IGED-Africa has launched “Every Contribution Matters,” a simplified toolkit designed to promote understanding of women’s rights to equitable distribution of property during separation, divorce, or annulment of marriage.
The toolkit focuses on General Comment No. 6 on Article 7(d) of the Maputo Protocol, adopted by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. It breaks down a complex regional human rights standard into accessible language, practical examples, illustrations, and interactive learning tools for women, grassroots organizations, civil society actors, legal practitioners, and policymakers.
At the heart of the toolkit is a simple but powerful principle: every contribution in marriage matters. This includes not only financial contributions such as income, land, savings, and investments, but also non-monetary contributions such as childcare, domestic work, farming, household management, care work, and support for a spouse’s career or business.
Across many contexts, women’s unpaid labour continues to be overlooked when marriages end, especially where property is registered in one spouse’s name. The toolkit explains that equitable sharing does not always mean a strict 50/50 division, but it does require fairness, dignity, and recognition of all forms of contribution.
The resource also provides guidance on legal pathways and remedies across civil, customary, and religious systems, while emphasizing that all legal systems must uphold women’s rights in line with the Maputo Protocol. It further outlines state obligations, policy recommendations, key legal terms, and practical steps women can take to document their contributions and seek support.
The toolkit was developed as part of IGED-Africa’s broader commitment to gender equality, women’s economic justice, legal advocacy, and public education across Africa.
Download the toolkit: Every Contribution Matters: A Toolkit on Monetary and Non-Monetary Contributions Towards Equitable Distribution of Joint Property in Marriage and Upon Divorce.
