Meeting in Yaoundé on March 05, 2026, on the occasion of International Women’s Rights Week, civil society organizations from Cameroon and the Central African Republic launched a regional campaign calling on states in the sub-region to ratify the new African Union Convention on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls.
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Civil society organizations committed to the defense of human rights launched, on March 5, 2026, in Yaoundé, a regional advocacy campaign for the ratification of the new African Union Convention on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls. The initiative particularly concerns two Central African countries: Cameroon and the Central African Republic.
The meeting, organized by the organization New Human Rights as part of International Women’s Rights Week, brought together government representatives, international partners, media, and civil society actors. It marks the official launch of a campaign aimed at accelerating the ratification of the Convention adopted by the African Union in February 2025.
According to the Action Coalition to End Violence Against Women and Girls in Central Africa, gender-based violence remains a worrying reality in the region. The results of a socio-legal study and a monitoring report conducted in Cameroon and the Central African Republic reveal, in particular, the persistence of sexual, domestic, and community violence affecting a large number of women and girls.
The data presented also indicate that women living in contexts of conflict, displacement, or precariousness are particularly exposed. Survivors also continue to face significant obstacles in accessing justice, protection services, and reparation mechanisms.
In view of these findings, the new African Union Convention is presented as a major step forward. The text strengthens the obligations of States regarding the prevention of violence, the protection of survivors, and the harmonization of national legislation with regional standards for the defense of women’s rights.
The Coalition thus calls on Central African governments to quickly initiate ratification procedures. It also invites national parliaments to support these processes and international partners to accompany the implementation of the commitments.
For the signatory organizations, the ratification of this Convention represents a historic opportunity to transform political commitments into concrete measures capable of guaranteeing safety, dignity, and access to justice for women and girls in the region.
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