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United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women - State Party Reports |
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United Nations
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CEDAW/C/CIV/1-3
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Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women
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Distr.: General
18 October 2010
English
Original: French
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Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women
Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
Combined initial to third periodic reports of States parties
Côte d’Ivoire[*]
[7 September 2010]
Republic of Côte d’Ivoire
Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs
Directorate of Gender Equality and Promotion
Review and evaluation of the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
Contents
Paragraphs Page
I. Introduction 1–13 6
II. General information about Côte d’Ivoire 14–16 7
Demographic characteristics 17–19 7
Ethnic characteristics 20 8
Economic characteristics 21–22 8
Social characteristics 23–25 8
Cultural characteristics 26–27 9
Political characteristics 28–30 9
Legal system and administration of justice 31–32 9
III. Implementation of the Convention by Côte d’Ivoire 33–732 10
Article 1: Definition of discrimination against women 33–51 10
Constitution: recognition of the principle of gender equality 33–41 10
Recognition of the principle of gender equality in domestic legislation 42 10
Domestic legislation not in conformity with the Convention 43–44 11
Adherence to international law concerning non-discrimination
with respect to women 45–51 11
Article 2: Obligation to eliminate discrimination 52–109 13
Status of the Convention in the domestic legal system 52–58 13
Optional Protocol to the Convention 59 13
Existing forms of discrimination against women 60–75 13
Shortcomings that encourage continuing discrimination against women 76–90 15
Measures to eliminate discrimination and to bring domestic
legislation into line with the Convention 91–109 17
Article 3: Development and advancement of women 110–204 19
Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs: a mechanism
for the advancement of women and monitoring of the
implementation of the Convention at national level 113–154 19
Main elements of the national policy for the advancement of women 155–173 25
Measures to remedy shortcomings, and results obtained 174–188 28
Tangible results already achieved through the use of
gender-based analysis in the field 189–204 30
Article 4: Accelerating de facto equality between men and women 205–224 32
Legislation 205–207 32
Situation in practice 208–222 33
Drawbacks of the measures 223 35
Recommendations on introducing special measures 224 35
Article 5: Roles and stereotypes 225–259 35
Stereotypes in family and community settings 227–239 35
Stereotypes in books and in the classroom 240–247 36
Stereotypes in the media 248–252 37
Legislation encouraging stereotypes 253 37
Measures to eliminate stereotypes 254–259 38
Article 6: Suppression of the exploitation of women and violence against women 260–292 38
Legislative framework 260–265 38
Current situation 266–271 39
Measures adopted and implemented 272–292 39
Article 7: Participation in political and public life 293–343 42
Legal framework 293–301 42
Overview of the situation of women in public and political life 302–330 43
Obstacles to the participation of women in political and public life 331–337 47
Remedial measures 338–343 47
Article 8: Representation and participation at the international level 344–353 48
Conditions of appointment at the international level 344–347 48
Situation in practice 348–352 49
Measures and strategies to increase women’s representation
at the international level 353 49
Article 9: Nationality 354–373 49
Legislation 354–371 49
Situation in practice 372 51
Reforms 373 51
Article 10: Promotion of women’s education 374–443 51
The Ivorian education system 376–394 51
Formal education 380–392 51
Non-formal education 393–394 52
Participation rates for girls at various levels of education 395–424 53
Girls and women in non-formal education 425–427 56
Problems 428–434 57
Recommended solutions 435–443 57
Article 11: Advancement of women in the field of employment 444–488 58
Legislation on the right to work 444–458 58
Reality on the ground 459–485 60
Measures taken by the State party to reduce inequalities 486–488 64
Article 12: Equal access to health-care services 489–567 65
Legislative framework 489–492 65
Regional agreements and commitments made at international and
regional or subregional conferences 493 65
National policy and State strategies in the area of health 494–501 66
Current situation 502–548 66
Measures taken by the Government 549–567 71
Article 13: Social and economic benefits 568–604 73
Current situation 568–597 73
Activities in the field 598–599 76
Social security arrangements made by the State 600–603 76
Women and sporting, cultural and recreational activities 604 77
Article 14: Rural women and development 605–677 77
General information on rural women 606–631 77
Rural women and rural development 632–649 81
Representation of rural women in local decision-making bodies 650–658 83
Rural women and human rights 659–670 84
Rural women, health and violence 671–677 86
Article 15: Equality before the law in civil matters 678–705 87
Legislation on civil equality 678–684 87
Observations 685–701 88
Current reforms 702–705 90
Article 16: Marriage and family law 706–732 90
Legislation on marriage 706–710 90
Observations 711–725 91
Procedure for divorce, custody and maintenance 726–732 92
Conclusion 733–734 92
Annexes
Annex 1 94
Annex 2 97
Bibliography 101
I. Introduction
1. The United Nations has steadfastly maintained for several decades that, in order for Third World countries to develop effectively, they must utilize the skills of each and every one of their citizens. Consequently, all members of society, both women and men, must be able to prosper within a framework that recognizes and applies the principle of gender equality.
2. Côte d’Ivoire adopted this fundamental principle of the United Nations when it gained independence. Guided by the need to ensure the well-being of its population and aware of the key role played by women in the development process, the State has taken steps, inter alia, to ensure their development through their socio-economic empowerment, access to credit and to decision-making and other high-level positions in public administration and the private sector.
3. To this end, Côte d’Ivoire has ratified several international legal instruments, including, in 1995, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It has also developed programmes that aim to meet those requirements. Further, its Constitution reflects its commitment to respect the human rights of both women and men.
4. This report outlines the principal measures taken by Côte d’Ivoire during the period 1996–2008 to promote the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It was prepared in conformity with the Convention’s reporting guidelines.
5. It aims to present the situation of women’s rights in Côte d’Ivoire and to focus on measures to take better account of the gender-specific needs of women.
6. The Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, through the Directorate of Gender Equality and Promotion, which coordinates activities relating to gender equality, launched the preparation of this initial report in December 2009.
7. The drafting process involved a multisectoral and participative approach. It was supported by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women and followed the schedule suggested by the Division:
• Multilateral workshop (December 2009)
• Workshop for the drafting team (February 2010)
• Workshop to consider the preliminary draft report (May 2010)
• Support to the consultant (April/May/June 2010)
• Workshop to approve the report (June 2010)
• Finalization of the report (June/July 2010)
8. Technical and financial support was also provided by the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
9. Various Government bodies, national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and private bodies were involved in the workshops and meetings.
10. These bodies were organized into four sectoral working committees (law, education/training/employment, social/political/health affairs and agriculture) to evaluate the implementation of the Convention.
11. Despite the difficult social and political context, marked by the military and political crisis that broke out on 19 September 2002 and led to the partition of the country, Côte d’Ivoire has consistently expressed its concern for the situation of women.
12. The crisis has had adverse consequences on the situation of different groups of the population, in particular children and women, both in Government-held territory and in the area controlled by Forces Nouvelles (ex-rebels).
13. The Government has therefore set a number of priorities in order to strengthen the realization of women’s rights. These priorities are part of general measures of implementation and incorporate the general principles of the Convention and concern mainly civil rights and freedoms, the family environment and social protection, health, well-being, leisure and recreational activities and special protection measures.
II. General information about Côte d’Ivoire
14. Côte d’Ivoire is situated in West Africa and lies between the tropics. It covers an area of 322,462 km². It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the south, Ghana to the east, Burkina Faso and Mali to the north and Guinea and Liberia to the west. Abidjan is the economic capital and Yamoussoukro the political capital of the country.
15. Côte d’Ivoire has geographical characteristics that are similar to other countries in the West African subregion that border the Gulf of Guinea. Young people account for a high proportion of the population, and immigration from neighbouring countries over the decades has enriched its sociocultural diversity.
16. The road to modern democracy began in 1990 with the introduction of multiparty politics and has been marked by a series of social and political crises. With the signing of the first supplementary agreement to the Ouagadougou Agreement in March 2007, the country initiated a process to bring about a return to normal political and social life, which is necessary for sustainable economic growth.
Demographic characteristics
17. The population of Côte d’Ivoire was estimated at 20.8 million inhabitants in 2008 according to projections prepared by the National Institute of Statistics based on data from the 1998 General Population and Housing Census. According to the Institute,[1] 43 per cent of the total population are aged under 15 years, and 49 per cent are women, 51 per cent of whom are of childbearing age. Fifty-two per cent of the population lives in rural areas and 48 per cent in urban areas.
18. The National Institute of Statistics estimated the annual population growth rate at 2.8 per cent in 2008. Fertility rates are high and start at early ages, reflecting the country’s demographic dynamism, which is illustrated by a crude birth rate of 37.9 per cent and a total fertility rate of 4.6 children per woman in 2006.
19. On account of its geographical and historical role as an economic and cultural crossroads, Côte d’Ivoire is a country with a high level of immigration. Twenty-six per cent of immigrants come mainly from the countries in the subregion.[2]
Ethnic characteristics
20. Côte d’Ivoire has a multi-ethnic population. Citizens of Ivorian origin come from four main ethnic groups (the Gur, the Mande, the Akan and the Kru), which include some 60 smaller ethnic groupings.
Economic characteristics
21. The country’s social and political crisis has had adverse effects on GDP growth rates, which were particularly hard-hit between 2000 and 2003, when real GDP fell by 2.3 per cent and 1.7 per cent respectively. The national economy, which continues to be dominated by coffee and cocoa production (see economic profile, annex 1), has shown a slight improvement since 2004 thanks to resources generated by oil extraction, development of the telecommunications sector and trade.
22. This upturn is reflected in the growth rates: 1 per cent in 2004, 1.8 per cent in 2005 and 1.2 per cent in 2006.[3] Nevertheless, the 2006 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report ranked Côte d’Ivoire 164th out of 177 countries, with a Human Development Index estimated at 0.415. The proportion of households living below the poverty line, estimated at 38.4 per cent in a survey carried out by the National Institute of Statistics in 2002, is currently estimated at 44 per cent according to the 2006 UNDP report.
Social characteristics
23. The total estimated number of jobs was 6,006,190 in 2000. Employment is affected by economic growth (with jobs created at levels of growth above 1.5 per cent) and by the military and political crisis. This crisis has damaged productive capacity significantly, causing many Ivorians of working age to be laid off. In 2002, the unemployment rate was 6.2 per cent; in other words 402,274 persons were unemployed out of a total labour force of 6,502,115.[4]
24. The situation in the labour market in Côte d’Ivoire is similar to that elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa. Supply is well below demand, and this imbalance inevitably drives salaries down.
25. The poverty index in Côte d’Ivoire (the number of persons below certain threshold levels in the human development index) was 40.3 per cent in 2004, with the country ranked 92nd out of 108 developing countries (2006 UNDP report). Côte d’Ivoire is still a country with an underdeveloped economy. Poverty worsened dramatically during the period leading up to the crisis. The poverty index rose from 32.3 per cent in 1993 to 36.8 per cent in 1995, and to 38.4 per cent in 2002. In 2003, it stood at between 42 per cent and 44.2 per cent.[5]
Cultural characteristics
26. French is the official language.
27. Religious diversity is a feature of the country. Freedom of worship is guaranteed by the Constitution, and the principal religions are Christianity, Islam and animism. The most widely practised religions in Côte d’Ivoire are Islam (40 per cent) and Christianity (30 per cent). In addition, 20 per cent of people practise other religions and 10 per cent are animists.
Political characteristics
28. On gaining independence, Côte d’Ivoire, a unitary State, opted for a presidential regime. The presidential regime was retained under the Second Republic and is based on the separation of powers within the State (executive, legislative and judicial branches).
29. The political and military crisis which broke out on 19 September 2002 has led to the partition of the country into two zones: the South under Government control and the Centre North-West under the control of Forces Nouvelles. Following the Ouagadougou Agreements, a transitional Government was installed on 7 March 2007 with the task of ending the crisis through the holding of free and transparent elections under the auspices of the international community.
30. Long considered a haven of peace and political stability in West Africa, the country has been through a succession of social and political crises since the coup d’état of 24 December 1999.
Legal system and administration of justice
31. Following independence, the colonial-era judiciary was overhauled with the aim of putting in place a modern judicial system adapted to the needs of the country.
32. Three principles guided the modernization process: justice is dispensed in the name of the people; in the exercise of their duties, judges are subject only to the authority of the law, their independence being guaranteed by the President of the Republic; and the judiciary is the guardian of individual freedoms.
III. Implementation of the Convention by Côte d’Ivoire
Definition of discrimination against women
Constitution: recognition of the principle of gender equality
33. Ever since Côte d’Ivoire gained independence, its basic laws (constitutions) have always enshrined the principle of equality between citizens, in particular between women and men, as set forth in the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to both of which it adheres.
34. The Constitution of 3 November 1960 and the current Constitution of 1 August 2000 enshrine this principle of equality even though they make no express reference to “non-discrimination with respect to women”.
35. The Constitution states (art. 6): “The Republic shall guarantee to all equality before the law, without distinction as to origin, race, gender or religion. It respects all beliefs.”
36. Article 6 confirms the principle of the equality between women and men in the enjoyment of political rights, which is set forth in article 5 as follows: “Suffrage is universal, equal and secret. All Ivorian nationals of either sex who have reached the age of majority and are in possession of their civil and political rights are entitled to vote under the conditions determined by the law.”
37. These provisions are reflected in articles 30 and 33 of the Constitution of 1 August 2000, which confirm the principle set forth in article 2, which states that “all human beings are born free and equal before the law”.
38. Article 7 adds that “the State shall guarantee all its citizens equal access to health, education, culture, information, vocational training and employment”.
39. Article 17 goes further, stating that: “Access to public or private employment shall be equal for all. Any discrimination in access to or the exercise of employment on grounds of sex or political, religious or philosophical opinions shall be prohibited.”
40. The Constitution of August 2000, currently in force, represents a significant advance in the field of gender equality and human rights in general.
41. It is therefore clear that the Constitution contains the key provisions of the Convention and that the same spirit and objectives underlie the two texts. Therefore, it can be said that the Constitution accords fully with the Convention.
Recognition of the principle of gender equality in domestic legislation
42. Many domestic laws confirm the principle of gender equality, which is enshrined in the Constitution. These include the following:
• Act No. 92-570 of 11 September 1992 on the General Civil Service Regulations
• Act No. 2001-479 of 9 August 2001 on the National Police Staff Regulations (art. 4)
• Act No. 2002-43 of 21 January 2002 on the Prefectural Corps Regulations (art. 9) and its implementing decree (art. 4)
• The Labour Code (arts. 2, 4 and 23.1–23.9) and its implementing decrees
• The bill to revise the Personal and Family Code
Domestic legislation not in conformity with the Convention
43. A very limited number of domestic laws still in force contain provisions that are not in conformity with the Convention (see paragraph 60). These are:
• Act No. 83-800 of 2 August 1983 on marriage
• Act No. 70-483 of 3 August 1970 on minors
• Act No. 64-376 of 7 October 1964 on divorce and separation, as amended and supplemented by Act No. 83-801 of 2 August 1983 and Act No. 98-748 of 23 December 1998
• Act No. 83-799 of 2 August 1983, as amended by Act No. 83-377 of 7 October 1983, on paternity and parentage
• Act No. 64-380 of 7 October 1964 on inheritance
• Act No. 95-15 of 12 January 1995 on the Labour Code, as amended by Act No. 97-400 of 11 July 1997
• Act No. 81-640 of 31 July 1981 instituting a criminal code
• The General Tax Code
• Act No. 92-570 of 11 September 1992 on the General Civil Service Regulations
• Pensions payable to widowers of female civil servants
• The Guide to Social Security
44. Some of these texts contain provisions that discriminate against women. These are:
• Act No. 83-800 of 2 August 1983 on marriage, which places men at the head of household with the primary role of supporting the family (arts. 1, 5, 9, 57, 59, 60, 67, 79 and 81)
• Act No. 83-801 of 2 August 1983 on divorce and separation (arts. 24 (new), 25, 26, 27 bis and 29)
• Act No. 95 of 12 January 1995 on the Labour Code, as amended by Act No. 97-400 of 11 July 1997 (arts. 23.1–23.9)
• Act No. 95-570 of 11 September 1992 on the General Civil Service Regulations (arts. 14, 23.1–23.9 and 48)
• Act No. 2002-04 of 23 January 2002 on the Local Authority Staff Regulations (art. 43)
• The Inter-Occupational Collective Agreement (arts. 20, 30, 66 and 69)
• Act No. 81-640 of 31 July 1981 instituting a criminal code (art. 391)
Adherence to international law concerning non-discrimination with respect to women
45. At the international level, apart from the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which it has not yet ratified, Côte d’Ivoire has ratified several instruments that recognize the free exercise of fundamental human rights by women on an equal footing with men.
46. These instruments include:
• The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, ratified on 18 December 1995
• The Convention on the Political Rights of Women, ratified on 6 September 1995
• The Convention on the Nationality of Married Women, ratified on 20 November 1999
• The Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages, ratified on 18 December 1995
• The International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention concerning Equal Remuneration for Men and Women Workers for Work of Equal Value (No. 100), ratified on 5 May 1961
• The ILO Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment (No. 138), ratified on 7 February 2000
• The Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others, ratified on 2 November 1999
• The Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery, ratified on 8 December 1961
• The ILO Convention concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (No. 182), ratified on 7 February 2003
• The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, ratified on 6 January 1992
• The Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified on 4 February 1991
• The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, ratified in 2002
• The Abuja Agreement on Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, signed in 2006
• The Multilateral Cooperation Agreement to Combat Child Trafficking in West Africa, signed in 2005
• The Bilateral Agreement between Côte d’Ivoire and Mali on Child Trafficking and Exploitation, signed in 2000
47. With a view to ensuring the implementation of the international instruments to which Côte d’Ivoire is a party, Decree No. 61-157 of 18 May 1961 instituted a specific mechanism to monitor the implementation of conventions, resolutions and other instruments.
48. In accordance with this decree, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs prepares the ratification and publication of international instruments. After it is signed and, where appropriate, ratified, the instrument is published in the Official Gazette and is incorporated ipso facto into the domestic legal system, taking precedence over domestic legislation (Constitution, art. 87).
49. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs the relevant ministry concerning implementation of the instrument.
50. The ministry responsible for gender equality issues and women’s empowerment is tasked with implementing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
51. Following ratification and publication, the Convention, like any other convention, was incorporated ipso facto into the domestic legal system. Further, in accordance with the Constitution (art. 87), it takes precedence over domestic laws. Consequently, the Convention prevails over national legislation in the event of a conflict between them.
Article 2
Obligation to eliminate discrimination
Status of the Convention in the domestic legal system
Ratification mechanism for conventions and agreements
52. Under article 84 of the Constitution of 2000, the President of the Republic is entitled to “negotiate and ratify international treaties and agreements”. Nevertheless, article 85 states that those treaties, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, that “change domestic law may be ratified only by a law” enacted by Parliament authorizing the President to ratify agreements with a view to their incorporation into the domestic legal system.
Incorporation and applicability of the Convention
53. Article 87 of the Constitution states that “treaties and agreements ratified through regular procedures shall, upon publication, take precedence over domestic legislation, subject, in regard to each treaty or agreement, to its application by the other party”.
54. It follows from these provisions that the Convention, or any other instrument ratified by Côte d’Ivoire through regular procedures, forms an integral part of the domestic legal system. Therefore, it can be invoked directly in Ivorian courts by both the general public and the professionals concerned. However, the Convention prevails in the event of conflict with domestic legislation since it takes precedence over national laws.
55. The State must amend its domestic laws in order to bring them into line with international standards. Such changes are brought about through amendments proposed by the Government or Parliament.
