Pan-African Parliament Women’s Caucus Prioritises AU-CEVAWG, Women’s Leadership and Girls’ Education

MIDRAND, South Africa — The Women’s Caucus of the Pan-African Parliament has opened its programme of work for the Seventh Legislature with a renewed commitment to transforming Africa’s gender-equality commitments into legislation, parliamentary oversight and measurable improvements in the lives of women and girls.

The Caucus, chaired by Hon. Rahab Mukami Wachira, convened its first meeting of the new parliamentary term during the Committee Week preceding the First Ordinary Session of the Seventh Pan-African Parliament.

Welcoming Members, Hon. Wachira described the meeting as taking place “at a pivotal moment for African women,” stressing that gender equality and women’s empowerment remain central to the mandate of the Caucus.

She urged parliamentarians to move beyond declarations and ensure that continental commitments are reflected in national laws, budgets, policies and accountability mechanisms.

The Caucus identified women’s political leadership, gender-responsive legislation and the implementation of the African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls, commonly known as AU-CEVAWG, as major priorities for the Seventh Legislature.

Parliamentarians Urged to Drive AU-CEVAWG Implementation

Adopted by the African Union Assembly on 10 February 2025, AU-CEVAWG is the continent’s first legally binding instrument dedicated specifically to preventing and eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls. The Convention seeks to address the causes and consequences of such violence while strengthening prevention, survivor protection, access to justice, institutional accountability and coordinated national responses.

The African Union has since introduced a continental roadmap to accelerate the Convention’s signature, ratification, domestication and implementation by Member States.

Hon. Wachira called on Members of the Women’s Caucus to use their positions in the Pan-African Parliament and their respective national parliaments to promote the Convention and ensure that its provisions result in practical protections for women and girls.

She also encouraged active participation throughout the Committee sittings and urged Members to renew their commitment to the principle of “One Africa, One Voice” in advancing the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

CSW70 Report Highlights Access to Justice and Political Participation

During the meeting, Second Vice-President of the Women’s Caucus Hon. Fatoumatta Njai presented a report on the 70th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, known as CSW70.

The report will be submitted for consideration and adoption during the forthcoming Ordinary Session of the Pan-African Parliament.

Held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 9 to 19 March 2026, CSW70 focused on ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls. Its priority theme included the promotion of inclusive and equitable legal systems, the elimination of discriminatory laws and policies and the removal of structural barriers preventing women from accessing justice.

The Caucus report underscored the importance of stronger parliamentary leadership in advancing gender equality across Africa. It called for accelerated ratification and domestication of AU-CEVAWG, increased participation of women in political and public decision-making and more effective parliamentary scrutiny of government policies, budgets and programmes affecting women and girls.

These priorities reflect the growing recognition that parliaments must do more than approve gender-related laws. They must also monitor implementation, allocate adequate resources, question executive institutions and ensure that women can obtain effective remedies when their rights are violated.

Hon. Njai also briefed Members on preparations for a High-Level Parliamentary Dialogue on the Ratification, Domestication and Accountability of AU-CEVAWG.

The dialogue will be organised in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund and the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

It is expected to strengthen the ability of parliamentarians to advocate for the Convention’s ratification, support the adoption or amendment of national legislation and establish stronger accountability mechanisms for its implementation.

The dialogue could also help bridge the persistent gap between the adoption of continental legal instruments and their incorporation into national legal systems.

Girls’ Education and STEM Participation Placed on Parliamentary Agenda

Fourth Vice-President Hon. Leocadie Ndacayisaba presented the outcomes of the Second Pan-African Conference on Girls’ and Women’s Education.

The recommendations highlighted the need for parliaments to strengthen oversight of national education systems, expand girls’ access to safe and quality education and address the social, economic and institutional barriers that continue to exclude many girls from schools and training opportunities.

Particular emphasis was placed on increasing the participation of girls and young women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Greater female participation in STEM is considered essential to ensuring that African women are not left behind as economies become increasingly shaped by digital technologies, artificial intelligence, scientific innovation and the transition to environmentally sustainable industries.

The recommendations also called for stronger partnerships among governments, parliaments, educational institutions, civil society organizations and development partners.

The African Union’s continental work on girls’ and women’s education has similarly emphasized education as an important driver of development, peace, empowerment and economic opportunity.

Proposed Partnership With Beijing 30+ Africa Women’s Movement

Members also considered a presentation by Ms. Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, Convener of the Beijing 30+ Africa Women’s Movement, on a proposed Action Plan for collaboration between the Movement and the Pan-African Parliament.

The draft framework seeks to deepen cooperation in legislative reform, parliamentary oversight, advocacy and strategic partnerships supporting gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Under the proposed collaboration, parliamentarians and women’s rights advocates could work together to identify discriminatory laws, promote gender-responsive national legislation and budgets, assess governments’ compliance with continental and international obligations and amplify the voices of women in parliamentary processes.

The partnership could also enable the Parliament to draw more systematically on the knowledge and experience of women’s organizations when developing resolutions, recommendations, Model Laws and other policy interventions.

Members agreed that the draft Action Plan should first be examined during a joint engagement between the Women’s Caucus and the Permanent Committee on Gender, Family, Youth and People with Disabilities.

Following that consultation, the proposed plan will be submitted to the appropriate parliamentary structures for adoption.

PAP Bureau Pledges Support for Women’s Caucus

Closing the meeting, Second Vice-President of the Pan-African Parliament Hon. Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings commended the Women’s Caucus for its productive deliberations and reaffirmed the Bureau’s support for its programme of work.

She praised the Caucus’s participation at CSW70, observing that its engagement had helped strengthen Africa’s voice in global discussions on gender equality, women’s rights and access to justice.

Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings also expressed confidence in the newly elected leadership of the Caucus and emphasized the need to provide effective institutional support to the Parliament’s Caucuses and Permanent Committees.

She stressed that parliamentary meetings must produce more than reports and declarations. Their recommendations should lead to concrete legislative action, effective oversight and tangible results for the people of Africa.

The deliberations of the Women’s Caucus signal that AU-CEVAWG implementation, women’s political participation, girls’ education and gender-responsive governance are likely to feature prominently in the work of the Seventh Pan-African Parliament.

Committee Reports to Be Presented During Ordinary Session

The Pan-African Parliament’s Committee Week continues through 25 July 2026, with its eleven Permanent Committees, Caucuses and other parliamentary structures meeting to consider issues falling within their respective mandates.

The Parliament officially recognizes eleven Permanent Committees as part of its institutional structure, alongside regional and thematic Caucuses, including the Women’s Caucus.

Reports and recommendations emerging from the meetings will be tabled during the First Ordinary Session of the Seventh Legislature.

Members are expected to deliberate on legislative proposals, policy recommendations and oversight measures intended to support the implementation of Agenda 2063 and respond to the needs and aspirations of African citizens.

For the Women’s Caucus, the central challenge will be to convert the priorities identified during its inaugural meeting into coordinated parliamentary action at continental, regional and national levels.

Its success will ultimately be measured not merely by the number of meetings held or reports adopted, but by whether its work contributes to stronger laws, greater accountability, expanded opportunities and safer lives for Africa’s women and girls.