Baobab for Women’s Human Rights in collaboration with the Solidarity for African Women’s Rights (SOAWR), a coalition from Ghana, Liberia and Nigeria organisations are demanding the protection of women and girls from Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
This was contained in a statement by the executive-director for Baobab Bunmi Dipo-Salami, to commemorate the annual 16 Days activism on violence against women and girls, with theme: “Let’s Unite to End the War on Women’s Bodies”.
The statement called for the promotion of the right of women and girls to bodily integrity as enshrined in the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, noting that the Maputo Protocol has been ratified by all the countries in Anglophone West Africa.
According to the statement, the theme of the joint advocacy campaign aims at promoting knowledge and utilization of the Maputo Protocol for the protection of women’s rights is ’Let’s Unite to End the War on Women’s Bodies’.
The statement added that the campaign will increase awareness of the provisions of the Protocol that promote sexual and reproductive health and rights and protect women and girls from SGBV. It will also demand accountability for same from critical stakeholders.
It stated further that West Africa has a long history of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), a crisis which has been exacerbated by armed conflict, climate change, extreme poverty, and the secondary impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the sub-region.
“Global estimates show that about one third of women and girls ages 15–49 will experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime.
“West Africa has a long history of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), a crisis which has been exacerbated by armed conflict, climate change, extreme poverty, and the secondary impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the sub-region,” the statement noted.
“The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25th November 2022 kickstarted the annual global 16 Days of Activism to end Gender-Based Violence. Baobab for Women’s Human Rights joins other organizations and collectives around the world to raise awareness of women’s rights to a meaningful and violence-free life during this period,” the statement added.
