Across Africa, Women’s Rights are Moving from Words to Action

Every year International Women’s Day offers us the opportunity to reaffirm our commitments to women’s and girls’ rights.

Yet public opinion and online discourse can attest that the work to fully realise these rights is far from over. Efforts on the ground — in shifting systems, services and everyday life — show us that we have much to be hopeful for.

Rights are not strengthened by statements alone.

They are strengthened when courts apply the law.
When police respond differently.
When councils change who sits at the table.
When communities prevent harm before it happens.

If you think that shift is not happening, look at what is unfolding in Africa.

Across the continent, UN Resident Coordinators and Country Teams are working hand-in-hand with governments, civil society and communities to move women’s rights and opportunities from promises to practice. Here is a glimpse into the myths debunked around women’s rights and the path ahead to a more equal and just world.

If you think women’s rights are only promises on paper, look at Mali, Lesotho and Togo

In Mali, the UN and the government are working together to reform the justice sector. As part of this effort, sexual violence cases are no longer allowed to be settled through mediation, helping protect survivors’ safety and well-being. These cases must now go through the formal justice system, ensuring that survivors can get legal protection. This matters. It tells survivors they are not alone. It tells perpetrators there are consequences. And it reinforces a critical principle: violence against women is a crime, not a private negotiation.

In Lesotho and Togo, survivors know that they don’t have to face the system alone. With the UN’s support, one-stop centres offer medical care, counselling and legal support in one safe place. Survivors do not have to move from office to office and help is organized around them.

If you think women’s rights do not reach security institutions, look at the Central African Republic

The armed forces now have a Gender Directorate inside the military, with UN Women’s support. Its role is to ensure women’s rights and protection are part of military policies, training and day-to-day operations. A training manual on gender and human rights, approved by the Minister of Defence, will help the military prevent gender-based violence and build a more inclusive army. More than 500 military personnel and nearly 200 people involved in civil and parliamentary oversight have already received training to strengthen accountability.

If you think women’s voices in leadership do not matter for justice, let Sierra Leone prove you wrong

The Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act requires that at least 30 per cent of leadership positions in government and private sector are held by women. That shifts who makes decisions. It shifts who shapes budgets and laws. It shifts who young girls see standing at the podium. With support from UN Women and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator, local councils are being trained to put this Act into practice. This has already led to a significant shift in local governance, with more women leaders being elected to councils and gender-responsive priorities being embedded into budgets and policies.

If you think laws alone are sufficient for rights to be realised, learn from Liberia, Malawi and Algeria

After female genital mutilation was banned in Liberia, the work did not stop. With support from the UN Country Team led by the Resident Coordinator, bush schools where Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) was practiced were closed. Community centres now provide safer opportunities for girls and alternative livelihoods for women who previously depended on those practices.

In Malawi, village safe spaces connected to protection and justice mechanisms help identify girls at risk and intervene early. Prevention becomes part of the system, supported by the UN. With support from the UN Country Team, led by the Resident Coordinator and UNDP, 72 women magistrates in Algeria have received mentoring and professional training, strengthening how justice is delivered.

If you think education on rights does not lead to real change, look at Senegal

Girls’ Clubs supported by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and UN Population Fund (UNFPA) are raising awareness about sexual and reproductive health and preventing gender-based violence. They also take part in local planning and budgeting. Local health workers report a sharp decline in teenage pregnancies since the clubs were created. Rights are being exercised, not just explained.

If you think peace and gender equality are at odds, learn from Madagascar and Somalia

Women in Madagascar now participate in the dina, traditional community conflict resolution systems. With support from the UN Peacebuilding Fund, under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator, the UN team, the government and local communities, women now lead local peace committees and shape decisions about how conflicts are resolved.

In Somalia, women peacebuilders are helping resolve disputes through nonviolent communication, a method that teaches people how to listen and respond without hostility. Supported by the UN team including UNDP, the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) and UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator, community leaders, police and judges are settling conflicts more peacefully and efficiently.

This wealth of evidence underscores how Africa is advancing rights that shape daily life for all women and girls.

The right to safety.
The right to justice.
The right to be heard.
The right to lead.
The right to live free from violence.

No country has fully secured women’s rights. Not anywhere.

But the work continues.

And Africa is leading in its own way.