JOURNAL OF AFRICAN LAW

This article examines the ways in which cultural practices have caused difficulties in protecting women's rights in Africa. The author looks at the ways traditional cultural practices prevent womens rights from being realized. The author begins with an overview of women's human rights in African law (CEDAW, the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and the Protocol to the Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa). The author then examines specific cultural practices that limit the full implementation of women's rights (polygamy and divorce). The

This article assesses how domestic African courts are applying the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. The discussion covers 16 countries: Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, Congo, Ghana, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The examination of Botswana and Tanzania include references to women's rights cases. The section on Botswana includes two sex discrimination cases in which the Botswana Court of Appeal interpreted the Botswana Constitution in harmony with the African Charter's gender equality guarantee.