Pan African Parliament Opens Yaoundé Forum to Finalize Continent wide Model Law on Gender Equality

Five‑day technical meeting unites African legislators, AU institutions and civil‑society experts to harmonize gender legislation across the continent.

The National Assembly of the Republic of Cameroon on Wednesday opened a high‑level technical meeting charged with refining and consolidating the Model Law on Gender Equality and Equity—a flagship legal instrument being drafted by the Pan‑African Parliament (PAP) to guide African Union (AU) member states in modernizing their gender laws.

Running through 12 May, the gathering brings together members of PAP’s Permanent Committee on Gender, Family, Youth and People with Disabilities, representatives of the African Union Commission and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Cameroonian lawmakers, civil‑society advocates and national human‑rights institutions. The session will subject the zero draft of the Model Law to a clause‑by‑clause analysis, integrating feedback harvested from a series of regional consultations held with the support of the AU’s Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC).

Filling the implementation gap

PAP launched the initiative after noting the slow pace of ratification of the 2003 Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (the Maputo Protocol) and the fragmentation of national gender‑equality statutes. The committee’s chairperson, Hon. Dao Mariam Gabala of Côte d’Ivoire, told delegates the law is intended to “ensure clarity, practical relevance and applicability in different national legal contexts,” while remaining consistent with member‑state legal systems.

“Our priority task is a rigorous structural analysis of the draft,” Hon. Gabala said in her opening remarks. “We must also incorporate the African Union’s newest legal instruments—notably the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Violence Against Women and Girls adopted by Heads of State in February 2025—so that the Model Law reflects the most recent continental standards.”

Cameroon’s commitment

Welcoming participants on behalf of the host legislature, Hon. Mary Muyali, Deputy Speaker of Cameroon’s National Assembly, stressed that the country’s political leadership “attaches great importance to women and to the respect of their rights.” She expressed confidence that the meeting would “improve the legal instruments of our states not only for the welfare of women but for just and equitable societies where everyone has a place.”

Cameroon’s Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, Professor Marie‑Thérèse Abena Ondoa, provided an overview of national initiatives aimed at closing gender gaps and pledged closer collaboration with PAP “to leave no woman behind.”

Broad‑based participation

The PAP delegation in Yaoundé includes committee members Hon. Professor Mohamed Randa (Egypt) and Hon. Elizabeth Masuku (Zimbabwe), supported by the institution’s legal and research staff. Experts from civil‑society organizations and national human‑rights bodies are contributing technical inputs on best practices for mainstreaming gender considerations in budgeting, political participation, education, health and the fight against gender‑based violence.

What Comes Next

Upon conclusion of the Yaoundé review, a consolidated draft will be prepared for consideration by PAP’s plenary and subsequently transmitted to the AU policy organs. Once adopted, the Model Law will serve as a template for member states seeking to align domestic legislation with continental and international commitments, including the Maputo Protocol and the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

With Africa’s Heads of State having declared 2025 the Year of Eliminating Violence Against Women and Girls, delegates say the timing of the meeting underscores the urgency of equipping governments with robust, coherent legal tools. As Hon. Gabala noted, “Achieving gender equality is not just a moral imperative; it is a prerequisite for Africa’s inclusive development. The Model Law is our roadmap.”