Africa Links Women’s Safety, Care and Economic Security

Violence against women and girls remains a serious human rights challenge with consequences that reach far beyond individual survivors.

Across East and Southern Africa, a broader vision of gender equality is taking shape, one that recognizes that women's safety, economic security and access to care are closely connected. Governments, regional institutions and women's rights advocates are strengthening efforts to prevent violence against women and girls while pushing for better care services and social protection systems that can give women more freedom to study, work, earn an income and participate in public life.

That connection came into focus during a recent high-level UN Women mission to Namibia, where discussions brought together support for the African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (AU-CEVAWG) and regional action on care-responsive policies. Meetings in Windhoek showed that protecting women from violence cannot depend on laws alone when financial insecurity, unpaid care responsibilities and limited access to essential services can leave women with fewer choices in their daily lives.

Namibia adds momentum to a continent-wide commitment

Violence against women and girls remains a serious human rights challenge with consequences that reach far beyond individual survivors. Families can lose income, children can experience disruption to education and wellbeing, while communities carry additional health, social and economic costs. African countries are strengthening legal protections and prevention measures while facing the equally important task of making survivor-centred services accessible to women who need them.

AU-CEVAWG offers countries a shared continental framework for preventing violence, protecting women and girls and improving accountability. Namibia used the UN Women mission to signal its commitment to move national processes towards signing and ratifying the Convention, contributing to the wider push for the 15 ratifications needed for the treaty to enter into force.

"Ending violence against women and girls requires not only strong laws but also strong political leadership and collective action," said UN Women Deputy Executive Director Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, pointing to Namibia's engagement as evidence of growing determination to turn the Convention into meaningful protection for women and girls.

A common framework can help countries align standards while encouraging stronger investment in prevention, protection and survivor support. The impact will depend on what happens beyond formal commitments, including whether institutions have adequate resources, frontline services reach communities and women can seek help without facing additional economic or social barriers.

Care responsibilities shape women's economic choices

The regional conversation is also paying closer attention to work that often happens quietly inside homes and communities. Childcare, elder care, healthcare and domestic responsibilities keep households functioning, yet much of this work remains unpaid or poorly valued, with women and girls carrying a disproportionate share.

Heavy unpaid care responsibilities can determine whether a woman accepts a job, continues her education, starts a business or participates in community leadership. Affordable childcare, accessible health and elder-care services, decent conditions for paid care workers and stronger social protection can give families more choices while creating employment across an expanding part of the economy.

This thinking featured strongly at the Sixth African Union Specialized Technical Committee on Social Development, Labour and Employment, where ministers adopted a decision supporting the integration of care systems into national social protection frameworks. The approach calls for dedicated strategies, sustainable financing and gender-responsive budgeting, giving governments practical policy tools to treat care as part of economic and social planning rather than an invisible household responsibility.

"A key takeaway from the STC was the recognition that social policy is economic policy," said UN Women East and Southern Africa Regional Director Anna Mutavati. "When governments invest in care systems and gender-responsive social protection, they are investing in resilience, productivity and inclusive growth."

Safety and economic independence belong in the same conversation

Violence and economic insecurity can trap women in overlapping forms of vulnerability. A woman experiencing abuse may struggle to leave an unsafe situation when she has no independent income, affordable childcare, secure housing or access to social assistance. Someone carrying extensive unpaid care responsibilities may have fewer opportunities to build the financial independence that could make difficult choices possible.

Integrated policies can address these realities more effectively. Survivor services can be connected with social protection, childcare and livelihood support, while community-based care programmes can reduce unpaid workloads and create paid employment. Policies that strengthen women's economic participation can also increase their ability to make decisions about their lives and seek support when they experience violence.

The Namibia mission brought these issues into the same regional discussion, showing why violence prevention, care systems and gender-responsive social protection need to reinforce one another rather than develop as separate policy tracks.

Turning regional promises into everyday change

Continental agreements gain their real value when they improve women's experiences in homes, workplaces and communities. Cooperation between the African Union, UN Women, Member States and women's organizations can help countries share effective approaches, strengthen institutions and translate regional commitments into national policies backed by budgets and services.

"Regional engagement creates opportunities to turn continental commitments into national action," said Doris Mpoumou, Representative of the UN Women African Union Liaison Office, emphasizing the importance of sustained collaboration as countries move forward with the Convention and care reforms.

The message emerging from Windhoek reaches beyond any single treaty or policy decision. Women's safety, care responsibilities and economic independence influence one another every day. Treating them as connected priorities gives African countries a stronger foundation for building economies and societies in which women and girls have greater security, opportunity and control over their futures.