rights Charter Faces ‘Very Long Process’ To Reach African Union
A proposed draft charter on family values, which critics argue would undermine women's rights in Africa, is not currently scheduled for consideration by the African Union. Officials emphasize that the document has not been formally proposed to the AU and would face a lengthy review process if it were.
Why it matters
The charter threatens to weaken the Maputo Protocol, a key treaty protecting women's rights and gender equality across the African continent.
A draft charter on “family, sovereignty and values”, which would significantly undermine the rights of African women and girls, is not likely to be presented to the African Union (AU) General Assembly next February – despite a push from its conservative sponsors.
“That draft instrument has not got to the AU yet, and it is important to state categorically that it was not proposed by the African Union,” said Dr Robert Eno, Registrar of the AU’s African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
“I’ve checked with my colleagues [at the AU headquarters] in Addis Ababa, and they have not received it. It is not scheduled,” Eno told a recent webinar organised by Sexual Health with Equity & Rights (SHE & Rights) on countering anti-rights efforts.
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