Recommendations on Women’s Rights

We the participants of the Forum of NGOs participating at the 37^th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ rights and the 11^th African human rights book fair held at the Corinthia Atlantic Hotel, Banjul, Gambia from April 24 to 26, 2005,

The African Commission should pass a resolution to urge member states to effectively implement national legislation and international instruments pertaining to women’s rights.
In particular the African Commission should remind member states of their commitments in the solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa. This includes the commitment to ensure that the protocol on the rights of women in Africa enters in to force by July 2005.
Involve women in the development process of policies and national programs for a better consideration of their needs.
Member states should encourage NGOs to include rights based approach in their programming.
Setting up of post literacy classes.
The strengthening of financial means devoted to women.
Awareness raising and capacity building initiatives at national and regional levels should be intensified. Target groups for such initiatives should include:

Parliamentarians
Traditional Leaders
Religious Leaders
Law enforcement agencies
Government officials
Judiciary; and
civil society

Effective collaboration with stakeholders such as the Media, Librarians, Academics and the Private sector has a potential to enhance the effectiveness of awareness raising and capacity building initiatives.
In all activities the particular challenges and needs of rural women should be recognised.
Awareness raising and capacity building initiatives should follow a holistic approach to the promotion of gender Equality.
Synergy should be developed with regards to the implementation of the African and United Nation framework for the promotion of Women’s human rights and gender equality.
While it is recognised that the law and in particular, international instruments such as the women’s protocol and CEDAW, is an important tool in the promotion of gender equality.
Closer collaboration should be sought with the African Union gender directorate and the United Nations structures and promotion of gender equality.
Entry points for the effective promotion of gender equality should be sought with regards to initiatives of the African Union such as the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the African peer review mechanism.
A working group should be established to consider the latter recommendations and to report back at the next NGO forum.
The campaign for ratification of the women’s protocol should continue until ratification by all member states has been achieved.
In a parallel process, a framework for the effective implementation of the women protocol should be developed. Such process should encourage the sharing of best practices.
A working group should be established to work with the special Rapporteur on the rights of women in order to:

Consider the matter of reservations to the women’s protocol and to develop strategies to encourage ratification without reservations.
Elaborate guidelines for reporting on the women protocol as part of the country reports.

Done in Banjul, April 26^th, 2005