Reparations for women’s rights violations high on Africa’s agenda in 2025
The move aims at addressing inequalities and human rights violations that have disproportionately affected women, particularly those in vulnerable situations, indigenous women, and women from marginalised communities.
MONDAY February 3, 2025
By The Tranquility News Reporter, Tanzania
The legal fraternity, human rights advocates, academia and the diplomatic corps from across Africa and beyond gather in Arusha, Tanzania, today (Monday February 3, 20224) to reflect on last year’s activities of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and to chart out the way forward.
President of Cabo Verde Jose Maria Pereira Neves landed at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam on Saturday ready for officiating at the gathering which will see the 2025 judicial year of the African Court flagged off.
Judges of the African Court will host their counterparts from national, regional, and international courts during the gathering dubbed solemn ceremony.
Also, in attendance of the ceremony are representatives of the African Union (AU) member states, National Focal Points for the Court designated by the AU member states, and representatives of the AU organs and institutions.
Activities of this year’s judicial court centre on Advancing Justice Through Reparations, with focus on women’s reparations, a theme that tallies with that of the African Union: Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.
The theme also aligns with the decision of the AU Assembly adopted during its two-day 37th Ordinary Session held in February last year in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The 21st century heated debate on historical injustices perpetrated against Africans and persons of African descent, particularly slave trade, genocide, colonialism, apartheid, racial discrimination and cultural appropriation remains, informs the theme of the ceremony.
Reparations for human rights violations include one or a combination of different measures, such as compensation, restitution, rehabilitation and reinstatement; measures of satisfaction, such as public apologies, public memorials and guarantees of non-repetition; changes in relevant laws and practices; and bringing to justice the perpetrators of violations.
Much as the theme focuses on women, reparations narrow down to addressing inequalities and human rights violations that have disproportionately affected women, particularly those in vulnerable situations, indigenous women, and women from marginalised communities.
Even when women were subjected to the same violations as men, their socio-economic, legal status, and the cultural meanings in patriarchal societies resulted into different impact of human rights violations.
During times of unrest, for instance, women suffer differently from men as a result of operations randomly targeting the civilian population. They are affected differently when they are executed, imprisoned, tortured, and raped.
Women may be harassed, sexually assaulted, or detained for being related to men involved in the conflict or for coming from communities suspected of collaboration; bearing the brunt of the consequences of violent actions targeting their husbands, sons, and brothers, among others.
They end up becoming the sole breadwinners and protectors of their families once those men are killed, detained, or disappeared.
A day-long seminar on reparations for women’s rights violations that account for low economic status, illiteracy and other harms passed across by the patriarchal systems will be held immediately after the ceremony on Tuesday February 4, 2024.
Themed Rendering Justice for Women Through Reparations, the seminar will attract 200 participants. A month-long public sitting for the delivery of judgments will ensue immediately after the seminar on Wednesday February 5, 2024Ω
