How New AU Convention Aims to End Violence Against Women

Across Africa, women and girls face ongoing gender-based violence (GBV), including domestic abuse, harmful practices, and high rates of femicide.Ò In 2023, Africa reported over 21,000 femicides, the highest number of any region worldwide. South Africa, in particular, has one of the highest rates of intimate partner femicide globally, withÒ women five times more likely to be killed by a partnerÒ than the global average.

In response, the African Union has adopted the Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG), the first legally binding regional treaty aimed at ending GBV, which also promotes positive masculinity to engage men as allies in changing harmful norms, writes allAfrica‘s Nontobeko Mlambo.