In Summary
- Rights groups have decried what they termed rising anti-human rights movements threatening women and minority populations
- Pan-African activists have rejected a proposed AU Family Charter tool
- They said controversy emerged from foreign influence and lack of African representation at the Pan-African Conference.
As the Pan-African Conference on Family Values officially opens on Monday 12th May,2025 in Nairobi, civil society groups and human rights defenders are warning of a troubling rise in anti-rights movements across the globe, including Africa.
The Interconnected Justice Society, alongside Amnesty International Kenya, expressed alarm at efforts to erode hard-won rights for women, sexual minorities, and other historically marginalized groups.
” We are seeing a surge in unwanted pregnancies among youth, broken family structures, and limited reproductive health access. Yet, our policies remain exclusionary and judgmental, rather than solutions-oriented,” Houghton Irungu, Executive Director of Amnesty International Kenya noted.
He stressed the importance of recognizing Kenya’s diverse family structures and called for more inclusive, responsive public policies.
Proposed African Charter On Family Values Seen As Political Weapon
Activists sharply criticised the proposed African Charter on Family Values, being advanced at the African Union level, warning that it could be a political manoeuvre aimed at suppressing human rights. The Interconnected Justice Affirming Elders Council described it as a dangerous move to undo decades of progress on democracy and inclusion.
Bishop Joseph Tolton stated that, such agendas risk centralizing repression while bypassing the democratic voices of Africa’s 54 nations.
“This is not about protecting African families. It’s about enforcing a repressive ideology under the pretext of morality,” Bishop Jospeh Tolton said.
Uproar Over Foreign Influence In Pan-African Conference
The legitimacy of the conference has come under intense scrutiny after a viral poster revealed that all seven featured speakers are white men. The optics of foreigners prescribing “African family values” has sparked widespread backlash online, with many questioning the credibility and intentions behind the event.
Leading the public reaction was the leader of the People’s Liberation Party, Martha Karua who criticised the event as a “neo-colonial imposition” on African societies.
“So where are the Africans,” she stated on social media.A move that drew a strong support from activists, youth leaders, and civil society.
The backlash has reinvigorated calls for Pan-African unity, urging African citizens to take charge of defining their own family frameworks rooted in inclusivity, equality, and cultural dignity.