56. The general picture shows that the Convention is not invoked often enough.
Obstacles to invoking the Convention in courts
57. Despite its direct applicability in the courts, certain obstacles prevent the Convention from being invoked. The main obstacle is widespread ignorance of international instruments in general, and of the Convention in particular, on the part of the general public and the professionals concerned. Consequently, they make very little reference to the Convention.
58. This ignorance is due to a lack of dissemination of the Convention. As with many other instruments ratified by Côte d’Ivoire, the Convention has not been adequately disseminated or promoted nationally, despite some measures taken by the ministry responsible for women and social affairs and by women’s NGOs.
Optional Protocol to the Convention
59. The Optional Protocol has not yet been ratified. The preparation of this report will undoubtedly enable the State to hold a debate on its international commitments and, therefore, to ratify the Optional Protocol.
Existing forms of discrimination against women
60. Although gender equality is recognized by the Constitution and some laws, several other pieces of legislation contain provisions that are inconsistent with that principle.
Legislation
61. The Civil Code:
• Act No. 83-800 of 2 August 1983 on marriage. This law contains discriminatory provisions, in particular in articles 1, 5, 9, 57, 59, 60, 67, 79 and 81. These articles establish the age of civil majority and the roles of spouses within the household in a discriminatory fashion. Men are granted all rights regarding important decisions affecting the household, while the role of women is limited to performing household chores.
• Act No. 70-483 of 3 August 1970 on minors. This law contains provisions that discriminate against women with regard to the rights of the father and mother over the person and property of their minor children. Article 6 uses the words “paternal authority”, thereby granting the exercise of those rights to men, rather than “parental authority”, which would refer to both parents.
• Act No. 64-376 of 7 October 1964 on divorce and separation, as amended and supplemented by Act No. 83-801 of 2 August 1983 and Act No. 98-748 of 23 December 1998 (arts. 24 (new), 25, 26, 27 bis and 29). These articles contain discriminatory provisions particularly in cases of remarriage after divorce, when women must wait at least two years before remarrying, while no time requirement is set for men.
62. The Nationality Code:
• Article 14 of the Nationality Code was not amended by Decision No. 2005-09/PR, of 29 August 2005, so the Government can oppose the acquisition of Ivorian nationality by a foreign woman married to an Ivorian man
63. The Criminal Code:
• Act No. 81-640 of 31 July 1981, instituting a criminal code, also contains provisions that discriminate against women. For example, women are treated differently to men in cases of adultery with respect to the admissibility of evidence (art. 391).
• Act No. 98-757 of 23 December 1998 penalizing certain forms of violence against women. The Act takes no account of domestic violence, which is in practice the most common form of violence against women. The only provisions that may be invoked are the general provisions on assault and battery contained in the Criminal Code.
64. The General Tax Code:
• Women are discriminated against with respect to income tax (see article 13)
• Act No. 92-570 of 11 September 1992 on the General Civil Service Regulations: survivor’s pensions are payable to widowers of female civil servants
Administrative policies and practices that discriminate against women in certain areas
65. The first Ivorian Constitution and the Constitution in force since 2000 recognize the equality of all citizens before the law, without distinction as to gender. There are therefore no formal policies that are manifestly discriminatory against women.
66. Nevertheless, women have no access to certain areas of professional activity, such as the gendarmerie (see article 7).
Traditional or religious customs and practices that discriminate against women
67. The payment of dowry, which is a criminal offence in Côte d’Ivoire, occurs in virtually all cultures.
68. Widowhood rites such as levirate and sororate are still observed in certain regions.
69. Traditional forced and early unions and consensual unions that limit the freedom of women, and especially girls, constitute forms of mental violence against women.
70. Female genital mutilation, with a prevalence rate of 36.4 per cent, remains a fairly widespread practice in Côte d’Ivoire. It constitutes an act of serious violence against women, with harmful effects on their health.
71. All these practices, most of which are prohibited by law, still occur within families and communities and cause severe physical and mental harm to women.
Acts of discrimination occurring as a result of social and political crises
72. Social and political crises, in particular the one in 2002, have exacerbated violence against women, in particular sexual violence. This violence is perpetrated by armed groups, who use it as weapon of war.
73. In 2007, the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, in cooperation with UNFPA, carried out a study on gender-based violence in the district of Abidjan, where most persons displaced by war were concentrated. The study revealed that 21.35 per cent of respondents, consisting mainly of women, were the victims of sexual violence.
74. According to the August 2007 Human Rights Watch report “My heart is cut”, 122 cases of rape were reported between November 2002 and June 2004. Two out of every five women interviewed said that they had been victims of sexual abuse.
75. These acts of sexual violence have extremely serious consequences, including sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, traumas which often result in feelings of anguish, shame, rage, depression and fear, unwanted pregnancies, miscarriages and illegal abortions.
Shortcomings that encourage continuing discrimination against women
At the level of awareness-raising
76. Continuing discrimination against women is caused by the lack of public awareness-raising measures and programmes. Although the institutional framework exists (the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights), policies and programmes to disseminate international and national instruments on women’s rights and gender equality have little impact because of the lack of available human and financial resources.
77. Consequently, there is no sense of ownership of the Convention, either on the part of national actors responsible for implementing the law or of women, most of whom are illiterate.
78. However, a national NGO is currently documenting those national laws that contain discriminatory provisions.
79. In addition, some civil society organizations and Government human rights bodies are increasingly active in the field.
At the level of studies and surveys
80. The reasons for the existence of discriminatory practices are also linked to the lack of studies and surveys on gender equality. The studies and surveys that have been conducted with a view to disseminating and promoting women’s rights and gender equality are inadequate. Those which do exist have not been sufficiently disseminated by their authors and the authorities.
81. Nevertheless, some commercials, discussions and announcements related to gender equality have started to appear on radio and television.
At the level of special courts and victims’ complaints filed before the courts
82. In the Ivorian legal system, there are no special courts or special chambers within the courts to hear cases of violence and other forms of discrimination committed in the home.
83. Nevertheless, in order to ensure due process of law, judges are appointed either as family court judges or as guardianship judges (Act No. 70-483 of 3 August 1970 on minors, article 51) with responsibility for settling marriage disputes and those related to divorce proceedings.
84. Legal aid for the poor is provided for under Act No. 72-833 of 21 December 1972 on the Code of Civil, Commercial and Administrative Procedure (arts. 27–31); the procedures for applying the Act are laid down in Decree No. 75-319 of 9 May 1975. Aid is available for all poor persons and is not specific to women victims of violence.
85. However, thanks to capacity-building programmes initiated and implemented by the gender unit within the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, there is an increasing awareness of gender issues among judges.
86. Despite the existence of family court judges and legal aid, underreporting of cases and their non-referral to the courts do nothing to discourage discriminatory acts, especially acts of violence against women.
87. Violence almost always occurs within the privacy of the home, where third parties are reluctant to intervene. The victims themselves report cases less often and resort to the law less frequently. The fear of reprisals, taboos around the issue of sexual violence, shame and the sense of guilt experienced by raped women, the blind acceptance of tradition and the silence imposed by male dominance are all factors that encourage this violence.
At the level of other remedies
88. Two State bodies provide extrajudicial remedies for women victims of discrimination and violence:
• The Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, which has units to help victims of sexual violence and other acts of discrimination.
• The National Human Rights Commission of Côte d’Ivoire, an independent body established by Decision No. 2005-08/PR of 15 July 2005, which is tasked with promoting and protecting human rights and thus deals with issues of violence against women. Its powers are limited as it has an advisory role, and it is not well known to the public. It cannot take binding decisions, but can only make recommendations.
89. In addition, there are non-State bodies operating within civil society. These include:
• The Ligue Ivoirienne des Droits de l’Homme (Ivorian League for Human Rights) (LIDHO)
• The NGO Association Internationale pour la Démocratie en Afrique (International Association for Democracy in Africa) (AID Afrique)
• The international NGO Association Ivoirienne pour le Bien-être Familial (Ivorian Association for Family Well-Being) (AIBEF)
• The international NGO Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF)
• The NGO International Friendship Service (IFS), based in Man in the west of Côte d’Ivoire
• The NGO Association des Femmes Juristes de Côte d’Ivoire (Association of Women Lawyers of Côte d’Ivoire) (AFJCI)
90. All these State bodies and civil society organizations, which are working to promote human rights in general and those of women in particular, lack human, financial and material resources. This considerably hampers their efforts on the ground.
Measures to eliminate discrimination and to bring domestic legislation into line with the Convention
91. The effect of the revision of the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure carried out in 1998 was to penalize certain harmful traditional practices and certain forms of gender-based violence.
92. The law on the suppression of the smuggling of migrants was designed to penalize cross-border trafficking in minors, an activity that involves large numbers of girls.
93. The Act of 23 December 1998 penalizes female genital mutilation and sexual harassment.
94. Act No. 98-756 of 23 December 1998 amends the Criminal Code established under Act No. 81-640 of 31 July 1981. The Act of 23 December makes early and forced unions punishable offences.
Ongoing legislative reforms
95. The process of revising civil legislation related to the rights of individuals and the family has been under way since 2008. A bill has been prepared and submitted to the Government for adoption. The law is designed to redress inequalities between men and women with respect to rights arising from marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, parentage and minority.
96. A bill is being prepared to amend electoral laws relating to regional, departmental, municipal and district councils with a view to establishing a reasonable level of women’s representation.
97. A bill on persons living with HIV/AIDS is being prepared.
98. All discriminatory legislative provisions are being documented.
99. The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights is preparing a bill to amend the provisions of the Criminal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure relating to gender-based violence.
Measures designed to eliminate discrimination
Monitoring enforcement of the Convention
100. A mechanism to monitor implementation of the international instruments to which Côte d’Ivoire is a party was established under Decree No. 61-157 of 18 May 1961, on the ratification and publication of international commitments undertaken by Côte d’Ivoire.
101. With regard more specifically to the Convention and instruments on gender equality and women’s empowerment, their follow-up and dissemination are the responsibility of the ministry that deals with these issues.
Establishment of a ministry responsible for women’s issues
102. In 1976, Côte d’Ivoire established a ministry responsible for women’s issues – one year after the proclamation of the International Women’s Year in 1975.
103. This ministry, known as the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs since 2007, is the Government institution responsible for ensuring gender equality and women’s empowerment (see article 3).
Measures carried out by the ministry in partnership with other bodies
104. The ministry has set up a platform for cooperation between various bodies. These include:
• Technical ministries
• Development partners, in particular United Nations agencies
• Diplomatic missions
• International and national non-governmental organizations
• Civil society organizations
• Cultural and religious organizations
• Media organizations
105. The results of this cooperation are considered in detail in the section on article 3.
Facilities providing care and guidance for women victims
106. Care facilities and mechanisms for women victims of violence have been established by the Government and civil society organizations in order to provide psychosocial, medical, security-related and legal support (see article 3).
107. The activities of all these bodies have greatly contributed to reducing inequalities and promoting women’s rights.
Other measures
Legal protection of women
108. Apart from ordinary law remedies, there are no special women’s courts in Côte d’Ivoire. Women’s rights are considered within the general framework of human rights protection. However, the establishment of certain State and non-State bodies has made it possible to provide care for a large number of women victims.
Temporary special measures
109. Some temporary special measures have also been taken in the areas of political, educational and social development (see article 4).
Article 3
Development and advancement of women
110. In Côte d’Ivoire, the principle of equality between men and women is recognized by a number of legal instruments, including the Constitution, the Civil Code, the Criminal Code, the Labour Code and the Social Insurance Code. These instruments guarantee the advancement of women in social, political, economic and cultural affairs.
111. With a view to ensuring the implementation of the international instruments to which Côte d’Ivoire is a party, a decree instituted a specific mechanism to monitor the implementation of conventions, resolutions and other instruments signed by Côte d’Ivoire (see paragraphs 100 and 101 above).
112. The ministry responsible for women’s affairs was established in 1976 and confirmed in Decree No. 2007-569 of 10 August 2007 and Decree No. 2007-458 of 20 April 2007, dealing respectively with the functions of members of the Government and the structure of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs.
Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs: a mechanism for the advancement of women and monitoring of the implementation of the Convention at national level
113. The ministry that deals with the women’s affairs, called the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs since 2007, has the following functions:
• To implement and monitor Government policy related to protection
• To draw up, implement and monitor Government policy related to the family, women and social affairs
• To initiate, for the benefit of the various members of a family, namely women, men and children, and vulnerable social groups, promotion, development and protection activities which might help to improve the social, health, legal and political aspects of their lives
114. The ministry, which implements and monitors Government policy on the protection of the family, women and children and on social affairs, is therefore the Government body responsible for ensuring equality between the sexes and empowerment of women.
115. The ministry’s budget has not increased greatly over the years. It is currently less than 1 per cent of the national budget, as shown by the table below.
Year
|
2000
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Budget
|
1 780 900 000 000
|
1 289 200 000 000
|
1 946 600 000 000
|
1 518 900 000 000
|
|
Budget of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs
|
2 252 038 711
|
2 335 916 923
|
2 574 905 385
|
2 696 091 035
|
2 719 473 376
|
Budget of the ministry as a percentage of the national budget
|
0.12
|
0.18
|
0.13
|
0.17
|
0.13
|
116. This budget allocation remains small compared with the ministry’s mandate and the broad scope of such policies as the national policy on equal opportunity, equity and gender, which requires the mobilization of resources equivalent to 10 per cent of the State budget.
Administrative structure
117. The ministry has a two-tier administrative structure: central and decentralized.
Central level
118. The central level consists of the following services, advisory bodies and central directorates specifically responsible for the advancement of women and equality between the sexes.
119. The Directorate for the Promotion of the Family, Women and Socio-economic Activities has existed since 1976. Its mandate includes: (i) promotion of moral awareness and protection and development of citizens in a family context; (ii) promotion of initiatives for families and women to create income-generating activities in both rural and urban areas; and (iii) encouragement for the creation, strengthening and support of women’s groups, in collaboration with the other ministries concerned.
120. The directorate has carried out many activities and set up income-generating activities for women. In 1994, it established the National Women and Development Fund, which specifically finances income-generating activities by women, in groups or otherwise.
121. The fund has been given a new lease of life with the creation of the Innovative Management Project for the National Women and Development Fund.
122. The project was officially launched on 17 October 2007 following the signing of the collaboration agreement between the ministry and four microfinance institutions, each of which was granted a loan of approximately 80 million CFA francs (CFAF), at a favourable interest rate of 2 per cent, to be passed on to women at a rate of interest not exceeding 12 per cent.
123. This initiative was launched to remedy the problems faced by women in obtaining credit.
124. As part of this commitment by the State, since the launch of the initiative, a sum amounting to CFAF 417 million has been made available to selected microfinance institutions to support women’s businesses and the socio-economic reintegration of women in the post-crisis period and to improve living conditions for impoverished and vulnerable groups. Over 500 women, individually or in groups, have benefited from the loans granted by these institutions.
125. Legally constituted women’s cooperatives are given help to obtain loans and grants. Cooperatives in Sakassou (a department in the centre of the country) and the Zanzan region (in the north-east) have benefited from such loans.
126. In order to achieve its aims in both rural and urban areas, the Directorate for the Promotion of the Family, Women and Socio-economic Activities, working in collaboration with NGOs and groups for the advancement of women and protection of families, employs specialized female support staff called animatrices rurales (rural organizers) for awareness-raising, information and capacity-building among rural women.
127. These activities have had a genuine impact on the situation of women in the form of a net reduction in certain discriminatory practices.
128. The barriers hampering these activities are, firstly, sociocultural factors and, secondly, the lack of financial resources to scale up awareness-raising and information campaigns.
129. The mandate of the Directorate of Training and Education Establishments for Women includes: (i) designing awareness-raising, education and training programmes to match the needs expressed by women, in collaboration with the relevant ministries, municipalities and women’s organizations and associations; and (ii) ensuring that, within the training and education establishments for women, initial and advanced training modules are organized on issues relevant to rural areas, as well as awareness-raising campaigns on various general and practical topics in order to improve living conditions for families, women and children.
130. Through the training and education establishments for women, the directorate contributes to literacy education for women and girls who have not been able to participate in formal basic education.
131. Between 2004 and 2008, 8,435 women and girls aged between 9 and 47 received ongoing education in these establishments. During the same period, 2,500 women followed short courses in bookkeeping, literacy, preparation of cleaning products, embroidery, crochet and dyeing.
132. Obstacles: over one third of the training and educational establishments for women are out of operation because they have fallen into disrepair and because of the sociopolitical crisis which has damaged many of them.
133. The Directorate of Social Protection is responsible for: (i) coordinating and supervising all social protection activities aimed at vulnerable persons; and (ii) contributing to the drafting and implementation of laws and regulations on the family, women, children and vulnerable persons.
134. Among the activities conducted, the following are particularly noteworthy: (i) the establishment of the National Committee to Combat the Trafficking and Exploitation of Children, by Decree No. 2001-467 of 25 July 2001, and the ratification of the ILO Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment (No. 138) and Convention concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (No. 182) in 2003; (ii) the implementation, since 2006, of the programme to combat trafficking in children, with the support of the International Labour Office; (iii) the preparation of the national action plan for children for the period 2008–2012, adopted in December 2008, which covers protection of all categories of children, without distinction by gender.
135. The implementation of these various activities has achieved the following results:
• In 2006, the campaign to raise awareness about child protection laws reached 3,347 persons, including 650 women, 500 men, 1,107 girls, 600 young men and 250 children
• Between 2005 and 2007, 610 children from poor families in 38 villages, of whom 45 per cent were girls, received support for school attendance, and “bridging” classes for literacy were conducted for 660 children in 38 villages, of whom 30 per cent were girls
• Material and financial assistance was provided for 38 families which had voluntarily fostered child victims of trafficking in villages in the departments listed above
136. Elderly people, a group which includes many women, receive support at the organizational level from the Directorate of Social Protection of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs. A national policy for elderly people is being drawn up.
Directorate for the Advancement of Persons with Disabilities
137. Pursuant to Framework Act No. 98-594 of the Ministry of the Civil Service on Persons with Disabilities, dated 10 November 1998, which permits the recruitment to the civil service (according to identical criteria) of disabled persons (men and women) outside the normal recruitment procedure, the Directorate for the Advancement of Persons with Disabilities has contributed to the recruitment of 337 disabled persons. The directorate has taken steps to enrol non-sighted persons (men and women) in vocational training centres. In 2009/10, four non-sighted people, three of them women, were enrolled at the vocational training centre in Man.
138. Measures have also been taken to protect and promote the rights of disabled and elderly women.
139. The mandate of the Directorate of Social Security and Mutual Benefit Insurance includes: (i) promoting social security and mutual insurance; (ii) initiating or contributing to studies and projects for the development of social security and mutual insurance; and (iii) acting as the permanent secretariat of the Steering Committee of the Universal Health Insurance Scheme.
140. As part of its social policy, the Government of Cote d’Ivoire has restructured the national social security system by introducing the Universal Health Insurance Scheme, which provides guaranteed coverage of risks associated with sickness and motherhood for all individuals residing on Ivorian territory. The Universal Health Insurance Act was passed by Parliament on 9 October 2001, and a pilot project was launched in 2004 in two towns, Bondoukou and Soubré.
141. An evaluation in May 2006 of the pilot phase showed that it had covered only awareness-raising among the population of the two pilot sites. Since then, the Universal Health Insurance Scheme has not been taken further owing to budgetary constraints.
