Resolution on Women Rights in Africa
We, Participants of the Forum on the Participation of NGOs in the 44th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples‘ Rights,
Recognizing the various violations to women rights in Africa;
Reaffirming women’s equality in protection, security, freedom of expression as well as all other rights included in all the International Human Rights Instruments;
Recalling the African Platform for Action, the Dakar Declaration of 1994 and the Beijing Platform for Action of 1995 urging all Member States of the United Nations; to take concrete steps to give greater attention to the human rights of women in order to eliminate all forms of discrimination and of gender-based violence against women;
Considering that the African Protocol on Women rights that came into force starting from 25/11/2005 is not yet ratified by all African States;
Recalling that even the states that have ratified this protocol haven’t put it into practice;
Concerned with the violence which women are being subjected to such as: rape, traditional slavery, sexual exploitation, physical harassment; especially in conflict situation;
The NGO Forum recommends the African Commission for Human and People Rights, meeting in its 44th session, to ensure that:
1. All States who have not yet proceeded in the ratification of the Maputo protocol ratify it, and these that already ratified it proceed in its domestication and the application of its provisions.
2. All African States allocate consequent and sufficient budgetary funds to promote and protect women rights.
3. All states to take all appropriate measures to integrate women in the implementation of politics and programs in their respective countries.
4. All states to ensure the security of food chain for vulnerable groups in armed conflict situations particularly in Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and Darfur, Sudan; and to implicate women in the conflict negotiation and resolution process as well as in peace consolidation.
5. All states takes urgent measures to combat women traffic, sexual exploitation and enforced prostitution.
6. All States to integrate « Gender » in their plans, programs and budgets.
7. All states to adopt legislative measures and other measures to ban all forms of slavery, as well as adopting sensibilisation campaigns to change the stigmas vis-à-vis of all forms of traditional and contemporary slavery.
8. All States to take necessary measures to ban all forms of Gender Based Violence, particularly domestic violence.
9. All States to base on the ratified international legal instruments, more significantly, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women CEDAW, the Beijing Platform for Action and the Solemn Declaration on gender equality, in the framework of elaborating programs in favor of women.
10. All states to adopt a particular status for domestic workers.
Done in Abuja, November 9th, 2008
