Project Title: Celebrating 20 years of the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol)
Organisation: The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Office of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa)
Request Type: Call for Newsletter Articles
Closing date: 8 September 2023
Background Information
On 11 July 2023, the Maputo Protocol reached 20 years since its adoption. The Maputo Protocol stands as the first binding regional human rights instruments that exclusively centers on protecting the rights of women and girls across the African continent. The Protocol provides an innovative and progressive rights that are aimed at addressing the challenges that African women and girls cope with.
One of the core mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa (SRRWA) of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission) is to promote the ratification, domestication, implementation, and reporting of the Maputo Protocol. As such, the SRRWA is celebrating the 20 years since the adoption of the treaty through a Newsletter showcasing both the accomplishments achieved and the obstacles encountered since its inception. Therefore, this call for articles is for contributions to the newsletter as part of the year-long celebrations of the Maputo Protocol at 20. The call is open to any interested parties and individuals.
Proposed themes for the Articles:
The Newsletter calls for Articles on the following themes:
The history of the Maputo Protocol, its significance, innovation, and progressive contribution to the rights of women in Africa;
Key institutions for the implementation of the Maputo Protocol (SRRWA, AU Gender Directorate etc) and the work they have done so far;
Write-ups of commemorative activities that organisations (and governments, as applicable) have carried out so far to commemorate Maputo at 20 (including July activities in Nairobi, Kigali and anywhere else);
Highlights of what the Maputo Protocol has achieved so far, and any gaps identified- anecdotal information encouraged- human interest stories welcome; and
Poems, short stories, or visual art commemorating Maputo at 20.
Submission Guidelines
(a)Articles should be written in light, report format, not too technical and not academic;
(b)The use of images is encouraged (especially for the commemorative activities submissions);
(c)Articles should be no more than 800 words in length;
(d)Articles should clearly indicate the name of the author (or organization if submitted as an organization), affiliation, and contact details. The logo of the organization may be added but its use will depend on the final layout of the newsletter;
(e)Articles may be submitted in any of the 5 languages of the African Union (English, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Kiswahili);
(f)The work should be submitted in Book Antiqua font, (text 11 point, footnotes 9 point), single spacing.
Timeframe
Deadline for submission of Articles is 5pm GMT, 8 September 2023. Accepted submissions will be notified by 15 September 2023.
Articles should be sent to the following addresses (all copied):
i. MbengueI@africa-union.org,
ii. meroneshetu34@gmail.com,
iii. susan.mutambasere@up.ac.za
For inquiries and further information, please contact MbengueI@africa-union.org or susan.mutambasere@up.ac.za
