traditional mecanisms of conflict settlement that lead to continuous discriminatory practices against women within the family regarding child custody, inheritance,and in particular regarding the access to land; inefficient laws on judicial assistance. Marriage and inheritance: prevalence of traditional law over moder law, hence persistence of traditional discriminatory practices towards married women and widows (early marriages, dispossession of assets belonging to widows) 4. Responses of the African system of human rights  In 1987 the African Commission of Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) was established as a way to preserve the rights guaranteed in the African Charter, in Banjul, Gambia.  Double mission of the ACHPR: promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights  In its missions, the ACHPR shall, a.o.:   formulate and lay down principles and rules aimed at solving legal problems relating to human and peoples’ rights and fundamental freedoms (article 45 of the Charter) Communications and complaints  The ACHPR receives and examines complaints coming from individuals and NGOs regarding the violations of their rights as guaranteed by the Charter and the Protocol (art. 56 of the Charter)  To day, the Commission examined 259 communications and complaints against 44 State Parties.  In reality, despite the massive violations of the rights of women, to date, only one communication or complaint was referred to the court; it came from an NGO (Association of the Lawyers of Ethiopia) on behalf of a girl whose rights had been violated    Communication 341/07 Equality Now vs Ethiopia (early marriage) is currently being examined The ACHPR adopted several resolutions on the rights of women, some of which are also about women belonging to minorities  Resolution on the situation of women and children in Africa (2004)  Resolution on the UN Declaration on Indigenous Peoples (2007)  Resolution on maternal mortality in Africa (2008)  Resolution on the protection of the rights of Indigenous women in Africa (2011) Creation of subsidiary mechanisms within the ACHPR:  Special rapporteurs and working groups: two of them work on the issue of minority women