This archive report was first published on 3 July 2019.
On July 2, 2019, campaigners from the Solidarity for African Women's Rights (SOAWR) coalition called on governments to enforce laws that protect women and girls in African nations.
The SOAWR, comprising 50 groups from 25 African countries, noted that while most nations had committed to the Maputo Protocol, a pan-African pact on women's rights, states had failed to enforce laws related to marriage, divorce, child maintenance, and inheritance.
The Maputo Protocol, which came into force in 2005, guarantees extensive rights for women and girls in areas such as protection against violence and economic empowerment.
“Family laws are key as the family unit is where the socialisation of gender roles begins. It is where girls first learn their rights and roles in society,” said Violet Muthiga from Sauti Ya Wanawake, a Kenya-based women's rights group.
SOAWR members, including Anisah Ari from the Nigeria-based Women Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative, highlighted the need for governments to enforce family laws to protect women's rights.
“While the Maputo Protocol affirms women's rights to exercise self-determination and bodily autonomy – free from discrimination, coercion, and violence – many African girls and women continue to bear the brunt of discriminatory family laws,” Ari said.
The SOAWR members noted that many nations had enacted progressive family laws in line with the Maputo Protocol, but the laws were not being enforced.
