REPORT ON INTERSESSION ACTIVITIES
Of the
SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR
ON
THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA
------------
39TH Ordinary Session
AFRICAN COMMISSION ON
HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS
11 to 25 May 2006, BANJUL, The Gambia
This report describes my activities carried as Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa between the 38th and the 39th Ordinary Sessions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Activities carried out during the 38th Ordinary Session of the African Commission.
Intersession Activities:
I plan to look into two issues with the Minister of the Interior: first the institutionalisation of police departments dealing with violence against Women and Children. and second, the training of police officers in the SADC area of East Africa on violence against women.
Actually, there is a manual on training of police officers in the SADC region and I plan to work on it and encourage other regions in Africa to use such tools.
With the Minister of Public Works I will go into the pivotal issue of access to drinking water.
The Minister of Labour acquiesced to my request for an audience but unfortunately I could not attend. I do know, however that strategies on labour have been adopted recently and that certain chapters are devoted to women;
Proposed distribution of the Protocol
Current assignments:
Proposed Missions
WAY FORWARD
To date, 18 countries have submitted their ratification instruments to the Commission of the African Union: Benin, Cape Verde, Comoros, Djibouti, The Gambia, Libya, Lesotho, Mali, Malawi, Mozambique, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, de South Africa, Senegal, Seychelles and Togo. A number of countries are on the verge of submitting their ratification instruments to the African Union, including Algeria. I hereby urge countries that are yet to ratify this important instrument to do so expeditiously, and without reservations.
Further, I would like to highlight at this point that in May 2006 The Gambia lifted all the reservations the Government of the Gambia had expressed in September 2005 when the Protocol was ratified.
The Notes Verbales sent to Members have proved useful in the rapid ratification of the Protocol. However, since a number of States have yet to sign or ratify the Protocol, I plan to follow-up on this issue with the member states concerned by sending them Notes Verbales. I will also continue to urge my fellow Commissioners to appeal to Governments to ratify and implement the protocol. I will keep up my cooperation with the NGOs and seize this opportunity to mention their hard work for the promotion and protection of Human Rights in Africa.
The distribution of the Protocol is of capital importance. Women whose rights are violated should know their rights as well as the available remedies for redress. In order to promote the application of the protection mechanisms of the African Commissions, training workshops should be organised for NGOs representing women’s rights.
In this light, Professional Training for national judiciary staff should be encouraged to ensure proper domestication of the Protocol in the National Laws.
The implementation of the Protocol is now a priority following its entry into force, on 25 November, 2005. Actions aimed at the realisation of women’s rights encompass the strategies for the ratification by all African Union Member States, the distribution and the implementation of the Protocol.
This is the spirit guiding our actions and I urge all Member States, international, government, and non-governmental organizations to strive for the promotion and protection of the rights of Women on the African Continent.
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