In the 21st century, the African continent faces complex questions of social, economic, and political resilience. In the more than 25 years since the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, there have been numerous advances in gender equality within national and international institutions, legal frameworks and policy mandates, as well as in approaches aimed at securing sexual and reproductive health and rights, LGBTI rights and political and economic rights, among other areas. While many African countries made progress in terms of instituting progressive laws and policies to address gender inequalities, implementation of laws remains a challenge and, as a result, women continue to face discrimination in matters of personal law such as marriage, inheritance, citizenship/nationality and access to property and land (African Union Commission, 2018). Added to this, COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on women and girls across the region. The pandemic has exacerbated the burdens of unpaid care work, increasing risks of gender-based violence, impacting livelihoods of women disproportionately - especially in the informal sector, and reducing access to sexual and reproductive health care (Mahuku, 2020). However, the narrative on the impact of COVID-19 on the lives of African women cannot be limited to their vulnerability. There is also a need to pay attention to their leadership and their ability to survive, mobilise and organise during times of crisis. COVID-19 has highlighted, once again, that during epidemics, governments make difficult decisions generally – responding to COVID-19 as a health crisis and often not taking into account people’s social and economic needs. As a result, grassroots movements—usually feminist and women-led ones—have stepped up in response to the pandemic, providing frontline services and support to the marginalised, advocating for gender-responsive policy agendas and demanding government accountability for human rights. RETRIEVED FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE.