West Africa Regional Consultation on the Draft Model Law on Gender Equality and Equity underway in Accra

The West Africa regional consultation engagement on the Draft Model Law on Gender Equality and Equity by the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) is underway in Accra.
The PAP Model Law on Gender Equality and Equity aligns with the Pan-African Parliament’s commitment to advancing gender equality and equity across Africa.
It recognizes that harmonizing legislative frameworks is essential to this goal and reflects the PAP’s mandate under Article 11(3) of the Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community relating to the Pan-African Parliament, which empowers the PAP to “work towards the harmonization of laws of the Member States of the African Union”.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, noted that the Draft Model Law on Gender Equality and Equity by the Pan-African Parliament demonstrates commitment and readiness to promote gender justice, equality, equity and empowerment thereby ensuring that no one is left behind in the development agenda of Africa.
She indicated that today’s gathering provides the platform to assess current status, reflect on what have been accomplished as African and most importantly, confirm commitment to making the full implementation of this draft Model law on Gender Equality and Equity a national priority by Member States when finalized and passed to close the gender gap on the continent. She thanked the Pan-African Parliament Committee on Gender, Family, Youth and People with Disability for creating the platform for this important regional discourse.
Hon. Dr. Momo Lartey touted the numerous progress Ghana has made in promoting gender equality and equity, indicating that, “Ghana continues to strive to create a stable, united, inclusive and prosperous country where all individuals have an equal voice and opportunity by integrating gender concerns into policy frameworks. Ghana has therefore developed a number of legislative and policy frameworks to address gender inequality in the country.
On her part, Hon. Mariam Dao-Gabala, Chairperson of the Pan-African Parliament’s Committee on Gender Equality, Family, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, pointed out that the draft model law aims to be a catalyst for harmonizing best practices, while respecting the sovereignty of member states.
She stressed that the Model Law is a strategic necessity, offering a common, adaptable, and progressive reference framework, in line with international standards and African values and cultures.
“This model law is not a rigid text. It is dynamic, and its strength will lie in the diversity of voices that have contributed to it. That is why your presence here is so crucial. Your feedback, your insights into the local context, and your concrete proposals will help strengthen the legitimacy, relevance, and applicability of this draft,” Hon Dao-Gabala observed.
She further disclosed that the Draft Model law was initiated in 2023 and has already been the subject of regional consultations in Lusaka for Southern Africa, Nairobi for East Africa, and N'Djamena for Central Africa.
“Today, it is West Africa's turn to be heard, to share its specificities, experiences, and expectations. Your opinions and contributions will be essential to enriching this text.
We will conclude this process with a consultation in North Africa, in Morocco, before proceeding to the final adoption of the document during the regular session of the Pan-African Parliament scheduled for November 2025”.
Background
At the Second Session of its Sixth Parliament, the Plenary of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), by Resolution PAP.6/PLN/RES/14/NOV.22 of October 2022, approved a proposal by the Permanent Committee on Gender, Family, Youth and People with Disability to develop a Model Law on Gender Equality and Equity. The Model Law is intended as a soft-law instrument that Member States of the African Union can use or adapt to improve their legal, institutional and regulatory frameworks pertaining to gender equality and equity, in line with relevant global and African Union legal and policy instruments.
Accordingly, a draft Model Law on Gender Equality and Equity was developed and, following a Technical Review Meeting in Yaoundé, Cameroon, from 8 to 12 May 2025, was tabled in PAP Plenary for the first reading during the July 2025 Ordinary Session.
When adopting the Model Law on Gender Equality and Equity in Africa on first reading, in line with the Legal and Policy Framework approved by the PAP Plenary in June 2024, the Parliament mandated the Committee on Gender, Family, Youth and People with Disability to, among others, “conduct further consultations across the continent with all relevant stakeholders, including African Union institutions, National and Regional Parliaments and civil society, with a view to incorporating their perspectives into the draft Model Law prior to its final adoption by the PAP Plenary.”