Johannesburg, South Africa – May 2022
Disabled Women in Africa (DIWA) continues its continental advocacy to ensure that the African Disability Protocol (ADP) moves from aspiration to full implementation. In a high-level engagement with the African Union Committee on Gender and Disability, DIWA called on the Committee to encourage Member States to urgently ratify and domesticate the Protocol as a matter of human rights, inclusion, and social justice.
The ADP, adopted by the African Union in 2018, provides a regionally grounded legal framework to protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities in Africa. It complements the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) by addressing African-specific challenges such as harmful practices, poverty, conflict, and discrimination faced by women and girls with disabilities.
During the meeting, DIWA emphasized the urgency of accelerating ratification and implementation, highlighting that fewer than half of AU Member States have ratified the Protocol. DIWA’s Executive Director, Ruth Mkutumula, reaffirmed that “ratifying the ADP is not only a legal obligation, it is a moral commitment to ensure that Africa’s development is inclusive, equitable, and leaves no one behind.”
She further stressed that gender and disability inclusion are inseparable in the realization of Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals. “Women and girls with disabilities continue to face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination,” she said. “The ADP offers a powerful instrument to guide States in creating laws, policies, and programs that respond to these realities.”
The meeting concluded with a renewed call for collaboration between the AU Committee, governments, and civil society organizations. DIWA committed to working closely with the Committee and other continental actors, including the African Disability Forum (ADF) and Inclusion Africa, to track progress, share data, and ensure women’s voices remain central to advocacy for ratification.
“Our goal is simple,” Ruth added. “Every African country must ratify and implement the ADP. The time for promises is over—the time for action is now.”
