COMMUNIQUE
THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE DEVELOPMENT PRACTIONERS, MEMBERS OF CIVIL SOCIETY, WOMEN'S NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, LAWYERS, RESEARCHERS AND OTHER PERSONS WORKING IN PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION AND ADVOCACY AND WOMEN'S RIGHTS , GATHERED AT A WORKSHOP IN ARUSHA, TANZANIA FROM 29TH TO 31ST MAY 2010 TO, AMONG OTHER THINGS, REFLECT ON MAKING GOVERNMENTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS:– LITIGATING WOMEN'S RIGHTS USING THE AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEMS, HAVE MADE AND ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING COMMUNIQUE:
Reaffirming that public interest practice and advocacy strategies at the national, regional and continental levels are relevant for the enforcement of women's rights in Africa and can be useful for influencing good governance structures at the national level and developing jurisprudence on women's rights in Africa;
Mindful that these are dependent on the existence of independent, impartial and effective institutions that deliver justice without fear or favour;
Acknowledging that despite formal equality in a number of regional and sub-regional documents ensuring women's right to equality and non-discrimination, a significant number of women do not enjoy substantive equality, lack access to justice and are unable to enforce their rights;
Aware that not all African States have yet ratified, adopted and/or domesticated the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa;
THE REPRESENTATIVES hereby commit to:
Deepen the culture of protection and promotion of women's human rights in Africa through diverse strategies including public interest practice;
Encourage the ratification, domestication and implementation of continental and regional human rights instruments;
Support the efforts of the African Union Member States in working towards ensuring and enhancing coordination, complementarity and synergy among continental, regional and national human rights institutions in Africa;
Support African Union Member States in strengthening the capacity of institutions with a human rights mandate at the national, regional and continental levels.
ADOPTED AT ARUSHA, TANZANIA THIS 31ST DAY OF MAY 2010
1. Iheoma Obibi, Alliances For Africa (AfA)
2. Esther Waweru, Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC)
3. Osai Ojigho, Alliances For Africa (AfA)
4. Caroline Muthoni Muriithi, Equality Now
5. Bobi Odiko, East Africa Law Society (EALS)
6. Tikikel Tadele Alemu, United Nations Development Fund For Women-UNIFEM/AU-ECA Liaison Office, Addis Ababa
7. David Hofisi, Zimbabwe Lawyers For Human Rights
8. Solomon Ebobrah, Centre For Human Rights (CHR), University Of Pretoria
9. Barbara Nambi, Avocats Sans Frontieres
10. Sheila Keetharuth, Institute For Human Rights And Development In Africa (IHRDA)
11. Doreen Loina, Legal And Human Rights Centre (LHRC)
12. Corlett Letlojane, Human Rights Institute Of South Africa (HURISA)
13. Blessing Oparaocha, Nigerian Feminist Forum (NFF)
14. Dr. Shakiratu Sanusi (Consultant)