Writing the law, changing the culture: Young women advancing legal advocacy

Every child has the right to be heard, not merely informed. From laws that govern their bodies, policies that determine their education, and systems that define their futures, girls and young women across Africa remain systematically excluded from decision-making spaces that shape their lives. Despite Africa having the youngest population globally, young women hold just 2.2% of parliamentary seats and less than 1% of those seats are occupied by young women.

On this Day of the African Child, we are reminded that meaningful participation is not a privilege to be granted.

Over five years, Equality Now and its partners worked with girls and young women across Kenya and South Sudan to turn this principle into practice. Through the Young Women for Awareness, Agency and Advocacy (YW4A) programme, we ensured girls and young women were in spaces where decisions were made. The programme equipped them with legal knowledge and direct access to the policy making tables where policymakers, government officials and other duty bearers made critical legal and policy decisions.Governments should ensure that this kind of participation is available to every child. 

Claiming a seat at the decision-making table

We had such an opportunity during a consultation  on South Sudan’s Anti-GBV Bill.

A senior government official leading a consultation on South Sudan’s Anti-GBV Bill expressed frustration with the endless CSO consultations. The young women present pushed back, questioning why the legislation had been pending since 2019 and why it does not adequately reflect the lived realities of children and the  youth. She apologised, recommitted to the process, took feedback on the proposed clauses, and has since become a champion in advancing the bill.

The young women who understood the law, human rights and advocacy were in the room and unwilling to let it be dismissed.

This Day of the African Child, we reflect on the right of children and young people to be heard in decisions that affect their lives and to express views freely in all matters affecting them. This right is enshrined in the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, African Youth Charter and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and further elaborated in General Comment No. 12 on the Right to be Heard. 

This right covers participation in legal and administrative proceedings, policy development, and programme design. Yet in practice, it remains  inconsistently realised. Decisions about girls’ safety, education, and futures are regularly made without girls in the room. Even when the best interests of the child are invoked, they are more often determined on their behalf than with them.

Girls and young women supported by Equality Now and our partners CAPaD, YWCA Juba, Global Voices Organization, and Dove Organization consistently participated in consultations, ministry meetings, and back again when commitments produced no follow-up. 

By 2026, the Anti-GBV Bill had been finalised by the Ministry of Gender and reviewed by the Ministry of Justice. The Family Law Bill, which has similarly been pending for years, is undergoing consultations under the Ministry of Gender.

For years, we were activists protesting outside the gates. Through YW4A, we were invited to the Ministry of Justice’s boardroom to provide a technical review of the Anti-GBV Bill. We moved from being loud to being recognised partners in the legislative process,

Beina Evaline, South Sudan

Their influence extended beyond national legislation. South Sudan ratified the Maputo Protocol in 2023, following sustained advocacy by civil society including the same young women and their allies. Currently,  they continue to  engage in the process of domestication and implementation so that the impact of the African Women’s Bill of Rights is realised and  felt in the communities where they live.

Community voices shaping national decision making

Similar stories of young women pushing for legal and policy change emerged in Kenya.

In Kisii, Meru, and Migori counties, girls and young women worked with Equality Now’s partners, Center For Community Mobilization and Empowerment (CECOME), Inua Mama Mjane, and Safe Engage Foundation, to bring community-level evidence into national legal processes. They presented to the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) on gaps in the Sexual Offences Act, contributed legal drafting recommendations to the multisectoral working group examining Kenya’s two-thirds gender rule, and reviewed draft legislation alongside county government officials.

Girls and young women are sometimes consulted about the problems facing their communities. They are rarely recognised as contributors to the technical work of writing and shaping the law and policies. Article 7 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child guarantees children the right to freedom of expression, including the right to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas of all kinds. That right can only  be fully realised children and young people are part of determining what their interests actually are.

For the past 10 years, I have dedicated my efforts to empowering children and young women with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to understand, claim, and protect their rights, enabling them to become active agents in shaping their own futures. Through advocacy, mentorship, and community engagement, I have championed inclusive spaces where every child and young woman is heard, valued, and supported to thrive and realise their full potential,

Stella Achoki of CECOME Kisii, Kenya

Turning knowledge into community action

In Migori County, young women raised concerns about cross-border FGM involving girls as young as nine, a practice that adapted after COVID-19 specifically to avoid detection. FGM is a violation of the right to physical integrity and the right to health, prohibited under Article 21 of the African Charter and Article 24(3) of the CRC. 

Through radio programmes and community outreach, the young women trained through YW4A helped highlight practices that had become difficult to detect  into the public view and strengthened community awareness of their rights.

Others became trusted points of contact for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence,  helping girls and women understand reporting processes, navigate referral pathways, and access support. 

At Safe Engage Foundation, we believe that when children and young women know their rights, they gain the confidence to speak up, make informed decisions, and protect themselves from abuse and harmful practices. Through mentorship, advocacy, and safe spaces, and using art, we are empowering them to become leaders and changemakers in their communities, without undermining play as the perfect way children develop and thrive, we also support play sessions in children’s safe spaces,

Christine Alfons, Safe Engage, Migori, Kenya

In Meru County, sustained advocacy contributed to the establishment of a Gender Justice Court and a County SGBV Bill now backed by the Governor’s office. 

In Kisii County, the Gender Policy was adopted after years of young women drafting submissions and  engagement with county officials who initially did not consider the process a priority.

By establishing Speak Out Clubs in Meru, I empower African children by creating safe spaces where they can openly share their challenges, understand their rights, and develop meaningful solutions to issues affecting their lives. Through creative approaches such as art, drama, and dialogue, children build confidence, leadership skills, and self-expression. The Meru Annual Anti-SGBV Festival further amplifies their voices by providing a platform to raise awareness, advocate for change, and promote child protection. This initiative nurtures informed, resilient, and empowered young people who actively contribute to creating safer and more inclusive communities,

Cynthia Kananu, Inua Mama Mjane, Kenya

Holding governments accountable

Young women also contributed to accountability processes beyond their communities and countries ensuring that their experiences and voices informed accountability at the highest levels. . They  led and contributed to the development of shadow reports and submissions to regional and international treaty bodies, including the African Committee of Experts on the Rights of the Child, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the UN Committee Against Torture, among others. 

Their recommendations were incorporated into the committees’ concluding observations, for action by the countries. 

The organisations that implemented the programme continue to support young women who were trained and mentored to remain engaged in these advocacy and decision-making spaces. They are still advocating for legal reform and implementation of the law, supporting survivors of sexual violence, holding their county and national governments to account, and cascading legal awareness and literacy into action and advocacy.

On this Day of the African Child, we recognise and honour the girls and young women across Africa who are speaking out, championing their rights  despite challenges and barriers. Their experiences show that when children and young people understand their rights and are given opportunities to participate, they strengthen laws, institutions, and communities.

The question for governments, funders, and institutions is whether they will commit to create meaningful opportunities for children and young people to participate, listen intently to their insights, and act decisively upon them. They are more than beneficiaries. They are essential advocates, partners, and architects of the laws and policies that shape their futures.

International treaties that governments have ratified and national laws have adopted are a critical first step towards realising and protecting children’s rights. However, governments have a responsibility to ensure that girls know the law and their rights, know how to speak up, and that when they do, their voices are heard and action is taken,

Nina Masore, Legal Advisor, End Sexual Violence, Equality Now