A qualitative exploration of the norms, actors and the operational context of the African Union gender governance structures. This dissertation examines the kinds of international and regional gender norms the African Union produces, the actors that shape and advance this agenda, and regionally relevant drivers and constraints of a pan-African approach to international gender norms. At the heart of this dissertation is a paradox: why has the African Union adopted such an elaborate web of gender policies, laws, campaigns and institutions, when its member states are indifferent to it?