In a significant step toward enshrining gender justice in Africa, the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) is convening a two-day workshop in Pretoria, South Africa, to review and validate the revised Draft Model Law on Gender Equality and Equity. The workshop undertakes a clause-by-clause examination of the revised draft to ensure coherence, consistency, and legal soundness, based on feedback from the Yaoundé Technical Review Meeting held earlier this year. The outcome of this process will be submitted to the Plenary of the Pan-African Parliament Plenary during the ongoing 5th Ordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament.
The workshop is spearheaded by the Permanent Committee on Gender, Family, Youth and People with Disabilities, which is mandated to lead the development of the Model Law. As the Parent Committee, it bears the responsibility of steering the legislative process and ensuring alignment with the Legal and Policy Framework adopted by the Plenary as a guiding tool for the Model Law.
By the close of the session, the Committee is expected to produce a formally validated draft Model Law, ready for its first reading—bringing the legislation one step closer to adoption. The workshop also seeks to strengthen a coalition of PAP members and strategic partners committed to advancing gender equality, supported by a procedural roadmap for parliamentary introduction and continental domestication of the Model Law.
During the opening session, Committee Chairperson Hon. Mariam Dao Gabala described the gathering as a milestone in Africa’s legislative journey toward a more equitable society. She underscored the inclusive and collaborative process behind the development of the Model Law, which has drawn on the inputs of AU organs, Member States, UN agencies, civil society organisations, and legal experts. Revised during the Yaoundé Technical Review Meeting held from 8 to 12 May 2025, the updated Model Law is anchored in key normative frameworks, including the Maputo Protocol, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and the 2025 AU Convention on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls. It provides for a broad set of measures—from promoting women’s political participation to strengthening protections against gender-based violence.
Hon. Gabala affirmed, “This Model Law belongs to Africa – it belongs to all of us. And with it, we declare that the era of gender injustice must come to an end.”
Through this legislative initiative, the Pan-African Parliament has reached a pivotal milestone in the harmonisation of gender-related legal frameworks across the continent. The development of the Draft Model Law, initiated in response to the call for legislative alignment, culminated in the Yaoundé Technical Review Meeting, where representatives from AU organs, national parliaments, civil society, academia, UN institutions, and development partners provided critical input. These contributions significantly enhanced the quality and scope of the draft, ensuring that it reflects Africa’s diverse legal and social contexts while upholding international and continental standards.
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