Grace, Tenacity and Eloquence: The Struggle for Women’s Rights in Africa

Patrick Burnett is the news and information coordinator for Fahamu and the coeditor of Pambazuka News. He has a background in journalism and is based in Cape Town, South Africa. Shereen Karmali isan editor with many years of experience in the nonprofit sector in the UK and Kenya.Firoze Manji is the founder and executive director of Fahamu and the editor of Pambazuka News. He is the former program director for the International Secretariat of Amnesty International and the former CEO for the Aga Khan Foundation UK."

The traditional perception of African women is that they face grinding poverty and harsh cultural, traditional and social prejudices. Yet while it is true that African women are not equal to men, this is only one part of the story. For in Africa, women are fighting for their rights and they are fighting with grace, tenacity, and eloquence. In a rich variety of articles, the contributors consider topics such as women and conflict, the impact of current US policies on womens health in Africa, womens rights in Islam, and the implications of the Jacob Zuma trial for women in South Africa.

INTRODUCTION Patrick Burnett, Shereen Karmali, Firoze Manji CHAPTER 1 CAMPAIGNING FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS International Women's Day - Can we dare celebrate? Caroline Ageng'o Aspiration into action: ratify the protocol now! Jacqueline Asiimwe Home-grown rights instruments: supporting the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa Gladys Mutukwa Millennium Development Goals and the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa Souad Abdennebi-Abderrahim Strategies for civil society organisations in moving from ratification to implementation in West Africa Aminata Dieye Who will bell the cat? Restoring rights to African women Eve Odete CHAPTER 2 MOVING THE PROTOCOL FROM PAPER TO REALITY Smile, woman of Africa, smile! A. N. Kithaka Challenges of domesticating the women's rights protocol Sarah Mukasa Reviewing the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa Irungu Houghton Women's rights: a tale of two national assemblies in Africa Faith Cheruiyot Great expectations for African women's educational empowerment through the protocol Roselynn Musa CHAPTER 3 WOMEN, HEALTH AND FOOD SECURITY Promising health and food security Saudatu Mahdi Making reproductive health rights a reality Anne Gathumbi Unlocking women's right to land Equality Now Africa Regional Office Towards human rights for all women in Namibia Liz Frank HIV/Aids - A challenge to the successful implementation of the protocol Elize Delport African women confront Bush's Aids policy Yifat Susskind CHAPTER 4 WOMEN AND CONFLICT The International Criminal Court: a ray of hope for the women of Darfur? Christine Butegwa Sudan's peace agreement and the position of women Roselynn Musa Peace a year on in southern Sudan: what has changed for women? SIHA Network Regulation of information during conflict situations: the role of women Amie Joof-Cole Women are Africa's political hope Emira Woods and Lisa VeneKlasen CHAPTER 5 WOMEN AND ISLAM Women's reproductive and sexual rights and the offence of zina in Muslim laws in Nigeria Ayesha M. Imam The Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa and its compatibility with Islamic legal principles Maryam Uwais Women's rights in Islam Khedija El Madani Niger: democratic principles and the rejection of the protocol Sibongile Ndashe CHAPTER 6 WOMEN AND THE JACOB ZUMA TRIAL The Jacob Zuma rape case: a letter to Khwezi from 54 African women South Africa: the Zuma trial, gender and the judiciary Interview with Delphine Serumaga Can I speak, please? Sibongile Ndashe Justice with dignity Vanessa Ludwig The socio-political eunuch called an impartial judge Nikki Naylor Dear Diary Lindiwe Nkutha CHAPTER 7 COMMENTS AND ANALYSES Fast tracking to equality: the SADC gender journey Janah Ncube Women with disabilities and sexual violence in Kenya Monica Mbaru-Mwangi Vagina Monologues: 'I am glad they have banned it' Sarah Mukasa Letter to Thabo Mbeki from African women Mohau Pheko and Lebohang Pheko Showing the red card to trafficking in human beings: foul play expected SOLWODI (Solidarity with Women in Distress) Freedom to abuse - choices in the African blogosphere Sokari Ekine ABOUT THE AUTHORS