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Every day, women and girls across Africa face violence that scars their bodies, minds, and spirits. This injustice cuts deep into families, communities, and the fabric of society. In February 2025, the African Union took a historic step to confront this crisis by adopting the Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (CEVAWG). This legally binding treaty stands as a bold declaration: violence against women and girls will no longer be tolerated or ignored.
What Makes the CEVAWG Convention a Landmark?
Unlike declarations or guidelines, this Convention holds legal weight. When a country ratifies CEVAWG, it binds itself by international law to eliminate violence in all forms; physical, sexual, emotional, economic, and psychological, whether occurring at home, in public, or online. The Convention covers every situation, from peace to armed conflict and disaster, recognizing the pervasive threat women and girls face.
This binding nature means states must adapt their domestic laws, policies, and justice systems to meet the Convention’s robust standards. They need to protect survivors, provide justice, prosecute offenders, and transform harmful social norms. The treaty mandates periodic reporting to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, creating accountability mechanisms to track progress and expose shortcomings.
Key Provisions That Shape the Fight
Broad Protection Scope: Violence in all spheres and cyberspace receives attention, making no excuse for hidden or normalized abuse.
Victim-Centered Justice: Legal processes must respect and prioritize survivors’ dignity, offering fair, timely, and trauma-informed support.
Prevention Through Culture Shift: The Convention promotes positive masculinity, engaging boys and men as indispensable allies in dismantling toxic behaviors and norms.
Special Safeguards: It explicitly protects vulnerable groups such as women with disabilities, refugees, older women, and displaced persons, ensuring tailored support.
Workplace Rights: Safe, equitable work environments with protections against harassment and exploitation receive direct focus.
Collaborative Enforcement: Governments must coordinate with civil society, communities, and international partners to create integrated responses.
The Promise—and the Hard Work Ahead
This Convention symbolizes a turning point. For the first time, African nations commit collectively to end violence against women and girls under a binding legal framework. It reflects a comprehensive understanding that violence stems from entrenched inequality and discrimination, requiring broad and bold action.
However, ratification presents a major hurdle. To become legally operative within a country, governments must formally ratify the Convention, often a complex journey involving legislative approvals and adjustments to domestic law. Some governments may hesitate or delay, constrained by political landscapes, economic pressures, or cultural resistance.
Without widespread and swift ratification, the Convention’s transformative power remains limited. Enforcement mechanisms and victim support systems risk remaining promises on paper rather than realities on the ground.
How to Turn Commitment into Change
Success demands coordinated, determined efforts:
Strong Political Will and Funding: Governments must prioritize ratification and fully back implementation with human, financial, and institutional resources.
Judicial and Law Enforcement Training: Prosecutors, judges, and police officers need capacity-building to handle cases sensitively and effectively.
Public Awareness Campaigns: Messaging must challenge harmful stereotypes, champion positive male role models, and uplift survivor voices.
Inclusive Civil Society Engagement: NGOs, women’s groups, and community leaders must hold governments accountable and support survivors every step of the way.
Reliable Data Systems: Collecting and using gender-sensitive data lets policymakers monitor progress and adjust strategies smartly.
A Call to Action for Civil Society and Development Organizations
The African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls is a powerful legal tool, yet its promise will only be realized through collective effort. As civil society and development organizations, you hold a vital role in transforming this Convention from paper into practice. Your advocacy can push governments to ratify and implement the treaty swiftly and fully. Your grassroots work can educate communities, challenge harmful norms, and promote positive masculinity.
CSOs are also indispensable watchdogs, ensuring transparency, accountability, and survivor-centered justice. By partnering with affected communities, you can provide essential support services and amplify survivors’ voices. Development organizations can leverage this framework to design evidence-based programs that align with the Convention's goals and promote holistic empowerment.
Together, your leadership, expertise, and dedication can drive lasting change—building safer, more equitable futures for women and girls across Africa. The time to act is now. Embrace this Convention as a foundation for advocacy, programming, and justice, and lead the charge in ending violence once and for all.
About the Author
Valarie Waswa is a lawyer by profession, an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and East Africa by extension, an International Human Rights Law Expert, and the Founding Partner of Valarie Waswa & Co. Advocates
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