Africa: SOAWR - Feedback on the citizen continental conference, Sharm El-Sheikh
Every year, SOAWR, which is a regional network of 26 civil society organizations and development partners across Africa working towards the promotion and protection of women’s human rights in Africa, attends. During the Summit, SOAWR challenges the host country to sign, ratify and/or domesticate the AU Protocol on Women’s Rights. Following the Regional consultation strategy on the same held in Tunisia, 2007, SOAWR took up the lead once again and sent press releases and other material to its members and stakeholders in the process urging Egypt, the host for the AU Summit 2008, to ratify the protocol.
Every year, SOAWR, which is a regional network of 26 civil society organizations and development partners across Africa working towards the promotion and protection of women’s human rights in Africa, attends. During the Summit, SOAWR challenges the host country to sign, ratify and/or domesticate the AU Protocol on Women’s Rights. Following the Regional consultation strategy on the same held in Tunisia, 2007, SOAWR took up the lead once again and sent press releases and other material to its members and stakeholders in the process urging Egypt, the host for the AU Summit 2008, to ratify the protocol. SOAWR recognizes that in Egyptwomen human rights defenders have tirelessly called on the Egyptian government to protect and promote the rights of women in the area of family law, civil and political rights, as well as economic and social rights.
* Objectives/outcomes /results excepted,
Objectives:
1. To challenge the host country and visiting delegates to address the issue of ratifying the AU Protocol on Women’s Rights
2. To lobby decision makers on behalf of citizens on the continent regarding important themes of the Summit and beyond
Expected outcomes:
1. To agree on common collaborative efforts and strategies towards ensuring the meaningful involvement of the citizens of Africa into the entire decision-making process of the AU.
2. A common communiqué that will serve as a lobbying tool to influence the decision-making process of the 11th Ordinary Summit.
EASSI’s expected role:
The Eastern African Sub-regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI) is an organisation that works towards the advancement of women in the region through monitoring Government commitments in the countries using the Beijing platform for Action framework.
During the Summit, EASSI’s role was to:
3. Participate in the press conference and outline major objectives and achievements of SOAWR
4. To address the challenges facing women under MDG 7 regarding Water and Sanitation as a basic human right for women and girl sinAfrica
5. Lobby Government representatives to ratify the AU protocol on Women’s Rights
* Evaluation of Activities against objectives, How did the project contribute to achieve the mission/goals of SOAWR?
The project provided space for SOAWR members to address many of the pressing issues facing women in the region. There were also various forums which offered space for healthy discussion and to directly challenge the delegates to ratify the protocol.
* Evaluation of Impact/change,
At the moment, it is difficult to evaluate the impact because the Summit has just been concluded.
* Challenge/obstacles/changes
Challenges included:
* Receiving accreditation for the Summit.
* Postponement of the press conference
Conclusion
EASSI is grateful to SOAWR for the organisation. There was a lot of opportunity to make positive shifts. Possibly, the next time SOAWR could arrange for more private forums which could create more impact and transformation.