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Women in Africa have been protesting gender-based violence for years, having to amplify their voices to get some justice. The rape of a young girl or the murder of a woman hardly moves the needle of justice until placards of "Stop Killing Us," "EnaZeda," "End Femicide," or "#ShutitAllDown" are raised in outrage.

Across South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Nigeria, and more, NGOs and women's shelters have had to step up in place of the government to provide aid and fight for justice for victims of gender-based violence (GBV). However, in recent times, some African countries have taken some measures to combat GBV.

In January, after years of petitions, the South African government announced that it would release the list of sex offenders and those convicted of GBV to the public. Kenya's President William Ruto set up a 42-member task force on GBV and femicide.

In Uganda, the Anti-Female Genital Mutilation Act and the Domestic Violence Act were adopted in 2010 to tackle acts against women and girls. Eight years later, the government created a special court session to rule on cases of sexual and gender-based violence. According to a 2023 report by its judiciary, the conviction rate increased from 20 percent to 70 percent in over 2000 cases.

Despite these actions, some experts say it is increasingly clear that the protection and justice for women and girls remains of low priority to their respective governments. For instance, South Africa's sex offender list is yet to be made public. Sabrina Walter, founder of Women for Change (WFCWFC), says it seems unlikely that it will ever happen.

"The promised release of the public sex offenders list was yet another empty commitment from our government," Walter tells OkayAfrica. "By withholding such critical data, the government becomes complicit in the ongoing violence. They are choosing to protect the privacy of criminals over the safety and rights of survivors."

Withholding this information allows perpetrators to continue causing harm. A sex offender can start working at schools or stay near potential victims without their knowledge, rendering them vulnerable.

A 2024 UNICEF report states that one in five women and girls in Sub-Saharan Africa have been raped or sexually assaulted before turning 18, the highest number of victims globally.

Meanwhile, when victims seek justice, the process is often grueling, financially draining, and fraught with delays. By the time a court reaches a verdict, the families of the victims are frequently left unsatisfied with the outcome. As was the case for Damilola Ayanwole, whose sister, Bamise Ayanwole, was raped and murdered in the state-operated rapid transit bus in Lagos, Nigeria in 2022.

The bus driver, Andrew Nice Ominikoron, was recently sentenced to death for his crimes. But Ayanwole believes that more could have been done to achieve true justice. "The conviction is okay but still needs work," she tells OkayAfrica. "When two or three people commit a crime, and only one of them faces the penalty, it shows we need to reform our judicial system. I gave up everything that belonged to me to fight for my sister. Since February 27, 2022, I have been on this journey, and it has seriously affected me."

However, in South Africa, the court ruling was swifter in Joshlin Smith's case – the six-year-old girl sold by her mother, her mother's boyfriend, and their friend in February 2024. After an eight-week trial this year, the perpetrators (Racquel Smith, Jacquen Appollis, and Steveno van Rhyn) were sentenced to life imprisonment for kidnapping and trafficking. Still, it remains a sad case as Joshlin is yet to be found.

"This case marks a rare moment of justice in a country where most GBV cases drag on for years and often end without accountability," Walter says. "But despite months of investigation, the child has not been found, highlighting yet another devastating failure by the police."

In 2020, South Africa launched the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, with a ten-year roadmap to create a safe environment for women and girls. Burkina Faso upgraded its National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security in 2023 for a two-year duration to prevent violence against women. Similarly, Namibia plans to revamp its old national plan of action on gender-based violence.

Despite policies put in place to tackle GBV in some of these countries, there continues to be an epidemic of violence against women because governments address violence and crimes against women with a surface-level approach. Their policies might look good on paper, but the implementation is often lackluster.

Abiodun Kolawole, a lawyer and human rights activist, believes that the fundamental problem behind GBV is the government's disinterest. "It is a matter of selfishness; they don't care about women," he tells OkayAfrica. "The foundation is weak; our government has failed us all. They serve merely as decorations because, while they excel in theoretical discussions, the essence of law lies in strong implementation. If people do not feel the practical impact, then their performance grade is below F9."

As Palestinians continue to suffer at the hands of Israel's genocidal war against Gaza, civilians from around the world are taking matters into their own hands. In North Africa, the Al-Soumoud Convoy (Arabic for "steadfast resistance") aims to travel from Algeria through Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt to Rafah to deliver aid.

Buses and private cars full of hopeful adults of all ages left Tunis on Monday, June 9, expecting to arrive at the Egyptian border with Gaza after June 12, picking up volunteers along the way. Their courage is admirable, and many around the world are relieved that, finally, someone is taking action.

"At best, we hope the Al-Soumoud convoy helps the global effort to reopen the Rafah crossing to aid and amplify the call to break the siege and end the genocide. It's about breaking the complicity of governments, including pro-Zionist Arab regimes, but also the silence of international institutions," Algerian researcher and activist Raouf Farrah tells OkayAfrica.

Farrah is participating as an individual activist, helping by gathering supplies and transporting materials. "We want this action to reignite popular mobilization across borders and force governments to reckon with their inaction," he continues. "At the very least, the convoy sends a clear message: from Tunis to Algiers to Libya, Egypt, and Morocco, people are rising in solidarity with Gaza."

