Protecting Women in Conflict: Accelerating Action on the Maputo Protocol’s Commitments to Peace and Security
Picture Credit: African Union
Across Africa, women and girls continue to suffer the effects of violent conflict, political instability, and humanitarian crises. From widespread displacement and loss of livelihoods to the systemic use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, the gendered impact of conflict is as undeniable as it is devastating.
In many conflict-affected regions, patriarchal structures, weak justice systems and militarised governance combine to create environments where women’s rights are ignored and impunity for gender-based crimes flourishes. Although numerous regional and international legal instruments exist to address these harms, their implementation remains painfully slow and uneven.
Recent developments highlight these shortcomings. In Cameroon, the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC), at its 1268th meeting on 21 March 2025, explicitly addressed “women, peace and security in Africa”, condemning all forms of violence against women and girls in conflict situations and affirming a zero-tolerance approach. However, this strong language has not translated into tangible measures. The communiqué made no mention of enforcing accountability for gender-based violence in the ongoing Anglophone crisis, nor did it outline a gender-responsive framework for peace dialogues.
In Somalia, even after the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2710 (2023), which extended the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), the mission’s gender support remains underfunded and women’s protection issues are not sufficiently prioritised. Meanwhile, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations Security Council’s December 2023 resolution renewing MONUSCO’s mandate included measures on sexual violence, but the exit strategy raises concerns about ongoing efforts to address gender-based harms, especially in eastern provinces where sexual violence is still widespread.
These examples highlight a troubling trend. Notwithstanding ongoing engagement by global and regional mechanisms in African conflicts, they frequently overlook gender-specific issues. The lack of a gender-sensitive approach to conflict resolution and peacebuilding perpetuates the marginalisation of women and girls and restricts the transformative power of peace initiatives.
One of the most comprehensive frameworks concerning women’s rights in Africa is the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (the Maputo Protocol). Adopted in 2003, this landmark treaty reaffirms women’s civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. Importantly, Articles 4 and 10 of the Protocol specifically guarantee women’s rights to dignity, freedom from violence, peace and security, protection during armed conflict and participation in peacebuilding and reconstruction processes.
Despite the promise of the Maputo Protocol, more than twenty years later, these rights remain out of reach for millions of women across the continent. Conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is persistent and deeply rooted, while legal and institutional systems continue to fail survivors. This blog post examines the gap between commitment and action, using recent and ongoing conflicts to show how women are being left behind and why urgent steps are needed to realise the promises of the Maputo Protocol.
“…no real peace or justice can be achieved without centring the voices and experiences of women affected by conflict. Accelerated action on the Protocol’s provisions is long overdue and the cost of continued inaction is one that African women and girls can no longer afford to pay.”
In Cameroon, the ongoing Anglophone conflict that began in 2016 has escalated into a full-blown humanitarian emergency. Over 6,000 people have lost their lives and at least a million have been displaced. Armed clashes between government forces and separatist groups have devastated communities and women have been subjected to sexual violence, arbitrary detention and harassment. Despite evidence of widespread abuse, few perpetrators have been held accountable, and survivors continue to face stigma and a lack of support services.
In Nigeria, the long-running insurgency involving Boko Haram and other extremist groups has given rise to violations of women’s rights. Apart from abductions and forced marriages, disturbing reports have emerged of a covert military-run abortion programme aimed at terminating pregnancies of women who were raped and impregnated by insurgents. This alleged policy, if verified, reflects not only the weaponisation of women’s bodies in conflict but also the systemic denial of reproductive rights in post-conflict interventions.
Somalia is another flashpoint, where decades of armed conflict and state fragility have disproportionately affected displaced women and girls. Living in overcrowded Internally Displaced Persons’ camps (“IDP’s”), they are exposed to high risks of sexual violence, with little access to justice or healthcare. Similarly, in Sudan, the outbreak of war in April 2023 has caused one of the world’s worst displacement crises, with over 10 million people uprooted from their homes. Women in refugee and IDP camps have reported widespread sexual violence, yet structural barriers hinder both accountability and access to services.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), conflict-related sexual violence continues unabated. In 2023 alone, more than 1,000 cases of sexual violence were documented in eastern DRC. Armed groups use rape not only to terrorise communities but also to assert power and control. Survivors are frequently denied justice due to weak legal systems, lack of political will and social stigma. The Sahel region also presents a troubling landscape. In countries like Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, extremist groups routinely abduct women and girls, forcing them into sexual slavery and exploitative marriages. These patterns of abuse are not isolated incidents but form part of a broader strategy of gender-based oppression used to destabilise communities and undermine the rule of law.
Although 44 African Union member states have ratified the Maputo Protocol, the realities on the ground expose serious gaps between legal commitments and implementation. Most countries have yet to domesticate or operationalise the protocol's provisions in national legislation. Where laws exist, they are often poorly enforced, underfunded, or undermined by customary practices that prioritise patriarchal control over women's rights. Governments have also failed to develop and implement gender-sensitive peace and security frameworks. Women are consistently underrepresented in peace negotiations, disarmament processes and post-conflict reconstruction efforts. Survivors of wartime sexual violence often receive little to no support and are left to navigate stigma, trauma and poverty without state assistance. As a result, impunity remains the norm and cycles of violence continue unabated.
The lack of political will to act decisively on the commitments under the Maputo Protocol has made it difficult to meaningfully improve the situation of women in conflict zones. In many countries, gender equality is treated as an aspirational goal rather than a binding legal obligation. African governments must move beyond rhetorical commitments and take concrete steps to uphold the rights of women in conflict-affected areas. First, legal accountability must be strengthened. Perpetrators of conflict-related sexual violence should be investigated, prosecuted and punished by domestic and international law. This requires political will, resourcing and institutional reform.
Survivors must be at the centre of post-conflict responses. Access to comprehensive healthcare, psychosocial support, legal aid and livelihood opportunities are not optional but are essential to justice and recovery. Also, women’s participation in peacebuilding must be institutionalised and safeguarded. This includes implementing quotas or other affirmative measures to ensure women are represented at the negotiation table and in leadership positions in post-conflict governance structures.
Finally, regional and continental bodies like the African Union must do more to monitor implementation and hold states accountable. Mechanisms such as the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights should be leveraged to investigate violations, issue recommendations and offer redress where possible. Protecting women in conflict is not merely a moral or humanitarian imperative; it is a legal obligation grounded in regional human rights law. The Maputo Protocol presents a clear and actionable framework, but its success depends entirely on the commitment of African states to translate words into deeds.
As researchers and advocates working on women’s rights in Africa, we emphasise that no real peace or justice can be achieved without centring the voices and experiences of women affected by conflict. Accelerated action on the Protocol’s provisions is long overdue and the cost of continued inaction is one that African women and girls can no longer afford to pay.
