since the establishment of the SOAWR coalition. The office of the SRRWA has made several progressive reports on safe and legal abortion as well as sexual violence, adopted guidelines on sexual violence and assisted various human rights mechanisms in Africa including the ACHPR to interpret the Maputo protocol when complaints or matters are before them. “Hon. Commissioner Sallah Njie, SRRWA ACHPR highlighted.
Ms. Mitchel Oyuga, Country Program Coordinator, Akina Mama Wa Afrika urged CSOs to anticipate anti-rights moves and adopt strategies that are pre-emptive, pro-active and opportunistic in opposition monitoring and mitigation and to collaborate with the ACHPR office of the SRRWA to hold AU member states accountable to implementation of the Maputo protocol beyond ratification, simplify the protocol and litigate complaints at the ACHPR and other human rights mechanisms.
Hon. Commissioner Sallah committed to collaborate with CSOs on development of guidelines for implementation of Article 14 of the Maputo Protocol and a campaign to lift reservations on the Maputo protocol and welcomed them to the office of the SRRWA partners meeting scheduled for December in Dakar.
KELIN remains dedicated to the promotion and protection of gender equality and non-discrimination and looks forward to working with other CSOs and the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa to advance this mission.
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For more information please contact,
Elsie Milimu,
Program Officer- SRHR, Kenya Legal & Ethical Issues Network on HIV/AIDS(KELIN),
Email: elsiemilimu@kelinkenya.org
