NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 5 | ISLA FEATURE
CEVAWG: When a Milestone Risks Becoming Regressive
May 2026
By Fatou Bintou-Sallah and Mai Aman
On 25 February 2025, the African Union adopted the Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (AU CEVAWG) at its 38th Ordinary Session. Six countries; Angola, Burundi, Djibouti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and The Gambia have already signed. At first glance, this looks like a landmark achievement. But beneath the surface, CEVAWG raises serious concerns that cannot be ignored.
Why CEVAWG Is a Problem
The issue is not that CEVAWG exists, but how it was created and what it contains. The process was rushed, opaque, and exclusionary, leaving the final text weaker than existing protections in many African countries.
• Compressed timeline: A 156 page draft was reduced to just 11 pages in three months. In the process, rights, obligations, and protections were stripped away.
• Shrinking team: From 24 drafters to only 5 at the most critical stage, legal precision was sacrificed under pressure.
• Consultation without transparency: Stakeholders were asked to “consult” on a treaty they could not even see. Without a draft, meaningful engagement was impossible.
• No preparatory works: There is no record of intent, meaning future courts and advocates will have little guidance.
• Politics over protection: The push to adopt by February 2025 overshadowed technical rigor. Momentum replaced substance.
As feminist organisations have stressed: importance is not the same as adequacy. CEVAWG’s flaws risk weakening protections, fragmenting standards, ignoring lived realities, and undermining decades of feminist struggle.
Feminist Pushback: The Public Reading of CEVAWG
In September 2025, organisations including ISLA, Fòs Feminista, and Akina Mama wa Africa convened a public reading of CEVAWG. Over three days, 25 scholars, activists, and practitioners examined the text line by line, scoring articles green, amber, or red. The outcome was sobering: CEVAWG requires substantial revision before it can serve its purpose.
The Campaign: #PauseForPurpose
Out of this convening came the #PauseForPurpose campaign. Its call is simple but powerful: pause ratification until CEVAWG is revised. This is not resistance. It is responsibility. As the feminist analysis reminds us:
Why Revision Is Possible
There is precedent. AU treaties have been revised even after adoption, such as the Protocol of the Court of Justice of the AU (2003) and the African Maritime Transport Charter (1994). CEVAWG can follow the same path. And despite the AU Assembly’s moratorium on new mechanisms, leaders have created new bodies when needed – the African Medicine Agency, the African Humanitarian Agency, and the African Space Agency. A specialised body to end violence against women and girls is not only possible, it is urgent.
The Road Ahead
The #PauseForPurpose campaign is gaining momentum. Feminist organisations are mobilising across AU institutions, member states, and civil society networks. The goal is clear: to ensure CEVAWG becomes a robust, rights based instrument that reflects the lived realities of African women and girls.
CEVAWG was meant to be a milestone. With collective action, it can still become one, but only if Africa pauses for purpose, listens to its feminists, and recommits to protecting women and girls without compromise.
