8th September 2005

Press Release

ADVOCACY COALITION HAILS 13TH RATIFICATION OF AFRICAN WOMEN’S RIGHTS PROTOCOL

Solidarity for African Women’s Rights (SOAWR), a coalition of groups across Africa campaigning for the popularization, ratification and domestication of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, welcomes the Republic of The Gambia’s ratification of the Protocol.

While pleased with the addition of the 13th country to the ratification process, SOAWR still urges the remaining 40 countries that have yet to fully endorse the Protocol to do so immediately and without reservation. So far, Cape Verde, The Comoros, Djibouti, The Gambia, Malawi, Mali, Namibia, Nigeria, Libya, Lesotho, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa have ratified the protocol, and SOAWR has honoured these countries with Green Cards in recognition of their commitment to the human rights of women in Africa.

“We now need to secure two more ratifications for the Protocol to come into force,” said Faiza Mohamed of Equality Now, a coalition member. “We are very optimistic that some countries will positively respond to our call to give African women a reason to celebrate on 29th September 2005 when the African Union will celebrate Pan African Women’s Day," she added. Mohamed also expressed the coalition’s eagerness to see which country will help win the race for women’s rights in Africa.

As SOAWR anticipates the coming into force of the Protocol, coalition members together with other civil society organizations and government representatives are heading to Addis Ababa towards the end of the month to start discussion on post-ratification plans and foreseeable challenges to its implementation.

ENDS

For further information contact:

Equality Now – SOAWR Secretariat
Tel +254-20-2719832
+254-722-805539
Fax.+254-20-2719868
Email: [email protected]