Millions of women and girls across Africa remain at high risk due to outdated laws and weak legal systems that fail to protect their rights. This month, during the 83rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, a renewed and urgent call was made for legal reform across the continent. The call centers on five key priorities: criminalizing femicide, ending child marriage, ensuring reparations for survivors of sexual violence, safeguarding reproductive rights in conflict zones, and addressing the growing threat of digital and cross-border sexual exploitation.
The appeal is grounded in alarming data. Sub-Saharan Africa holds the highest global number of women and girls subjected to sexual violence in childhood, with over 79 million cases recorded. Yet, laws in many countries still allow marital rape, permit rapists to escape justice by marrying their victims, and place blame on survivors based on behavior rather than forensic evidence. These legal gaps illustrate a system stacked against victims and survivors.
The issues highlighted are not isolated; they reflect systemic discrimination and institutional neglect. Legal systems often fail to deliver justice, and survivors of violence face stigma, prolonged court processes, and secondary trauma. Calls are being made for African Union member states to urgently implement existing frameworks like the Niamey Guidelines, which provide a blueprint for governments to address sexual violence and ensure reparations for survivors.
One of the most critical concerns raised is the lack of legislation criminalizing femicide. Despite increasing awareness and public outrage, many countries do not treat femicide gender-motivated murder of women as a separate offense. Kenya, for instance, reported over 170 cases in one year without a dedicated law. In another troubling case, a man in Cameroon received a suspended sentence and a nominal fine after killing his wife, sparking national outrage. The upcoming African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls presents a vital opportunity for countries to adopt a unified definition of femicide and take decisive action.
In conflict-affected nations like Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war. In Sudan, years of conflict have decimated healthcare infrastructure, leaving survivors without access to emergency medical or reproductive health services. This has led to a surge in maternal mortality, miscarriages, and unintended pregnancies. There is growing pressure for humanitarian efforts to integrate sexual and reproductive health services and for Sudan to ratify the Maputo Protocol, a key legal instrument for advancing women’s rights on the continent.
Child marriage remains deeply entrenched in many African societies. Fourteen of the twenty countries with the highest rates of child marriage are in Africa. Girls married off young are frequently pulled out of school and exposed to severe health risks associated with early childbirth. Advocates are urging all AU member states to raise the legal minimum age of marriage to 18, without exception, and to implement national strategies based on continental guidelines to eliminate child marriage.
The digital realm presents a new frontier of abuse. With internet access growing across Africa, online forms of violence including cyberstalking, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, and online harassment are on the rise. Girls and women, particularly those in the public eye such as activists, politicians, and journalists, are increasingly being targeted. Without strong laws and technical safeguards, digital platforms will continue to be exploited to harm and silence women and girls.
The call to action is clear: protecting women and girls must be treated as both a legal necessity and a moral imperative. The fight against gender-based violence in Africa requires urgent political will, legal reform, and sustained investment in justice systems that work for all.