142. The Directorate of Gender Equality and Promotion was established by Decree No. 2006-41 of 15 March 2006 on the structure of the Ministry of the Family and Social Affairs. Its mandate is: (i) to ensure that equality between women and men is respected; (ii) to coordinate all initiatives related to gender and gender-based violence; and (iii) to follow up and evaluate the implementation of Côte d’Ivoire’s international commitments relating to gender equality and equity.
143. One of the bodies associated with the Directorate for Gender Equality and Promotion is the National Committee to Combat Violence against Women and Children, established by Decree No. 2000-133 of 23 February 2000. Decree No. 2004-209 of 11 March 2004 established a permanent secretariat for the Committee and gave it the status of a subdirectorate in the office of the Minister of the Family, Women and Social Affairs. Its mandate is: (i) to coordinate planning and to implement programmes of assistance, advice, prevention and psychosocial care for victims of violence; and (ii) to promote the enforcement of laws protecting women and children.
144. A total of 2,447 children were protected from various forms of violence (physical abuse, rape, abandonment, domestic disputes, early marriage, female circumcision, etc.) between 2000 and 2009.
145. The Coordination Unit of the Water, Women, Sustainable Development and Peace Programme is responsible for: (i) increasing women’s sense of ownership in the management of village water-supply systems, in order to create permanent water-supply points in rural areas; (ii) proposing measures and activities to improve the status of women in water management; and (iii) raising awareness among the population, particularly women, about more rational water use, including the concepts of sustainable development and peace.
Decentralized level
146. The decentralized level consists of regional directorates and local offices.
147. The regional directorates are located throughout the country. They are responsible for promoting, monitoring and coordinating the activities of the local offices and community organizations active in this area, within their regions. They are also responsible for ensuring the implementation at regional level of national policy guidance relating to the family, women and social affairs. The 16 regional directorates can be found in most of the regional administrative centres (see table of regional directorates of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, annex 1).
148. The social centres cover the whole country, as shown in the map of social services drawn up in 2007. They are responsible for: (i) monitoring the social and health status and psychomotor development of mothers and children up to two years of age; (ii) family education for women and young people; (iii) management of specific problems of young people and disabled persons; and (iv) improving living standards for groups and communities.
149. The main activities of the social centres are mother and child protection, community action, educational assistance and follow-up and evaluation. Some of them have become centres of excellence and have expanded their activities to cover care for victims of gender-based violence, particularly sexual assault, and care for persons infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS and orphans and vulnerable children.
150. Training and education establishments for women have been in place since 1958 to provide training for women in order to combat illiteracy and create businesses. These establishments work in the following areas: (i) professional, health, social and educational development of women and girls; (ii) social and professional integration and reintegration of women and girls; and (iii) greater social and economic empowerment of women and girls to assist their personal development.
151. The main activities of these establishments are embroidery, flower-arranging, home repairs, crochet, cookery, civic and moral education and parenting education, including general and food hygiene, domestic finances, childcare, literacy skills and selling. To date (2009), 91 training and education establishments for women have been set up, although only 67, or 73.6 per cent, are currently in operation, owing to the social and political crisis which affected many of them.
152. The map below shows the social services in operation in 2006–2007.
Source: Directorate of Planning, Studies and Documentation, Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, “Concept document for the integrated collection and management system for data on the family, women and social affairs”, November 2009, annexes VI–VIII.
153. The Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs also provides supervision and specialized education and training for disabled persons (girls and boys), including the following:
• The National Social Training Institute, which is responsible for training social workers, special needs teachers, preschool teachers and assistants and specialized teachers
• The Ivorian School for Deaf Children and the National Institute for the Advancement of Persons with Disabilities, established in 1974
• The National Institute for Blind People, established in 1974
154. In view of the international commitments undertaken by Côte d’Ivoire in respect of human rights and gender equality (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995)), the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs has drawn up framework plans and programmes for development in order to promote the advancement of women.
Main elements of the national policy for the advancement of women
National Action Plan for Women (2003–2007)
155. The National Action Plan for Women, drawn up in 2002, was intended to promote and empower women in all areas and integrate women into all development sectors.
156. The action plan consists of five action programmes, as follows: (i) support for the economic advancement of women and for action against poverty; (ii) support for improvements in the health and living conditions of women and girls and protection against violence; (iii) improvements in school attendance rates among girls, the education and information provided for women and their social image as portrayed in the media; (iv) support for enhancement of the status and role of women in society and their participation in public life, mediation and education for peace; and (v) strengthening of institutional arrangements for the advancement of women.
157. The action plan has enabled the country to determine the direction of its national programmes, including the national reproductive health programme implemented by the Ministry of Health and Hygiene and the social policy and follow-up and evaluation programme led by the Directorate-General of Planning of the Ministry of Planning and Development, with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
158. Because of the sociopolitical crisis in Côte d’Ivoire in 2002, the action plan has not been effectively implemented.
Solemn Declaration on Equality of Opportunity, Equity and Gender
159. The Solemn Declaration, signed by the President of Côte d’Ivoire on 21 February 2007, shows the political commitment of the Government and provides guidance on national gender policy and implementation of the 30 per cent quota recommended by the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The declaration is currently being converted into a framework law for implementation. The draft order relating to the declaration was drawn up in September 2009, but was not approved because the grounds cited in it were considered unsatisfactory.
National Plan of Action for the Implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security
160. This national action plan, drawn up in 2007 according to the principles of results-based management by representatives of various institutions (State, civil society organizations, the press, the United Nations, UNDP, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), UNFPA), was adopted by the Government for a five-year period (2008–2012). It has four main elements, defined by a results chain, ranging from the long-term result (strategic) to immediate results (output), and the action to be taken. There are indicators for each element. The priority areas for intervention are: (i) protection of women and girls from sexual violence, including female genital mutilation; (ii) inclusion of gender issues in development policies and programmes; (iii) participation of both women and men in the national reconstruction and reintegration process; and (iv) greater participation by both women and men in the political decision-making process.
161. The first steps towards implementing the national action plan have been taken, in the form of two major projects funded jointly by the Government of Côte d’Ivoire and the UNDP office in Côte d’Ivoire.
162. These two projects are being implemented in the departments of Abidjan in the south, Man in the west, and Yamoussoukro and Bouaké in the centre of the country. The following outcomes have been achieved:
• Establishment of the Centre for Prevention and Assistance for Victims of Sexual Violence in the community of Attécoubé in 2008.
• Establishment of a joint platform for women’s groups, called the National Women’s Coordination Committee for Elections and Post-Crisis Reconstruction. Its role is to organize women’s participation in the electoral process.
163. These two major projects are now considered best practice in Côte d’Ivoire and at the subregional level.
164. The main elements of the national action plan are also taken into account in the programmes and projects drawn up by other government agencies.
165. It should be noted that the coordination, follow-up and evaluation mechanisms which need to be introduced for the regular and continuous evaluation of the action plan have not yet been set up, and the budget for the action plan, which has been set at CFAF 3,694,400,000, or US$ 7,388,800, for a five-year period from 2008 to 2012, and which has been approved by the Council of Ministers, has not yet been adopted by Parliament.
National Strategy against Gender-Based Violence
166. This national strategy was drawn up in December 2008 in order to harmonize and promote strategies for the care of victims of gender-based violence, particularly sexual violence, at the national and regional level, but it has not yet been approved. Nevertheless, the counselling services run by the National Committee to Combat Violence against Women and Children, the groups against sexual violence and the integrated care centres for victims of sexual violence (the centre of excellence in Man and the Reference Centre for Prevention and Assistance to Victims of Sexual Violence in Attécoubé) all contribute to the implementation of the strategy.
National Policy Paper on Equal Opportunity, Equity and Gender
167. This national policy paper, adopted by the Council of Ministers on 23 April 2009, is intended to create an environment in which gender issues can be taken into account in all sectors and at all levels. It also creates a frame of reference for the integration of a gender approach in development policies, programmes and projects in all areas of social life in Côte d’Ivoire.
168. As part of the implementation of the National Gender Policy, four main areas for priority intervention have been identified, showing the gender challenges which need to be faced in Côte d’Ivoire. These are: (i) gender, governance and human rights; (ii) gender, macroeconomic framework and budgetary analysis; (iii) gender, reconstruction and basic gender-related social services; and (iv) gender, capacity-building and follow-up and evaluation mechanism.
169. It should be pointed out that various activities were conducted before the national policy paper was adopted by the Council of Ministers. These include the following:
• Training, awareness-raising and capacity-building workshops for decision makers at various social and professional levels on the concept of gender and the consensus definition of gender adopted by Côte d’Ivoire, which have been conducted since 2006 in fulfilment of strategic direction 4.
• Establishment of and support for 14 gender units in ministries since 2006. These are responsible for ensuring that a gender approach is taken into account in the preparation, implementation, follow-up and evaluation of programmes and projects in their own areas of activity, in accordance with strategic directions 3 and 4 of the National Gender Policy.
• Capacity-building for managers of government projects, officials from Ivorian NGOs and students in the area of gender and development, as well as tools to take gender into account in the planning and preparation of a gender-sensitive budget which have been in use since 2007, in fulfilment of strategic directions 2 and 4.
170. The National Gender Policy has also facilitated the integration of a gender approach into national policy framework documents, including the National Development Strategy Paper, based on the Millennium Development Goals, which was adopted in 2007, the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper for the period 2009–2013 and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework for the period 2009–2013.
171. The National Policy Paper on Equal Opportunity, Equity and Gender is now being disseminated and plans are being made for the preparation of the strategic plan for its implementation in collaboration with all partners.
172. To sum up, it is emphasized that, before 2006, the strategies for the advancement of women developed in the policy framework documents focused on so-called “vulnerable groups”, i.e. the most deprived groups and particularly women, rather than on the social relationships between men and women which might reduce inequality. The lack of mechanisms for coordination and implementation of activities thus made it difficult to capitalize on, follow up on and evaluate the activities.
173. For this reason, and in the light of persistent inequality, the Ivorian State decided to strengthen the institutional framework for the promotion of gender and the capacity to respond to and coordinate gender issues by creating a national body to deal with gender issues.
Measures to remedy shortcomings, and results obtained
Directorate of Gender Equality and Promotion: a mechanism for coordination and collaboration with other ministries and State agencies
Description
174. The institutionalization of gender issues in this directorate has created synergy of action and facilitated the implementation of decisions at the meso and micro levels. All new institutional and operational activities have been implemented using a participatory approach involving all national and international partners since 2006. This has created a growing awareness of gender issues which has brought about a change of mentality, with the aim of encouraging people to abandon or modify discriminatory customs and practices.
Action
Strategic action
175. The Gender and Development Group was established in 2006 to create mutual understanding and promote concerted action among government agencies, United Nations agencies and civil society organizations concerned with gender issues in Côte d’Ivoire.
176. Since 2007, gender units have been established by ministerial decree in ministries; 14 of them are in operation today. The gender units are responsible for ensuring that attention is paid to the practical and strategic needs of women and men in the preparation, implementation, follow-up and evaluation of the programmes or projects of their ministerial departments.
177. A number of the activities conducted by the gender units are worth noting:
• Establishment of a database on treaties relevant to equality issues (gender unit of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights).
• Preparation, currently in progress, of the Personal and Family Code (gender unit of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights).
• Preparation of a document on gender and justice (gender unit of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights).
• The preparation in 2008 of an analysis of the labour market in order to identify all existing types of gender discrimination (gender unit of the Ministry of the Civil Service and Employment).
• Organization of training and awareness-raising workshops in 2007–2008 for decision makers and officials of all departments of the Ministry of the Civil Service and Employment, to increase understanding of the concepts of gender and employment (gender unit of the Ministry of the Civil Service and Employment).
• Establishment of seven hygiene committees in the markets of Abidjan. These committees, made up of both men and women, are responsible for maintaining hygiene and, above all, increasing public awareness of the fact that hygiene is not just a matter for women (gender unit of the Ministry of Towns and Urban Hygiene).
178. The creation of partnership networks in various sectors, including:
• Religious or cultural organizations, which provide a link between government agencies and the communities they serve.
• The media, which help government agencies publicize national and international action and agreements in order to increase their visibility. A network of media representatives was set up in September 2007 to achieve this.
• “Cooperation missions” (embassies), which mobilize finance and support for government activities.
• The National Women’s Coordination Committee for Elections and Post-Crisis Reconstruction, established in 2008, and a network of NGOs (currently in the process of being set up) to harmonize strategies for action. These civil society organizations work in the field to inform the public, increase awareness about government activities and conduct activities to provide services for the public.
• Permanent social centres, to act as centres of excellence, and platforms that will provide reference and integrated-care centres for victims of gender-based violence.
• A national gender and equality observatory, currently being set up with the support of the UNESCO Chair, which will be responsible for developing gender indicators and promoting equality of opportunity and equity. Some of the activities are due to be carried out at the National Assembly.
179. Operational activities:
• Support from the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs for the UNESCO Chair in Water, Women and Decision-making, which was set up by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in Côte d’Ivoire in 2006 and is based at the Department of Earth Sciences and Mining Resources, University of Cocody. It is responsible for training and research in water, gender and development and for developing indicators for gender and development in the Ivorian context.
• Collaboration with the National Committee to Combat Violence against Women and Children, intended to deal with issues of violence in the global context of gender-based violence in the field.
• Establishment of the Reference Centre for Prevention and Assistance to Victims of Sexual Violence to provide comprehensive care for victims of sexual violence in the commune of Attécoubé, Abidjan, in 2008, as part of the pilot project to “strengthen national capacity to combat gender-based violence and assist victims of sexual violence”.
180. In 2008, this initial experiment with holistic care (psychosocial, medical, security and legal services) in Côte d’Ivoire, for which all related costs were covered, was undeniably successful: 27 victims of rape aged between 2 and 35 years were given comprehensive care, and three rapists were prosecuted and convicted.
181. The capacity of national actors in the area of gender and development has been strengthened since 2006.
Collaboration between the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs and other agencies (ministries, NGOs, development partners, the private sector) and integration of the gender approach into their activities (health, education, teaching, AIDS control, youth, solidarity and war victims, etc.)
182. Other ministries: the platform for collaboration among focal points has been institutionalized by the creation of gender units authorized by ministerial decree.
183. NGOs: it should be noted that those which are active in the advancement and empowerment of women come under the aegis of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, the government agency responsible for these matters. In this area, they are operational partners of the ministry.
184. For this reason, their action in the field is included in the implementation of the ministry’s projects and programmes, with financial support from development partners, in the following ways:
• Technical support for capacity-building for NGOs
• Acquisition of skills through participation in international missions and conferences, coordinated by the ministry
• Providing links between the groups concerned and the ministry
185. Problems: some NGOs are now financed directly by development partners or international bodies to carry out activities of which the ministry is often not aware, which creates problems for coordination and optimal use of the outcomes.
186. The ministry receives technical and financial support as part of the cooperation between Côte d’Ivoire and its development partners, particularly United Nations agencies under United Nations Development Assistance Framework programmes. The various elements of the Development Assistance Framework reflect the government’s priorities as contained in its Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.
187. The partnership with private-sector actors is not well enough developed. It is mainly restricted to material and financial assistance given to the ministry when special celebrations are organized, including:
• International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (6 February)
• International Women’s Day (8 March)
• International Day of Rural Women (15 October)
• 16-day campaign to stop violence against women (25 November to 10 December)
188. The partnership with inter-occupational trade unions has not developed as it should because of misconceptions about the functions of the ministry and the financial autonomy of the trade unions.
Tangible results already achieved through the use of gender-based analysis in the field
189. No studies have been conducted to measure changes in mentality. However, the general feeling is that there is a nationwide reaction against gender-based inequality.
Results of collaboration with United Nations agencies, development partners and civil society
190. Cooperation with UNFPA: gender issues are integrated into the various programmes supported by UNFPA, including the population and development programme, reproductive health programme and gender and human rights programme. As far as the gender component is concerned, the following projects have been conducted since 2003:
• The project on support for promotion of the family, women and gender issues (Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs/UNFPA) (2003–2008)
• The project on the promotion of gender and human rights (Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs/UNDP) (2009–2013)
• The project on post-crisis institutional and multisectoral support, “Assistance and reintegration of women victims of violence in the conflict in Côte d’Ivoire” (Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs/UNFPA/African Development Bank) (2008–2010)
191. Cooperation with UNDP: gender is a cross-cutting theme. The following projects involving the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs can be mentioned:
• The project on institutional support for the Directorate of Gender Equality and Promotion (Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs/UNDP) (2007–2010), which has helped strengthen the institutional framework for the promotion of gender issues in the ministry and other sectors through the gender units
• The project entitled “Strengthening of national capacity to combat gender-based violence and assist victims” (Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs/UNDP) (2007–2008), which led to the establishment of the Reference Centre for Prevention and Assistance to Victims of Sexual Violence
• The project entitled “Support for gender mainstreaming in the electoral process”, which led to the establishment of the National Women’s Coordination Committee for Elections and Post-Crisis Reconstruction
192. Cooperation with UNIFEM: the implementation of the project entitled “Support for gender mainstreaming in the electoral process” was funded jointly by the Ivorian Government, UNDP and UNIFEM.
193. Cooperation with UNICEF: considerable support has been provided to the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, and its Directorate of Gender Equality and Promotion, for the Protection Programme with a view to stopping gender-based violence. The programme has also helped to build the capacity of national actors in the area of gender issues and gender-sensitive budgeting.
194. Cooperation with the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR): gender issues are taken into account in the Government’s programme to combat HIV/AIDS. Accordingly, the Directorate of Gender Equality and Promotion, of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, was asked to help implement the project on gender and HIV/AIDS (Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs/PEPFAR) (2008–2009).
195. Cooperation with the International Rescue Centre: a protocol was signed between the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs and this NGO on activities to combat gender-based violence.
196. Attention is also drawn to the following results, and to the many documents prepared with the support of development partners (see list of documents annexed to this report).
Results from collaboration with other ministries, the private sector and other national and international institutions or organizations
197. The following has been achieved with the cooperation of ministries, civil society organizations, the private sector and other institutions:
• Capacity-building for almost 400 managers of government projects, media representatives, officials from Ivorian NGOs and students in the area of gender and development, and tools for the planning and preparation of a gender-sensitive budget between 2006 and 2009
198. In cooperation with various ministries, the Government has taken gender into account in the programmes, projects and activities which have been implemented, as can be seen below.
199. The Integrated Programme of School Canteens, run by the Ministry of Education since 1997, is considered best practice in the field of gender activities, since it mainstreams gender issues at all stages of the programming cycle. This has enabled the Millennium Development Goals to be translated into specific activities on the ground (UNDP report “Best practice of UNDP-CI in Gender Equality”).
200. The Cross-sectoral Programme for the Advancement of Women and Gender Equality, launched in 2001, has encouraged access to and control of economic goods and resources by women, in response to the priorities laid down in the National Action Plan for Women for the period 2001–2005, with technical assistance from ILO.
201. The 2000–2003 project in support of the Programme to Combat Poverty, managed by the Ministry of Planning and Development with technical and financial support from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNAIDS, ILO and the World Food Programme, strengthened national coordination and resource-mobilization capacity for combating poverty and created a system for observation and follow-up of household living standards.
202. Investigations and studies were conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and other agencies in an effort to disaggregate data by sex (e.g. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, 2000; AIDS Indicators Survey, 2005; National Report on the State and Future of the Population of Côte d’Ivoire, 2009).
203. The synergy between the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and the Ministry of Health and Hygiene has facilitated the provision of integrated care for victims of sexual violence, as part of the implementation of the project on gender-based violence which has been tested in the community of Attécoubé, Abidjan, and in the North-West (an occupied zone) and the African Development Bank project in the Centre North-West (a former occupied zone).
