Protocol on the Rights of Women
67
Article 1: Definitions
For the purpose of the present Protocol:
(a) African Charter means the African Charter on Human and Peoples’
Rights;
(b) African Commission means the African Commission on Human and
Peoples’ Rights;
(c) Assembly means the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the
African Union;
(d) AU means the African Union;
(e) Constitutive Act means the Constitutive Act of the African Union;
(f) Discrimination against women means any distinction, exclusion or
restriction or any differential treatment based on sex and whose objectives
or effects compromise or destroy the recognition, enjoyment or the exercise
by women, regardless of their marital status, of human rights and
fundamental freedoms in all spheres of life;
(g) Harmful practices means all behaviour, attitudes and/or practices
which negatively affect the fundamental rights of women and girls, such as
their right to life, health, dignity, education and physical integrity;
(h) NEPAD means the New Partnership for Africa’s Development established
by the Assembly;
(i)
States parties means the states parties to this Protocol;
(j) Violence against women means all acts perpetrated against women
which cause or could cause them physical, sexual, psychological, and
economic harm, including the threat to take such acts; or to undertake the
imposition of arbitrary restrictions on or deprivation of fundamental freedoms
in private or public life in peace time and during situations of armed conflicts
or of war;
(k) Women means persons of female gender, including girls.
Article 2: Elimination of discrimination against women
1.
States parties shall combat all forms of discrimination against women
through appropriate legislative, institutional and other measures. In this
regard they shall:
(a) include in their national constitutions and other legislative instruments,
if not already done, the principle of equality between women and men and
ensure its effective application;
(b) enact and effectively implement appropriate legislative or regulatory
measures, including those prohibiting and curbing all forms of discrimination
particularly those harmful practices which endanger the health and general
well-being of women;
(c) integrate a gender perspective in their policy decisions, legislation,
development plans, programmes and activities and in all other spheres of life;
(d) take corrective and positive action in those areas where discrimination
against women in law and in fact continues to exist;
(e) support the local, national, regional and continental initiatives directed
at eradicating all forms of discrimination against women.
2.
States parties shall commit themselves to modify the social and cultural
patterns of conduct of women and men through public education,
information, education and communication strategies, with a view to
achieving the elimination of harmful cultural and traditional practices and all
other practices which are based on the idea of the inferiority or the
superiority of either of the sexes, or on stereotyped roles for women and men.
Article 3: Right to dignity
1.
Every woman shall have the right to dignity inherent in a human being
and to the recognition and protection of her human and legal rights.