The African Union* adopted the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, better known as the Maputo Protocol, in July 2003. The Protocol guarantees comprehensive rights to women in Africa, including: the right to participate in the political process, to social and political equality with men, improved autonomy in their reproductive health decisions, and an end to female genital mutilation (FGM).
The articles dealing with reproductive health and FGM have been particularly controversial, with various religious groups opposing these rights as expressed in the Maputo Protocol.
*The African Union is a continental organization of 55 countries in Africa. Some of its major goals are: to achieve unity and solidarity between the member states, to promote peace, and to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of African countries. Its predecessor, the Organization of African Unity, was active from 1963 to 2002.
Illustration of an African woman with hand outstretched. The African Union logo is positioned above her hand (via African Union)