204. The Ministry of Planning and Development is responsible for preparing the report on the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, using a participatory, inclusive methodology as part of the process of drawing up this national report, which will shed light on the issue of the promotion and defence of women’s rights.
Article 4
Accelerating de facto equality between men and women
Legislation
205. The principle of equality between men and women, as enshrined in the Constitution (arts. 2, 7 and 30), does not make particular reference to temporary special measures aimed at the objectives of equality of opportunity and treatment for men and women.
206. This would explain the insufficient attention given to or even disregard for the very notion of temporary special measures, both in the administration and in the Government. As a consequence, there are no institutions responsible for devising, implementing, applying, monitoring or evaluating the impact of whatever temporary special measures have been adopted.
207. Nevertheless, measures have been taken by some national bodies (governmental and private), which follow certain practices, run programmes and apply methods of recruitment or appointment conducive to the integration of women and the establishment of gender equality.
Situation in practice
208. The positive measures to promote and facilitate the access of women to public life in general and politics in particular include:
• Côte d’Ivoire’s Solemn Declaration on Equal Opportunities, Equity and Gender, signed in February 2007 by the President of the Republic, which is the only official temporary special measure that is countrywide in scope (see article 3)
209. The declaration has not yet been applied, however, as it has never been formalized through a framework law or a decree.
210. In the public sector, the positive measures to promote and facilitate the access of women to economic activity include:
• Framework Act No. 98-594 of 10 November 1998 of the Ministry of the Civil Service, which permits the recruitment to the civil service (according to identical criteria) of disabled persons (men and women) outside the normal recruitment procedure
211. Starting in 2010, this form of recruitment is to be applied in civil service competitions and examinations. Women and men are subject to the same criteria.
212. So far 300 persons have been recruited at all levels.
213. Arrangements were also made for a sight-impaired woman to be admitted to the Ecole Normale Supérieure. She is now a primary-school inspector and supervises special institutions for persons with disabilities.
214. Among the measures taken by the Directorate for the Advancement of Persons with Disabilities of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs to admit sight-impaired persons (men and women) to vocational training centres, four sight-impaired persons, including three women, were taken on at the centre in Man.
215. Some departments have decided to support women by allowing them access to certain jobs which are normally reserved for men. They include:
• The Ministry of the Interior, which is committed to promoting gender equality by recruiting women to the national police force and by appointing women to posts of command and responsibility traditionally filled by men
• The Ministry of Transport, which, as part of its policy of promoting women, has facilitated the appointment of five women to managerial posts (one director of central administration, one intendant for maritime and port affairs, one maritime district chief, and two driving licence inspectors)
216. In the private sector, the positive measures to promote and facilitate the access of women to economic activity include a policy on the part of enterprises to promote women by allowing them access to posts traditionally reserved for men. One such enterprise is the Société de Transport Abidjanais (Abidjan Transport Company) (SOTRA), which decided to give priority to recruiting female drivers and promoting female managers, as shown by the figures below.
217. The table below shows SOTRA staffing levels by sex between 2005 and 2009.
|
Staffing levels by sex, 2005–2009
|
|||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2005
|
2007
|
2009
|
||||||||||
M
|
W
|
Total
|
% W
|
M
|
W
|
Total
|
% W
|
M
|
W
|
Total
|
% W
|
|
Managers
|
168
|
46
|
214
|
21.49
|
174
|
52
|
226
|
23.00
|
161
|
67
|
228
|
29.38
|
Senior technicians
|
174
|
74
|
248
|
29.83
|
236
|
114
|
350
|
32.57
|
241
|
123
|
364
|
33.79
|
Foremen
|
1 881
|
98
|
1 979
|
4.95
|
1 727
|
135
|
1 862
|
7.25
|
1 643
|
138
|
1 781
|
7.74
|
Employees
|
1 478
|
62
|
1 540
|
4.02
|
1 940
|
65
|
2 005
|
3.24
|
1 783
|
84
|
1 847
|
4.54
|
Total
|
3 701
|
280
|
3 981
|
7.03
|
4 077
|
366
|
4 443
|
8.23
|
3 828
|
392
|
4 220
|
9.28
|
Source: Department of Human Resources Development, SOTRA.
Decentralized affirmative action to facilitate the promotion and access of women to financial decision-making positions
218. Local authorities, together with the National Agency for Rural Development Aid (ANADER), recommend that at least 10 per cent of the team preparing local development plans should be women.
Affirmative action to facilitate the promotion and access of women in the field of education
219. The Ministry of Education has taken measures (by ministerial decree) to promote the education of girls. They include:
• The establishment of the Unit for the Promotion of the Education and Training of Girls and Women on 15 April 1998. The unit’s tasks include coordinating initiatives to promote the education of girls and women.
• The 1999 circular on admission parity (or “parity admission”), which established the admission of girls and boys on an equal basis to primary education.
• The circular issued by ministerial decree of 28 August 2000 (1373/MEN/DESAC/SD-EPT) on the enrolment of girls in the first year of primary school.
• The issuance of school kits to parents in regions with low school attendance, which was tried out in the region of Zanzan in the north-east to encourage parents in the region to send their girls to school.
• Measures to keep pregnant girls in school, which have not yet been formalized, but are already applied in practice: the necessary regulations are currently being finalized.
• The launch by the Mathematics Society of Côte d’Ivoire of special prizes and events such as the Miss Mathematics Contest and the granting of scholarships to girls as a way of encouraging them to take up careers in the sciences, traditionally the preserve of men.
220. As a result of these measures, the gross admission rates to the first year of primary school, which were 58.6 per cent for girls compared with 61.1 per cent for boys in 2001/02, had changed to 57.3 per cent for girls and 57.3 per cent for boys by 2006/07. The girls/boys parity index for primary education has stood at 0.88 since 2006.
221. Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research: the Higher Education Support Project 2008–2013, which sets a quota of one third of women in all activities, has led to an increase in the number of women and girls engaged in the fields of the sciences, mathematics and technology. This Government action aims to eliminate existing disparities between women and men in all areas of higher education by 2015, in conformity with Millennium Development Goal 3 (target 4).
222. The actual ratio of men to women in higher education is as follows.
|
Sex
|
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
Preparatory year
|
47.6
|
52.4
|
First cycle
|
64.8
|
35.2
|
Second cycle
|
70.1
|
29.9
|
Third cycle
|
76.3
|
23.7
|
Source: Ministry of Higher Education.
Drawbacks of the measures
223. No systematic follow-up evaluation of results.
Recommendations on introducing special measures
224. In the light of the above, Côte d’Ivoire must:
• Issue a framework law to implement the Solemn Declaration
• Institute temporary special measures in all sectors where gender inequality persists
• Set up a programme for the systematic follow-up and evaluation of the results of these measures
• Ensure broad dissemination of the outcome of the workshop endorsing the report and of the Committee’s recommendations
Article 5
225. Under the Constitution of Côte d’Ivoire, men and women are guaranteed equal rights. The roles played by men and women in the household and in society are therefore laid down and regulated by legislation (the laws on marriage and minors).
226. Under this legislation, men and women share the same obligations for the upkeep of their children and their household, even though parental authority is exercised only by men, who therefore hold the exclusive power to make decisions.
Stereotypes in family and community settings
227. In Côte d’Ivoire, stereotypes are inbred in men and women in the course of the process of socialization, which begins very early on in the family, when children learn how to become men or women. They are therefore derived from the patriarchal nature of family relationships, which determine male and female roles according to gender, with men being attributed outdoor tasks and women indoor activities, apart from providing help with farm work and supplying water and wood for heating.
228. In practice, over and above their traditional domestic tasks, women are responsible for managing household expenses, such as food, schooling and pocket money for the children (attending school), which account for 85 per cent of the annual expenditure of the households surveyed (ANADER survey, 2006).
229. This implicit division of tasks is reflected in the way children are brought up in the home, with girls being tied to the mother and boys to the father figure. The traditional tendency is to equate sexual and gender roles, so that the only differences that are recognized are those based on a person’s sex.
230. In the family, the jobs and tasks attributed to women are those related to building a home and looking after children, including domestic work, the children’s upbringing, their good health and the daily feeding of the family.
231. Men are responsible for meeting the material and financial needs of the family.
In the community
232. As in most African countries, society in Côte d’Ivoire is male-dominated. Men hold the status of head of household, which is accepted by all in accordance with both law and practice, and they are responsible for taking all major decisions on behalf of the couple.
233. Women, on the other hand, are generally seen in their biological reproductive role.
234. Certain customary, traditional and religious practices tend to place women in a position of inferiority compared with men; they deny them any freedom of opinion and give them an inferior status under the authority of the male, who is the head of the family.
235. Despite the legal protection they are granted, 35 per cent of married women are in polygamous marriages; a substantial proportion of girls come under all sorts of pressure to get married and almost half of all women are still subjected to female circumcision.
236. While there has been some progress in urban areas, women in rural areas have great difficulty overcoming stereotypes. This is reflected in a number of practices, attitudes and customs, but those that affect them most are the practices related to widowhood, keeping girls out of school, limited participation in public meetings on community development, and the ineligibility of women for traditional chiefdom status.
237. One possible explanation for the persistence of these practices may be ignorance of the law, which has probably given rise to a different stereotyped perception of the roles that should be played by men and women in the family and in society.
238. Within the community, heavy physical work is performed by men (such as felling trees and farming perennial crops), while women tend the food crops and do the housework. The paternal authority conferred on men by law is limited in practice to the attribution of roles, with women managing the household under the moral authority of men.
239. This stereotyped perception of gender roles is reflected in school textbooks and in the media.
Stereotypes in books and in the classroom
Stereotypes in school textbooks
240. Stereotypes in textbooks appear mostly in primary-school textbooks.
241. As far as the content of the textbooks is concerned, it may be observed that male figures (whether leading or secondary) clearly outnumber female figures, both in the written word and in pictures. Among leading figures, men are more often represented than women and are often shown as models.
242. The same applies to pictures, few of which show men and women together.
243. From the point of view of the situations where male and female characters are represented in both text and pictures, men are typically shown working, while more women go to the market.
244. As far as roles are concerned, women deal with domestic and educational activities, while men are mostly shown in work-related, leisure or sporting activities. Schoolchildren are far more often depicted as boys than as girls. With regard to civil status, women tend to appear more often than men as married.
245. Teachers are generally male. In most reading books, the introductory account of the return to school or school activities features either a little boy or a male teacher.
246. Fortunately, textbooks on civic education adopt a more balanced attitude and show some pictures of women doctors, judges and lawyers, besides a broad range of other professional activities performed by women.
Stereotypes at school
247. Stereotypes also affect the responsibilities and roles attributed to boys and girls. Thus class leaders are generally boys, while in out-of-school activities, child-rearing is performed by girls and gardening by boys, and in class work, boys develop an interest in science subjects and girls tend towards literary options.
Stereotypes in the media
248. The whole audio-visual landscape in Côte d’Ivoire is permeated by gender stereotypes, especially in advertising, video clips, etc. Magazines showing pictures of nude women are sure to sell well. The aggressiveness is such that the factors in social success tend to be reduced to mere physical attractiveness. In addition, a shameless image of women is often conveyed in television series and soap operas.
249. There are two types of stereotype that emerge from the press and broadcasting.
250. Firstly, the media generally attach little importance to the social problems of women, such as violence, the feminization of poverty or poor access to basic social services (such as health care, education or employment). Moreover, women usually play a part only on the occasion of commemorations.
251. Secondly, women are underrepresented in the media. They mostly appear in television programmes, where they are more numerous, but are often restricted to the part of announcers or presenters, according to the stereotype whereby women have attractive voices and are nice to look at.
252. Musical and film productions readily exploit women’s physical attractiveness, and the market is flooded with pornographic films.
Legislation encouraging stereotypes
253. By attributing parental authority exclusively to the male, the Marriage Act violates the principle of equality proclaimed in the Constitution and the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It concentrates all decision-making powers in the man’s hands, reducing the woman to the role of executant. There is no law that either condemns or represses the stereotypes developed in society which govern relations between men and women. Similarly, there is no law that condemns certain customs attached to widowhood, such as the levirate and sororate.
Measures to eliminate stereotypes
In the education and training sector
254. Revision of school textbooks in order to remove sexist stereotypes (since 2004).
255. Training of school textbook authors (inspectors and teaching advisers for different subjects) and teachers in the gender approach.
Among the general public
256. Warning and informing the public about stereotypes by non-governmental organizations.
257. Broadcasting of radio and television material that denounces these stereotypes and promotes a more dignified image of women. Religious broadcasts are also very helpful in this respect.
258. Awareness-raising through commercials, billboards, posters and television sketches.
In the private sector
259. The promotion of women by private firms such as the CIE and SOTRA electricity and transport companies (as operators or drivers) is due to greater awareness of gender issues following implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action.
Article 6
Suppression of the exploitation of women and violence against women
Legislative framework
260. Côte d’Ivoire does not suppress or formally prohibit prostitution, even though it is looked upon as an amoral phenomenon in Ivorian society. Some forms of exploitation and practices related to prostitution, however, are punishable under the Criminal Code.
261. These include procuring (arts. 335 and 336), public soliciting (art. 338), facilitating, aiding and abetting the debauchery or prostitution of adults and minors (arts. 334, 337, 339 and 340) and keeping an establishment, premises or site where prostitution is practised. In Ivorian law these practices are therefore considered criminal offences.
262. Ivorian criminal law does not prohibit the prostitution of minors but does outlaw procuring.
263. The issue of HIV/AIDS is not covered by the law, not even from the point of view of contamination.
Legislation on traffic in and exploitation of girls and women
264. There is no specific national legislation to prevent and punish trafficking in women and girls.
265. Regarding violence against women, there are general provisions in the Criminal Code that punish murder, assassination, parricide, infanticide, causing grievous bodily harm, rape, violence and assault. In addition, Act No. 98-757 of 23 December 1998, on suppressing certain forms of violence against women, prohibits female genital mutilation.
Current situation
266. According to a survey conducted by the Ministry responsible for Combating AIDS with the support of UNFPA, on behaviour, attitudes and practices of sex workers in relation to sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS in the eight departments worst affected by the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, there were 2,461 sex workers in 2008, of whom 49.28 per cent worked in Abidjan, 8.28 per cent in Yamoussoukro, 8.20 per cent in San Pedro, 8.20 per cent in Man, 3.12 per cent in Duékoué, 7.55 per cent in Danané, 7.19 per cent in Daloa, and 8.12 per cent in Bouaké. Of the total, 77 per cent are aged under 30; 67 per cent are Ivorian nationals and 18 per cent Nigerian.
Trafficking cases
267. The surveys and studies conducted to estimate the extent, causes and effects of all these forms of violence have not identified any specific occurrence of trafficking of women. This means there are no data on which to base an estimate of the extent of the problem.
Prostitution as a solution to the hardships of poverty
268. The above survey has shown poverty and unemployment to be causes of sexual exploitation owing to the fact that they make women more vulnerable.
269. According to the survey, 65 per cent of sex workers maintain that they took to prostitution owing to the lack of financial support, 30 per cent on account of their parents’ poverty, 24 per cent because they wanted to be independent, 10 to 15 per cent for social or cultural reasons, and 26 per cent as a result of the crisis. According to the statistics, women are driven to prostitution by economic pressures. Thus the socio-political crisis that Côte d’Ivoire underwent in effect aggravated the trafficking of women and prostitution, according to 79 per cent of the sex workers themselves.
Effect of the crisis factor, especially in conflict areas
270. Armed conflicts are causes of sexual violence, trafficking of women and increasing prostitution. They have certainly aggravated the trafficking of women and prostitution.
271. There are several resettlement programmes for young combatants and war victims, but they do not take account of the specific problems of girls.
Measures adopted and implemented
272. Despite the existence of the general legislation described above, the courts and tribunals in Côte d’Ivoire only very rarely deal with or register the kinds of violence referred to or other forms of gender-based violence, owing to the absence of complaints lodged by victims and their families.
273. Women and girls exploited by procurers or who brazenly engage in prostitution are stigmatized by society and tend to be socially excluded.
274. Women who have been subjected to violence, including sexual violence, tend to suffer the same fate.
275. To deal with the situation, the Government, through the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs and civil society organizations, has expanded the services available to women who have been victims of violence. These services take many forms and are very comprehensive.
276. Since 2003–2004, six counselling offices have been opened in Abidjan, as well as social centres in the hinterland, in order to provide psychosocial support and medical and legal assistance to women and children who have been the victims of violence. These offices, which are run by the National Committee to Combat Violence against Women and Children at the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, also organize visits to victims’ homes, give advice to families in trouble and conduct social surveys.
277. From 2005 to 2008 the results were satisfactory.
278. In 2005, 230 cases were dealt with; 97 home visits were carried out across Abidjan and 100 families in trouble were offered advice.
279. In 2007, psychosocial support was provided in 82 cases; 15 visits were made to the homes of victims of violence; three social surveys were conducted; and 100 women registered as survivors of violence in Government-controlled areas were given assistance.
280. A platform for combating gender-based violence was set up in the department of Yamoussoukro in 2007. Using a new referral and cross-referral system, the victims of violence are given advice and looked after. In 2007 and 2008, the individual units of the platform on which the referral system relied included social centres, health services, the courts, the police services and the gendarmerie of the department of Yamoussoukro.
281. These services have been supported by national and international NGOs, such as the International Rescue Committee (IRC).
282. The Centre of Excellence for the Women of Man (CEFM) was set up on 18 February 1989 (No. 194/INT/ATAP/AGP/5 of 11 August 1994) on the initiative of the NGO International Friendship Service to care for victims of violence in Man (western Côte d’Ivoire).
283. The purpose of this centre, now under the responsibility of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs and supported by UNDP, is to improve the well-being of vulnerable sectors of the population (including women, girls, boys and children) living in rural areas and deprived neighbourhoods in the Centre North-West, and particularly in the Montagnes region, where all kinds of violence occurred during the crisis, including pillaging of property, sexual violence, rape and murder.
284. The Centre of Excellence therefore has the task of providing social, psychological, legal and material assistance to women affected by and rendered vulnerable on account of the armed conflict.
285. In 2008, the centre achieved the following results:
• Psychological assistance was given to 50 women and girls identified as vulnerable (including 18 victims of sexual violence, 18 former combatants, 10 trauma victims and 4 widows) (CEFM data)
• Training in art, sewing and hairdressing was given to 150 vulnerable women and girls (including 15 victims of sexual violence, 13 former combatants, 121 young single mothers and 1 HIV-positive individual)
• Rice and maize seed was distributed and funds were allocated for the purchase and resale of dried fish and the manufacture of red oil to groups of women (CEFM data)
286. The improvement in the economic situation has had a positive effect on the families of victims and their communities.
287. The Akwaba centre for counselling, care, advice, emergency accommodation and resettlement of women victims of violence, with or without children, and for supporting the development of women was set up in Abidjan in August 2008 by the NGO Women in Law and Development in Africa, with the technical support of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs. Since 2008, nine persons have been assisted by the centre.
288. Legal advice surgeries were opened by the NGO Association des Femmes Juristes de Côte d'Ivoire in 2000 with funding from the United States Embassy. These surgeries, which have been supported by the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs since 2005 within the framework of the gender, women’s and family support project, are aimed at offering legal advice and assistance to the victims of violence of all kinds. Since 2004, the 20 clinics in operation have dealt with 779 cases and prepared 3,000 leaflets on gender-based violence.
