Overview: Africa confronts a growing anti-gender pushback
At the 85th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), a clear warning rang out from Equality Now, a leading women’s rights organization. The group urged African states to reinforce legal and practical protections for women and girls as anti-gender narratives gain traction across parts of the continent. The session highlighted persistent violence, discrimination, and shrinking civic space that together threaten decades of progress in gender equality.
Context: rising anti-gender sentiment and its implications
Advocacy groups warn that political rhetoric and policy measures framed as protecting tradition or family values are increasingly used to undermine women’s rights. In several countries, legislation and implementation gaps remain that allow gender-based violence to go unaddressed, access to resources to be uneven, and women’s political and economic participation to be curtailed. Equality Now emphasized that this pushback is not theoretical; it translates into real harms for women and girls, from early marriage and restrictions on reproductive rights to limited access to justice for survivors of violence.
What Equality Now is urging
The organization called on African states to strengthen both protective laws and the practical systems that uphold them. Specifically, it urged:
- Enforce comprehensive protections against gender-based violence, with accessible reporting channels, survivor-centered services, and robust criminal enforcement.
- Close gaps in legal frameworks related to women’s rights, including land and property ownership, inheritance, and access to fair wages in line with regional human rights standards.
- Improve access to sexual and reproductive health services, ensuring informed consent, confidentiality, and non-discrimination.
- Protect women’s political participation by countering discriminatory electoral and public office practices and ensuring safety for women leaders and activists.
- Strengthen civic space for women’s rights NGOs, ensuring funding, protection from harassment, and freedom of assembly and association.
- Invest in data and accountability—regularly collecting gender-disaggregated data and publishing progress toward agreed targets to inform policy and public debate.
Why this matters for the continent
Gender equality is a driver of inclusive growth. When women have equal access to education, health care, and economic opportunity, families thrive and communities become more resilient. Conversely, rollbacks in women’s rights often correlate with higher poverty, reduced educational attainment for girls, and slower progress toward peace and development goals. The ACHPR session underscored that safeguarding rights is not merely a social issue but a strategic investment in Africa’s future.
What countries can do next
Strategic steps include accelerating passage and implementation of gender-protective laws, strengthening judiciary capacity to handle gender-based cases, and investing in public awareness campaigns that counter misinformation while highlighting the benefits of gender equality. Regional bodies can harmonize standards, while national governments should prioritize budget lines for women’s rights services and support for civil society organizations working on implementation and monitoring.
Conclusion: a call to durable commitments
The ACHPR debate and Equality Now’s warning together illuminate a pivotal moment for Africa. By reinforcing protections for women and girls now, African states can guard against backsliding and advance a more just, prosperous future for all citizens.
