25th September 2024

Shadow report on the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia’s 7th to 10th Periodic Reports (2015-2023) on the implementation of the Maputo Protocol

The Shadow Report on the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia’s 7th to 10th Periodic Reports (2015-2023) on the Implementation of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (the Maputo Protocol), submitted on April 23, 2024, highlights the country’s progress, successes and challenges in effectively implementing the Maputo Protocol. The report is a collaborative effort by Equality Now, the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA), the Network of Ethiopian Women Association (NEWA), the Ethiopian Human Rights Defenders Center (EHRDC), Ethiopian Women Rights Advocate (EWRA), TIMRAN, and the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA). Equality Now provided technical guidance and support to the platform of organisations in the development of the Shadow Report and in its subsequent submission to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

What is the purpose of the report?

The Shadow Report makes numerous recommendations for legal reforms, better implementation of existing laws, and specific actions to address violence, discrimination, and sexual and reproductive health care issues for women. It further emphasizes the need for gender-sensitive policies and practices across all sectors and levels of Government.

Who’s it for?

  • African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
  • Law and policymakers
  • Legal professionals
  • Government institutions

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Key recommendations

  • Legal reform: Adopt and amend laws to comprehensively address violence against women and girls (VAWG), including better definitions of sexual harassment, banning child marriage, increasing penalties for FGM, and prohibiting corporal punishment at home.

  • Gender-sensitive mechanisms: Establish and resource procedures and institutions for reporting, investigating, prosecuting, and protecting survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), ensuring alignment with international standards.

  • Support and accountability: Enhance coordinated rehabilitation and psychological support for survivors, ensure transparent and speedy criminal investigations and trials, and strengthen measures against trafficking and sexual violence.

  • Awareness and data management: Promote training and awareness-raising for officials and communities, implement effective data collection on SGBV cases, and finalise guidelines on child maintenance and protection efforts.

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Kenya Joint Shadow Report on the implementation of the Maputo Protocol

Submitted by Equality Now on behalf of 13 joint stakeholders, this shadow report assesses Kenya’s implementation of the Maputo Protocol and highlights urgent gaps in law, policy, and practice affecting women and girls. It calls on Kenya to strengthen protections against gender-based violence, advance reproductive rights, end discriminatory family law practices, improve access to justice, and protect marginalised women, including refugees, widows, older women, and women with disabilities.

Mauritius Joint CSO Shadow Report on the implementation of the Maputo Protocol

The Mauritius Joint CSO Shadow Report on the Implementation of the Maputo Protocol highlights the urgent need to strengthen protections for the rights of women and girls in Mauritius. The report documents persistent challenges, including gender-based violence, discrimination, barriers to justice and healthcare, and economic inequality, while calling for comprehensive legal and policy reforms aligned with the Maputo Protocol.

Submission Update to the Universal Periodic Review – United States of America 53rd Session of the UPR Working Group of the Human Rights Council

This update examines recent legal and political developments impacting women’s and girls’ rights in the United States, including the continued failure to guarantee constitutional sex equality, ongoing gaps in protections against child marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), growing concerns surrounding online sexual exploitation and abuse (OSEA), and the United States’ increasing disengagement from international human rights systems. It also highlights emerging legislative trends, survivor experiences, and the broader implications of weakened accountability and protection…

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