Afrofeminist Leaders Convene in Dakar for Regional Human Rights Consultation
Dakar, Senegal – November 10-12, 2025
The Network of Women Leaders for Development (RFLD) successfully brought together over 40 prominent stakeholders for a historic Regional Consultation with the African Commission on Human Rights and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Hon. Rémy Ngoy Lumbu. The three-day gathering in Dakar united state representatives, civil society organisations, media actors, and African Union officials to advance the protection of women human rights defenders (WHRDs) across Francophone West Africa.
The consultation was graced by distinguished African Union representatives, including Dr Eyole Monono, Chair of Political Affairs at AU ECOSOCC, Hon. Rémy Ngoy Lumbu, Former ACHPR Chairperson and Current Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and Focal Point on Reprisals in Africa, and Hon. Litha Musyimi-Ogana, who chairs the committees responsible for Indigenous people and people living with HIV, highlighting the continental commitment to strengthening human rights mechanisms.
- Read our article in Senego : https://senego.com/dakar-accueille-une-consultation-regionale-sur-les-droits-humains-et-lafrofeminisme_1894460.html
The consultation marked a significant milestone for the Afrofeminist Initiative for Human Rights Development (AIHRDFWA), a groundbreaking 30-month project spanning eight countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo. Implemented by RFLD and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the initiative represents a strategic investment in gender-sensitive reforms and WHRD protection across the region.
The gathering featured influential voices in African human rights advocacy, including Shupikai Gwabuya, CIVICUS VUKA Coordinator; Mrs Hannah Forster, ACDHRS Director; Mrs Aisha Dabo, Africtivistes Coordinator; and representatives from NHRIs, among other key WHRDs from across the continent, ensuring diverse perspectives shaped the dialogue on defending defenders.
This convening exemplifies the GIZ SEA-T Programme’s (Society. Equality. Africa – Transformation) commitment to locally-led transformation and citizen participation in reducing gender inequalities and rebalancing power relations. RFLD, which holds observer status with the ACHPR and serves on the Working Group on Human Rights Defenders, continues to leverage its unique positioning to accelerate the impact of African women’s leadership. Through financial and technical support, regional exchanges, and advocacy strengthening, this German-African cooperation demonstrates how international partnerships can effectively support Africa-driven change, creating safer spaces for women defending human rights across Francophone West Africa.
- Explore the moment
1. Day 1 : https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Cx-2wOEzoEyZZZOCi-xZg4KeQVIYhgqc?usp=drive_link
2. Day 2 : https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1arFqZJZv_V9K_It93MYpeZXnm3A-dNXe?usp=sharing
3. Day 3 : https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1X9R1ykTnOKrMxMaEHt4wKuXSKULHaYNi?usp=sharing
- African Union ECOSOCC Publication
- YOUTUBE VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
5. https://youtu.be/ubUdVt_P1QY
6. https://youtu.be/QNFxgve67Ls
7. https://youtu.be/w_RXpj2Bq1E?si=olZ9D8f5sqds_Ch5
8. https://www.youtube.com/live/XETmqPGxVbQ?si=0pUVqKZ1wZqh8QRn
RFLD Successfully Delivers Regional Training on Early Warning Systems in Accra
Accra, Ghana – November 14-15, 2025
The Network of Women Leaders for Development (RFLD) successfully organised a groundbreaking Regional Training on Early Warning in Africa, bringing together 30 participants from across the continent to strengthen human rights protection mechanisms.
Organised by RFLD in collaboration with distinguished partners including Hivos, EU SEE (European Union Supporting Engagement with Civil Society), WACSI (West Africa Civil Society Institute), and WADEMOS (The West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network), this two-day workshop represented a strategic response to the growing need for proactive human rights defence systems across Africa. The training was honoured to feature Hon. Rémy Ngoy Lumbu, Former ACHPR Chairperson and Current Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and Focal Point on Reprisals in Africa, as the distinguished guest speaker, whose expertise enriched dialogue and inspired participants throughout the sessions.
The comprehensive training program enhanced collaboration between civil society organisations, Human Rights Defenders (HRDs), and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) in developing and implementing effective early warning systems. Participants—including HRDs, ACHPR representatives, civil society advocacy groups, representatives from regional and sub-regional mechanisms, and academic institutions—actively engaged in interactive sessions featuring case study analysis, group exercises, role-playing scenarios, multimedia presentations, and practitioner testimonies.
The workshop equipped attendees with critical skills in identifying and analysing human rights risk indicators, mastering data collection and analysis techniques, and translating early warnings into effective advocacy strategies. These practical competencies were developed through hands-on activities that enabled participants to create actionable plans tailored to their organisational contexts.
This pivotal training directly responded to the ACHPR Special Rapporteur’s call to strategically position Human Rights Defenders to effectively utilise early warning data and advocate for improved human rights conditions across Africa. The workshop achieved its core objectives of streamlining the actions of organisations producing early warning information to ensure synergies for effective responses, exploring evidence-based advocacy strategies that leverage early warning data to influence policy and practice, and strengthening the voice and participation of HRDs in continental human rights governance structures.
By building technical capacity in early warning data analysis and developing collaborative frameworks for information sharing and coordinated responses, this regional training created a foundation for more proactive and effective human rights protection across the continent, ultimately working towards safer environments for all defenders of human rights in Africa.
About RFLD
Réseau des Femmes Leaders pour le Développement (RFLD) is a pivotal Pan-African Feminist organization. Our mission is to strengthen communities and advance gender justice, human rights, and civic spaces across Sub-Saharan Africa.
- We work to protect the rights of women and girls, making sure they have access to sexual and reproductive health services. We also support their active involvement and representation in all areas where decisions are made.
- We stand up for civil liberties and democratic values, with a focus on human rights. This means supporting freedom of expression, assembly, and association, and making sure democratic principles are respected.
- Strengthened digital, civic and media environment and ecosystem that withstand threats, backlash and violence and promotes human rights and democratic freedoms.
- We subgrant civil society groups to take a more active role in gender justice.
RFLD operates through three strategic regional offices: Ghana (Regional Hub for African Union and UN engagement), Benin (Francophone Hub coordinating movements across French-speaking Africa), and The Gambia (Human Rights Engagement with ACHPR).
RFLD holds ED Certification from NGOsource (U.S. tax-deductible status) and Observer Status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
For media inquiries / Pour les demandes médiatiques:
Réseau des Femmes Leaders pour le Développement (RFLD)
Email: COMMUNICATIONS.INFO@RFLGD.ORG
Web: WWW.RFLGD.ORG
Ghana Office: Accra, Ghana
Benin Office: Hounsa Rue de l’Université Agricole, Porto-Novo, Benin
Gambia Office: Banjul, The Gambia
