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#ReparatoryJustice

Reparations: A Call for Healing and Justice 

The African Union has declared 2025 as the year of ‘Reparations for Africans and People of African Descent.’ This call for reparations goes beyond financial compensation—it seeks restorative justice, economic empowerment, and structural transformation to address the enduring legacies of slavery, colonialism, and exploitation. 

The image shows a map of Africa with a stylized sunburst pattern around it, surrounded by a circle of gold stars, all on a textured, dark green background.
Image credit: wasantistock from Getty Images
  • 4 min
Edwick Madzimure
17 March 2025

Did you know that the African Union (AU) has declared the theme for 2025 as ‘Reparations for Africans and People of African Descent’? 

The African region, like many countries in the Global South, has suffered the impacts of the legacy of slavery, colonisation, and the industrial revolution. These factors have contributed directly to the underdevelopment and conflicts that many African nations still face. 

The Case for Reparations 

The AU’s call for reparations is not merely about financial compensation but encompasses a broader demand for restorative justice. Reparations are crucial for enabling African nations to recover from the historical wounds of the past and build a sustainable future for their citizens. Reparations could take many forms, including financial compensation, infrastructure development, educational scholarships, healthcare investments, and support for cultural and societal rebuilding. 

The AU’s focus on reparations also draws attention to the systemic inequalities that continue to hold back the potential of African countries. By acknowledging the impact of colonialism and the exploitation of Africa’s people and resources, the reparations agenda is an important step towards righting these wrongs. Reparations could help to restore dignity, provide economic empowerment, and promote social justice for all African peoples and the African diaspora. 

Addressing Structural Inequalities 

While reparations are a vital part of this process, there is also a pressing need for transparency and accountability in the management of Africa’s natural resources. Africa is endowed with vast natural wealth, but this wealth has often been mismanaged, with corrupt elites and foreign investors siphoning off resources that should benefit the people. The exploitation of Africa’s resources has fueled conflict, poverty, environmental degradation, and instability, further complicating efforts for sustainable development. 

The world is currently facing the devastating effects of climate change, from floods, hurricanes, cyclones, heat waves, rising sea levels, and perennial droughts—the list is endless. This has led to the call for climate mitigation strategies. The call for a transition from fossil fuels to clean renewable energy has further plunged the continent into more conflicts resulting from the scramble for critical minerals such as cobalt and lithium. Greater transparency and the development of robust mechanisms for resource governance are essential to achieving long-term stability and development in Africa. 

A Call for Action 

Civil society, the AU, and international actors must work together to push for concrete measures that ensure reparations are delivered in a way that empowers the people and fosters long-term development. 

Civil society must continue to advocate for transparency, and citizens must demand better governance, resource accountability, and improved service delivery. Governments should invest in public services, education, healthcare, and infrastructure. 

This is a call for solidarity, for a united front to demand transparency and accountability. 

WILPF’s Commitment to Reparations and Justice 

WILPF is also actively engaging in the global call for reparatory justice, see our delegation’s contributions on reparations at the GIMAC Pre-Summit. We will continue demanding reparations and working toward sustainable peace based on social justice. 

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Edwick Madzimure

Dr Edwick Madzimure is a Development Practitioner with a unique background in rural development, gender and the empowerment of women and girls. She is the Founding Director of WILPF Zimbabwe which she started in 2016. As part of her work, Edwick facilitates grassroots community climate change education awareness, human rights education, and gender-based violence activism. She advocates for the implementation of the Women Peace and Security Agenda and facilitates trainings on the localisation of the UNSCR 1325 in grassroots communities. Edwick is on a mission to transform communities from socially constructed systems that contribute to the exclusion of the youth and women from development processes. 

Matt Mahmoudi

Matt Mahmoudi (he/him) is a lecturer, researcher, and organizer. He’s been leading the “Ban the Scan” campaign, Amnesty International’s research and advocacy efforts on banning facial recognition technologies and exposing their uses against racialized communities, from New York City to the occupied Palestinian territories.

