Legal realities, barriers and opportunities for African women's economic rights and empowerment

REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON “RULE OF LAW AND INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA: LEGAL REALITIES, BARRIERS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN’S ECONOMIC RIGHTS AND EMPOWERMENT” HELD IN LILONGWE, MALAWI, 26TH – 29TH JUNE 2018 

At a recently concluded on engaging the Rule of Law and Inclusive Development in Africa, issues of ‘Legal realities, barriers and opportunities for women’s economic rights and empowerment’ were discussed. This theme presented an opportunity to influence women’s inclusive development and address their exclusion in terms of accessing justice. The workshop was attended by women policy influencers, academics, civil society advocates and human rights practitioners. The attendees came from Kenya, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Swaziland, Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia.

The goal of the gathering was to create a platform for participants to participate in deliberations and discussions on how progress relating to women’s economic rights and empowerment has been monitored and to highlight barriers in their specific countries, regions or sectors of work. To achieve this the participants provided updates on countries where the legal framework (including customary law) guarantees women’s equal rights to land ownership and, or control; updates on reforms (finalised and ongoing) that give women equal rights to economic and productive resources (finances, trading, water), updates on access to ownership and control over land (promotion of women’s secure rights to land, inheritance); discussions on social protection systems and how they can and have been used to counter life shocks for the vulnerable, especially women; and updates on other progress or limitations towards economic gender equity through the adoption of women-specific measures.

Regional Project On Rule Of Law And Inclusive Development In Africa: Rhetoric, Contestations And Options For Access Justice For Women Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Rule of Law Program for Sub‐Saharan Africa, Windhoek, Namibia, 20th ‐21st January 2017

Between the 21-22 January Windhoek, Namibia was the place to be as a Regional High-Level Dialogue, or Workshop and engagement session took place involving key stakeholders and decision makers in the space of Africa women's rights. The project was organised under the auspices of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung's Rule of Law Programme for Sub-Saharan Africa,

The workshop and networking session was a culmination of a project that has been in the making for almost a year. The intention was to reflect on how a rule of law that is inclusive can and should look like especially within the space of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. The inclusiveness, prosperity, and stability underlying the spirit of Agenda 2030 is very important to the Agenda of human rights, specifically as relates to African women, who are 'the excluded of the excluded'. Thus a project that was built on engaging with challenges that these women have faced during the last 15 years or so, and discussing innovative ways on how to move forward in the next 15 years seemed not only overdue, but also necessary. 

Thus women and stakeholders, from Eastern, Western and Southern Africa gathered to set pace for such engagement and determine relevant approaches to employ in the process. The point was also to build a network of key stakeholders who can take this African agenda forward and build relationships amongst each other as the project moves forward and gains momentum. 

During the two days forum participants had an opportunity to inter alia,

 • Discuss evidence based research and policy development, as well as exchange knowledge, experience and best practices on women and access to justice in Africa;

 • Discuss innovative policy implementation options, and point out areas of improvement; 

• Lay a foundation for strong networks of stakeholders and women’s rights advocates at national, regional and continental levels; 

As a way forward, the workshop underscored the need for, 

• Building strong networks and coalitions on the continent to promote and protect women’s rights; 

• Enhance public awareness at all levels on matters women’s rights with special mentions of increased use of ICT and social media to ensure wide reach; 

• Multi-faceted approach and building synergies among various disciplines and stakeholders to advance women’s rights; 

• Benchmarking and sharing best practices across the continent;

 • Defining, identifying and strengthening legal and judicial systems that effectively and adequately address women rights’ issues as may be applicable from situation to situation and society to society provided that basic minimum standards that guarantee fairness and justice are adhered to and upheld by all.

The workshop was graced by Rashida Manjoo, Professor, Public Law Department, University of Cape Town and Former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences; Hon. Dr. Nancy Baraza, Senior Lecturer and Head of Public Law Department, University of Nairobi and Former Deputy Chief Justice and Vice President of the Supreme Court of Kenya and Kondwa Sakala-Chibiya, Legal Practitioner and Vice Chair, Zambia Human Rights Commission among others.

By Dr Olivia Lwabukuna (Project Coordinator)

Global Governance Reform Initiative: Migration Governance

December is last month of the year and it has been an interesting end to a very busy year. As proponents and opposers of migration have engaged each other in various capacities, at election and political level, this ushered in Brexit and Donald Trump. Not to mention a few others on the way in Europe. At moral and economic level it provided unexpected and controversial funds for Turkey, Africa and number of summits and Valetta and elsewhere. It has been political, humanitarian and well moral struggles that have defined the response to the issue of migration.

