By Victor Okoye
The Réseau des Femmes Leaders pour le Développement (RFLD) has convened a high-level Afrofeminist consultation on the protection of Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) in West Africa.
The consultation, themed “Solidarity, Protection and Lineage of Resistance”, commenced on June 16 at RFLD’s Dakar office in Senegal.
It brought together representatives of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), diplomatic missions, Senegalese government officials, development partners, journalists and women defenders.
Participants examined threats facing women human rights defenders across West Africa, particularly in countries experiencing political transitions and shrinking civic space.
The consultation noted that women defenders face surveillance, harassment, criminalisation, violence and judicial persecution, in addition to gender-specific threats.
These include sexual violence, reputational attacks, family intimidation and attempts to undermine their advocacy and human rights work.
Participants stressed that existing protection mechanisms remained inadequate in spite of interventions by continental, regional, diplomatic and civil society institutions.
They called for stronger protection frameworks driven by the experiences, priorities and perspectives of women defenders.
The meeting featured ACHPR Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Prof. Remy Lumbu, and CIDH Sahel and North Africa Director, Naji Lahsen.
Other participants included former Executive Director of the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS), Hannah Forster; human rights expert, Mabassa Fall; and Senegalese rights advocate, Sadikh Niass.
Development partners represented at the consultation included the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
Sweden’s Ambassador to Senegal, Catharina Cappelin, and senior officials of GIZ Senegal attended the meeting.
Senior representatives of the Senegalese government, feminist organisations and journalists covering human rights issues also participated.
RFLD in a statement on Tuesday said it remained committed to strengthening protection mechanisms for women human rights defenders across Africa.
The organisation described itself as a pan-African Afrofeminist network led by African women, with offices in Porto Novo, Accra, Banjul and Dakar.
According to RFLD, the network has more than 670 member organisations across over 35 African countries.
It added that support from development partners had helped expand programmes supporting grassroots feminist organisations and women defenders.
The consultation was organised under RFLD’s BRAVE Programme, which promotes bodily autonomy, implementation of the Maputo Protocol and protection of women human rights defenders.
Participants said such engagements strengthen solidarity, accountability and support networks for defenders facing threats.
They also emphasised the importance of linking grassroots experiences with continental human rights mechanisms.
The consultation ended with a call for sustained collective action to protect women defenders and strengthen advocacy for human rights across Africa. (NAN)
Edited by Tosin Kolade
