Let's Talk Human Rights

By Satang Nabaneh

“Women of African descent have been the most oppressed and vulnerable group of women for 500 years; because of the exploitation, because of the building of an identity that was not ours, and a building of a narrative that has kept us discriminated against. And so, in the event that we have another decade [on people for African descent]. I have already placed in my report to the United Nations in November of this year the perspective that if we have another decade that it must also focus on issues related to women of African descent. We cannot for another 10 years be at the bottom of every relevant statistic globally.” 

These were the powerful opening words of Honorable Ambassador Dr. June Soomer, SLC, JMA, Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, as she inaugurated the soft launch of our project titled ‘Looking Back and Reaching Forward: Commemorating the International Decade for People of African Descent and the Human Rights of Women and Girls.’ This event marked a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to highlight and address the critical issues faced by women and girls of African descent.

As I discussed in a forthcoming book chapter, Women of African Descent, Intersectionality and Human Rights, such a focus is critical as women and girls of African descent face a multitude of challenges due to their intersecting identities. As victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and other forms of intolerance, they are also subject to gender-based stereotypes and negative social norms. The term ‘women of African descent’ is used contextually to include those who were forcibly displaced through the transatlantic slave trade or other historical events to the Americas, the Caribbean, and other parts of the world, as well as migrant African women in the diaspora.

The University of Dayton Human Rights Center, in collaboration with Gaynel Curry, expert member of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD) along with student researchers, examined almost 600 concluding observations issues by four treaty bodies over the last ten years: the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), Human Rights Committee (HRC), and the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (CMW). Data collection and analysis focused on the nature and extent to which the concluding observations addressed women and girls of African descent. As Natalie Hudson, Executive Director, University of Dayton Human Rights Center remarked, “This kind of research is core to our work at the Center. It’s empirical, practical, and applied research that informs and is informed by advocacy. It prioritizes educating the next generation of human rights practitioners, especially in these inclusive and action-based research methods. It recognizes that human rights approaches are not perfect and demands an intersectional, feminist, anti-racist, and decolonial approach. And it is research driven by genuine, horizontal and sustainable partnerships that transcend borders and global divides.” 

Gaynel Curry opened with this:

Navigating spaces,
Negotiating to enter and thrive in workplaces,
Hoping to receive as I give good graces
But often rejected, disrespected, undervalued, invisible—
On the bases of the skin I am in.
Black, Woman, Caribbean,
Sister, Daughter of the African continent…
Happy to be celebrating Freedom, Justice,
Peace, Solidarity in these places
Where traces of faces all look like me.

The rationale behind our research project stems from a critical reflection on the first decade and the need to understand what has changed for black women. As Gaynel Curry explained, “The idea really came about as we were discussing within the Forum the second decade. What popped into my mind is, well, what has happened for us in the first decade? I was searching around and couldn’t find very much. The Secretary-General has done a report on outcomes, but not much actually mentioned about us. The main outcome of the decade is the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, which is positive. But I was searching for what has happened for black women. How have our lives changed?” The journey to answer these questions led to an in-depth examination of various treaty bodies and their engagement with issues affecting black women. The research focused on four key treaty bodies, examining the intersection of blackness and womanhood, particularly in contexts such as migration and civil and political rights. “We wanted to look at the intersection of migration,” she noted. “Black women on the move in North Africa, the Caribbean, moving across the border into the US – what is their reality, and how is that being tracked? And how are we looking at migrant workers in Asia and their rights? How are we protecting the rights of women before the courts?”

This research aims to address critical gaps and an understanding of the challenges faced by women of African descent. Recent graduates Te'Neill Francis and Gabrielle Newry shared the preliminary findings of our research, which can be found in our preliminary report. Coinciding with the annual commemoration of International Human Rights Day, themed “Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now,” the launch was a powerful reminder of the importance of lifting up women of African descent, celebrating their vast contributions, and unequivocally promoting, protecting, and respecting their human rights.

The discussion following the presentation of the preliminary findings highlighted the crucial need for robust collaboration between NGOs and treaty bodies. Experts stressed the importance of NGO reports representing women and girls of African descent in informing the work of treaty bodies and holding states accountable.

Marion Bethel, Vice Chair and Rapporteur of CEDAW noted, “In this past year, we've looked at Cuba, Chile, and Canada. Brazil was an amazing engagement. There were very strong black activist women and girls there who really gave us the kind of the material that we needed to engage with their states parties on the anti-racism, anti-colonialism, anti extractivism issues that affect black women and girls in Brazil.” Speakers also suggested direct engagement with treaty body committees through briefings to increase awareness and understanding.

The personal experiences shared by the speakers were particularly compelling. They shed light on the challenges faced by women of African descent in leadership roles, discussing tokenism, microaggressions, and the precarious "glass cliff" phenomenon. “It's very important that women [of African descent] can be safe in the space of power,” remarked Tamara Thermitus, Lawyer Emeritus and Distinguished Boulton Senior Fellow at McGill University's Faculty of Law. “As women and as people of African descent, we have to stand up and say, 'No, no, that's not right.' It's not right, not only for us who are in the middle of the storm, but for all those who witness that kind of violence because it impacts us, our communities, and our girls who want to achieve success. We want to have a voice and be able to change the world. We have to have a space, and we cannot speak among ourselves.”

We were also reminded of the transformative power of grassroots movements led by people of African descent, particularly women, in driving social change, challenging systemic injustices, and pushing institutions to reckon with their colonial legacies and systemic racism. As Ana Barreto, Vice President for Latin America, Planned Parenthood Global from Brazil, noted, “[These] movements embody the principle that change begins from the ground up. They remind us that the lived experience of marginalized communities should shape the policies and framework meant to serve them. The United Nations, while a critical platform for advancing human rights, has not been immune to critiques of institutional inertia and Eurocentrism. Grassroots movements have been essential in pushing the UN. To confront those limitations. For example, activists are the ones demanding better representations of people of African descent in the treaty bodies. Movements have exposed the gaps in UN frameworks that fail to address intersections.”

Preliminary Findings and Next Steps

The research underscores the necessity of decolonizing human rights approaches and research practices. Centering marginalized epistemologies, amplifying grassroots voices, and challenging dominant narratives are essential steps toward creating a more inclusive and equitable framework for addressing the rights of women and girls of African descent.

The final report will be launched in April 2024 at the fourth session of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent in New York. The research team is committed to expanding their work to include more in-depth analyses, case studies, and concrete recommendations that can effectively drive positive change for women and girls of African descent globally.

As I concluded the soft launch, I ended with bell hooks' words: “Our freedom is sweet, but it will be sweeter when we are all free.”

Satang Nabaneh is Research Professor of Law at the University of Dayton School of Law and the Human Rights Center’s Director of Programs. A democracy, human rights, and governance specialist, her work spans human rights, democratization and autocratization, constitution-making and institutionalization of accountability structures, election processes, human rights, and transitional justice.