But there are other approaches that though quietly being done, pose a possible solution, or perhaps hope. The Global Humanitarian Summit, the first of its kind, was a good drive to get the ball running, the Global Migration Compact seemed like another, though it is rid with a lot of mortal and political potholes. Lets give it a chance and see. The Global Forum on Migration and Development in Bangladesh is a continuation of these and so many other efforts.

As part of an interesting session in Hague hosted by the @HagueInstitute on a similar topic with international experts group set up as a policy advisory engagement, I heard interesting points of view. Limited points of view from the refugee and migrant producing global south, but interesting and engaging nevertheless.

The Global Governance Reform Initiative (GGRI) is a collaboration between The Hague Institute for Global Justice, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Observer Research Foundation (New Delhi). Its primary goal is to analyse the deficiencies of the current international system and propose policies for improving global governance in select domains. The present focus of this project is on the (global) governance of migration.

Effective global governance is one of the defining challenges of our time. Too often, key stakeholders fail to agree on or engage in concerted action to address pressing cross-border problems successfully

Localizing African Structural Transformation: Voicing Lessons from Madagascar

Localizing African Structural Transformation: Voicing Lessons from Madagascar

The 2009 uprising in Madagascar that led to the overthrow of President Marc Ravalomanana and the subsequent intervention of the African Union (AU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) shook Madagascar to its core. The political crisis, which began with tensions and protests, culminated in violence against the opposition, a Malagasy military intervention, and the ousting of the president. President Ravalomanana’s removal was followed by an AU and SADC intervention to mediate and resolve the conflict.

Olivia K Lwabukuna | Africa Inequalities Portal

Olivia K Lwabukuna | Africa Inequalities Portal

Fighting to Live, Living to Fight: Violent Expression and the Struggle Against Dispossession in Unequal South Africa.

By Olivia K Lwabukuna, African Institute of South Africa (AISA),  olwabukuna@hsrc.ac.za A luta continua, as expressed in the form of ‘the struggle continues’ is a phrase encountered almost every day in post-apartheid South Africa. There is an unwritten and informal understanding that the democratic era ushered in by inclusive elections in 1994, has not yet yielded freedom...

Global Migration and its Discontents

Global Migration and its Discontents

Two women enter a tent at the Mentao refugee camp in Burkina Faso in 2012, a camp formed from people leaving the conflict in Mali. Many African countries host far more refugees and migrants than Europe, and the fates of refugees and migrants are linked to both European and African policies.
Photo by Pablo Tosco/Oxfam, via Flickr. Creative Commons.

The migrants and refugees streaming into Europe from Africa and the Middle East have presented European leaders and policymakers with their greatest challenge since the Eurozone crisis. The conflict in Syria continues to be the biggest driver of migration, but other factors, including instability and lack of proper governance in Libya, terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the usual mixed migration patterns from South Asian and African countries, also continue to influence migration patterns to Europe. The European Union’s collective response to this migrant influx and its policy have been ad-hoc, inconsistent, and focused more on national interests and securing the bloc’s borders than on protecting the rights of migrants and refugees.

AFRICA DAY: CELEBRATIONS, QUESTIONS AND REALIZATIONS 

As most cities and states in Africa celebrated Africa day, that is the day that the African Union was officially created, I had a lot of questions than answers. Well the OAU as it was then known has had many transformations, but in essence it remains the same. An organisation meant for Africans, run essentially, and I mean financially by non-Africans and has achieved to an extent questionable gains for Africans. So as an African I joined my fellow Africans to celebrate the day, ask questions and acknowledge realizations.

Glasgow to honour UCT legal expert on women's rights | University of Cape Town News

Glasgow to honour UCT legal expert on women's rights | University of Cape Town News







Her last two reports identified that under international law there are no provisions that impose legally binding obligations on member states to eliminate violence against women. She believes that a specific international treaty is required to address the normative gap, but the UN does not appear to have much appetite for this.

She counts Algeria among her successes. After visiting the country, she met with the Algerian ambassador and her recommendations translated into the government passing a law on domestic violence, which was a unique achievement in the North African / Middle East region

While in Sudan, she was constantly watched by security officials or “well-meaning” government officials who sat in on every interview. After privately speaking to four students from Darfur in her hotel (they had requested a separate meeting), two were picked up by security police when they left. The other two managed to run back to the hotel and, for three hours, Manjoo physically shielded them against arrest. She did so on the grounds that their arrest would constitute reprisals against informants who were sharing information on human rights violations, which would violate the terms of reference governing a country mission. Government representatives from the diplomatic corps managed to resolve the issue, largely to avoid creating a diplomatic incident.

