8th October 2026

Statement by Equality Now (Observer Status No. 281) on the Occasion of the 89th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights

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Equality Now’s statement to the 89th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) calls for coordinated action to safeguard women’s and girls’ rights across Africa. It raises concerns about proposed regional frameworks that could weaken existing human rights protections, threats to women human rights defenders, and persistent gaps in addressing sexual violence, child marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), and digital violence. We urge the Commission and Member States to uphold regional human rights commitments, strengthen accountability, and ensure survivor-centred protection and access to justice.

What’s inside the statement?

  • Threats to existing human rights protections: Concerns about the Draft African Charter on Family, Sovereignty and Values and its potential to undermine established rights.
  • Protection for human rights defenders: Gaps in the Commission’s draft declaration, including inadequate safeguards for women human rights defenders and their rights in digital spaces.
  • Sexual and gender-based violence: Legal and implementation gaps, conflict-related sexual violence, child marriage, and barriers to justice and survivor support.
  • Female genital mutilation in Mali: Concerns about online content promoting the practice and the need for legislation, enforcement and education.
  • Digital governance and accountability: Opportunities to strengthen protections against technology-facilitated gender-based violence and centre African women’s and girls’ perspectives in digital policy and artificial intelligence governance.

Who’s this statement for?

  • African Union institutions and human rights mechanisms
  • National governments and policymakers
  • Civil society organisations and women’s rights advocates
  • Legal practitioners and human rights experts

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Key recommendations

  • Reject the Draft African Charter on Family, Sovereignty and Values to safeguard existing human rights protections.
  • Replace the current draft declaration with a rights-based framework that strengthens protections for women defenders online and offline.
  • Prioritise accountability for conflict-related sexual violence and urge states to criminalise sexual violence, including marital rape, strengthen survivor-centred services and establish 18 as the minimum marriage age.
  • Urge Mali to criminalise FGM through effective legislation and enforcement, counter its promotion, and strengthen public awareness and school-based education.
  • Expedite and resource the Resolution 591 study, meaningfully including African women and girls in digital and AI policymaking, and ensure binding accountability for technology companies and platforms.

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8 October 2026

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Statements
Achieve legal equality

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For more information, contact programs@equalitynow.org.

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