Pausing AU treaty on violence against women a strategic health risk - BAOBAB warns
By Austine Agbo Emmanuel, Kaduna
Baobab for Women’s Human Rights (BAOBAB) has cautioned against calls to halt the ratification of the African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (AU-CEVAWG), warning that such a move is a strategic error that could prolong the public health crisis of gender-based violence across the continent.
In a counter-statement issued on Tuesday, BAOBAB Executive Director, Bunmi Dipo-Salami, emphasized that while procedural gaps exist, suspending the treaty would roll back critical progress in establishing frameworks necessary for the physical and mental safety of millions of African women.
Dipo-Salami argued that pausing the process risks creating a prolonged stalemate that women facing violence cannot afford, noting that the convention offers a vital modern shield against abuse that severely impacts women's health and well-being.
BAOBAB highlighted that the AU-CEVAWG provides essential responses to contemporary health threats, specifically the psychological trauma associated with digital spaces and workplace abuse.
The organisation noted that Article 1 of the treaty introduces the first clear African legal definition of cyber-violence covering online harassment, sextortion, and image-based abuse.
Health experts increasingly identify these forms of violence as major drivers of anxiety, depression, and suicide risks among women and girls.
“This year’s 16 Days of Activism has highlighted how technology-facilitated violence is evolving. The strategy cannot be to wait for a perfect treaty; the strategy must be to use the tool we have now to start saving lives,” the organisation stated.
The convention also mandates a survivor-centred approach, which advocates say is fundamental to providing adequate medical care, psychosocial support, and trauma recovery services for victims.
While acknowledging critiques regarding the broad classification of harmful practices, BAOBAB insisted that specific health emergencies such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriage must be addressed through domestication rather than stalling the treaty. Both practices carry devastating sexual and reproductive health consequences.
The group pointed to Article 15 (Safeguard Clause) as a mechanism to ensure the most progressive interpretation of laws to protect women’s bodily autonomy and safety.
“Our collective strength lies in ratifying and then strengthening the treaty through national laws,” the statement added.
Calling for a united front, BAOBAB urged civil society to abandon the "pause" campaign and instead mobilize for swift ratification to mitigate the health burden of violence on African women.
The organisation outlined a three-point action plan including immediate ratification by all AU Member States to establish a baseline of protection, strategic domestication to explicitly legislate against health-threatening practices like FGM and increased funding and technical capacity for the ACHPR to effectively manage the expanded mandate.
“We must move from fighting the document to using it. The stakes are too high to pause,” BAOBAB said, maintaining that the AU-CEVAWG remains Africa’s most advanced instrument for ensuring women and girls live free from the physical and psychological scars of violence.