Africa-Italy Ministerial Conference takes off 18 May 2016

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in cooperation with the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), launched the First Italy–Africa Ministerial Conference. The aim is to strengthen Italy’s partnership with African countries by creating the framework for a High–Level Dialogue. The Italian President Sergio Mattarella and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Paolo Gentiloni opened the conference while the Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Nkosazana Dlamini–Zuma will make closing remarks later this afternoon.

Over 40 ministers and ambassadors from 50 countries and top representatives of 15 major international organizations are attending the one–day conference. Among them: Moussa Faki Mahamat, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chad and Chairman of the African Union Council; Nkosazana Dlamini–Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission; Smail Chergui, African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security; José Graziano da Silvia, Fao General Director; Angelino Alfano, Italian Minister of the Interior; Maurizio Martina, Italian Minister of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies; Gianluca Galletti, Italian Minister of Environment; Mario Giro, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs (here is the programme).

The Conference comes at a time when Africa has gained prominence on the agenda of the international community and, in particular, in Italy’s foreign and development policy. ISPI produced the following background papers on the four topics of the event: peace and security, economic development, migrations, socio–environmental sustainability.

ISPI BACKGROUND PAPERS

Peace and Security in Africa by Gilles Olakounlé Yabi Africa and the Middle East are the two regions of the world with the highest conflict burden. Since the end of colonialism, Africa has improved across all measurements of death and war and this trend has accelerated since the end of the Cold War. (continue)   The end of "Emerging Africa"? Prospects for Sub–Saharan Frontier Markets by Giovanni Carbone Africa has been changing fast over the past fifteen to twenty years. Both the growth performances and the international image of the continent went through surprising U–turns, from widespread stagnation and pessimism to unprecedented progress and new prospects. (continue)   Economic development and sustainability in Africa by Riccardo Moro With the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in September 2015, the world shared a new commitment to a future where women and men in all countries can live a decent life with full respect for human rights and dignity. For Africa this is a special challenge due to the large number of people who daily face conditions of vulnerability. (continue)   The sustainability of African migration by Lorenzo Rinelli Under what conditions do we consider migration sustainable? What do we mean by sustainability of migration in an age when more people are on the move on a global scale? What does this mean with regard to the specific case of the African continent? (continue)   Environmental and social sustainability in Africa by Stephen Whitfield The African continent is a rich mosaic of socio–ecological systems, abundant natural resources, varied agricultural production supported by tropical climates, vibrant and diverse cultures and heritage, and active and growing economic centres. However, high rates of poverty and social inequality are underlying causes of limited productivity, land and resource degradation, and the inability of those with the greatest need to benefit from natural resources. (continue)   ISPI Report: "Africa still rising?" edited by Giovanni Carbone After decades of unsatisfying performances, economic growth took off in many sub–Saharan states at the beginning of the 21st century. More recently, however, the end of the commodity cycle and the rise of jihadist violence rocked the "Emerging Africa" boat. Is this the beginning of the end for sustained growth in the region? (continue)

Looking back at Africa 2015's pitfalls and opportunities as a springboard for Africa 2016

Africa 2015 Prospects, Challenges and Opportunities

The world Bank and their Japanese counterparts organised an interesting event last year, which in essence sets the stage for Africa. Haleh Bridi, the Director for External Relations and Partnerships, Africa Region, World Bank made very interesting remarks on Africa 2015: Prospects, Challenges and Opportunities

Africa’s decade of economic growth has energized the continent with a sense of optimism about its future.  However, as the World Bank’s recent Global Economics Prospect indicates, growth in the region is forecast to slow to 4.2 percent in 2015, and be only marginally higher in 2016.  This is largely due to the end of the commodity boom and continued slowdown in the global economy.  The priorities for the continent remain to sustain growth and reduce poverty, while facing challenges of climate change, new threats to stability, and the risks posed by communicable diseases.   But opportunities also exist, and increasingly Africa is seen as an investment destination, not solely as a recipient of development assistance.

Re(dis)membering the plight of ‘others’: Global migration and (un)sustainable development

Re(dis)membering the plight of ‘others’: Global migration and (un)sustainable development





Memories of the year 2015 will forever be scared by shocking images of the lifeless body of a young Syrian boy who had drowned off the coast of Turkey. Global media was abuzz with indignation for such an act and of course fingers were pointed at what should have been done and who was to be blamed. But in that image, our failure as humanity was reflected. Both as a result of the inhuman degradation and insecurity that led that family to run for its life and set off on such a perilous journey, but also as a consequence of global political failure to collectively provide well managed and safe means for such groups of people to exit unsafe and dangerous war zones and find comfort and solace somewhere else.




blog cross-posted from PCDN Blogs