Pan-African Parliament Plenary Reviews Landmark Reports on Gender, Trade, Climate, and Geopolitics

The Pan-African Parliament (PAP), during its plenary session on Tuesday, considered and adopted a series of landmark reports addressing the continent’s most urgent priorities, from gender-based violence and intra-African trade to climate diplomacy and geopolitical policy shifts. The sitting was distinguished by impassioned calls for legal reform, institutional accountability, and concrete action to protect Africa’s most vulnerable populations, particularly women and girls.

1. Advancing Gender Justice: AU Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls

At the heart of Tuesday’s proceedings was the consideration of the newly adopted African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (CEVAWG). The Convention, hailed as a legally binding response to decades of systemic violence, reaffirms every woman and girl’s right to live free from abuse: physical, psychological, economic, and digital.

Strong Calls for Ratification and Legal Commitment

Multiple members issued forceful calls for the immediate ratification of CEVAWG and the Maputo Protocol, framing the issue as both a legal and moral emergency.

·       Hon. Massamba Dieng (Senegal) declared violence against women “an injustice of continental proportions” and urged parliaments to fulfill their duty to protect the vulnerable.

·       Sen. Prof. Randa Mohamed Mostafa (Egypt) described gender-based violence as a global human rights violation and pledged to advocate for Egypt’s ratification of the new Convention.

·       Hon. Theresa Faye (Senegal) shared that Senegal had criminalized rape and pedophilia, urging other states to follow suit. She called for deeper political will to tackle emotional and institutional violence.

·       Hon. Fama Ba (Senegal) exposed discriminatory laws in areas such as parental rights and mobility. “Without women, the world would be nothing,” she affirmed, appealing to male colleagues to champion, not sabotage the rights of women.

Clarity and Precision in Legal Frameworks

In a high-level intervention, PAP President H.E. Chief Fortune Charumbira (Zimbabwe) warned that vague or imprecise legal terms, especially in marital property laws, may inadvertently exclude women from economic justice. He emphasized the distinction between equity and equality, urging lawmakers to ensure legal instruments are clear and enforceable.

Hon. Danson Mungatana (Kenya) leveled sharp criticism at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, questioning why rulings on gender justice were neither public nor timely. He condemned the misuse of confidentiality clauses to shield institutions and perpetrators, calling for greater transparency and victim-centered adjudication.

Institutional Advocacy and Legislative Strategy

Hon. Amina Tidjani Yaya (Chad), Chairperson of the PAP Women’s Caucus, presented a six-point legislative agenda to accompany the Convention, including:

·       Development of a Model Law on ending violence,

·       Gender-responsive budgeting, and

·       Creation of a Pan-African Gender Equality Index.

“Putting an end to violence is not a woman’s duty—it is a leadership imperative,” she declared.

Amb. Liberata Mulamula, AU Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, reminded the Parliament that six countries have signed the Convention but none have ratified it. She linked the instrument to the 2025 AU Theme on Reparative Justice and stressed that violence against women must be treated as a public justice issue, not a private matter.

Hon. Janet Sallah Nje, Vice Chair of the African Commission and Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women, stressed that the Convention is legally enforceable and emphasized the importance of inclusive definitions and intersectional protection mechanisms. She urged PAP to lead national dialogues and domestication processes, calling the Convention “a shield for women and girls.”

Policy and Implementation Mechanisms

Ms. Lindiwe Mugabe, Program Specialist at the African Union Commission, presented the Convention’s four-pillar implementation strategy:

1.     Prevention,

2.     Protection,

3.     Prosecution, and

4.     Policy Reform.

She highlighted the Convention’s provisions for vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, older women, displaced persons, and child laborers, noting that eight AU Member States have signed the instrument, and further outreach is underway.

Key Themes Across All Interventions

·       Urgency of Ratification of CEVAWG and the Maputo Protocol.

·       Need for legal precision in definitions of equity, equality, and consent.

·       Transparency and access to justice as preconditions for trust in institutions.

·       Recognition that violence spans beyond the physical—to include emotional, political, economic, and cyber domains.

·       Multi-sectoral and whole-of-society approaches are vital: courts, parliaments, civil society, and cultural leaders must coordinate responses.

Unified Call to Action: “Ratify. Resource. Reform. Now.”

Across interventions, members were united in their demand that PAP leads from the front, turning continental declarations into binding national laws, demanding institutional accountability, and transforming Africa into a continent where women and girls live in safety, dignity, and equality.

2. Confronting Global Inequality: Impact of U.S. Visa and Tariff Restrictions

Senator Issa Mardo Djabir (Chad) presented an incisive analysis of the dual burden African nations face under restrictive U.S. visa policies and protectionist tariffs. He described the resulting disruptions to education, trade, and diplomacy as a "double penalty" on Africa’s aspirations for global integration.

Highlighting the underutilization of mechanisms like AGOA, he challenged African leaders to strengthen intra-African trade and value chain industrialization through the AfCFTA.

His address concluded with a compelling call: “Our problem is not visa bans or tariffs, it is our lack of vision and will.”

3. Fact-Finding Mission to Tanzania on AfCFTA Implementation

The Chairperson of the Committee on Trade, Customs and Immigration Matters, Hon. John Bideri tabled his Committee’s Fact-Finding and Advocacy Mission Report on the implementation of the AfCFTA in Tanzania, commending the country’s notable strides in fulfilling the requirements of the Guided Trade Initiative (GTI).

Key highlights from the mission included:

• Tanzania’s successful trade of products like sisal fibre, coffee, tobacco, and spices under AfCFTA rules;
• The operationalization of Namanga One Stop Border Post (OSBP), facilitating faster and more secure movement of goods and people between Tanzania and Kenya;
• Advocacy for the ratification of the AU Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, seen as a critical enabler of AfCFTA’s success;
• Efforts to address non-tariff barriers, logistics challenges, and awareness gaps among local businesses.

The mission also underscored the importance of inclusive youth and women participation in trade and called for improved regional infrastructure to unlock intra-African commerce.

4. PAP at COP29: Advocating for Africa’s Climate Resilience

The Committee on Agriculture, Rural Economy, Natural Resources and Environment presented a comprehensive report on PAP’s participation in COP29, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, under the theme “Strengthening Africa's Climate Resilience: Advocating for Equitable Global Climate Action.”

The PAP delegation, led by President H.E. Chief Fortune Charumbira and Committee Chair Hon. Sakata Garry, played a central role in advancing the African Common Position on climate finance, adaptation, and loss and damage mechanisms.

The report highlighted key engagements:

• PAP side events advocating for localized adaptation strategies and legislative oversight of climate finance;
• Strategic partnerships with the AU Commission, civil society, and other parliamentary bodies;
• Calls for accelerated operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund and increased support for Africa’s climate-vulnerable communities.

Parliamentarians emphasized their unique role in bridging local realities with global negotiations, urging their colleagues to anchor climate action in justice, equity, and intergenerational responsibility.

Final Reflections

In one of the most emotionally and politically charged sessions of the Sixth Parliament, members of the Pan-African Parliament did more than debate, they charted a course for legal, economic, and climate justice.

From ratifying protective conventions to reforming global trade relations and reinforcing Africa’s voice on the climate front, PAP demonstrated that it is not merely a deliberative body, but an emerging force for transformative governance.