Nearly 30 years after the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, I reflect on my journey with civil society organizations committed to advancing gender equality. As African women, our involvement in this work is both intentional and transformative. My passion for supporting women and girls is also personal – shaped by lived experience and a clear understanding of the systemic barriers that limit access to opportunity and growth.

Significant progress has been made in changing attitudes and implementing more inclusive public policies, notably with the adoption of the Maputo Protocol. The Gorée Institute’s Power Of Dialogue (POD) program promotes the inclusion of women in political processes and democratic decision-making, and has worked to promote a peaceful democratic space and an inclusive, responsive and representative political decision-making process at all levels.  These efforts are reflected in the actions of their network of committed young leaders across the Sahel. Having benefited from this program myself, I can attest that it has had a positive effect on my commitment on both a personal and professional level. It has also enabled me to become a competent young woman, today very committed and active in ensuring gender equality in education and advocacy for their participation in political and peace processes. 

One of this year’s greatest successes was the adoption of the African Union Convention on the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls at the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in February. This convention is undoubtedly an essential legal instrument for the protection of women’s and girls’ rights on the continent. For me, it represents a source of motivation and a beacon of hope for civil society players who work on a daily basis to ensure that governments, institutions and non-governmental organizations are the guarantors of a fair and equitable future for all in Africa.

Despite this progress, the challenges remain colossal in terms of women’s access to economic resources and decision-making. 

The consultations highlighted the urgent need for action on multiple fronts, drawing on the 12 critical areas of concern in the Beijing Declaration’s action plan: education, health, political participation, the economy, the environment and more. Every woman and every girl must be able to achieve her full potential and exercise her rights. Yet reality is cruel. African women face a multitude of obstacles: discrimination, exclusion, violence, and the consequences of multiple crises. According to the African Development Report 2015: “In countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin and Niger, between 48 and 65% of women live in poverty”. These inequalities have often worsened, making women and girls even more vulnerable.

In the course of my involvement and journey as an activist, I’ve seen how resilient women can be in the face of the countless challenges they face. Many who become involved in politics and public affairs give up halfway through because of the intimidation or psychological and physical violence they are often subjected to. Human rights institutions and organizations are not sufficiently involved in safeguarding the rights of women and girls, which is why I strive to put women at the heart of all processes, in particular by offering them support through the various platforms in which I am involved. As part of the Alliance of Youth Leaders for Peace and Stabilility in the Sahel, we provide platforms and capacity-building training for influential young people to strengthen their participation in the management of public affairs. As Project Manager at Accountability Lab Mali, I have greatly contributed to the development of a Gender and Social Inclusion strategy that enables us to ensure the participation of marginalized and excluded groups, including women and girls, in our project activities. And finally, through the National Feminist Youth Coalition, we offer capacity-building opportunities and carry out awareness-raising actions to guarantee safe and inclusive education in Mali’s educational strategies and policies. 

As a representative of the National Feminist Youth Coalition, I had the opportunity to take part in the recent consultations on the Beijing+30 declaration in Addis Ababa – a veritable melting pot of ideas where we drew up a contrasting assessment of our progress. We aimed to contribute to the Collective Advocacy Declaration by developing a strong common position for African women, while calling for concrete actions to ensure equal opportunities and rights for women and girls.  Beyond this declaration, the consultations enabled me to interact and forge essential collaborative links with key players in the promotion of women’s and girls’ rights. This network is indispensable to me, insofar as it represents a valuable and important human capital for advancing and defending human rights in our countries. 

As a defender of women’s and girls’ rights, I reaffirm my commitment to continuing the fight for gender equality in Africa. The challenges are many, but I remain convinced that by joining forces, we will succeed in building a more just and equal future where every woman can flourish unhindered.

Zeinabou Walet Mohamed Ali