Legal experts and women’s rights advocates have warned that the absence of clear legal protection for women may threaten justice and stability across Africa, stressing that without laws that safeguard women’s rights, there can be no justice and peace.

This was the crux of discussions yesterday, at the African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA) International Conference 2025, themed “From Margins to Mainstream: The African Woman in Unfettered Sustainable Development,” held in Cotonou, Benin Republic.

Founder, AWLA, Betty Mould Iddrisu, noted that many African countries once upheld traditional practices that stripped women and girls of dignity, property and bodily autonomy.

She cited widespread forced marriages, female genital mutilation, and the absence of inheritance rights for women as some of the injustices that compelled the early founders to act.

According to her, even when progressive laws were introduced, women often lacked access to representation or knowledge of their rights, prompting lawyers within the association to set up informal legal aid services.

She described the journey as difficult but said the organisation’s work had contributed significantly to the advancement of women’s rights across regions.

Iddrisu, while reflecting on the organisation’s origin, recalled the moment a group of African women lawyers met in Nairobi and resolved to challenge entrenched discrimination across the continent, saying that the movement was born out of a desire to create an Africa where women’s rights were not treated as an afterthought but recognised as a fundamental part of social and legal life.

Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Amina Mohammed, urged African governments and legal practitioners to guard against the growing pushback threatening gender equality globally.

She said that the progress made over the years could easily be eroded if governments, civil society organisations and women’s movements do not unite to protect legal gains and push ahead with reforms.

Mohammed noted that African leaders had made specific commitments to tackling violence against women, improving women’s leadership and supporting post-crisis recovery efforts.

She added that associations, such as AWLA, are well-positioned to translate those commitments into enduring legal protections.

Country Representative, AWLA in Benin Republic, Falilatou Alexandraine Saizonou Bedie, stressed the urgency of strengthening women’s rights across the continent.

She described violence against women and girls as a devastating challenge that undermines social and economic development, noting that the situation persists despite the existence of multiple legal frameworks from African Union (AU) protocols to United Nations conventions.

Meanwhile, President of AWLA, Mandy Demechi-Asagba, praised the resilience and dedication of women lawyers in Nigeria and across the continent.

She said the organisation had intervened in countless cases, including life-saving support for women facing extreme domestic abuse.

Demechi-Asagba urged members to remain committed to the mission.