289. A shelter for girls in difficulty was started by the NGO Organisation des Femmes Actives de Côte d’Ivoire (Organization of Active Women of Côte d’Ivoire) (OFACI) in Port Bouet in 2008 with Soleterre funding. The shelter takes in any girls who find themselves in difficult circumstances.
290. The above schemes are backed up by further activities:
• Awareness-raising, education and training in gender-based violence, with the emphasis on violence against women, for traditional chiefs, religious leaders, administrative and political authorities, community leaders and the public in general
• Capacity-building for key players such as judges, defence force personnel and judicial police officers
291. Despite the above successes, many challenges remain where the abuse and exploitation of women are concerned:
• Female circumcision must still be considered a serious cultural phenomenon deeply rooted in the societies where it is practised
• Domestic violence, serious insults and other forms of debasement targeting women still persist in Côte d’Ivoire
• The fact that prostitution is tolerated by law is a major drawback in the fight against the exploitation of women
• Further factors of resistance no doubt arise from a decline of moral standards and from the attraction and impact of the media
• Growing poverty remains an important factor that is conducive to the worst forms of exploitation of women and is the leading cause of prostitution
• The crisis that Côte d’Ivoire has been experiencing since 2002 has led to an increase in all forms of exploitation and trafficking of women, especially in areas controlled by the rebels
292. In view of these challenges, which represent major obstacles, the following recommendations must be followed up on by the Government:
• The prostitution of minors must be outlawed
• Measures must be introduced to make women and girls more independent
• More awareness-raising is needed with regard to sex workers, especially in the areas where they are concentrated
• A comprehensive care system must be set up for victims
Article 7
Participation in political and public life
Legal framework
293. Women’s right to participate in political and public life is proclaimed by the Constitution through the principle of equality. This principle, which was enshrined in article 5 of the 1960 Constitution, is echoed in articles 17, 30 and 23 of the August 2000 version.
294. It is stated in article 17, paragraphs 2 and 3, that: “Access to public or private employment shall be equal for all. Any discrimination in access to or the exercise of employment on grounds of sex or political, religious or philosophical opinions shall be prohibited.”
295. This equality in the exercise of public and political rights is bolstered by freedom of thought and expression, including freedom of conscience and religious and philosophical opinion, which is guaranteed for all, subject to respect for the law, the rights of others, national security and public order (2000 Constitution, art. 9).
296. These constitutional provisions are supplemented and confirmed by legislation that prescribes equal access to public employment and political life.
Other legislation
297. The following legislation supports women’s access to positions of authority:
• The Electoral Code, reflecting the provisions of the Constitution, states in article 3 that: “The electorate shall consist of Ivorian nationals of both sexes as well as persons having acquired Ivorian nationality either by naturalization or by marriage, who are aged not less than 18 years, are registered on an electoral list and are in full possession of their civil and civic rights”
• The Labour Code (see article 11)
• The General Civil Service Regulations, which prescribe in article 3 that “civil servants shall be recruited on a competitive basis, unless otherwise provided for by decrees”
• The rules governing employment in the military, police, defence and armed forces make no gender-based distinction and thus offer the same opportunities (benefits) to men and to women employed in those services
298. It is clear from the above legislation that all Ivorian citizens may exercise any public or private occupation in the same conditions. In addition, there is the Solemn Declaration on Equal Opportunities, Equity and Gender, which was signed by the President on 21 February 2007 and is currently being prepared as an ordinance for implementation.
299. Côte d’Ivoire’s determination to promote the access of women to public and political activities has also led to the ratification of international instruments that support women’s participation in civil and political life.
International instruments
300. Côte d’Ivoire has ratified or acceded to the following international instruments, conventions and declarations:
• The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ratified on 6 December 1991)
• The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ratified on 6 December 1991)
• The Convention on the Political Rights of Women (ratified on 12 July 1995)
• The Solemn Declaration of the African Union on Gender Equality in Africa, 2004
301. Côte d’Ivoire’s fairly comprehensive legal framework offers women the opportunity to assert their rights and to participate in public and political activities on an equal basis with men, in compliance with the terms of article 7 of the Convention. How is this reflected in practice?
Overview of the situation of women in public and political life
302. According to a survey conducted by UNESCO in 2002, women, who account for a substantial proportion of the working population of Côte d’Ivoire, are more active in the economic than in the political field. In the political field and in public administration they are mainly employed as executants.
Participation in economic activities
303. In the primary sector (agriculture, livestock breeding) women account for 60 to 70 per cent of all those employed in the sector.
304. In view of their contribution to the sector, the Government has encouraged them to set up cooperative groups which could raise their profile and give them greater weight in their relations with economic operators interested in their output.
305. As a result of this initiative, more than 44 formal women’s groups and cooperatives were registered in 2002.
306. The secondary sector (small and medium-sized industries and enterprises) accounts for 16.7 per cent of the national workforce. The great majority of women work either in agribusiness (food, fisheries, textiles) or in the packaging industry or the petrochemical industry (cosmetics, etc.), where they account for 3.5 per cent of the sector’s workforce.
307. In the tertiary sector (trade, services, office work), in 1991 women accounted for 22 per cent of all those employed (47 per cent in education, 11 per cent in health care, 18 per cent in general administration). By 2001 the proportion of women had risen to 33 per cent.
Participation in professional activities
308. The main employer of women is the civil service (where they account for 27 per cent of the total workforce compared with 11.5 per cent in the private sector). They are mostly employed in administrative and commercial jobs. Few, on the other hand, are employed in industry.
Public sector
309. From 1980 onwards, when some jobs traditionally performed by men were opened up to women, the latter began to occupy more and more key posts in the ministries (as ministers, chiefs of staff, principal private secretaries and, in some cases, departmental heads). They also occupy managerial posts in the central administration of the civil service.
310. The gender distribution of managerial posts in the Ministry of the Economy and Finance was as follows in 2010.
|
Female
|
Male
|
Total
|
%
|
---|---|---|---|---|
Minister
|
|
1
|
1
|
|
Chief of staff
|
|
1
|
1
|
|
Deputy chief of staff
|
1
|
|
1
|
|
Director-general
|
1
|
3
|
4
|
|
Inspector-general of finance with the rank of deputy director-general
|
|
1
|
1
|
|
Deputy director-general
|
3
|
6
|
9
|
|
Acting director-general
|
|
1
|
1
|
|
Director-general of customs with the rank of deputy director-general
|
|
1
|
1
|
|
Deputy director-general of finance
|
|
2
|
2
|
|
Director
|
4
|
47
|
51
|
|
Coordinator with the rank of director
|
|
2
|
2
|
|
Paymaster-general of Defence and Security Forces
|
|
1
|
1
|
|
Paymaster-general of the Treasury
|
|
1
|
1
|
|
Treasurer-general for foreign affairs
|
|
1
|
1
|
|
Economic adviser with the rank of director
|
|
1
|
1
|
|
Technical adviser with the rank of director
|
1
|
22
|
23
|
|
Inspector of finance with the rank of director
|
1
|
8
|
9
|
|
Deputy director-general of customs with the rank of director
|
|
1
|
1
|
|
Inspector-general of the Treasury with the rank of director
|
|
1
|
1
|
|
Inspector of inland revenue with the rank of director
|
3
|
25
|
28
|
|
Inspector-general of the inland revenue or customs with the rank of
director
|
|
1
|
1
|
|
Total
|
18
|
146
|
164
|
|
Source: Ministry of the Economy and Finance.
311. Since 1989, competitions for jobs in the police, navy and the army (attached to the interior and defence ministries), which were traditionally reserved for men, have been open to women.
Women in the Ministry of the Interior
312. In 1994 the first woman in Côte d’Ivoire was appointed to a position of authority as departmental prefect.
313. The Ministry of the Interior opened up competitive recruitment to posts in the national police to women on the same basis as men.
Women in the Ministry of Defence
314. The only professional body that employs no women is the national gendarmerie, which comes under the Ministry of Defence. Although their recruitment is not forbidden by law, in practice women tend to be excluded insidiously or incidentally at the preselection stage preceding the entrance competition for posts in the gendarmerie. Fortunately, pressure is being exerted at present on the gendarmerie to change its recruitment policy in this respect.
Women in higher State institutions
315. The proportion of women employed in the Economic and Social Council is as follows.
Legislature
|
Total number of counsellors
|
Number of women
|
Percentage of women
|
---|---|---|---|
1961–1965
|
25
|
0
|
0%
|
1965–1971
|
36
|
3
|
1.08%
|
1971–1976
|
45
|
4
|
1.8%
|
1976–1982
|
70
|
7
|
4.9%
|
1982–1986
|
85
|
9
|
7.65%
|
1986–1992
|
120
|
13
|
15.6%
|
1992–1994
|
120
|
12
|
14.4%
|
1998–1999
|
120
|
14
|
16.8%
|
2001–2005
|
120
|
23
|
21%
|
Source: Economic and Social Council.
316. At the managerial level, one out of five commission chairs is a woman and one deputy chair is a woman.
Women in the highest courts
317. In the Supreme Court, the proportion of women is as follows.
Year
|
Total
|
Number of women
|
Percentage of women
|
---|---|---|---|
2005
|
50
|
6
|
12%
|
318. In the Constitutional Council, the proportion of women is as follows.
Year
|
Total
|
Number of women
|
Percentage of women
|
---|---|---|---|
2005
|
6
|
2
|
33.33%
|
319. In the Supreme Court, three judges are women – one counsellor, one attorney-general and one deputy attorney-general.
320. In the Constitutional Council, one out of seven members is a woman.
In the private sector
321. In the modern private sector, there are few women, who account for only 11.5 per cent of all employees. This small proportion is due to the underrepresentation of women in the school system and in vocational training.
Proportion of women from political parties in institutions exercising State power, including decentralized institutions
322. The tables below show how the proportion of women in the various institutions has changed over the years.
323. The following table shows the proportion of women in Government.
Year
|
Total
|
Number of women
|
Percentage of women
|
---|---|---|---|
2001
|
27
|
5
|
18.52%
|
2005
|
34
|
5
|
14.70%
|
2005
|
42
|
7
|
16.66%
|
2006
|
35
|
5
|
14.28%
|
2007
|
31
|
4
|
12.90%
|
2007
|
33
|
4
|
12.12%
|
2010
|
28
|
2
|
7.5%
|
324. The proportion of women in Parliament is as follows:
Year
|
Total number of deputies
|
Number of women
|
Percentage of women
|
---|---|---|---|
1990–1995
|
175
|
8
|
4.6%
|
1995–2000
|
168
|
14
|
8%
|
2000–2005
|
223
|
18
|
8.07%
|
Local authorities
325. The proportion of women serving in communes is as follows:
Legislature
|
Total
|
Number of women
|
Percentage of women
|
---|---|---|---|
1990–1995
|
136
|
4
|
3%
|
2000–2005
|
197
|
9
|
4.6%
|
2010
|
197
|
9
|
4.6%
|
326. Among local authorities, 1 president of the General Council out of 58 is a woman, which is equivalent to 1.72 per cent.
Women in political parties
327. Women are present in political parties, as shown by the data concerning the country’s main political parties:
• Parti Démocratique de Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI): 41 out of 414 members of the party executive (9.90 per cent) are women
• Front Populaire Ivoirien (FPI): 15 members of the general secretariat are women and 9 out of 31 members of the supervisory committee are women (29.03 per cent)
• Rassemblement des Républicains (RDR): 3 out of 20 national secretaries are women (15 per cent); 2 members out of 10 of the general secretariat are women (20 per cent); and 5 out of 19 chairs of technical committees are women (26.31 per cent) (data compiled since the National Congress of 4 October 2008)
• Parti Ivoirien des Travailleurs (PIT): 1 out of 11 members of the national secretariat is a woman (9.09 per cent) and 3 out of 45 members of the central committee are women (6.66 per cent)
328. In the light of the above figures it may be said, however, that as far as political activities in Côte d’Ivoire are concerned, the formal equality proclaimed in the country’s most fundamental instruments is not sufficiently evident in practice.
329. Among the political parties, only 4 party leaders out of 60 are women.
330. Among traditional chieftains, only 1 woman is a village chief out of a total of 159 (1.69 per cent).
Obstacles to the participation of women in political and public life
331. There is no law in Côte d’Ivoire that stops women from participating in decision-making bodies and political activities. On the contrary, the principle of gender equality underlies all the country’s legislation.
332. The low proportion of women employed in the country’s institutions, public administration and even in the private sector is due to a number of constraints, of a structural, social and circumstantial nature, which hamper the participation of women in political and public life.
333. From the social and structural point of view, there are persistent sexist prejudices and stereotypes which tend to confine women to a domestic role. According to the dominant traditional view in Côte d’Ivoire, women have a subordinate status which confirms their exclusion from public life and especially from political activities.
334. Among circumstantial constraints, it is worth noting that women show little interest in politics and are reluctant to engage in political activities, perhaps on account of the atmosphere of violence which prevails in that sphere and which is reflected in the many crises that have erupted in the country’s political life since 1999.
335. The priority attached to family responsibilities allows women insufficient time to play a part in public life. Further negative factors include a lack of nurseries, little family support and the paucity of efforts by political parties to adapt their timetables and meeting arrangements, not to mention the general drawbacks of public life (where activities are demanding, exhausting and unrewarding).
336. Another problem is the shortage of material and financial means, due increasingly to a feminization of poverty.
337. Illiteracy and shortcomings in schooling, training and political culture are among the major obstacles facing women in terms of their participation in political and public life. Being mostly illiterate (more so than men), they have enjoyed fewer opportunities than their male counterparts to develop the qualities and charisma required for political life, so that routine acts like speaking in public, taking centre stage and showing leadership are often beyond their reach.
Remedial measures
338. One means of encouraging the representation of women in political activities would be through Côte d’Ivoire’s Solemn Declaration on Equal Opportunities, Equity and Gender, signed by the President on 21 February 2007.
339. This commitment at the highest level of the State was a decisive step, and raised great hopes among civil society and women’s organizations belonging to political parties. These then set up a network on the initiative of the Directorate of Gender Equality and Promotion in order to extend their range of action.
340. As far as civil society organizations are concerned, the Coordination Nationale des Femmes pour les Élections et la Reconstruction Post-crise (National Women’s Coordinating Committee for Elections and Post-Crisis Reconstruction), which was set up in 2007, brought together all women’s organizations, regardless of origin, ethnic group, religion or even political allegiance in order to speak with one voice on the subject of women’s issues. Apart from these activities, the Committee engages in negotiations with political parties to apply the system of mixed lists with the support of the National Democratic Institute, an international NGO.
341. Through the project “Support for gender integration in the electoral process” initiated by the Directorate of Gender Equality and Promotion as part of the implementation of section 3 of the National Action Plan for the Implementation of Security Council resolution 1325/2000, the National Women’s Coordinating Committee conducted awareness-raising and capacity-building activities in order to encourage the involvement of women in elections in both rural and urban areas.
342. Among the women’s organizations belonging to political parties, the women’s network of the eight political parties which signed the Ouagadougou Political Agreement was set up and prepared a code of conduct and a plan of action for women politicians.
343. The number of women in positions of authority and responsibility in the technical ministries has recently increased considerably.
Article 8
Representation and participation at the international level
Conditions of appointment at the international level
344. The appointment and representation of civil servants at the international level are governed by current legislation, such as the Constitution, the Labour Code and the General Civil Service Regulations.
345. According to the General Civil Service Regulations and the rules of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the appointment requirements governing access to senior positions (such as career ambassadors) in the Ministry are the same for men and for women: they include having graduated in diplomacy at the National School of Administration or other school, belonging at least to Grade 4, being a member of the Corps of Foreign Affairs Counsellor Secretaries, and being of exceptional class, third echelon.
346. For some positions, such as ambassador or director, an additional requirement for appointment is relevant work experience (as foreign affairs counsellors).
347. Under the current legislation, women have the right and the opportunity to represent their Government at an international level and to participate in the work of international organizations on an equal footing with men. These requirements apply to all members of a delegation regardless of gender considerations. Women therefore enjoy the same pay and same benefits as men when they are appointed to these positions (such as ambassadors). Apart from salaries, benefits include post adjustments and cost-of-living allowances, a diplomatic passport for the spouse and State benefits for children up to the age of 21 (for up to three children).
Situation in practice
348. The first women were appointed as ambassadors in 1994 and the first heads of mission in 1997.
349. The current data concerning the proportion of women in positions of authority and working at international level show that women are underrepresented.
350. Some of Côte d’Ivoire’s diplomatic service chiefs are women.
|
|
Year
|
||||||||
1997
|
2001
|
2010
|
||||||||
No. of women
|
Total
|
%
|
No. of women
|
Total
|
%
|
No. of women
|
Total
|
%
|
||
Ambassador
|
Chief of mission
|
0
|
35
|
0
|
6
|
36
|
16.67
|
6
|
47
|
12.77
|
|
Central department
|
3
|
16
|
18.75
|
|
|
|
3
|
38
|
7.89
|
Consul
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
3
|
33.33
|
Director of administration (technical counsellor)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14
|
3
|
21.43
|
351. Presence of women in Côte d’Ivoire’s consulates: one consul out of every three was a woman in 2010.
352. Presence of women in international, regional and subregional organizations and institutions and in Government services abroad, mainly within diplomatic services, including at bilateral and multilateral level:
• Heads of diplomatic missions:
• 6 out of 36 in 2001
• 6 out of 47 in 2010
• Consuls: 1 in 3 in 2010
• International organizations: only one Ivorian woman to date, registered with UNESCO
Measures and strategies to increase women’s representation at the international level
353. Legal measures are being taken at present to improve this state of affairs, both for men and for women, in the form of the law on the regulations governing the diplomatic corps of December 2007.
Article 9
Legislation
354. Article 1 of the Nationality Code stipulates that the law shall determine who has Ivorian nationality at birth, in accordance with the principle of jus sanguinis, or “the right of blood”.
355. The law adds that nationality shall be granted or removed after birth by the law or by decision of the authorities on conditions set out by the law.
356. In Côte d’Ivoire, therefore, women acquire Ivorian nationality on the same terms as men, either by birth or by decision of the authorities.
357. Under articles 6 and 7 of the Nationality Code, a person is Ivorian by birth if at least one of the parents has Ivorian nationality. Consequently, Ivorian women transmit their nationality to their children, under the jus sanguinis principle.
358. Foreign women acquire Ivorian nationality by marriage to an Ivorian if they formally choose to do so at the time of the marriage. Moreover, foreign women retain their original nationality if the law of their country so permits and she does not turn down Ivorian nationality.
359. The same rules apply to a man of foreign origin who marries an Ivorian woman.
360. However, the Government has six months from the date of the marriage to object to the acquisition of Ivorian nationality by a foreign woman (Nationality Code, art. 14). Only women of foreign nationality are affected by the Government’s objection to acquisition of Ivorian nationality by marriage with an Ivorian. This is clear from paragraph 3 of the above-mentioned article 14, which states that: “If the Government lodges an objection, the individual concerned is deemed never to have acquired Ivorian nationality.” In French, “the individual concerned” is feminine and can only refer to a woman. Thus, following the amendment to article 12 of the Nationality Code by Decision No. 20055-09/PR of 29 August 2005, the Government’s right to lodge an objection does not apply in the case of a foreign man who chooses to acquire Ivorian nationality on marrying an Ivorian woman.
361. Article 14 therefore contains discriminatory provisions.
362. Women can also acquire Ivorian nationality by naturalization.
363. Freedom to change nationality may result in the loss of a nationality by the person concerned.
364. However, certain restrictions are necessary in the national interest.
Automatic loss of Ivorian nationality
365. Loss of nationality occurs when an Ivorian adult voluntarily acquires or lays claim to a foreign nationality, although it must be authorized by the Government within 15 years of registration on the census list. The situation is the same for an Ivorian woman who marries a foreigner and who, before the marriage, abjures her nationality.
