Features
It's time to secure the rights of women in Africa
Solidarity for African Women’s Rights
2009-06-25, Issue 439
http://pambazuka.org/en/category/features/57255
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This special issue of Pambazuka complements the work of the Solidarity for African Women’s Rights (SOAWR) coalition in advocating the ratification, domestication and implementation of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.
Through a series of five articles, it highlights key human rights issues currently affecting women on the continent, putting them within the context of the debates happening at the 13th African Union Summit. The theme for the summit, held from 24 June to 3 July 2009, is ‘Investing in agriculture for economic growth and development’.
The special issue puts the women’s agenda within the theme of the summit, as well as highlighting other violations against women that need to be addressed by African leaders. It is a call on all African Union member states to ratify, domesticate and implement the African Union Protocol on the Rights of Women as it provides a framework for the protection of women in Africa.
Global downturn: What now for African women?
Women's rights and the world financial meltdown
Hilary N. Ervin & Caroline Muthoni Muriithi
A call to action: Implement the Africa Women's Rights Protocol
Norah Matovu Winyi
Promoting women's land rights at the 13th AU Summit
Lyn Ossome
Safeguarding women’s rights will boost food security
Mary Wandia
Denied the right to a dignified life
The forgotten women of Africa
Anushka Sehmi
Readers' Comments
Let your voice be heard. Comment on this article.
Well, the 'argument' is there in the piece; yet the strong essentialising reading employed makes it a rather poor argument. It is, haply, time, we in the gender/women studies departments, strugled to go beyond the 'victim discourse' (or just endeavour to theorise it a little more!). Still, it is not lost to me that the Department of Women Studies at Makerere has accomplished some admirable things. (Only that in such 'dislocated' arguments, we risk the danger of situating the Department and its activities in the not so useful 'activist'entities categorisation,lacking in meaningful scholarly depth.)
Lennox Odiemo-Munara
Egerton University, Kenya
Lennox Odiemo-Munara, Dept of Literature, Egerton University, Kenya
African leaders, majority of whom are men, will not easily see the need for women's empowerment. This is because from the day they were born, society has taught them to view women in a particular image using a biased lense.
Beliefs like; women do not challenge men, do not speak in public, do not inherit/own property, have not rights over ther bodies, are unintelligent, are very evil......are fresh in our leaders' minds and it explains why they marry/ cohabit with so many women.This same artitude is translated into policies and the women will simply continue suffering. The Domestic Relations Bill was not passed by the Ugandan parliament because of the male dorminancy. They were also afraid that they would be criminalised first because they are victims of all kinds of violence against women.
Female decision makers in Africa tend to forget that not everyone enjoys the same privilrdges as them, they need to remember the under priviledged, especially their fellow women.
Women just like men are human, with emotions and needs, please respect their rights.
Depr. of Women and Gender Studies-Makerere University