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Reporting, analysis and field notes from a pan-African network for gender equality and development — across women's rights, SRHR, civic space, climate justice, peace and security.

How policies enhance gender mainstreaming in Liberia, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Togo: Gaps, challenges, problems, way forward, state of affairs, and perspective Climate Justice
November 11, 2023 Africa

How policies enhance gender mainstreaming in Liberia, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Togo: Gaps, challenges, problems, way forward, state of affairs, and perspective

The RFLD Research Team underscores the pivotal role of gender mainstreaming in achieving equality across Liberia, Niger Mali, Burkina Faso, and Togo. Despite policy-driven efforts, persistent gaps, challenges, and problems hinder progress, requiring a comprehensive approach. In Liberia, Niger Mali, Burkina Faso, and Togo, inadequate political will, weak institutional capacity, socio-cultural barriers, limited awareness, resource constraints, and insufficient monitoring mechanisms impede effective gender mainstreaming. To address these issues, policies can mandate gender impact assessments, set clear targets, allocate resources, establish coordination mechanisms, promote legal reforms, support public awareness campaigns, and empower women’s movements. The way forward involves comprehensive training, multi-stakeholder collaboration, advocacy for legal reforms, inclusive decision-making, robust monitoring frameworks, community engagement, resource mobilization, research, partnerships with international organizations, and periodic reviews. Despite facing a mixed state of affairs, the optimistic perspective emphasizes the growing awareness and commitment to gender equality, urging sustained efforts to overcome challenges and achieve lasting progress.

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Engaging Regional Human Rights Bodies to Accelerate the Elimination of Cross-Border FGM in Mali, Liberia, and Sierra Leone Harmful Practices
October 28, 2023 Africa

Engaging Regional Human Rights Bodies to Accelerate the Elimination of Cross-Border FGM in Mali, Liberia, and Sierra Leone

RFLD is a pan African regional network of women leaders for development that is working to eliminate FGM in Africa. As an accredited observer of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), RFLD has access to and the ability to engage directly with the ACHPR’s Special Rapporteurs on Human Rights Defenders and Women’s Rights. RFLD works at the regional level to eliminate FGM by advocating for the adoption and implementation of laws and policies to prohibit and punish FGM, raising awareness of the harms of FGM and promoting its abandonment, and supporting survivors of FGM and their families. Cross-border FGM is a challenge in Mali, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, where the practice is highly prevalent and porous borders make it easy for girls and women to be taken to another country to undergo FGM. Regional human rights bodies can play an important role in accelerating the elimination of cross-border FGM by monitoring and reporting on implementation of international human rights standards, providing guidance and support to governments on developing and implementing effective laws and policies, and adjudicating individual and collective complaints of FGM. Organizations and individuals can engage regional human rights bodies by submitting communications, participating in meetings and hearings, advocating for resolutions and recommendations, and developing and implementing joint action plans.

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For funders and partnersPour les bailleurs et les partenaires

Fund the women who defend rights in Africa, nowFinancez maintenant les femmes qui défendent les droits en Afrique

Aid to women’s organisations is falling. RFLD moves funding fast to women-led organisations and defenders, in French and English, through a network of 1,143 member organisations in more than 35 African countries.L’aide aux organisations de femmes recule. Le RFLD achemine vite les financements vers les organisations de femmes et les défenseures, en français et en anglais, grâce à un réseau de 1 143 organisations membres dans plus de 35 pays africains.

RFLD currently serves as Co-Chair of the SEA-T Programme Advisory Council, mandated to ensure the programme’s direction, priorities, and resources are meaningfully aligned with the visions of African women-led civil society. The SEA-T Programme is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.Le RFLD assure actuellement la coprésidence du Conseil consultatif du programme SEA-T, chargé de veiller à ce que l’orientation, les priorités et les ressources du programme soient réellement alignées sur les visions de la société civile africaine portée par les femmes. Le programme SEA-T est financé par le ministère fédéral allemand de la Coopération économique et du Développement (BMZ) et mis en œuvre par la Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. See the partnershipVoir le partenariat

  • 1,143member organisationsorganisations membres
  • 35+African countriespays africains
  • N°553ACHPR observer statusstatut d’observateur CADHP
  • CandidSeal of Transparency 2025Sceau de transparence 2025

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