366. The same applies to an Ivorian woman serving in the public service or army of a foreign State, who keeps it even if ordered by the Government to renounce it.
367. The same also applies to a foreign spouse whose marriage to an Ivorian is annulled by an Ivorian court or whose divorce is made absolute in Côte d’Ivoire, even if the marriage was entered into in good faith (new art. 16).
368. According to the same article, if a couple divorces in the first 10 years of marriage, the foreign spouse loses Ivorian nationality.
Loss of Ivorian nationality by decree
369. An Ivorian man, woman or child may be stripped of their Ivorian nationality by decree if, under a foreign law, they are entitled to dual nationality.
370. An Ivorian who effectively acts like a national of a foreign country of which he also has the nationality may be stripped of Ivorian nationality without his consent.
371. Authorization to give up Ivorian nationality is granted by decree.
Situation in practice
372. As far as nationality is concerned, there is no discrimination against women in Côte d’Ivoire. Women acquire it in the same way as men on the conditions set out by law.
Reforms
373. The major reform was introduced by the presidential decision on the acquisition of nationality. The Nationality Code was amended and supplemented by Decision No. 2005 of 29 August 2005 on the acquisition of nationality by the foreign spouse of an Ivorian (new articles 12 and 16).
Article 10
Promotion of women’s education
374. The Ivorian Constitution guarantees equal access to education for all children of either sex.
375. To satisfy national demand for education, the institutional and legal framework was revised in 1994, notably with the adoption of the national education/training development plan for 1998–2010 and the Education Act (No. 95-696) of 7 September 1995. This reaffirms the right to education and equal treatment for all at the preschool, primary and lower secondary level — in other words basic education — as well as in higher education.
The Ivorian education system
376. The Ivorian education system consists of three types of education: general education (preschool, primary and secondary); technical and vocational education; and higher education. Together, these constitute the formal education system.
377. Alongside the formal education system, there is a non-formal system of basic education run by formal State institutions and non-State bodies.
378. The State gives high priority to education. In fact, a look at the State budget shows that about 22 per cent of resources are allocated to education or training (source: Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, 2009).
379. The education budget (in billions of CFA francs) from 1996 to 2009 was as follows.
1996
|
1997
|
1998
|
1999
|
2000
|
2003
|
2006
|
2008
|
2009
|
34.6
|
33.7
|
39.8
|
43.5
|
14.43
|
18.51
|
14.31
|
15.15
|
14.41
|
Source: Handbook on drafting the State Report on the Education System.
Formal education
380. The incipient preschool system offers three levels of classes for children between the ages of 3 and 5. Attendance rates are low in urban and rural areas.
Primary/secondary
381. The desire to develop human resources was reaffirmed when the national education/training development plan was revised (for 2007–2010).
382. In this framework, the girls’ education component of the 1999 education/training support project aims to support basic education for girls and women in disadvantaged areas. A department to promote girls’ education was set up in the Ministry of Education in 1998 for the same purpose.
383. The introduction of school canteens by the Ministry in 1997 has also promoted girls’ education.
384. Special measures have been taken to promote girls’ education and narrow the gender gap from primary school onwards (see article 4).
385. In addition, since 2001 the State has charged no school fees for primary education and has abolished school uniforms in primary and secondary schools.
386. Primary-school textbooks have been free since 2002. All these steps should boost attendance rates of both boys and girls. Scholarships are available to girls on the same conditions as boys.
387. The Ministry of Education has the know-how and technical resources to guarantee equal opportunities and rights for boys and girls.
Higher education
388. Before 1995 there was a single university for men and women. It offered a number of institutional advantages; in particular, the Education Act made it possible to develop a strategic plan for the development of higher education known as the Five-Year Plan for 2004–2008, in addition to the national education/training development plan.
389. Today, 4.4 per cent of the budget is devoted to higher education and scientific research.
390. Mixed-sex education is the norm at all levels. Thus, young women and men follow the same subjects in higher education institutions and young women enjoy all the opportunities afforded by the Government. These include:
• Grants for girls in technical and vocational training in all subjects
• The same opportunities as boys to take part in sports activities in schools; there are no clothing restrictions to hamper girls’ full participation in such activities
• The same access as boys to information on higher education and scientific research
• The same guidance as boys on higher-education courses
Technical and vocational training
391. Such training has been introduced to ensure that the education/training sector produces students who can meet the needs of the economy, and has received considerable funding from the Government.
392. The number of pupils rose from 28,066 in 2002 to 48,624 in 2007, including 23,699 girls. Girls represented 40.86 per cent of the total in the State sector, as compared with 52.27 per cent in the private sector. In 2007, training was provided by 3,324 teachers, of whom 582 had administrative duties.
Non-formal education
393. A formal institutional framework has been set up by the Government to improve literacy standards. It consists of:
• Training and education establishments for women, established in 1958. Today, 87 of these 91 establishments (73.6 per cent) are operational. They are run by the Directorate of Training and Education Establishments for Women, of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, and have a permanent staff of 410 teachers.
• The National Literacy Committee established by Decree No. 98-194 of 30 April 1998. The committee provides a forum for discussion and harmonization of literacy programmes and methods.
• The Independent Literacy Service established by Decree No. 96-229 of 13 March 1996 in the Ministry of Education pursuant to the 1996 law on education and the organization of the Ministry. The service is now operational.
• The National Literacy Support Fund, set up in 2001 to fund a pilot literacy project in cooperation with the World Bank.
394. All these Government measures and actions have helped narrow the gender gap in the area of functional literacy.
Participation rates for girls at various levels of education
395. All the Government actions mentioned above have helped rectify gender inequalities in all types of education and have helped balance the numbers of girls and boys, as reflected in the educational indicators below.
Preschool
396. The enrolment rate for girls is almost the same as for boys, but is only 13 per cent in urban areas and 1 per cent in rural areas.
Primary
397. The gender parity index in primary schools rose from 0.77 to 0.81 between 1977 and 2000. In 2008, the net enrolment rate for girls in primary schools was 53.07 per cent, as compared with 58.84 per cent for boys.
398. According to the multiple indicator cluster survey carried out in Côte d’Ivoire in 2006 and to UNICEF’s The State of the World’s Children 2010, the net primary-school attendance ratio was higher for boys (61 per cent) than for girls (49 per cent) in the period 2003–2008.
399. Primary-school attendance also differs according to where the child lives: in 2006, 67 per cent of children attended primary school in urban areas, as compared with only 48.2 per cent in rural areas.
400. The available statistical data for gross school admission, enrolment and completion ratios and transition rates are given below.
401. The gross primary-school admission ratio between 1998 and 2008 was as follows.
|
1998/99
|
1999/2000
|
2000/01
|
2001/02
|
2005/06
|
2006/07
|
2007/08
|
Total
|
30.4%
|
26.1%
|
28.6%
|
28.4%
|
28.9%
|
32.8%
|
33.2%
|
Boys
|
22.2%
|
20.0%
|
21.3%
|
21.9%
|
25.7%
|
26.0%
|
24.5%
|
Girls
|
38.0%
|
31.6%
|
35.4%
|
34.4%
|
32.0%
|
39.3%
|
41.6%
|
Source: Directorate of Information Technology, Planning, Evaluation and Statistics, Ministry of Education.
402. Overall, the gross primary-school admission ratio is rising. However, it is still unsatisfactory given that the goal is universal primary education. The proportion of girls starting school is lower than that of boys.
403. The gross primary-school enrolment (scolarisation) ratio between 1998 and 2008 was as follows.
|
1998/99
|
1999/2000
|
2000/01
|
2001/02
|
2005/06
|
2006/07
|
2007/08
|
Total
|
71.7%
|
72.1%
|
74.4%
|
76.0%
|
74.0%
|
74.3%
|
77.9%
|
Boys
|
79.8%
|
79.9%
|
81.5%
|
83.8%
|
81.9%
|
82.5%
|
79.6%
|
Girls
|
63.1%
|
63.9%
|
66.0%
|
67.7%
|
65.9%
|
66.1%
|
63.7%
|
Source: Directorate of Information Technology, Planning, Evaluation and Statistics, Ministry of Education.
404. Overall, the gross primary-school enrolment ratio is rising, but it is still lower for girls than for boys.
405. The gross primary-school completion ratio between 1998 and 2008 was as follows.
|
1998/99
|
1999/2000
|
2000/01
|
2001/02
|
2005/06
|
2006/07
|
2007/08
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total
|
44.4%
|
43.1%
|
46.7%
|
45.0%
|
43.1%
|
46.0%
|
51.1%
|
Boys
|
50.2%
|
50.8%
|
54.4%
|
52.7%
|
52.3%
|
53.4%
|
59.8%
|
Girls
|
36.0%
|
34.7%
|
38.4%
|
36.8%
|
33.5%
|
38.3%
|
42.2%
|
Gap between
boys girls
|
14.2%
|
16.1%
|
16.0%
|
15.8%
|
18.8%
|
15.1%
|
17.6%
|
Source: Directorate of Information Technology, Planning, Evaluation and Statistics, Ministry of Education.
406. Overall, the gross primary-school completion ratio is rising, although it is still low. It is lower for girls than for boys, and the gap between them is growing.
407. The transition rate from primary to secondary school between 1998 and 2008 was as follows.
|
1998/99
|
1999/2000
|
2000/01
|
2001/02
|
2005/06
|
2006/07
|
2007/08
|
Total
|
41.3%
|
35.2%
|
39.6%
|
38.0%
|
44.4%
|
48.3%
|
47.3%
|
Boys
|
43.8%
|
36.1%
|
41.4%
|
39.1%
|
41.8%
|
48.6%
|
50.3%
|
Girls
|
37.4%
|
33.8%
|
36.7%
|
36.1%
|
48.3%
|
47.8%
|
42.9%
|
Source: Directorate of Information Technology, Planning, Evaluation and Statistics, Ministry of Education.
408. Overall, less than half of pupils move up from primary school to secondary school. The transition rate for girls was slightly lower than for boys, except in 2005/06, when it was 48.3 per cent for girls, as compared with 41.3 per cent for boys.
Secondary
409. At secondary level, the ratio of girls to boys rose from 47 per cent in 1990 to 54 per cent in 2000 and 63.9 per cent in 2008.
410. In 2008, the net secondary-school enrolment ratio for girls was 22.56 per cent, as compared with 30.3 per cent for boys.
411. Generally speaking, the indicators for the admission ratio and the gross admission and enrolment ratios at both the lower and upper secondary levels have improved somewhat.
412. The admission ratio at the lower secondary level between 1998 and 2008 was as follows.
|
1998/99
|
1999/2000
|
2000/01
|
2001/02
|
2005/06
|
2006/07
|
2007/08
|
Total
|
30.4%
|
26.1%
|
28.6%
|
28.4%
|
28.9%
|
32.8%
|
33.2%
|
Girls
|
22.2%
|
20.0%
|
21.3%
|
21.9%
|
25.7%
|
26.0%
|
24.5%
|
Boys
|
38.0%
|
31.6%
|
35.4%
|
34.4%
|
32.0%
|
39.3%
|
41.6%
|
Source: Directorate of Information Technology, Planning, Evaluation and Statistics, Ministry of Education.
413. The admission ratio at the lower secondary level has been improving since 2000/2001, although it is still low for girls, at between 20 per cent and 26 per cent.
414. The gross admission ratio at the upper secondary level between 1998 and 2008 was as follows.
|
1998/99
|
1999/2000
|
2000/01
|
2001/02
|
2005/06
|
2006/07
|
2007/08
|
Total
|
11.9%
|
12.9%
|
13.6%
|
14.2%
|
13.2%
|
13.0%
|
16.0%
|
Girls
|
7.4%
|
8.2%
|
8.7%
|
4.7%
|
10.0%
|
9.4%
|
11.8%
|
Boys
|
16.6%
|
17.8%
|
18.4%
|
23.5%
|
16.2%
|
16.3%
|
19.9%
|
Source: Directorate of Information Technology, Planning, Evaluation and Statistics, Ministry of Education.
415. The gross admission ratio at the upper secondary level rose from 2000 to 2002, but fell after the crisis to 13.2 per cent in 2005. The ratio for girls is lower than for boys.
416. The gross enrolment (scolarisation) ratio at the lower secondary level was as follows:
|
1998/99
|
1999/2000
|
2000/01
|
2001/02
|
2005/06
|
2006/07
|
2007/08
|
Total
|
29.6%
|
29.5%
|
29.8%
|
30.2%
|
30.7%
|
32.4%
|
34.4%
|
Girls
|
21.3%
|
22.0%
|
22.4%
|
22.8%
|
23.8%
|
24.6%
|
26.2%
|
Boys
|
37.6%
|
36.6%
|
39.9%
|
37.2%
|
37.1%
|
39.7%
|
42.2%
|
Source: Directorate of Information Technology, Planning, Evaluation and Statistics, Ministry of Education.
417. The gross enrolment (scolarisation) ratio at the upper secondary level was as follows:
|
1998/99
|
1999/2000
|
2000/01
|
2001/02
|
2005/06
|
2006/07
|
2007/08
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total
|
13.3%
|
14.7%
|
15.9%
|
16.9%
|
15.4%
|
15.8%
|
16.1%
|
Girls
|
8.6%
|
9.2%
|
9.9%
|
10.9%
|
11.5%
|
11.7%
|
11.9%
|
Boys
|
18.8%
|
20.4%
|
21.9%
|
22.7%
|
19.1%
|
19.6%
|
20.1%
|
Source: Directorate of Information Technology, Planning, Evaluation and Statistics, Ministry of Education.
418. The gross enrolment ratio is rising at both the lower and the upper secondary level, though it is still lower for girls than for boys.
Higher education
419. From 1993 to 1998 there was on average one girl for every three boys.
420. In 2007, there were 146,490 students in the public and private sectors. In the public sector, 31.8 per cent of students were female, as compared with 4.73 per cent in the top higher education institutions and 19 per cent in the private sector.
421. Some 18.6 per cent of students on science courses were female (source: National Development Strategy Paper based on the Millennium Development Goals, version 4, November 2007).
422. In 2008, the female-to-male ratio was 56.1 per cent (Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper).
423. The proportion of male and female students by cycle is as follows:
|
Male
|
Female
|
Preparatory
|
47.6
|
52.4
|
First cycle
|
64.8
|
35.2
|
Second cycle
|
70.1
|
29.9
|
Third cycle
|
76.3
|
23.7
|
Technical education
424. The number of students in technical education rose from 28,066 in 2002 to 48,624 in 2007, including 23,699 girls. Girls accounted for 40.86 per cent of students in the public sector and 52.27 per cent in the private sector.
Girls and women in non-formal education
425. Since 1993, literacy rates among young women aged 15–24 have risen in relation to those for men, showing how the literacy gap between men and women is being closed:
• In 1993, 70 women were literate for every 100 literate men
• In 1995, 71.6 women were literate for every 100 literate men
• In 1998, 72.5 women were literate for every 100 literate men
• In 2002, 75.2 women were literate for every 100 literate men
426. According to the 2005 AIDS Indicators Survey, 39 per cent of women and 54 per cent of men were illiterate. In 2006, according to the 2006 multiple indicator cluster survey, 40 per cent of women aged 15–24 were illiterate.
427. The results reveal some disparities according to place of residence. In rural areas, the literacy rate is 40 per cent for women and 54 per cent for men. In urban areas, the rates are, respectively, 53 per cent and 69 per cent. The percentage of illiterate women also varies from one region to another. It is lower in the north-west (12 per cent) and north-east (15 per cent) regions.
Problems
428. Generally speaking, about 10 per cent of pupils drop out of basic education every year, which undermines the school’s vocation to educate, train and instruct.
429. The rate of dropout and repetition is high in both primary and secondary schools, especially among girls.
430. The main reasons why girls and women interrupt their studies are pregnancy, forced marriage, lack of financial resources and illness.
431. However, pregnant girls are allowed to continue their studies or to resume them after giving birth. Sexist attitudes also have a negative effect on girls’ schooling.
432. The fact that the curriculum in Islamic faith schools is not in line with the official curriculum poses a problem when it comes to recognition of qualifications and work placements (Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, 2009).
433. Moreover, the military and political crisis had a severe impact in the educational sector, forcing many schools to close for their own security. There are currently bottlenecks in the primary education system that will make it difficult to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of ensuring that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling.
434. The fact is that progress in primary education is too slow for this target to be reached in the five years remaining before 2015. This slow progress is exacerbated by constraints such as demographic change, child labour (it is estimated that 35 per cent of all children in the country aged between 5 and 14 work – 36 per cent of boys and 34 per cent of girls), the small education budget, the shortage of teachers and lack of basic school infrastructure, and the failure to redeploy administrative staff in the centre, north and west of the country.
Recommended solutions
435. The Government of Côte d’Ivoire has taken a number of decisions aimed at improving girls’ education.
436. In the formal education sector, it revised the national education/training development plan (2007–2010), one of the main objectives of which is to facilitate girls’ access to education and reduce gender inequalities, including among children.
437. At the preschool level, with a view to achieving the goal of “expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children” (Dakar Framework for Action, para. 7 (i)), the main aims of Côte d’Ivoire’s policy are: (i) to introduce into the programme a component on parenting education and support for children up to the age of 4; (ii) to reduce the length of preschooling from three to two years in dedicated facilities; and (iii) to significantly improve services for rural population groups (which have a high proportion of disadvantaged children) by adopting a community-based methodology (source: State Report on the Education System, 2009).
438. Preschool education should also be promoted by the effective implementation of the “Spider Plan” in both urban and rural areas.
439. The following important measures have been taken in the area of primary education, in addition to temporary special measures (see article 4):
• A strategic plan for girls’ education in Côte d’Ivoire was prepared and approved in September 2006
• A memorandum committing local authorities to girls’ education was signed in 2008
• Teachers received training on gender issues from the ministerial departments responsible for education and from national and international NGOs
• A girls’ education network was set up (United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative): it brings together the ministerial departments responsible for education and national and international NGOs working in the area of girls’ education in 2006
• Pregnant girls are not expelled from school and can resume courses after giving birth
• The Ministry of Education and UNICEF worked together on a publicity spot to raise awareness among parents about girls’ education
440. The State Report on the Education System, produced since 2007, has identified the major challenges facing the country in years to come if it is to implement a new, effective, fair and financially viable education policy that will enable Côte d’Ivoire to make progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, and particularly towards the goal of universal primary education.
441. Communities and decision makers need to be made aware of the issues if attitudes to girls’ education are to be changed.
442. The integration of Koranic schools into the education system, which began in 2008 and is continuing, should help ease congestion in the formal system. As yet, however, their training and curriculum modules have not been recognized and validated. In the meantime, Koranic schools are enrolling large numbers of children, including a high proportion of girls.
443. The higher education support project for 2008–2013, which recommends a quota of one third of women in virtually every area of higher education, has helped increase the number of women who enter and stay in higher education, especially on science, mathematics and technology courses. This Government policy also aims to eliminate gender disparities in all areas of higher education by 2015, in accordance with Millennium Development Goal 3 (target 4).
Article 11
Advancement of women in the field of employment
Legislation on the right to work
444. From a legal and regulatory viewpoint, Ivorian women enjoy equality with men in access to employment, recruitment and promotion criteria and qualifications, salaries and social benefits. This is enshrined in the Ivorian Constitution of 2000 and in the Labour Code.
