African Women's Decade: One year on

One year ago, the African Union declared 2010-2020 as African Women's Decade. The theme of this year is “Health, Maternal Mortality and HIV/AIDS”. This decade is a promise from African governments and the African Union to promote women's rights and achieve gender equality in Africa.
The African Women’s Decade is quite significant and unique. It officially puts women at the centre of every initiative or work that will be undertaken in Africa by the African Union, and its member states in the next 10 years.
Thirty years after the adoption of CEDAW, many women and girls still do not have equal opportunities to realise rights recognised by law. (...) In most countries, women are denied the right to own property or inherit land. Women in Africa face dual legal systems wherein customary laws on inheritance, property ownership favour the men over the women and patriarchal traditions which consider men as heads of the family.

This report gives information by country on a range of topics, including the status of women's land rights.