Mainstreaming the Gender Dimension of Climate Change under the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights Mandates: Appraising State Reporting Guidelines and State Reports

The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (AfricanCommission) is one of the African Union's (AU) main human rights organs,charged for promoting, protecting, and interpreting the rights guaranteedunder the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. The AfricanCommission has also been tasked with reviewing state reports on theimplementation status of the African Charter and the Protocol to the AfricanCharter on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol). This articleexamines the extent to which African Commission state reporting guidelinesand state reports submitted to the African Commission depict the impacts ofclimate change on women's rights. The study used the doctrinal and qualitativeresearch approach. Although African women suffer differently anddisproportionately as a result of climate change, the African Charter andMaputo Protocol do not specifically acknowledge the impact of climate changeon women's rights. The African Commission is empowered to close suchdisparities through soft power methods such as issuing resolutions andguidelines, reviewing state reports, and entertaining cases. The article analysesstate reporting guidelines, state reports, and the African Commission'sconcluding observations and recommendations demonstrates that both statesand the Commission do not appropriately account for the adverse impacts ofclimate change on women's rights. The study also reveals potential ways forintegrating climate change and women's rights into state reporting guidelinesand state reports.