Coverage (public/private sector)
445. The General Civil Service Regulations and the Labour Code set the retirement age for workers in the private and public sectors in Côte d’Ivoire. The age is the same for men and women, as follows:
• 55 years for workers in the private sector
• 57, 60, 62 or 65 in the public sector, depending on function and grade
Recruitment
446. Article 2 of the Labour Code stipulates the following: “For the purposes of the present Code, a worker or employee is any natural person, irrespective of sex, race or nationality, who has undertaken to place his occupational activity, in exchange for remuneration, under the direction and authority of a natural or legal person, whether public or private, referred to as an employer. In defining a person as a worker, no account is taken of the employer’s or the employee’s legal status.”
447. Article 3 of the General Civil Service Regulations stipulates that “civil servants are recruited by competitive examination, unless otherwise provided for by decree”.
448. The laws governing employment in the military, police, defence forces and army make no distinction between the sexes, and offer the same opportunities (and benefits) to men and women. Under these laws, every Ivorian can exercise a public or private function in the same conditions.
449. A quota for the recruitment of men and women with disabilities in the civil service is set out in Act No. 98-594 of 10 November 1998 on policies towards people with disabilities.
450. In the private sector, people with disabilities are subject to the same recruitment criteria as able persons. No particular advantage is granted to women with disabilities, including in access to jobs.
Equal pay for equal work
451. Under Ivorian laws and regulations, notably the General Civil Service Regulations, the Labour Code and the 1977 Inter-Occupational Collective Agreement, women are entitled to the same pay as men for equal or equivalent work.
Protection of pregnant women
452. The law contains provisions guaranteeing paid maternity leave (Act No. 95-15 of 12 January 1995 containing the Labour Code, article 23.5).
453. Although the Labour Code contains no provisions for parental leave, the Collective Agreement and the General Civil Service Regulations do provide for leave on the birth of a child (three days for men).
454. Under Ivorian laws and regulations, the fact that a woman is pregnant or married is not an acceptable reason for not recruiting her or for firing her. On the contrary, the Ivorian civil service, in line with ILO standards, grants women 14 weeks’ maternity leave and an hour a day for 18 months to breastfeed her child. The Labour Code and the General Civil Service Regulations contain measures to discourage and punish such discrimination and to ensure equal access to employment for women.
International Labour Organization conventions ratified by Côte d’Ivoire
455. To strengthen its legislation on equal pay and non-discrimination at work, Côte d’Ivoire has ratified 34 ILO conventions, 32 of which are in force.
456. Côte d’Ivoire has ratified the following core ILO conventions:
• Forced Labour Convention (No. 29)
• Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention (No. 87)
• Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention (No. 98)
• Equal Remuneration Convention (No. 100)
• Abolition of Forced Labour Convention (No. 105)
• Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention (No. 111)
• Minimum Age Convention (No. 138)
• Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (No. 182)
457. However, only a few people among both employees and employers are aware of these conventions.
Social protection and health care for workers in general and women in particular
458. Article 4 of the Labour Code and Decree No. 96-2006 of 7 March 1996 established a committee on health and safety at work.
Reality on the ground
459. From a legal and regulatory viewpoint, Ivorian women enjoy equality with men in access to employment, recruitment and promotion criteria and qualifications, salaries and social benefits.
460. However, there is some discrimination against women as regards income tax, as their married status is not taken into account when calculating this tax, whereas married men qualify for a lower tax rate.
461. The principle of equal pay is observed and there are no obstacles to its application. However, the “glass ceiling” ensures that any reluctance to give certain jobs to women when a man is preferred is often so subtle as to be imperceptible.
Private sector
462. In practice, pregnancy and marital status are often used subtly as an argument for not recruiting women.
Professions in which women are underrepresented, or not represented at all
463. There is no law against women exercising certain functions or professions, but women are still underrepresented, if not virtually absent, in certain occupations and professions, including:
• The National Police and the Prefectural Corps (Ministry of the Interior)
• The military (Ministry of Defence)
• The gendarmerie (Ministry of Defence), to which no woman has yet been admitted
464. Explanations for this are based on stereotypical views about the supposedly intrinsic fragility of women.
Full-time and part-time work
465. The available statistics on occupations do not take into consideration household tasks.
466. The distribution of paid labour by age group and sex is as follows.
Age group (years)
|
Sex
|
Total
|
|
---|---|---|---|
Male
|
Female
|
||
15–24
|
121 387
|
53 948
|
175 335
|
% row
|
69.2%
|
30.8%
|
10%
|
% column
|
14.4%
|
24.2%
|
16.4%
|
25–44
|
541 689
|
131 670
|
673 359
|
% row
|
80.4%
|
19.6%
|
100%
|
% column
|
64.1%
|
59.1%
|
63.1%
|
45 and over
|
181 722
|
37 099
|
218 821
|
% row
|
83%
|
17%
|
100%
|
% column
|
21.5%
|
16.7%
|
20.5%
|
Total number
|
884 798
|
222 717
|
1 067 515
|
% row
|
79.1%
|
20.9%
|
100%
|
% column
|
100%
|
100%
|
100%
|
Source: Compiled by the Employment Research and Promotion Agency on the basis of the 2002 Household Survey.
467. The distribution of paid labour by sex and time worked is as follows:
Time worked
|
Sex
|
Total
|
|||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Male
|
Female
|
||||
Under-employed
|
136 610
|
46 793
|
183 403
|
||
% row
|
74.5%
|
25.5%
|
100%
|
||
% column
|
16.3%
|
20.4%
|
17.2%
|
||
Full-time
|
52 082
|
52 516
|
204 598
|
||
% row
|
74.3%
|
25.7%
|
100%
|
||
% column
|
18.2%
|
22.9%
|
19.2%
|
||
Over-employed
|
549 098
|
129 780
|
678 878
|
||
% row
|
80.9%
|
19.1%
|
100%
|
||
% column
|
65.5%
|
56.7%
|
63.6%
|
||
Total number
|
837 790
|
229 089
|
1 066 879
|
||
% row
|
78.5%
|
21.5%
|
100%
|
||
% column
|
100%
|
100%
|
100%
|
Source: Compiled by the Employment Research and Promotion Agency on the basis of the 2002 Household Survey.
468. The following figures are based on the official working week in Côte d’Ivoire of 40 hours, or 8 hours a day:
Women working full-time: 22.9 per cent
Women working part-time: 20.4 per cent
Women in the civil service
469. The percentage of women by category is given below.
Category
|
Total
|
Total number of women
|
Percentage of women
|
---|---|---|---|
A
|
37 195
|
6 908
|
18.57
|
B
|
61 197
|
16 870
|
27.57
|
C
|
21 011
|
7 840
|
37.31
|
D
|
5 196
|
1 875
|
36.09
|
Total
|
124 599
|
33 493
|
26.88
|
Source: Directorate of Information Technology, Ministry of the Civil Service and Employment.
470. The percentage of women by grade is given below.
Grade
|
Total
|
Total number of women
|
Percentage of women
|
---|---|---|---|
A1
|
8 326
|
1 187
|
14.26
|
A2
|
7 174
|
1 570
|
21.88
|
A3
|
12 789
|
2 383
|
18.63
|
A4
|
7 782
|
1 612
|
20.71
|
A5
|
683
|
98
|
14.35
|
A6
|
294
|
40
|
13.61
|
A7
|
147
|
18
|
12.24
|
B1
|
1 312
|
795
|
60.59
|
B2
|
14
|
7
|
50.00
|
B3
|
59 871
|
16 068
|
26.84
|
C1
|
5 133
|
1 928
|
37.56
|
C2
|
14 953
|
5 605
|
37.48
|
C3
|
925
|
307
|
33.19
|
D1
|
4 439
|
1 137
|
25.61
|
D2
|
757
|
738
|
97.49
|
Total
|
124 599
|
33 493
|
26.88
|
Source: Directorate of Information Technology, Ministry of the Civil Service and Employment.
Women in the private sector and independent institutions
471. The percentages for women in the private sector, business and the informal sector are as follows:[6]
• Women in the modern private sector 11.2 %
• Women in the commercial sector:
• Economy as a whole 64.3%
• Informal sector 66%
• Modern private sector 15.23%
• Women in the informal sector 45%
472. Only women in the private and commercial sectors are covered by national labour legislation, which does not apply to the informal sector.
Domestic work
473. This “invisible” work is generally done by women, and is universally recognized as contributing to development. However, no provision is made for it, as yet, in the public accounts.
Women working in a family business
474. Unremunerated work for a family business, on the other hand, is taken into account in the definition of employment, although the Household Survey does not indicate the sex of the head of the production unit in which the person works. In any case, the available data concern all women working as domestic workers, including those working for female relatives. Some 49.4 per cent of working women are domestic workers, and 64.7 per cent of such workers are women.
475. These women are not covered by any law or regulation. The State has so far taken no measures to guarantee these workers their rights or social benefits.
476. Family members working as domestic workers in a family business are counted as part of the labour force, on the basis of the definition of employment adopted at the Thirteenth International Conference of Labour Statisticians. However, for the moment, household work is not covered by any regulations.
Women in the commercial and informal sectors
477. The national accounts in Côte d’Ivoire take into account the contribution of the informal sector, as well as the traditional agricultural sector, where such forms of work exist. However, there are no regulations to ensure that such unremunerated work is taken into account when paying out all the benefits related to employment and the legal protection enjoyed by employees.
Women and unemployment
478. The economically inactive population numbers 2,936,194, of whom 2,167,376 (59.1 per cent) are women and 768,818 (17.5 per cent) are men.
479. The distribution of the working population and the unemployed, and the unemployment rate, by age group and sex, are presented below.
Age group (years)
|
No. of people unemployed
|
Working population
|
Unemployment rate
|
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Men
|
Women
|
Total
|
Men
|
Women
|
Total
|
Men
|
Women
|
Total
|
|
15–24
|
223 074
|
279 133
|
502 207
|
992 794
|
1 034 837
|
2 027 631
|
22.5
|
27.0
|
24.8
|
25–44
|
171 754
|
194 858
|
366 612
|
1 936 319
|
1 486 564
|
3 422 883
|
8.9
|
13.1
|
10.7
|
45 and over
|
28 605
|
19 923
|
48 528
|
973 997
|
592 918
|
1 566 915
|
2.9
|
3.4
|
3.1
|
Total
|
423 433
|
493 914
|
917 347
|
3 903 110
|
3 114 319
|
7 017 429
|
10.8
|
15.9
|
13.1
|
Source: Compiled by the Employment Research and Promotion Agency on the basis of the 2002 Household Survey.
480. Young people between the ages of 15 and 24 are hardest hit by unemployment in Côte d’Ivoire.
481. Workers who are made redundant receive unemployment benefits for three years. The amount of the benefit is CFAF 80,000 per year for employees and workers, and CFAF 50,000 per three-month period for managers and supervisors. This provision applies to women as well as men.
Sexual harassment in the workplace
482. Act No. 98-756 of 23 December 1998, amending and supplementing Act No. 81-660 of 31 July 1981 establishing the Criminal Code, punishes anyone guilty of sexual harassment in the course of their duties.
Rights of the child
483. Article 6 of the Constitution provides that the State shall guarantee the protection of children.
484. The social development of children is a major concern of the Government. Numerous strategic measures have been taken to combat all forms of abuse, including the trafficking and smuggling of children. By Decree No. 2001-467 of 5 July 2001, the Government established the National Committee to Combat the Trafficking and Exploitation of Children, and in July 2005 it signed a multilateral cooperation agreement with other West African countries to combine their efforts to put an end to this scandal.
485. A national plan of action against child trafficking and child labour was adopted in 2007, and ILO conventions No. 138 (Minimum Age Convention, 1973) and No. 182 (Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999) were ratified in 2003.
Measures taken by the State party to reduce inequalities
486. The Ministry of the Civil Service and Employment has a labour inspectorate and a disciplinary board to ensure observance of labour law.
487. The policy being followed has preventive and punitive aspects:
• Prevention: the Ministry raises awareness of legislation at training seminars and workshops
• Punishment: inspections of companies can lead to a court order, a report to the police, a fine or even closure of the company
488. In addition, the status of women in the security forces, which was discriminatory, will be completely reviewed once the new army is established, which is due to take place a month after the presidential election.
Article 12
Equal access to health-care services
Legislative framework
489. The August 2000 Constitution of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire guarantees all citizens equal access to health.
490. At the institutional and regulatory level, the health-care sector is governed by Decree No. 2007-507, of 13 June 2007, on the organization of the Ministry of Health and Hygiene.
491. Under Decree No. 2007-458, of 20 April 2007, occupational medicine falls within the province of the Ministry of the Civil Service and Employment.
International and regional conventions ratified by Côte d’Ivoire
492. Côte d’Ivoire was involved in the following:
• Alma-Ata Conference
• Primary Health Care/Bamako Initiative
• People’s assembly for health, held in Savar, Bangladesh, on 4–8 December 2000 on the campus of Gonoshasthaya Kendra (People’s Health Centre), in support of primary health care and the rights of peoples
Regional agreements and commitments made at international and regional or subregional conferences
493. Agreements have been reached and commitments made as follows:
• The African Platform for Action and the Dakar Declaration, 1994
• The International Conference on Population and Development, 1994
• The Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 1995
• The Action Plan and the Abuja Declaration to Roll Back Malaria, April 2000
• The Millennium Development Goals, September 2000
• Support for primary health care and the rights of peoples, 4–8 December 2000
• The Abuja Declaration and Framework for Action for the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, April 2001
• The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights relating to the Rights of Women in Africa, Maputo, 11 July 2003
• The Gaborone Declaration on a road map towards universal access to prevention, treatment and care, October 2005
• The Road Map for the Reduction of Maternal, Neonatal and Infant Morbidity and Mortality
• The Libreville Declaration on Health and Environment in Africa, August 2008
National policy and State strategies in the area of health
494. The Ministry of Health and Hygiene is responsible for implementing and monitoring Government policy in the area of health and hygiene. As such, it initiates and manages numerous activities.
495. In the area of health, the Ministry is responsible for developing and monitoring the implementation of legislation, protecting the health of the population, organizing health care and providing professional training to medical staff.
496. In the area of hygiene, the Ministry is responsible for developing and monitoring the implementation of public hygiene regulations, and preparing, implementing and monitoring Government policy in the area of medical waste.
497. The health-care system has adopted the primary health-care strategy. To provide health care to the population within this framework, it set up health districts in 1994 and defined a minimum package of activities for the various levels and steps of the health pyramid in 1996.
498. However, the lack of a mechanism for providing universal medical insurance, and the uneven distribution of human resources and health-care facilities, have blunted the impact of health-care policies.
499. The National Plan for the Development of Health Care was adopted by the Government for the period 1996–2005. This period was also characterized by the definition and adoption of a sectoral anti-poverty strategy geared towards increasing the availability of care to the most disadvantaged sectors of the population. The plan defines national health policy and is intended to improve the health and well-being of the population.
500. One specific aim is to reduce the morbidity and mortality of the population in general, and mothers and their children in particular.
501. The unexpected events of 1999 and subsequent years, including those of 2002, have disrupted the implementation of the national plan.
Current situation
Facilities, human resources and financial resources
Hospitals
502. Hospitals are found nationwide, even in the most remote areas and those where conflict has occurred. They are provided with equipment, drugs and qualified staff but further upgrades are still required.
503. The military and political crisis of September 2002 disrupted the health-care system and all activity ceased in seven regional divisions and 24 departmental divisions.
504. According to the Health Action in Crises report published by the World Health Organization in November 2004, 70 per cent of health-care facilities nationwide were no longer functioning in 2004. However, the Government did make efforts, with the support of development partners, to restore some facilities and maintain services.
505. Generally speaking, in 2007 the coverage of health-care facilities was low (one First Contact Health Establishment for every 13,831 inhabitants) in the regions, and the shortage of maternity wards is more acute in rural areas.
Human resources
506. Although the ratios of doctors, nurses and midwives per capita in Côte d’Ivoire are close to WHO standards, the uneven distribution of health-care personnel has made it impossible to relieve the strain on resources in the health-care system as a result of population growth.
507. Health services in both urban and rural areas cover nutrition, education, sexual health and reproductive health, including family planning and contraceptive methods. However, further efforts are required to achieve sufficient coverage. Indeed, some components of the minimum package of activities have yet to be fully implemented, for example in the area of family planning (only 33 per cent of public health-care facilities provide reproductive health services) and health education.
508. These services are available to all, particularly women and adolescents of both sexes. Some 44 per cent of the population live within 5 kilometres of a health-care facility, 27 per cent live within 5–15 kilometres, and 29 per cent are over 15 kilometres away (National Plan for the Development of Health Care, 2009–2013).
509. Population movements towards safe areas during the crisis overstretched both health-care facilities and health-care personnel.
510. Around 85 per cent of health-care personnel in the Centre North-West region of Côte d’Ivoire abandoned their posts. As a result, the availability and quality of health-care services were adversely affected.
511. The low incomes of a large part of the population, including women, and the increase in poverty, especially in rural areas, are major reasons why many households in Côte d’Ivoire do not have access to high-quality health care.
Financial resources
512. The State devotes, on average, 5 per cent of the national budget to the Ministry of Health and Hygiene. This share of the budget has dropped by around 20 per cent in recent years, falling from CFAF 98.6 billion in 2000 to CFAF 79 billion in 2006.
513. The following table shows the variations in spending on health care as a percentage of total State spending.
2000
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7.76%
|
5.66%
|
5.21%
|
4.75%
|
5.14%
|
4.17%
|
4.11%
|
4.08%
|
Source: Commission of the West African Economic and Monetary Union, Convergence Committee and Central Bank of West African States, April 2007.
514. Most health-care costs in Côte d’Ivoire are met by the State, development partners and households.
515. The suspension of financial and technical assistance from development partners after the military coup of December 1999 hampered the development of the health-care system and the crisis of September 2002 aggravated the break with the health-care development plan adopted in 1996. The plan had been tailored to match the political innovations that accompanied the adoption of the Second Republic (decentralization and universal health insurance).
Sexual and reproductive health
516. Women’s health is one of the key factors associated with poverty since it is strongly influenced by the economic, social and cultural environment.
517. For this reason, a national programme on reproductive health and family planning was established by Decree No. 132/MSP/CAB of 9 May 1996, within the Ministry of Health and Hygiene and in the context of the implementation of the programmes of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development. The programme has involved numerous activities supported by development partners, mainly UNFPA. These activities, which were initially scheduled to last five years, were essentially intended to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality, and enable ongoing access by girls to services and information in the area of health and nutrition.
518. In 2003, the national programme on reproductive health and family planning was revised to reflect fresh challenges such as gender-based violence, particularly efforts to address the structural causes of maternal mortality, sexual violence and family-planning difficulties.
519. National programmes have been put in place to reduce the spread of malaria, cardiovascular disease, sexually transmitted infections and cancer in women.
Nutrition
520. The nutritional situation in Côte d’Ivoire is characterized by twin problems: malnutrition caused by dietary deficiencies and malnutrition caused by excessive consumption. Indeed, the rates of chronic malnutrition, insufficient body weight and acute malnutrition were 34 per cent, 20 per cent and 7 per cent, respectively, according to the 2006 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. In the north, the rate of acute malnutrition rose from 12 per cent in 2006 to 17.5 per cent in 2008, according to the SMART (Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions) survey of this region. This rate of malnutrition, which is above the critical threshold of 10 per cent, contributes to an increase in infant mortality or at best to stunting or even disability in children. The rate of low birth weight is 16.5 per cent, a reflection of the nutritional condition of mothers. Although breastfeeding alone is recommended, only 4 per cent of infants are breastfed during the first six months.
