4th July 2023

Twenty years of the Maputo Protocol: Where are we now?

On July 11 2003, African heads of state and government representatives gathered in Maputo, Mozambique, to adopt one of the most important, comprehensive, and progressive legal frameworks for women’s rights the world has ever seen. Twenty years later, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples; Rights on the Rights of Women, also known as the Maputo Protocol, remains a crucial instrument in recognizing, promoting and safeguarding the fundamental human rights of women and girls across Africa.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Maputo Protocol and to promote the continued adoption and implementation of its progressive provisions, a landmark report has been prepared by the Solidarity for African Women’s Rights Coalition (SOAWR), Equality Now, and Make Every Woman Count (MEWC), titled 20 Years of the Maputo Protocol: Where are we now?

Download your file

Your name(Required)
Your name(Required)
Your name(Required)
Your name(Required)
Your name(Required)

Key recommendations

The full report summarises the progress that has been made in Africa to date toward the ratification, domestication, and implementation of the Maputo Protocol, with a series of detailed case studies illustrating some key achievements and challenges along the way. This evidence is presented alongside recommendations from SOAWR Member Organisations to support States in their continued efforts towards advancing gender equality on the continent. The key findings and recommendations within each of these areas can be downloaded below.

Explore more resources

1

2

3

Words and Deeds: Strategically defending the rights of all women and girls in an era of backlash

Lessons and strategies for defending the rights of women and girls against growing anti-gender backlash worldwide.

Good practices on compensation for victims/survivors of sexual violence in South Asia

A regional analysis of compensation frameworks for survivors of sexual violence in six South Asian countries, with good practices and recommendations to strengthen access to justice.

Advocacy framework for withdrawing reservations to some provisions of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa

A practical advocacy framework by the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa in collaboration with Equality Now and the SOAWR Coalition, raising awareness on and encouraging states to withdraw reservations to the Maputo Protocol and ensure full protection of women’s rights across Africa.

Newsletter Sign-up

Make a donation

I want to donate