Maputo protocol

July 17, 2023

This year marks the 20^th anniversary of Maputo Protocol.
It was adopted by the African Union in Maputo, Mozambique in 2003 in the form of a Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.
- It came into effect in 2005.
It covers a wide range of issues, including political, economic, social, and cultural rights of women.
It guarantees women’s rights to dignity, equality, and non-discrimination, as well as emphasizes their right to participate in decision-making processes at all level.
Of the 55 AU member states, 44 have ratified the protocol.
Full domestication of the Protocol provisions into the national legislature has, in many cases, been slow or ineffective.
The Protocol guarantees extensive rights to African women and girls and includes progressive provisions on-
- Harmful traditional practices, e.g. child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM).
- Reproductive health and rights.
- Roles in political processes.
- Economic empowerment.
- Ending violence against women.