This is a key strategy inbuilt in our core programmatic pillars to ensure that issues affecting women are continuously brought to the attention of key policy makers, government and relevant stakeholders. Through this pillar AMwA fronts issues that are critical to African women, builds women’s leadership capacities to effectively engage in advocacy initiatives, mobilises women’s rights organisations and/or institutions to collectively speak and drive the agenda of women’s rights and gender equality at national, regional and international platforms. Working in partnership with various women’s rights organisations, AMwA is positioned to influence and advocate for policy/law reforms and hold governments accountable to their commitments on gender equality and women’s rights.
The advocacy activities of AMwA has enabled it to gain recognition in a variety of sectors, including the international voluntary sector, the United Nations family, African Regional bodies, governmental and inter-governmental organizations and amongst funding bodies.
- Post2015 Development Agenda; As a committee member of the NGOCSW Africa and member of the Women’s major group, AMwA has continued to engage in regional and international spaces advocating for issues of women’s human rights and ensuring that issues of women are taken up with utmost urgency.
- As chair of the NGO Forum AMwA has provided leadership through coordination of different national and regional activities and has continued to monitor the implementation of the Kampala Declaration on Sexual and Gender Based Violence.
- Ratification of The Protocol To The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on The Rights of Women in Africa. To date 25 countries have ratified the Protocol in Africa (as of September 2008). In addition, AMwA in partnership with feminist and human rights organisations in the UK is engaging with partners, the UK government as well as raising awareness and constituency building on the Protocol.
- Domestic Violence Act 2012, is one of the Ugandan laws that was passed through advocacy that was carried out by the Domestic Violence Action Coalition that AMwA is part of
- Human rights training and support for sex workers, their groups and organizations in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania (to equip them with skills on human rights as well as lay country strategies that will inform intervention and programmes of support).
- Gender Mainstreaming at the African Union and working with the African Union Directorate of Women, Gender and Development.
- In Uganda, advocating the enactment of laws that protect the rights of women in marriage, separation and divorce; Domestic violence as well as Sexual Offences.
- Protection for Women’s Human Rights Defenders especially; support, protection and technical assistance of Lesbian and Gay activists and groups in Uganda.
- Active participation and engagement with the African Feminist Forum (AFF) as well as hosting the Uganda Feminist Forum which were both initiatives aimed at building and strengthening the feminist movement and organizing in Africa. These have been instrumental platforms in encouraging the women’s movement to engage with emerging issues e.g. sex worker rights, LGBTI rights, sexuality and bodily integrity.
- Advocating for a gendered perspective on migration processes at the 3rd World Social Forum on Migration held in Madrid, Spain with the support of WIDE (Women in Europe in Development).
