In a controversial move that has sent ripples through human rights circles, Ghana hosted a pivotal conference that could redefine the continent’s approach to sexual and reproductive rights. At the centre of the debate is a draft African charter asserting that these rights pose an existential threat to family structures, a view that has drawn sharp criticism from legal experts, activists, and reproductive rights advocates across the globe.
A Step Backwards for Human Rights
The draft charter, unveiled during the annual inter-parliamentary conference in Accra, boldly claims that African culture is under siege from “foreign ideologies.” It calls for member states to extricate themselves from international treaties that conflict with its principles, including the widely respected 2003 Maputo Protocol, which champions gender equality and safeguards the health rights of women and girls.
This document represents an alarming attempt to impose a continent-wide legal framework steeped in moralistic rhetoric, rather than a commitment to human rights. It asserts that sexual and reproductive health and rights are not only dangerous but that they actively promote practices like abortion on demand—claims that many experts deem unfounded.
The charter also takes a hardline stance against comprehensive sex education, alleging that such programmes sexualise children, and insists on a binary definition of gender. It further contends that parental rights should take precedence over children’s rights, particularly concerning issues of sexuality and discipline.
Criticism from Within
Legal professionals and advocates for LGBTQ+ rights have swiftly condemned the charter as regressive. Gilbert Mitullah, a prominent Kenyan lawyer and board member at the Queer African Network, expressed that the document serves as a “licence to oppose” existing commitments to sexual and reproductive health. He warned that its operational function is to dismantle protections enshrined in the Maputo Protocol, even before any official endorsement is given.
The draft emerged from a core group of African legislators, predominantly led by Ugandan officials, and aims to gather sufficient backing to present at the African Union general assembly in February 2026. This push for approval has raised alarms among those who argue that the charter’s narrow definition of family, rooted solely in heterosexual marriage, disregards the rich diversity of familial structures present across the continent’s 54 nations.
The Impact on Vulnerable Populations
The Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA), a pan-African feminist organisation, has conducted an extensive analysis of the charter’s implications. Their findings suggest that prioritising family unity over individual rights could lead to the subjugation of women and children under collective family interests, effectively shielding private family dynamics from state accountability, particularly in cases of violence or discrimination.
Lakshita Kanhiya, a legal officer at ISLA, articulated a grim forecast: “Women will no longer be safe; children will not be safe.” The charter’s rhetoric, cloaked in the language of family values, risks legitimising increased governmental intrusion into personal lives while simultaneously masquerading as a populist agenda.
The Global Influence at Play
Critics have likened the charter to a vessel for conservative ideologies that echo sentiments from American and European Christian organisations staunchly opposing abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. Famia Nkansa, communications leader at Purposeful, a Sierra Leone-based organisation advocating for girls’ rights, asserted that the anti-rights movement in Africa is merely an extension of a colonial legacy, with the continent serving as a battleground for ideological and economic conflicts orchestrated from the West.
The annual conferences have reportedly received backing from Family Watch International, a US-based lobbying group known for its staunch anti-abortion stance. Mitullah noted the charter’s alignment with the Geneva Consensus Declaration, a manifesto against abortion, suggesting it reflects a transnational agenda that uses African signatories to lend it an air of local legitimacy.
Why it Matters
The implications of this proposed charter extend far beyond legal jargon and political posturing. It threatens to erode hard-won rights and protections for some of the continent’s most vulnerable populations, transforming the landscape of human rights in Africa. With a foundation built on regressive ideologies, the charter risks reinforcing cycles of discrimination and violence against women and LGBTQ+ individuals, while stifling the voices advocating for equality and justice. As the world watches, the outcome of this debate could significantly shape the trajectory of human rights on the African continent for years to come.
