On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS) joins the global community in celebrating the strength, resilience, and leadership of women and girls across Africa. We also reaffirm our commitment to advancing gender equality and strengthening the protection of women’s rights across the continent.
For over three decades, ACDHRS has worked closely with civil society organizations, human rights defenders, and regional mechanisms to promote and protect the rights of women and girls. Through our flagship NGO Forum held ahead of the sessions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, ACDHRS has created a vital continental platform where women human rights defenders, activists, researchers, and policymakers convene to discuss pressing gender issues and develop collective advocacy strategies.
These NGO Forum panel discussions have played a significant role in shaping regional discourse on women’s rights. Each session brings together experts and grassroots actors from across Africa to address critical challenges affecting women and girls, including gender-based violence, barriers to women’s political participation, access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, harmful cultural practices, and the protection of women human rights defenders.
Through these dialogues, ACDHRS has contributed to strengthening civil society engagement with the African human rights system and to ensuring that women’s voices are reflected in advocacy before the Commission. Many of the recommendations emerging from these panel discussions inform civil society strategies and engagement with regional and international human rights mechanisms.
A key focus of our work has been supporting the effective implementation of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol). Through training programs, youth advocacy initiatives, and thematic discussions at the NGO Forum, ACDHRS continues to raise awareness about the provisions of the Protocol and strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations to monitor its implementation at national and regional levels.
Beyond dialogue, ACDHRS invests in capacity building and leadership development for women and youth advocates. Our trainings equip participants with practical advocacy tools, knowledge of the African human rights system, and strategies to effectively engage policymakers and regional institutions. Many participants have gone on to become influential voices in their communities and within regional networks advocating for gender equality and the protection of women’s rights.
The NGO Forum also serves as a space for solidarity and coalition-building among organizations working on women’s rights across Africa. By facilitating partnerships and shared advocacy, ACDHRS helps amplify collective efforts to address structural inequalities and advance the rights of women and girls in diverse contexts.
As we mark International Women’s Day, ACDHRS calls on African governments, regional institutions, and all stakeholders to strengthen their commitments to gender equality. This includes fully implementing the Maputo Protocol, addressing persistent gender-based violence, promoting women’s participation in decision-making processes, and ensuring that women human rights defenders can operate in safe and enabling environments.
ACDHRS remains steadfast in its mission to work alongside civil society and regional partners to ensure that the rights of women and girls are respected, protected, and fulfilled across Africa.
Together, we can build a continent where every woman and girl lives with dignity, equality, and justice.
