Source: Graphic Online
The African Union (AU) Ministers of Gender and Women Affairs have held a consultation meeting at the African Union Hall of the AU Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations in New York to discuss various issues related to the priorities of women, gender and development 2016 and beyond.
Under the Chairmanship of Mrs Patricia Kaliati, the Chairperson of the Bureau of the AU Specialised Technical Committee (STC) on Gender and Women's Empowerment, the meeting was at a side event of the ongoing 60th Session of the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women (CSW60).
Deliberations on review of Strategies for the Ratification and the Implementation/Domestication of the Maputo Protocol, constituted the major subject for discussion at the meeting.
Adoption
The Maputo Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, was adopted by the Second Ordinary Session of the 'Assembly of the African Union' in Maputo, Mozambique, in July 2003 and is opened for signature, ratification and accession by the 53 African States in accordance with their respective constitutional procedures.
According to a report from the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights 2016, 36 states, including Ghana, have so far signed and ratified while 15 states have signed but not ratified with three states that have not yet signed or ratified.
Rights of women in Africa
The state parties to the protocol adopted the document after considering the fact that, Article 66 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights provides for special protocols or agreements if necessary, to supplement the provisions of the charter and that the Assembly of Heads of State and Government at a meeting of the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU), in its 31st Ordinary Session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in June 1995 endorsed by a resolution, the recommendation of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights to elaborate a protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa.
The representatives from a number of African countries in their submissions maintained that there was the need for countries that had not yet signed and ratified the protocol to do so, but while some contended that there was the need for timeliness in the operationalisation of the protocol, others held a contrary view that there was no need to rush with the process but what was critical was the demonstration of the political will by the state parties to plan what was achievable.
Mrs Kaliati maintained that the ball was in the court of the state parties to do more to address the issue of gender inequality, adding “maybe, 2017 may be the year of women”.
In her contribution, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, contended that Ghana aligned herself to the submissions by the countries calling on state parties to ratify the protocol and regularly submit their reports in line with the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal Five (SDG 5), on gender equality and women empowerment.
Women empowerment challenge
At the 8th African Union Gender pre-summit under the AU Year 2016 theme "African Year of Human Rights with particular focus on the Rights of Women" in January this year in Addis Ababa, participants reportedly noted that gender and women empowerment frameworks still remained a challenge for most African countries due to their slow pace of ratification and domestication as well as inadequate technical and financial resources to operationalise the gender and women empowerment agenda.
The meeting, held alongside the 26th Ordinary Session of Heads of State and Government of the AU, also underlined the fact that only three member states had reported on measures they were taking to implement the Maputo Protocol as required by Article 26.
The Protocol
With 32 Articles, the Protocol offers definitions of words and phrases in the document, defines its purpose and charges state parties to eliminate discrimination and harmful practices against women and children, promote their access to justice and equal protection before the law, right to participation in the political and decision-making processes, as well as their protection to peace.
It also enjoins state parties to protect women in armed conflict, guarantee them the right to education and training, provision of economic and social welfare rights, health and reproductive rights, guarantee widows' rights, right to inheritance, special protection of elderly women and special protection of women with disabilities as captured under various Articles of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.
The Protocol, which makes provisions for the submission of proposals for its amendment, or revision by any state party also enjoins all state parties to eliminate every discrimination against women and children and to ensure the protection of their rights stipulated in international declarations.