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No country in Africa has achieved gender equality as there are still socioeconomic, political and cultural obstacles that have and are continuously hindering women’s rights and empowerment, according to an analysis by Raoul Wallenberg Institute, a research and academic institution.
The obstacles facing Africa in this regard include the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, adverse government policies, maternal mortality and detrimental cultural practices like female genital mutilation (FGM) and early forced marriages.
In Uganda, incidents of gender-based violence surged during the COVID-19 lockdown, increasing from about 2,386 in 2019 to roughly 8,203 in 2020. Maternal mortality continues to be a major hindrance to realising women's reproductive rights in Africa.
Between 2012 and 2020, around 35 per cent of girls and women aged 15-49 years in Africa underwent FGM. The most affected African countries for girls and women between the ages of 15-49 years include Guinea (94.5 per cent FGM), Mali (88.6 per cent), Sierra Leone (83 per cent), Eritrea (83 per cent), Burkina Faso (75.8 per cent), Gambia (72.6 per cent), Mauritania (66.6 per cent), Ethiopia (65.2 per cent), Guinea-Bissau (52.1 per cent) and Ivory Coast (36.7 per cent).
In the last three decades, Africa has witnessed tangible advancements towards gender equality and women empowerment through action on landmark agreements such as the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women; Convention on the Rights of the Child; the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with a dedicated United Nations-mandated Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
In addition to these global agreements, Member States have adopted specific African instruments to further hasten gender equality. These include the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
The Maputo Protocol, an essential component of the African Charter on Human and People's Rights concerning Women's Rights in Africa, plays a crucial role in promoting women's rights and gender equality. Through the utilization of the Maputo Protocol, women have gained the ability to engage in political and decision-making activities, advocate for enhanced reproductive health services, and eliminate detrimental cultural practices like FGM and early child marriages, among others.
As of June 2023, of the 55 African Union Member States, only 44 have ratified the Maputo Protocol.
The African Union established the Directorate of Women, Gender and Youth, which concentrates on various domains, particularly concerning the empowerment of women and youth. These areas include poverty alleviation, women's economic growth and entrepreneurship, women's health, maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS, education, science and technology, gender-based violence, women's participation in decision-making, the promotion of youth (both male and female), and gender equality in empowering women.
Despite these efforts, gender equality remains elusive and continues to be a challenge in education, access to opportunities and decision-making processes.
Gender equality is a fundamental human right and serves as a cornerstone for a world that is inclusive, peaceful, just, prosperous, and sustainable. Key areas to focus on for achieving gender equality include women's education, health and safety, as well as their economic and political empowerment and decision-making.
The advantages of gender equality extend far beyond women, the authors pointed out. For it to become a reality, all parties involved, including men at grassroots and national levels, in public and private sectors, must take action and insist on accountability to achieve effective outcomes, they added.
