Yèyé Bunmi Dipo-Salami, Executive Director BAOBAB
The Nigerian women’s rights organization Baobab for Women’s Human Rights (BAOBAB) has warned that a proposed “pause” on the ratification of the African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (AU‑CEVAWG) would be a costly misstep, denying millions of African women and girls the immediate, specialized legal protection they urgently need.
In a statement released Monday, BAOBAB highlighted the Convention’s unique strengths, particularly its explicit definitions and obligations for addressing modern threats such as femicide and cyber‑based violence.
“The AU‑CEVAWG is the first African instrument to explicitly address violence in cyberspace,” the group said, quoting Article 1 of the Convention, which provides “clear definitions and obligations for addressing violence in Cyberspace, a crucial and modern step that no other African treaty has taken, ” the group stated in a release
The organization rejected the notion that the treaty is imperfect and therefore should be delayed. “The strategy cannot be to wait for a perfect treaty; the strategy must be to use the tool we have now to start saving lives and protecting rights,” BAOBAB asserted.
It argued that halting progress now would create a “prolonged stalemate—a luxury women facing violence cannot afford.”
The group also emphasized the Convention’s broader protections, including its focus on violence in both formal and informal work sectors, a survivor‑centred approach, and gender‑responsive budgeting.
“It establishes a Survivor‑Centred Approach and mandates Gender‑Responsive Budgeting,” the statement noted, underscoring the legal supremacy the instrument brings to the continent.
While acknowledging gaps—such as the use of the broad term “Harmful Practices” instead of naming child marriage and female genital mutilation—BAOBAB framed these as implementation challenges rather than reasons for rejection.
“Our review is a roadmap for implementation, not a reason for rejection, and it ultimately calls for all Member States to ‘ratify, domesticate, and fully implement the AU‑CEVAWG’,” the group said.
The organization called on civil society partners to unite behind an immediate three‑pronged action plan: accelerate ratification across the continent, demand that national domestication processes close identified gaps, and secure additional resources for the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to fulfill its new mandate under Article 14.
“Civil society must use the safeguard clause in Article 15 to aggressively push for the highest standards during domestication and judicial application,” BAOBAB urged. “We must transform our advocacy from fighting the document to using the document to ensure that every woman and girl in Africa lives free from violence, discrimination, and fear. The stakes are too high to pause.”
The appeal comes as the 16 Days of Activism campaign this year spotlights technology‑facilitated violence, reinforcing the urgency of enacting the Convention’s forward‑looking provisions before the window of opportunity closes.
