Strengthening Legal Accountability for Violence Against Women and Girls
GIZ AU, in partnership with the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), is developing three Advisory Opinions for the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, focusing on violence against women and girls (VAWG) and femicide. Two workshops in Nairobi and Addis Ababa engaged legal experts and activists to strengthen legal protections, clarify state obligations, and enhance access to justice across Africa.
As part of the collaboration between GIZ AU and the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), three Advisory Opinions are being developed and submitted to the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights. Two significant workshops were co-organised with PALU on the drafting of the third Opinion, which addresses violence against women and girls (VAWG) that leads to femicide across Africa. These Opinions aim to provide legal tools that strengthen protections, ensure access to justice, and promote inclusive participation throughout the continent.
The first workshop took place from 6 to 8 May 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya, bringing together legal practitioners, gender and human rights experts, activists, policymakers, and media professionals. Participants analysed relevant legal frameworks, advanced the recognition of femicide as a distinct human rights violation, and developed evidentiary and advocacy strategies to drive reform.
Building directly on the outcomes from Nairobi, the second workshop took place on 15 and 16 June 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This Strategic Litigation Surgery focused on preparing a legally robust submission for an Advisory Opinion before the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, clarifying States' positive obligations to prevent, investigate, prosecute, and remedy femicide. Experts reviewed draft legal briefs, validated arguments grounded in the Maputo Protocol and AU Conventions, and finalised a unified advocacy and filing strategy.
Together, these two workshops represent a continuous process: from analysis and norm-setting in Nairobi to strategic consolidation and court-readiness in Addis Ababa.