Accra and Addis Ababa, the capital cities of Ghana and Ethiopia, respectively, have a strong historical connection. Despite their West-East location, these two cities are connected by the foundational works of Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana and Emperor Haile Selassie, two leaders who were instrumental in founding the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the precursor to the African Union. This historical connection symbolizes the unity and shared vision of the African continent, which is crucial in our fight for gender equality in law.
On July 5, 2024, IAWL launched the continent-wide GELC to raise Awareness, Advocate for change, and encourage the Adoption of the Gender Equality in Law Model Policy. This policy, which outlines strategies for addressing gender inequality, serves as a roadmap for creating equitable gender-sensitive systems and equal opportunities for women in law. Building on this historic linkage between Accra and Addis, the next stop for the IAWL campaign happened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
By engaging with the African Union Office of the Legal Counsel, the collaboration and stakeholder engagement successfully elevated the GELC to the regional level as a prelude to engaging Heads of Government, Ministers of State and Ministers of Justice in the movement for gender equality in the legal profession.
Despite their late entry into the legal profession, the number of women lawyers across Africa has increased exponentially, serving as lawyers, judges, and leaders in both the private and public sectors. Africa leads the world in the number of women Chief Justices. At the international level, African women judges lead the number of women judges at regional and international criminal courts. According to the 2023 Gender Scorecard by the IAWL, across 82 law firms surveyed, women represented 23% of managing partners, 38% of partners, 51% of senior associates and 55% of associates. This progress is not just a number, it's a testament to the resilience and determination of women in law.
These data tell us that the glass is half full— numerically, women are growing in the profession, and their numbers are being felt at the bar and public sector leadership positions. However, beyond their numerical growth, women in law are transforming systems and proving that when women in law lead, systems change. The evidence-based study informing the GELC, Gender Equality in Law Across Africa: Is the Glass Half Full? confirms that women hold up half the sky and must have equal opportunities to raise the sky higher. This is not just a call for change, it's a demand for systemic transformation.
Women’s contributions to leadership and communal development have been noted by revolutionary leaders such as Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso. Their role is not just significant, it's indispensable.
“Comrades, there is no true social revolution without the liberation of women. May my eyes never see and my feet never take me to a society where half the people are held in silence. I hear the roar of women’s silence. I sense the rumble of their storm and feel the fury of their revolt.”
― Thomas Sankara, Women's Liberation and the African Freedom Struggle
The African Union has recognized the fundamental role of women in Africa’s past, current and future development. Through instruments such as the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol), the AU Agenda 2063, Goal 17 and several other measures, African leaders recognize and support women's equal participation in public life. Governments have long realized that the future of Africa’s development is intrinsically linked to the equal participation of women in decision-making.
Women’s participation must not be symbolic and frozen in legal instruments. Women must also have equal and equitable opportunities to develop their potential and lead without bias or limitations. Such equitable opportunities cannot exist without transparent and gender-sensitive institutional systems that eschew sexual harassment, unequal pay and promotion, and gender-based stereotypes and biases.
Transforming systems and institutions takes time and often begins with dialogue. The first and second pillars of the GELC are discursive tools premised on Awareness and Advocacy through public engagements and dialogue. IAWL has successfully taken such dialogue from Accra to Addis. Be a part of the change. Say no to professional misogyny. Say yes to women in leadership. When women lead, society benefits. Let us build a new leadership vision in Africa, founded on Isokan (Yoruba word for harmony, unity) and Ubuntu (Zulu word for humanity/communality).
Join the movement today by signing the solidarity pledge, adopting the Model Policy, or sharing the campaign on social media. Be a part of history-making change!