Judicial Leader of Africa
20 – 24 April 2026
@Sandton Hotel, Benmore Gardens, Johannesburg
Judicial Leaders of Africa
20 – 24 April 2026
@Sandton Hotel, Benmore Gardens, Johannesburg
MEDIA ACCREDITATION
Introduction and Background
The meeting of African Women Judges aligns with the commitments of the United Nations and the African Union regarding women’s rights and gender equality. These commitments are reflected in key documents such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), the Maputo Protocol, the Arab Charter on Human Rights, and various other initiatives such as the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Theme and Discussion Topics
Session 1
From Libreville to Johannesburg: Reviewing progress made and lessons learned.
Session 2
Adjudicating Violence Against Women: Interpreting laws on domestic violence, femicide, and harmful practices (e.g., Article 4 of the Maputo Protocol).
Session 3
Economic Justice and Empowerment: Landmark rulings on women’s rights to property, inheritance, and financial inclusion (e.g., Articles 13, 19, 21).
“The Maputo Protocol @ 20: Consolidating the Jurisprudence of Equality for the Next Generation”
“The Maputo Protocol @ 20: Consolidating the Jurisprudence of Equality for the Next Generation”
“The Maputo Protocol @ 20: Consolidating the Jurisprudence of Equality for the Next Generation”
Conference Objectives
To critically analyse the impact of the Maputo Protocol over the past two decades through the lens of landmark judicial decisions.
To foster peer-to-peer exchange on overcoming procedural and substantive barriers in adjudicating cases involving women's rights.
To develop strategies for leveraging constitutional provisions, such as those in the South African Constitution, to advance the principles of the Maputo Protocol at a national level.
Our Sponsors
About the event
Hosting this significant meeting in South Africa in April 2026 is profoundly symbolic. It connects the continent’s progressive legal frameworks – the Maputo Protocol and Constitutions of various African countries – with the historic courage of women who fought for the very rights these documents protect. The 2nd High-Level Meeting of Woman Leader Judicial Officers of Africa is not merely a conference; it is a strategic convergence point to honour the past, evaluate the present, and judicially shape a more equitable future for all African women and girls.