Africa's Women Leaders Urge Ratification of African Protocol on Women's Rights

LIBREVILLE, Gabon — The Sixth Regional Conference of the Network of African Women Ministers and Parliamentarians ended today with the adoption of the Libreville Declaration, a Strategic Action Plan and recommendations of immediate actions to tackle violence against women.

Some of the most powerful women from more than 40 African countries agreed to immediately press their respective governments to ratify and implement the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa to further protect women from violence or discrimination. The ministers and lawmakers also recommended that resources be generated to train legal officials and law enforcement agents to combat gender violence and uphold women’s rights.

Governments and international organizations, they continued, should support the work of civil society organizations and communities to prevent violence against women. The women leaders also agreed to ask governments to strengthen gender issues and to carry out programmes under the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.

The closing session of the four-day conference featured Prime Minister of Gabon, Jean-Francois Ntoutoume Emane. Also speaking at the ceremony were Angelique Ngoma, Gabon’s Minister for the Family, Protection of Children and the Promotion of Women and Fama Hane-Ba, the Director of the Africa Division of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. The event opened on Tuesday 23 November by Gabon’s President, Omar Bongo Ondimba.

The conference coincided with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which was marked by a march of the women ministers, parliamentarians, senior officials and UNFPA’s Executive Director, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, on Thursday 25 November. The two-kilometre march ended in Gabon’s National Assembly, where the institution’s leaders pledged to support legislative initiatives to end gender violence.

Speaking at a press conference earlier that day, Ms. Obaid said: “Violence against women and girls is not inevitable and it must be stopped,” adding that UNFPA advocates a four-pronged approach towards those ends. They include strengthening laws and policies in line with international agreements; ending impunity; recognizing and responding to the needs of victims; and fostering social mobilization and cultural transformation.

Laws and policies must be enforced, budgets allocated and harmful attitudes and practices changed to tackle violence against women and girls, Ms. Obaid added.

“From the time they are on their mother’s knees, children must be taught that violence against women and girls is wrong,” continued Ms. Obaid. “Together, we must generate greater understanding that, under no circumstances, may a State or authority invoke reasons of custom, religion or tradition in order to justify violence against women and girls.” The conference looked into ways to combat gender-based violence as key to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Participants also discussed poverty, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, conflict and escalating gender-based violence. They adopted a charter to guide the operation of their network.

The Network of African Women Ministers and Parliamentarians will hold its next conference in Kenya. It has been working over the past eight years to seek solutions to problems affecting women in their respective countries.

***

UNFPA is the world’s largest multilateral source of population assistance. Since it became operational in 1969, the Fund has provided substantial assistance to developing countries, at their request, to address their population and development needs. Making motherhood safer for all women is at the heart of UNFPA’s mandate.

Contact Information:

Abubakar Dungus
Tel.: +1 (212) 297-5031
Email: dungus@unfpa.org