Policy Dialogue on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls

To accelerate action on protecting women and girls from gender-based violence, the African Union Commission through the Women, Gender and Development Directorate together with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and UN Women, convened a multi-stakeholder Policy Dialogue as part of the activities to commemorate 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. The dialogue aimed to mobilize the commitment of African Union Member States and other stakeholders, for more actions to ensure the pandemic does not lead to a deprioritization of the rights of women and girls and reverse the achievements made in advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women. While several existing laws have been enacted to address gender-based violence and harmful practices, effective enforcement has been lacking and that allocated resources such as funding, institutional and human resource in the relevant sectors are insufficient.