Berit Aasen

Europe Alternate Regional Representative

Berit Aasen is a sociologist by training and has worked at the OsloMet Metropolitan University on Oslo. She has 40 years of experience in research and consultancy in development studies, including women, peace, and security, and in later years in asylum and refugee studies. Berit Aasen joined WILPF Norway five years ago. She is an alternate member of the National Board of WILPF Norway, and representing WILPF Norway in the UN Association of Norway, the Norwegian 1325 network and the Norwegian Women’s Lobby. Berit Aasen has been active in the WILPF European Liaison group and is committed to strengthening WILPF sections and membership both in Europe and relations across continents.

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Melissa Torres

VICE-PRESIDENT

Prior to being elected Vice-President, Melissa Torres was the WILPF US International Board Member from 2015 to 2018. Melissa joined WILPF in 2011 when she was selected as a Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women as part of the WILPF US’ Practicum in Advocacy Programme at the United Nations, which she later led. She holds a PhD in Social Work and is a professor and Global Health Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine and research lead at BCM Anti-Human Trafficking Program. Of Mexican descent and a native of the US/Mexico border, Melissa is mostly concerned with the protection of displaced Latinxs in the Americas. Her work includes training, research, and service provision with the American Red Cross, the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Centre, and refugee resettlement programs in the U.S. Some of her goals as Vice-President are to highlight intersectionality and increase diversity by fostering inclusive spaces for mentorship and leadership. She also contributes to WILPF’s emerging work on the topic of displacement and migration.

Jamila Afghani

VICE-PRESIDENT

Jamila Afghani is the President of WILPF Afghanistan which she started in 2015. She is also an active member and founder of several organisations including the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organisation (NECDO). Elected in 2018 as South Asia Regional Representative to WILPF’s International Board, WILPF benefits from Jamila’s work experience in education, migration, gender, including gender-based violence and democratic governance in post-conflict and transitional countries.

A woman in a blue, black, and white dress smiles radiantly in front of a leafy green background.

Sylvie Jacqueline Ndongmo

PRESIDENT

Sylvie Jacqueline NDONGMO is a human rights and peace leader with over 27 years experience including ten within WILPF. She has a multi-disciplinary background with a track record of multiple socio-economic development projects implemented to improve policies, practices and peace-oriented actions. Sylvie is the founder of WILPF Cameroon and was the Section’s president until 2022. She co-coordinated the African Working Group before her election as Africa Representative to WILPF’s International Board in 2018. A teacher by profession and an African Union Trainer in peace support operations, Sylvie has extensive experience advocating for the political and social rights of women in Africa and worldwide.

WILPF Afghanistan

In response to the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and its targeted attacks on civil society members, WILPF Afghanistan issued several statements calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with Afghan people and ensure that their rights be upheld, including access to aid. The Section also published 100 Untold Stories of War and Peace, a compilation of true stories that highlight the effects of war and militarisation on the region. 

IPB Congress Barcelona

WILPF Germany (+Young WILPF network), WILPF Spain and MENA Regional Representative

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Demilitarisation

WILPF uses feminist analysis to argue that militarisation is a counter-productive and ill-conceived response to establishing security in the world. The more society becomes militarised, the more violence and injustice are likely to grow locally and worldwide.

Sixteen states are believed to have supplied weapons to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2020 with the US supplying 74 % of weapons, followed by Russia. Much of this equipment was left behind by the US military and is being used to inflate Taliban’s arsenal. WILPF is calling for better oversight on arms movement, for compensating affected Afghan people and for an end to all militarised systems.

Militarised masculinity

Mobilising men and boys around feminist peace has been one way of deconstructing and redefining masculinities. WILPF shares a feminist analysis on the links between militarism, masculinities, peace and security. We explore opportunities for strengthening activists’ action to build equal partnerships among women and men for gender equality.

WILPF has been working on challenging the prevailing notion of masculinity based on men’s physical and social superiority to, and dominance of, women in Afghanistan. It recognizes that these notions are not representative of all Afghan men, contrary to the publicly prevailing notion.

Feminist peace​

In WILPF’s view, any process towards establishing peace that has not been partly designed by women remains deficient. Beyond bringing perspectives that encapsulate the views of half of the society and unlike the men only designed processes, women’s true and meaningful participation allows the situation to improve.

In Afghanistan, WILPF has been demanding that women occupy the front seats at the negotiating tables. The experience of the past 20 has shown that women’s presence produces more sustainable solutions when they are empowered and enabled to play a role.