Dear John

Nineteen years ago, African countries adopted the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women (Maputo Protocol), heralding a new era in the women’s rights movement in Africa. 

The Protocol lays out progressive provisions designed to holistically guarantee the rights of women and specifically to address gender-based violence against women and girls across the continent. Despite this, nineteen years later, 12 African countries are yet to ratify it, while others have placed reservations. 

The Protocol lays out progressive provisions designed to holistically guarantee the rights of women and specifically to address gender-based violence against women and girls across the continent. Despite this, nineteen years later, 12 African countries are yet to ratify it, while others have placed reservations. 

Despite this, 12 African countries are yet to ratify it. This undermines the spirit of the Maputo Protocol and locks out some girls and women from the benefits of its aspirations.

This is why we, together with the Solidarity for African Women’s Rights Coalition, the African Union Commission, UN Women, and other women’s rights organizations under the Young Women 4 Awareness, Agency, Advocacy, and Accountability consortium are renewing our call to Botswana, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, Eritrea, Egypt, Madagascar, Morocco, Niger, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan to urgently sign, ratify, domesticate, and implement the Protocol.  

As we mark 19 years of the Protocol today, we are excited to share this milestone with you by celebrating 19 reasons why it matters.