The fight for reparations and justice for Africans and people of African descent has gained significant momentum in recent years, with global and regional efforts converging to address historical injustices. Against this backdrop, the 41st Pre-Summit Consultative Meeting of the Gender Is My Agenda Campaign (GIMAC) was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from February 6 to 9, 2025. This landmark convening, co-led by The Women’s International Peace Centre (The Peace Centre), aligned with the African Union’s (AU) 2025 theme, “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations,” creating a vital space to advocate for gender-sensitive reparations and the full implementation of the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (SDGEA).
Background: The Reparations Movement and Gender Justice
The push for reparations remains central to global human rights advocacy, with key milestones such as the Abuja Proclamation of 1993, the Durban Declaration and Program of Action of 2001, and the AU Transitional Justice Policy (2019) laying the groundwork for addressing the long-lasting effects of slavery, colonialism, apartheid, and systemic discrimination. The Accra Conference on Reparations (November 2023) was a pivotal moment, uniting leaders, scholars, and activists to reinforce the call for justice and reparations. Discussions from Accra emphasized structural transformation, economic empowerment, and the integration of gender-sensitive approaches into the broader reparations agenda.
The United Nations’ International Decade for People of African Descent (2015–2024) and its recently adopted Second International Decade (2025–2034) further highlight the urgent need to combat racial discrimination, promote sustainable development, and advance the human rights of people of African descent. Within these frameworks, women and girls have been disproportionately impacted by historical injustices, facing gender-based violence, economic marginalization, and exclusion from decision-making processes. As such, reparations must center gender justice, ensuring that financial compensation, education, and healthcare address the unique harms suffered by women.
The Peace Centre’s Role at GIMAC
As a Co-Lead of GIMAC, The Peace Centre, alongside Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA), Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF), and the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS), played an instrumental role in steering discussions and ensuring that reparations strategies reflected the lived realities of African women.
One of our key contributions was supporting women and youth from Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to participate in the meeting. Their testimonies enriched the discussions, offering first-hand accounts of conflict, displacement, and economic disenfranchisement, while emphasizing the urgency of reparative justice.
Panel Discussion on 25 Years of UNSCR 1325: Addressing the Colonial Legacy and Its Gendered Impact
Moderated by the Peace Centre under the Peace and Security Cluster at GIMAC
As part of the Peace and Security GIMAC cluster, The Peace Centre, in collaboration with Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS) and SOS Information Juridique Multisectorielle (SOS-IJM), convened a panel discussion on “25 Years of UNSCR 1325: Addressing the Colonial Legacy and Its Impact on Women in Africa.” This session critically examined how colonial histories have shaped gender inequality and the exclusion of women from peace and security processes.
The panel focused on how colonial legacies perpetuate systemic gender-based violence, economic disparities, and governance gaps, making it harder for women in conflict-affected regions to access justice and reparations. Special attention was given to the security challenges facing women in the Sahel, East Africa, and the Horn of Africa, where instability continues to exacerbate gender-based violence.
Our country director, Bahati Rubango, who moderated the panel, highlighted the current reparation context amidst the devastating security and humanitarian crises in Eastern DRC, Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Nigeria, and Libya. He emphasized the right of victims to access adequate reparations, reiterating that there can be no peace without justice and no justice without both collective and individual reparations, as clearly articulated in the African Union’s Transitional Justice Policy and related mechanisms in Africa.
Spotlight on the DRC Experience
Our partner, Laurette Misenga from SOS-IJM, shared a compelling account on the DRC experience, highlighting the persistence of sexual violence in conflict zones, the challenges of accessing reparations, and the ongoing fight for justice led by women’s organizations. She stressed the importance of ensuring that reparations are survivor-centered and that governments commit to guarantees of non-repetition.
Key Challenges Identified:
- Impunity for Perpetrators and Weak Security Institutions: Highlighted by Laurette Misenga, these challenges reflect the reality that those responsible for violence often manipulate legal systems to avoid accountability, leaving survivors without justice. In countries like the DRC, fragile governance structures further exacerbate the vulnerabilities of survivors, with some reparations efforts being disrupted by escalating violence.
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Gaps in Implementing UNSCR 1325, Lack of Political Will, and Deficiency in Peace Education: These challenges emerged from the broader panel discussions, emphasizing that while National Action Plans (NAPs) exist in various African countries, implementation remains uneven, with women’s participation in leadership often prioritized over protection and relief measures in countries like the DRC. Additionally, governments continue to fail in allocating sufficient resources to fund reparations and sustain peace efforts. The lack of strong peace education programs has resulted in generations growing up in environments dominated by conflict rather than reconciliation.
Key Recommendations from the Discussion:
- Establish peace education and development movements and programs, including monitoring initiatives for reparations.
- Directly address root causes of instability, including climate issues, and ensure fair access to and equitable sharing of natural resources.
- Develop victim-centered reparations mechanisms, ensuring affected individuals play an active role in their design, implementation, and evaluation.
- Adopt a holistic approach to the Women, Peace, and Security agenda, integrating all four pillars of UNSCR 1325: Participation, Protection, Prevention, and Relief & Recovery.
- Strengthen regional and global judicial mechanisms, with an emphasis on the International Criminal Court.
- Challenge harmful norms, customs, and traditions, including patriarchy and trade-related gender disparities.
- Develop strategic partnerships to enhance accountability, truth-telling, and reconciliation efforts.
- Facilitate experience-sharing and learning between countries with established expertise in reparations processes.
- Enhance prevention and protection mechanisms, including early warning systems, security sector reform, and holistic transitional justice frameworks.
- Ensure a comprehensive approach to the Youth, Peace, and Security agenda, in line with UN Resolution 2250.
The 41st GIMAC Pre-Summit Consultative Meeting reinforced the unwavering commitment of The Peace Centre and our partners to gender justice, peace, and reparations for Africans and people of African descent. Through our leadership and collaboration, we continue to advocate for inclusive, intersectional, and transformative approaches to addressing historical injustices. By fostering partnerships, amplifying marginalized voices, and pushing for concrete policy changes, we are shaping a future where justice, equality, and sustainable peace become realities for all.