The majority of North Africans have been in solidarity with Palestinians for decades, but their governments have resorted to performative criticism of Israel's occupation. In Egypt, dozens of pro-Palestinian Egyptians, including minors, have been arrested for practicing solidarity; at least 150 currently remain in pretrial detention facing charges of terrorism.

This makes North Africa a complex and unlikely place for such a show of civilian force post-2011. Especially in Egypt, many doubt that the Al-Soumoud Convoy will be allowed to cross the highly militarized Sinai Peninsula.

The situation is complicated by the Global March to Gaza, comprising delegations from over 50 countries that plan to walk from Al-Arish to Rafah on June 13. The organization is separate but in coordination with the convoy. This is not the first time a delegation has tried to reach Rafah; the Egyptian government thwarted efforts in 2023.

"It is a source of disappointment and embarrassment for all Egyptians that our government is highly unlikely to allow either the Tunisian or global marches to make their way to Rafah. The Egyptian government has since the beginning of the genocidal war in Gaza restricted access by Egyptian citizens and Egyptian and foreign media to come even close to the area, except for highly choreographed assemblies by its ardent supporters and pro-government media," Hossam Bahgat, Executive Director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, tells OkayAfrica.

The Al-Soumoud convoy is aware of the difficult political situation on the ground. Farrah shares, "We expect obstacles — from political obstruction to tight control and possibly limited repression, as well as logistical challenges, especially at borders with Egypt. But the will is firm. This convoy is a rejection of indifference and an act of dignity from below."

However, many Egyptians and Palestinians were concerned that the march volunteers lacked understanding of the immediate danger that comes with any sort of political action in Egypt. "We have built access to medical structures for displaced Palestinians with immense care, caution, and trust over more than a year and a half. These networks are fragile. They can disappear overnight if outside actors disrupt the political balance we've been carefully navigating," Lucy Mahfouz, a local aid worker who uses an alias for security reasons, tells OkayAfrica.

She continues, "People live here. Palestinians live here, and they are already being watched, harassed, denied access to care, or worse. What is framed as a symbolic gesture or a media action by international activists could have devastating, long-term consequences for them."

American author and human rights advocate Hannah Claire Smith is determined to join the march. "After 20 months of a live-streamed genocide, it's clear that educating people online about the ongoing atrocities isn't enough," she says. "It's time to escalate our advocacy and demand more from the international community."

Irish podcaster Danielle Cooper also flew to Cairo. "We want to amplify the voice of the global anti-genocide community and put pressure on governments who aren't doing anything," she says. "I'm not anticipating many obstacles; we aim to protest peacefully. The only challenges we may face are trekking through the Sinai desert in the blistering heat, which is a drop in the ocean compared to what the people of Palestine are facing every day."

"We have sent letters from the different international delegations to the Egyptian embassies. Parliamentarians have sent letters on our behalf to the Egyptian government. We have worked on our discourse, content of communication with the press, and chart of ethics, and I feel we have taken all the necessary steps to guarantee permission," says Saif Abukeshek, chair of the international committee of the Global March to Gaza. "We see Egypt as part of the solution, and we count on their support to fulfill our mission and reach the border."

The willingness of these volunteers, who are said to be thousands, to set aside their daily lives and physically show up in this moment of moral urgency should be an inspiration and a reminder for all of us that we must do better. Everyone has a role to play, and nobody will be free until all of us are free.

At the same time, doing better means listening to those on the ground and considering the long-term consequences and practicality of political action. In an ideal world, the convoy and march join forces and walk to Rafah, supported by the Egyptian government, to open a humanitarian corridor and finally end the siege. The reality, however, looks different.

On Wednesday, June 11, the Egyptian government published a statement reaffirming the regulations governing visits by foreign delegations to areas adjacent to the Gaza Strip, including Al-Arish and the Rafah border crossing.

As of today, June 12, Cairo authorities have detained and deported dozens of foreign nationals arriving in Egypt for the Global March to Gaza. There are reports of hotel raids in central Cairo, with several activists arrested. One organiser told news agency AFP that more than 200 foreign citizens had been detained at the Cairo airport since Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Al-Soumoud convoy has not yet been granted permission to traverse Eastern Libya, which is under the control of General Khalifa Haftar, whose government is closely aligned with the Egyptian President.

None of this comes as a surprise to Egyptians.

"At the very least, we hope to show the people of Gaza they are not alone and to force the international community to reckon with its complicity," says Smith. "Even if governments don't act immediately, we believe mass mobilization can shift what's politically possible."

To this, Mahfouz says, "If a regime that has brutally repressed any form of Palestinian solidarity is suddenly letting foreign nationals approach the border and post about it freely, you should ask: who is benefiting from this? Because it is clearly not the Palestinians living here. If anything, this kind of action allows the regime to posture while cracking down even harder on those who stay behind. It risks turning solidarity into a stage, while those living under daily surveillance pay the price."

This story was originally posted June 10, 2025 at 3:52 p.m. and has been updated.

June 12, 10:19 a.m. Updated to include updates of participant deportations by the Egyptian government.