WUNRN
ACDHRS ACHPR
ACDHRS – African Center for Democracy & Human Rights - http://www.acdhrs.org/
ACHPR – African Commission on People’s & Human Rights - http://www.achpr.org/
Ahead of the African Commission's session, a forum bringing together African and international NGOs was held from 17 to 19 April in Banjul.
TRES/004/4/2015 –NGO RESOLUTION ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA
We, the participants of the
Forum on the Participation of NGOs in the 56th
Ordinary Session of the African
Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the 30th African Human
Rights Book fair held in Banjul, The Gambia from 16th to 19th April 2015;
Recalling the African Union’s theme for the year 2015 of Women
Empowerment and Development in the Realisation of Agenda 2063;
Acknowledging that the Maputo Protocol makes provision for the
various rights of women in Africa and that States are required to report to the
ACHPR on their obligations under the Protocol;
Concerned that women are subjected to tokenistic participation
in key political and decision making spaces;
We the NGO participants,
Call Upon the African
Commission to:
1. Call upon member states to
protect and safeguard women and girl’s sexual and reproductive health rights,
including but not exclusive to providing safe abortion services to women;
2. To review and repeal
punitive laws relating to abortion; preventing forced sterilization and
providing adolescent friendly sexual reproductive health education and services;
3. Call upon member States to
adopt the African Union Land Policy and Initiative to promote women’s access to
land and development;
4. Encourage member States to
report on measures taken to enhance women’s representation and participation in
political and decision making spaces;
5. Call upon States to put in
place policies and laws to ensure that young adolescent girls are able to
continue with their education in a safe and protective environment during and
after pregnancy;
6. Encourage member States to
ensure that women are actively involved at the inception, development and
implementation of peace and mediation processes in Africa.
Done in Banjul, The Gambia –
19th April, 2015