FOREWORD

The year 2020 marks the end of the African Women’s Decade 2010–2020, adopted on 15 October 2010 in Nairobi, Kenya, under the theme “Grassroots Approach to Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.” The launch of the Decade represented a testimony to the African Union’s commitment to the advancement of the gender equality agenda and women’s rights across the continent. Its end has coincided with the celebration of the 20th anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action.

Despite the health crisis that is currently occurring around the world as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been sweeping through countries since early 2020, it remains very important that we take stock of various developments during the 10-year period under the African Women’s Decade.

Since the launch of the Decade in 2010, Make Every Woman Count has been the only organisation monitoring, analysing and documenting the progress or lack thereof being made on women’s rights during African Women’s Decade 2010–2020, identifying best practices as well as challenges and gaps that need to be addressed. Over the years, through our yearly publication of reporting and monitoring, we have tried in particular to highlight evidence of good practices and progress during the ten years of the Decade.

Women’s groups and activists alike have been at the forefront in advancing gender equality across the continent. Their advocacy work has resulted in some laudable outcomes that have had positive impacts on the lives of millions of girls and women across the continent.

While both government and non-governmental actors carried out a great deal of work and contributed to significant progress in terms of the adoption of laws and policies at the national, regional and continental level on women’s rights

over the Decade, there remain weaknesses in the area of data collection, monitoring, accountability and documentation. In addition, lack of resources has had adverse impacts on the work of women’s rights advocates. Furthermore, the current global pandemic, COVID-19, is disproportionally affecting women and girls throughout the continent. The growing pressures of responding to the pandemic risk worsening existing inequalities and threatening to reverse the gains made on women’s rights and gender equality since Beijing 1995.

Make Every Woman Count has committed to addressing these issues through collective action to scale up promises and commitments made by our governments to accelerate women’s rights and gender equality. It is also time for our leaders to remove all barriers that hinder women’s full enjoyment of their rights and to ensure that men and women are offered equal opportunities in all areas of life.

In 2010, Make Every Woman Count set itself the daunting task of monitoring all the 55 African countries so as to be able to generate a full audit of progress and setbacks during the Decade. It is hoped that we will be able to use this as a way to hold our governments accountable to promises they made during 2010–2020. Make Every Woman Count has committed to addressing these issues through collective action to scale up promises and commitments made by our governments to accelerate women’s rights and gender equality.

I would like to express my deepest appreciation to all those who have contributed in various ways with great effort to the realisation of this report.

Rainatou Sow

Executive Director Make Every Woman Count