The Africa Leadership Foundation has called to action for national dialogues on reparative justice for African women and girls to drive policy reforms and create a more equitable future for generations to come.

The ALF Executive Director, Dr Olumide Ajayi, made the call in a virtual dialogue hosted by the Foundation in collaboration with regional partners and stakeholders to commemorate 2025 International Women’s Day (IWD) on Saturday.

Mr Ajayi decried the enduring impacts of historical injustices, including slavery, colonialism and entrenched patriarchy, which continued to manifest in economic disparities, limited access to resources and leadership, and pervasive gender-based violence.

 He explained that the dialogue’s purpose was to incite tangible change, urging national parliaments to initiate national dialogues on reparative justice for women.

 According to him, key recommendations from the discussions will be synthesised into a concise outline and shared with the African Union Commission and other relevant stakeholders, ensuring the conversations translate into impactful policy reforms at all levels.

He stated, “Our dialogue today remains an important part of history and development of Africa as reparative justice transcends merely acknowledging past harm; the legacy of slavery, colonisation, and entrenched patriarchy. That continues to manifest in economic disparities, restricted access to land and leadership, and the widespread gender-based violence that women endure today.’’

 Head of Coordination and Outreach Division, AUC Women, Gender and Youth Directorate, Victoria Maloka, said that the AU Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls was at the core of the reparative justice agenda of the African Union.

Ms Maloka explained that it took a comprehensive legal approach by criminalising all forms of violence against women and girls, ensuring that survivors had unquestionable access to justice while perpetrators were held fully accountable.

 “So, for reparative justice to move from principle to practice, the ratification of the AU CEVAWG must be prioritised by all AU member states so that it comes into force,” Ms Maloka said.

 The Dean of Humanity, University of Cape Town, South Africa, Prof. Shose Kessi, said that women and girls’ vulnerability to violence especially in Africa, was amplified during civil unrest, war, and crises.

Ms Kessi explained that the vulnerability manifested in increasing sexual and other forms of violence, including rape, sexual slavery, exploitation, trafficking and intimate partner violence.

Ms Kessi said, “According to World Bank statistics, 35% of women worldwide have experienced some form of gender-based violence. And although the true extent of violence against women and girls on the African continent is largely out of view, taken for granted, or hidden, the available evidence suggests equally problematic high levels of violence. Women continue to be trapped in low-paying, low-skilled, informal, and exploitative forms of labour and temporary work, making the economic empowerment of women, which is a key determinant of living free of violence, ever more elusive.”

A Ugandan and Secretary General, Pan-African Women’s Association (PAWO), Grace Kabayo, said that PAWO contributed a lot toward the independence and decolonisation of Africa, leading to total liberation and unification of the African continent.

 “It was key in the advocacy for the formation of the Organisation of the African Union, the current AU and the elimination of apartheid in South Africa. Fighting the abuse of human rights of the African people globally and standing for the African cultural norms and values were some of the most important things that PAWO did and continues to do” she said.

Malawian and Women’s Political Leadership Lead, Akina Mama wa Afrika, Chimwemwe Fabiano, reiterated that reparations could take different forms, not always monetary, but also including infrastructure and grants without conditions.

Ms Fabiano said, “We have the 1993 Abuja Proclamation, the 2001 Durban Declaration, and the Accra Declaration on Liberations. So, in terms of policy or legal solutions,- they are there. Hence, the need to connect the dots and build upon them.”

 The meeting concluded with a call to action, urging African countries to ratify, domesticate, and implement the CEVAWG.

 The focus was on igniting a movement that prioritises survivor-centered justice, challenges patriarchal systems, and places African women and girls at the heart of a continental agenda.

 The virtual dialogue, moderated by Gender Justice Lead, Oxfam in Africa, Felister Gitonga, featured participation from 22 countries representing all the five regions in Africa.

 They included South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, DRC, Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, UK and U.S.

 The foundation’s initiative aims to spark sustained efforts to address the enduring impacts of historical injustices, including slavery, colonialism, and entrenched patriarchy which continues to manifest in economic disparities, limited access to resources and leadership, and pervasive gender-based violence.(NAN)