Mobilization of women’s rights and human rights organizations to contribute to the development and to support the process of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on women’s rights in Africa

Project: Beijing +10 -Mobilization of women’s rights and human rights organizations to contribute to the development and to support the process of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on women’s rights in Africa

Financial partners: CECI – African Women Development Fund – OSIWA.

Total Cost: 

CECI – DCF / ACDI : 154 621 476 FCFA.

OSIWA :146 620 $ (2004-2005)

UNIFEM: 35 000 $ (2004-2005)

 Duration:5 years

Countries : regional

Project: Mobilization of women’s rights and human rights organizations to contribute to the development and to support the process of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on women’s rights in Africa

Objective: It is a vast program in many phases started in 1999 and which aims to mobilizing the women’s rights and human rights organizations to contribute to the development of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on Women’s Rights and the support of its implementation  

Results

• Women’s rights and Human Rights Organizations as well as the organizations of the civil society in general in the beneficiary countries are informed on the existence and the contents of the draft Protocol;
• They have identified the items which are critical for women in their respective countries;
• Amendments and proposals for the improvement of the text as well as precise information on the situation of the rights needing to be protected by the protocol were collected;
• The organizations are sensitized on the necessity to undertake actions to support the whole process until the effective implementation of the Protocol;
• An advocacy tool was produced to support the advocacy actions;
• Consultation Committees for the actions were set up at sub-regional and regional levels;
• It was effectively possible to influence the writing of 14 of the 24 articles of this unique instrument in Africa for the protection of women’s rights.
• A regional meeting of the networks of the civil society working in the different African sub-regions gave the opportunity to harmonize the strategies of the civil society of the West, Eastern, Central, Southern and Northern Africa.
• An advocacy tool on the Protocol entitled “Advocacy for the draft Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on Women” was elaborated by the WiLDAF/FeDDAF sub-regional chapter to support the advocacy actions towards the deciders within the countries and sensitize the populations in order to create a public opinion more favorable to the instrument.
• A consultation committee for the actions set up at regional level is coordinated by WiLDAF/FeDDAF as the coordinator of the steering committee of the project for the West African sub-region.
• The delegates at the Heads of States and Governments summit of Lusaka were sensitized on the Protocol and the new amendments of the regional Committee.
• The first Meeting of the Experts: The countries sent experts who were qualified and sensitive to the promotion of women’s rights as well as to the amendments of the committee.
• adoption of the Protocol by the Executive Council (Ministers of Foreign Affairs)
• The protocol is adopted by the African Union heads of States and governments in July 2003