Across many African communities, culture and tradition remain deeply woven into everyday life, shaping identity, family structures, and social values. But for millions of women and girls, some customary practices continue to come at a painful cost — limiting access to education, economic independence, bodily autonomy, and fundamental human rights.

These realities took centre stage during a compelling panel discussion titled “Customary and Traditionalist Practices Affecting the Enjoyment of Women’s Health, Economic, and Social Rights in Africa,” held during the NGOs Forum ahead of the 87th Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) in Banjul.

The Forum organised by the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies is held from the 7th to 9th May, 2026, at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Centre in Bijilo.

The session brought together women’s rights advocates, legal experts, and civil society organisations from across West Africa to examine how deeply rooted cultural practices continue to affect the lives of women and girls despite growing legal protections and regional commitments.

Moderating the discussion, Commissioner Remy Ngoy Lumbu challenged participants to critically examine how tradition is often used to justify violations against women.

Referring specifically to practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM), Commissioner Lumbu stressed that cultural identity must never be used as a shield for abuse.

He emphasised that the protection of women’s dignity, bodily integrity, and human rights should take precedence over harmful social norms that perpetuate inequality and violence.

Throughout the panel, speakers repeatedly highlighted the gap between legal reforms adopted by African states and the realities faced by women at the community level.

Representing the Association of Senegalese Women Lawyers, Ndeye Fatou Sane described how patriarchal traditions and customary systems continue to undermine the rights of women and girls in Senegal.

She explained that many girls in rural communities remain trapped in cycles of domestic labour, often spending long hours fetching water, caring for households, and supporting family responsibilities at the expense of their education.

According to Ms. Sane, unequal access to education continues to reinforce economic dependency and gender inequality. She also pointed to discriminatory inheritance systems that prevent many women from owning or inheriting land, leaving them excluded from economic opportunities and financial security.

In many communities, she noted, customary laws still place decision-making power and property ownership almost entirely in the hands of men.

As discussions deepened, the conversation turned to female genital mutilation, one of the most persistent harmful practices affecting women and girls across parts of Africa.

Geneviève Séhé Traoré of the Munyu Women’s Association spoke passionately about the continued practice of FGM in Burkina Faso despite laws criminalising it.

Describing FGM as “a grave violation of women’s rights and bodily integrity,” Ms. Traoré explained that legal prohibitions alone have not been enough to eliminate the practice.

According to her, deeply rooted cultural expectations, fear of social exclusion, and pressure from families and communities continue to sustain FGM in many areas.

Girls and women who refuse the practice, she explained, often face stigma, rejection, or isolation within their communities.

Her remarks highlighted the complex challenge facing activists and policymakers: changing laws is easier than changing long-standing social attitudes and belief systems.

For that reason, several speakers stressed the need for long-term community engagement rather than relying solely on criminal sanctions.
Representing Women in Law and Development in Africa, Sékou Sidibe emphasised the importance of grassroots advocacy, legal awareness, and partnerships with traditional and religious leaders.

He explained that while many African countries now have legal frameworks prohibiting harmful practices such as FGM and child marriage, implementation remains weak at the local level, where customary authority often holds greater influence than state institutions.

Mr. Sidibe shared examples of interventions carried out by civil society organisations that helped girls facing forced marriage remain in school and access legal protection.

He noted that community sensitisation programs, legal clinics, and dialogue with local leaders have proven effective in gradually changing attitudes toward harmful practices.

Throughout the panel, participants repeatedly returned to the issue of economic violence against women — a form of abuse that speakers said remains widespread yet insufficiently recognised.

Economic violence, they explained, includes denying women access to land, inheritance, education, employment opportunities, or financial decision-making power.

For many women across rural Africa, these forms of exclusion create dependency and limit their ability to escape abusive situations or achieve economic autonomy.

The discussions also revealed how harmful customary practices often intersect with poverty, lack of education, weak justice systems, and gender-based violence.

In some communities, girls forced into early marriage are removed from school, exposed to early pregnancies, and denied opportunities for economic independence. In others, discriminatory land ownership systems leave widows and divorced women vulnerable to homelessness and extreme poverty.

As participants shared experiences from different countries, a common concern emerged: legal commitments at national and regional levels are not translating into meaningful protection for women and girls on the ground.

In his concluding remarks, Commissioner Remy Ngoy Lumbu called on civil society organisations to make greater use of regional accountability mechanisms, including the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to pursue justice and strengthen protections for women.

He warned that economic violence against women remains largely overlooked in many African countries despite its devastating long-term consequences.

The Commissioner encouraged activists, lawyers, and organisations to continue challenging discriminatory systems through advocacy, strategic litigation, and community engagement.

As the session ended, one message remained clear throughout the room: protecting women’s rights in Africa requires more than legal reforms alone.

It demands confronting harmful social norms, empowering communities, strengthening accountability, and ensuring that culture is never used to justify violence, exclusion, or inequality.

Because for many women and girls across the continent, the struggle for dignity and equality continues not only in courtrooms and policy spaces — but within homes, traditions, and communities themselves.