Human Rights

This is an interdisciplinary platform for exciting insights, opinions, reviews, and critical analyses of human rights issues in Africa. A cross-section of contributors shares and cover human rights issues related to policy, advocacy, practice, and awareness. The insights shared unveil a wide spectrum where human rights principles and theories interface with lived realities of people and communities in Africa.

Besides the blog contributions, the africanlegalstudies.blog and the Chair of African Legal Studies at the University of Bayreuth are constantly developing new initiatives to exchange and engage with scholars and practitioners. These include research projects such as “Intractable Human Rights Issues” or debate series (e.g. “Everyone’s human rights”).

Leave it to our children

Elisa SchullanSep 20, 202413 min read
Leave it to our children

An Appeal To Involve The Youth In Climate Policy Introduction Some of the most influential politicians could be our grandfathers and -mothers. They stand there…

Is Article 34 (6) rendering the African Human Rights System ineffective?

Julius KreibigSep 6, 20249 min read
Is Article 34 (6) rendering the African Human Rights System ineffective?

Introduction The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the ‘African Charter’) is the central international human rights instrument charged with the promotion and protection…

Universalism of Human Rights versus Cultural Relativism within the African discourse

Johann Demetrius StraußAug 30, 202410 min read
Universalism of Human Rights versus Cultural Relativism within the African discourse

Introduction The discourse surrounding cultural relativism and universalism in the context of human rights is a contentious and thought-provoking subject which is not just an…

University of Pretoria expert assesses Botswana’s state of readiness for 2024 elections

Tendai MbanjeAug 23, 20248 min read
University of Pretoria expert assesses Botswana’s state of readiness for 2024 elections

The government of Botswana should take steps to address gaps in the legal framework such as fixing of the election date, finalisation of the constitution…

August is Women’s Month in South Africa – why this matters

Nicole KroppenstedtAug 16, 20246 min read
August is Women’s Month in South Africa – why this matters

South African Pass Laws and the Women’s March in 1956 The pass laws in South Africa already existed for decades, and in the 1950’s, during…

The Communications’ Procedure of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child: Some anecdotal reflections on possible applicants

Robert NanimaAug 9, 20249 min read
The Communications’ Procedure of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child: Some anecdotal reflections on possible applicants

1.      Introduction The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (African Children’s Charter)[1] has an inbuilt communications procedure with which states recognise…