For more than a decade and a half, the Solidarity for African Women’s Rights (SOAWR) Coalition has remained an indefatigable and resolute force for gender equality, calling upon African governments to adopt, ratify, domesticate and implement the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (the “Maputo Protocol”) – arguably the most comprehensive international treaty on the rights of women and girls.
The Coalition has over these years positioned itself as the largest network of women’s rights organizations working on the adoption and universal ratification, domestication, and implementation of the Maputo Protocol. During this period, 42 African countries ratified the Maputo Protocol, leaving only 13 countries that are yet to ratify. With over 50 members in 27 countries, working across the Continent, the SOAWR Coalition is poised to grow in numbers and stride, by ensuring stronger sub-regional clusters that will propel its members to foster greater collaboration at national, sub-regional, and regional levels.
The SOAWR Strategic Plan 2020-2024, developed through a rigorous, highly consultative and member-driven process, will undoubtedly position the Coalition to not only consolidate the gains made over the years, but to galvanize the strengths and expertise of its members to hold African governments accountable for the human rights commitments they have made at the national, regional and international levels. The Strategic Plan places greater focus on ensuring domestication and meaningful implementation, including by lifting reservations, while continuing to advocate for universal ratification by securing the remaining 13 African countries, and hence ensure that no girl or woman in Africa is left behind.