Africa’s groundbreaking women’s rights treaty turns 20 – the hits and misses of the Maputo protocol

Juliet Kimotho

2023 marks two decades since the adoption of the Maputo Protocol. The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (the Maputo Protocol) is arguably the most progressive legally binding instrument on women’s and human rights instruments globally. A total of 44 African countries have signed and ratified it. The Maputo Protocol provides for extensive and progressive women’s rights. These include the right to health and reproduction, inheritance, economic and social welfare, education and training, access to justice and equal protection before the law, and elimination of harmful practices. Reproductive health researcher Anthony Ajayi unpacks the significance of the document in women’s lives over the years.

What does it mean for sexual and reproductive rights?

Articles 2 and 14 made specific provisions to protect the sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls.

Article 2 mandates member countries