521. The national nutrition programme and integrated national campaigns have enabled the State to use iron supplementation and nutritional and treatment centres to ensure the nutritional well-being of women, particularly in rural areas and during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Motherhood and maternal mortality
522. Maternal mortality fell slightly from 597 per 100,000 live births in 1994 to 543 per 100,000 live births in 2005. However, this rate is still very high.
523. A majority (80 per cent) of maternal deaths are caused by direct obstetric complications (haemorrhages, dystocia, high blood pressure, abortion and post-partum infections) for which appropriate care was not available (DC-National Reproductive Health Programme/WHO, 2006). HIV/AIDS, malaria and anaemia have also contributed to a worsening of women’s health. Similarly, there is insufficient monitoring of pregnancy (prenatal consultation 4 attendance: 45 per cent), insufficient assistance from qualified medical personnel at childbirth, insufficient provision of emergency obstetric and neonatal care, and insufficient use of modern contraceptive methods.
524. Medical care for women during pregnancy and after childbirth is subsidized.
525. The rate of prenatal consultation 1 attendance is 87 per cent and that of prenatal consultation 4 attendance is over 45 per cent (2005 AIDS Indicators Survey), and 63.8 per cent of births were assisted by qualified personnel (Information, Planning and Research Unit of the Ministry of Health, 2008).
Infant mortality
526. The main diseases affecting newborns are brain anoxia, infection, low birth weight and respiratory distress. High infant morbidity and mortality are the result of common conditions (malaria, acute respiratory infection and diarrhoeal diseases), HIV, malnutrition, iron deficiency and low vaccination coverage.
527. The figures for infant mortality rates are as follows:
• Rate of neonatal mortality: 41 per 1,000
• Rate of infant mortality: 84 per 1,000
• Rate of child mortality: 44 per 1,000
• Rate of infant and child mortality: 125 per 1,000
Family planning and contraception
528. In the area of family planning and contraception, an agreement has been reached by the State and the Association Ivoirienne pour le Bien-Etre Familiale (Ivorian Family Welfare Association) (AIBEF), an international NGO founded in 1979 and affiliated with the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).
529. AIBEF has worked with the State since 1986 to manage certain public services in the area of reproductive health. The services in question relate to family planning (consultations, gynaecological examinations, supplies of contraceptives) and gynaecological, prenatal and postnatal consultations.
530. The discrepancies between legislation, regulations and prevailing practices in the area of reproductive health are reflected in married women’s access to contraceptives. Problems with access in turn hamper progress in family planning and the reproductive rights of women. Indeed, women are not allowed to make independent decisions regarding their own fertility, and the decisions are often made by husbands, in-laws and sometimes even her own relatives.
531. Other women, including young unmarried women, often face many cultural obstacles (spouses, communities, illiteracy, ignorance, the burden of tradition and customary practices) and religious barriers (divine will, religious teachings and the way people perceive health and disease in the light of their own beliefs) that hinder their access to family-planning information.
532. The forms of contraception used by women in Côte d’Ivoire include female condoms, intrauterine devices, spermicides, implants, pills, injections and now the “collar method”. These forms of female contraception are available to all women, but not all women are aware of their existence or how they should be used.
533. More efforts will have to be made to ensure that these methods are available throughout the country and especially in rural areas.
534. No instances of voluntary sterilization have been reported by centres and there is no legal provision for this practice.
Abortion
535. Abortion is not legal in Côte d’Ivoire. However, abortion under medical supervision is authorized. When an attending physician considers that a mother’s life is in danger, there is an additional requirement that his or her diagnosis must be validated by two other physicians.
536. Under all other circumstances, abortion is an offence. The same applies to the advertising and sale of abortifacients (Criminal Code, arts. 366–369).
537. Illegal abortions are still carried out in Côte d’Ivoire even though there is a law against them. The abortion rate in Côte d’Ivoire rose from 31 per cent in 1994 to 41.5 per cent in 2006.
538. The most common method of abortion is a medical operation, generally curettage.
539. Abortion is resorted to predominantly by women aged 25 to 34 years. Among women under 25 the rate varies from 8 to 25 per cent and among those over 35 it varies from 7 to 31 per cent.
Female genital mutilation and the burden of care associated with certain forms of discrimination against women
540. Female genital mutilation is a concern in the light of fundamental rights, especially since its overall prevalence (in both urban and rural areas) is 45 per cent.
541. Laws prohibiting female genital mutilation, early marriage and forced marriage have been adopted. In particular, a 1998 law prohibits certain practices, including female genital mutilation, that are harmful to women’s health. However, the law is rarely enforced.
542. In addition to legislative provisions, the State has launched programmes to stamp out these practices.
Prevalence of HIV/AIDS among women
543. Côte d’Ivoire is one of the countries worst affected by the AIDS pandemic in West Africa, with a prevalence of 4.7 per cent (AIDS Indicators Survey, 2005) and a disproportionately large number of infected women: 6.4 per cent, as compared with 2.9 per cent of men. The pandemic is more urban (5.4 per cent) than rural (4.1 per cent).
544. Of 616,170 women who have tested positive for HIV, 3,711 are pregnant (representing 8.2 per cent of pregnant women) and 2,773 are being treated with antiretroviral drugs. Some 22.4 per cent of women aged 25 to 34, the worst affected age group, are infected. The worst affected categories of women are those who have only a primary education and those whose relationships have failed (AIDS Indicators Survey, 2005).
545. According to more recent UNAIDS data, 480,000 people in Côte d’Ivoire are living with HIV and 420,000 orphans and children have been made vulnerable by the pandemic.
546. The Ministry of Health and Hygiene is acting, through a national programme of care for persons living with HIV, to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Fewer than 10 per cent of pregnant women have access to services intended to prevent mother-to-child transmission. Furthermore, antiretroviral drugs have been dispensed to patients free of charge since 2008.
Situation of displaced, migrant or refugee women
547. The military and political crisis has displaced large numbers of people from the Centre North-West region to the government-controlled area. Displaced persons remain vulnerable economically and in terms of their health. The inadequate living conditions of displaced persons have knock-on effects on their health.
548. The war has led to numerous acts of sexual violence, psychological trauma and lasting physical injuries. It has proved difficult to identify all the new health-care requirements arising from the crisis in the context of efforts to meet needs such as the provision of psychological assistance.
Measures taken by the Government
549. The Government is aware of the scarcity of resources and has therefore focused its efforts on progressive but decisive and effective action.
550. On a basis of equality between men and women, and as a follow-up to a previous document covering the period 1996–2005, the Government, acting through the Ministry of Health and Hygiene, produced a document in 2009 on a five-year national plan for health development for 2009–2013, setting out the main features of national health-care policy that reflected predetermined priorities.
Improving reproductive health and family planning
551. With a view to improving reproductive health, particularly in the aftermath of the 2002 crisis and in compliance with the Final Declaration of the Regional Review Conference on the International Conference on Population and Development, held in Dakar in June 2004, projects have been put in place with the assistance of UNFPA, the African Development Bank and the embassies of Spain and Japan. The projects in question are listed below.
552. “Support project on the prevention and handling of sexual violence in the health districts of Duékoué and Yamoussoukro” (2003–2007), with the support of UNFPA. The project strengthened the ability of health workers, traditional midwives and community health workers to recognize danger signs in pregnant women, and involved providing free prenatal consultations in the area covered by the project, and mainstreaming family-planning services into health-care facilities (26 per cent in 2007).
553. “Assistance and social reintegration for women victims of violence in time of conflict in Côte d’Ivoire” (2008–2010), a project to provide post-crisis institutional and multisectoral support. The project was implemented by the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs in the context of the post-crisis situation in Côte d’Ivoire, and financed using funds provided by the African Development Bank, Spain and Japan, with the assistance of UNFPA. In 2008 and 2009, the project succeeded in refurbishing and equipping various crisis-affected facilities in the Centre North-West region, and providing specialized training for persons caring for victims of violence.
554. The effects of these activities are reflected in the slight drop in the rate of maternal mortality between 1994 and 2005 (see paragraphs 522–525).
555. In 2007, within the framework of efforts to control malaria, which is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity, particularly among pregnant women and children, the national antimalaria programme launched an operation to hand out free insecticide-coated mosquito nets to pregnant women attending prenatal consultations, as well as for children below the age of 12 months. The operation also made it possible to provide intermittent preventive treatment to pregnant women to prevent malaria during pregnancy.
556. Today, according to a CAP survey carried out by the national antimalaria programme and UNICEF in January 2009, 30.2 per cent of under-fives sleep beneath insecticide-coated mosquito nets and 19.8 per cent of pregnant women in 40 districts have a mosquito net of some description.
557. Cancer: Consultations intended to screen for breast and cervical cancer are subsidized and free screenings are organized alongside the events of World Cancer Day.
Efforts to combat HIV/AIDS
558. The response to this pandemic in Côte d’Ivoire has involved establishing an institutional and legal framework and specifically, in 2001, a ministry responsible for combating HIV/AIDS, by working synergistically with other relevant ministries, international institutions (including United Nations agencies) and domestic and international NGOs. In 2006, the Ministry responsible for Combating AIDS worked together with these bodies to produce the National Strategic Plan to Combat HIV/AIDS (2006–2010).
559. The various programmes and coordinated and decentralized activities have achieved satisfactory results in terms of prevention, treatment and provision of care in the area of HIV/AIDS.
560. Prevention: In accordance with the recommendations of the National Strategic Plan to Combat HIV/AIDS (2006–2010) of the Ministry responsible for Combating HIV/AIDS, a number of activities have been undertaken, including the following:
• Opening and upgrading free voluntary screening centres
• Putting in place a policy of subsidizing male and female condoms in order to reduce their cost to the user
• Mainstreaming the mother-to-child transmission prevention service in all health services and particularly prenatal consultation facilities, and extending the prevention of mother-to-child transmission, most recently in 2008
• Producing, in 2008, a manual of technical procedures for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Côte d’Ivoire through monitoring of pregnant women (it is now clear that there has been a sharp drop in the number of children born to mothers with HIV)
• Running awareness campaigns to elicit changes in behaviour throughout the country by setting up an information and awareness directorate within the Ministry responsible for Combating HIV/AIDS
561. Treatment: The bold actions and measures taken by the Government in spite of the economic and financial difficulties resulting from post-crisis reconstruction are worthy of note. They have included, in particular:
• Providing State-funded subsidies for antiretroviral drugs starting in 2005, then providing them free of charge pursuant to a ministerial decree in August 2008
• Setting up a public health pharmacy to store and dispense antiretroviral drugs
562. These government actions have led to a significant increase in the numbers of persons being treated with antiretroviral drugs, from 24,000 in 2006 to 51,833 in 2008.
563. Care: In accordance with the National Strategic Plan to Combat HIV/AIDS, measures were taken from 2006 until 2010 to provide palliative care to a larger number of persons living with HIV/AIDS. Indeed, between 2006 and 2008, the number of persons living with HIV/AIDS who received palliative care rose from 52,372 to 99,694.
564. Also worthy of note are programmes to help children orphaned or made vulnerable by the pandemic, implemented within the framework of the National Programme for Orphans and Children Made Vulnerable by HIV/AIDS, set up in 2003 under Decree No. 2003-383 of 9 October 2003 by the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs.
565. Between 2004 and 2009, care was provided to 76,831 orphans and children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS, of whom 49 per cent (37,647) were girls and 51 per cent (39,184) were boys; between 2006 and 2008, 120 to 710 of their families received financial assistance.
Improvements in nutrition and food security
566. In order to reduce morbidity and mortality linked to malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency in children, women of childbearing age and the most vulnerable groups, efforts will be made to promote breastfeeding and optimal complementary feeding for infants and young children, to continue with the implementation of a community-based information system for monitoring children’s growth, to provide micronutrient supplements, nutritional rehabilitation, food enrichment, and mainstreaming of nutrition issues in programmes on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, chronic diseases and non-infectious diseases, and to boost programmes on information, education and awareness, and awareness-raising to elicit changes in behaviour.
Efforts to combat mental diseases
567. Priority areas for action in the field of mental health are the enhancement of mental illness prevention and care, the decentralization of mental health care, the modernization of mental hospital facilities, the development of child psychiatry and prison psychiatry, the mainstreaming of mental health in primary health care, and community mental health education.
Article 13
Current situation
568. Social security coverage in Côte d’Ivoire is provided by a range of actors through mandatory and voluntary schemes.
Mandatory social security scheme
569. Public sector: The benefits provided to civil servants and State officials under mandatory collective arrangements include family allowances, coverage for industrial accidents and occupational illness, and retirement benefits.
570. Benefits for industrial accidents and occupational illness and family allowances fall within the province of the Directorate of Civil Pensions and Risk of the Ministry of the Civil Service and Employment.
571. The General Civil Servants’ Retirement Fund, established by Decree No. 97-674 of 3 December 1997, is a public corporation responsible for collecting contributions and subsidies from government employees in order to pay regular pensions to retired employees.
572. Maternity benefits to which State employees and officials are entitled are limited to paying female employees their salaries during maternity leave (eight weeks before childbirth and six weeks after). These benefits are defined by Act No. 95-15 of 12 January 1995 containing the Labour Code.
573. Private sector: Social security is governed by Act No. 99-477 of 2 August 1999 amending the Social Insurance Code. Private-sector workers are provided with social coverage by company health insurance and the Social Insurance Institution/National Social Insurance Fund.
574. Occupational medicine: All companies with more than 100 employees are required to have a private infirmary. Services provided include first aid in the event of industrial accidents, and nursing care.
575. Any company with salaried employees is required to be affiliated with the Social Insurance Institution/National Social Insurance Fund, established by Act No. 99-476 of 2 August 1999. The institution is responsible for providing these workers with benefits for industrial accidents and occupational illness, maternity benefits, family allowances, and benefits for retirement, invalidity and death. For this category of workers, maternity benefits involve the reimbursement of pregnancy-related costs for any female employee or employee’s spouse, the payment of a maternity benefit, and the payment of female employees’ salaries during their maternity leave.
576. The benefits provided by the National Social Insurance Fund are as follows:
• Family allowances enabling workers to cover their families’ expenses in order to promote protection of mothers and children and the children’s education
• Daily pay or compensation in the event of an industrial accident or occupational illness; industrial accidents are those that befall workers for any reason because of, or in the course of, their duties; an occupational illness is a disease contracted by a worker who is routinely exposed to certain conditions in the workplace
• Retirement and invalidity benefits are intended to provide a substitute income to a worker or his or her dependants
577. These benefits are paid for by contributions from employers and employees.
578. Company health insurance is undeniably important but is exclusively for company workers and members of their families, and the related benefits remain limited. It is generally funded entirely by the employer.
579. The General Civil Servants’ Retirement Fund and the National Social Insurance Fund are under the supervision of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs. The General Mutual Insurance Society for Civil Servants and State Workers falls within the province of the Ministry of the Civil Service and Employment.
580. Equality between men and women is respected in the social benefits provided by these bodies, with the exception of the survivor’s entitlement to a retirement pension. In the public sector, when a retired woman dies only her death benefit is paid and her dependants are not entitled to a retirement pension (unlike the dependants of a deceased man). Moreover, for a surviving husband to receive the benefit, he must prove that he is physically unfit for work.
581. The situation is somewhat different in the private sector because when a working or retired woman dies, her husband is entitled to a survivor’s pension from the age of 50 (with an option to collect an early pension from 45 years of age). The minimum-age requirement is waived if he has at least one child under 16. There is also provision for an orphan’s pension in the event of both parents dying.
Voluntary social security scheme
582. The voluntary social security scheme is run by private insurance companies and mutual benefit societies.
583. Private insurance companies: Private insurance companies are funded by premiums paid by policyholders who are generally the employees of large corporations and trade unions or professional groupings of employees of State or parastatal institutions. All persons covered are offered individual and group contracts covering all or part of the cost of the services specified. Commercial insurance companies have a small presence in the overall social welfare system because the high cost of their products has prevented them from penetrating the market to any significant extent.
584. Mutual benefit societies: Given the limited extent to which health insurance is included in the mandatory coverage provided by the State, many people have joined mutual benefit societies, also known as mutual health insurance funds. As private legal entities, mutual benefit societies are non-profit associations that collect premiums from their members and in return protect them against social risk. They have been governed since June 2009 by Regulation No. 07/2009/CM/UEMOA, on the regulation of mutual benefit societies in the member States of the West African Economic and Monetary Union.
585. The benefits offered vary from one society to the next. In general, they all provide partial or full health insurance (health care). There are currently over 20 mutual benefit societies in Côte d’Ivoire, the oldest and largest being the General Mutual Insurance Society for Civil Servants and State Workers of Côte d’Ivoire.
586. Administrative control of all of these societies is in the hands of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs.
587. In the agricultural sector, there is no welfare protection except for agricultural employees covered by the National Social Insurance Fund, in spite of the profusion of autonomous bodies managing production and distribution channels.
Limits of the social welfare system in Côte d’Ivoire
588. The existing mandatory social welfare system is very limited and covers only a tiny proportion of the population, namely the 10 per cent of the labour force who work in the formal public or private sector (Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, 2009). The bulk of the population, made up of independent workers and those in the informal and agricultural sectors, is excluded. Because of their low incomes, these workers cannot afford to take out private insurance.
589. Unfortunately, although mutual benefit societies should contribute to reducing this level of exclusion, they are increasingly established for the benefit of workers in the formal sector.
Family allowances
590. Discrimination between men and women is blatant in both the public and private sectors. If a couple are both wage earners, only the man can collect family allowances for all their children. A woman wishing to receive family allowances for the children is required to secure the agreement of their father.
591. Women wage earners who raise children on their own can obtain parental authority if the husband is dead or unemployed, but must provide proof of marital status.
592. Single women who are unemployed or cohabiting with a man, and childless women, are not entitled to family allowances.
593. However, in the private sector, some benefits have been specifically designed for women wage earners or the wives of wage earners:
• Prenatal allowances, to be paid in three instalments (in the third, sixth and eighth months of pregnancy)
• Maternity allowances for a viable child, to be paid in three instalments (when the child is born and when the child reaches the ages of six months and one year)
594. Daily allowances are also paid by the National Social Insurance Fund to women wage earners throughout their maternity leave (14 weeks with an optional extension of up to 3 weeks).
Taxation
595. There is discrimination against women in the area of income tax since their married status is not taken into account, whereas married men qualify for a lower tax rate.
596. Men are also entitled to a tax deduction for their children. Whereas legally married men are entitled to a tax rebate, women with the same status pay more tax.
Access to credit and bank loans
597. Very few women have access to credit and borrowing. In 2008, according to the Household Survey, 13.3 per cent of the population had taken out a loan (approved credit request); for men the figure was 17.7 per cent and for women, 8.3 per cent. The requirements for obtaining bank loans, mortgages and other forms of financial credit automatically exclude women with a low socio-economic status because banks or other financial institutions generally lend money only to persons who have a current account, in proportion to their assets and bank balance.
Activities in the field
598. In light of the difficulties women face in obtaining loans, and especially their need for socio-economic reintegration, the Government has made efforts to support women entrepreneurs through two major social action programmes implemented by the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs:
• The National Women and Development Fund, established in 1994 with the specific aim of financing income-generating activities for women whether or not they are members of legally recognized groupings within the general framework of the social and economic activities or national social funds set up by the Government
• The Innovative Management Project for the National Women and Development Fund, launched in the post-crisis period on 17 October 2007 and having the same aims as the Fund
599. These programmes have made it possible to assist women who have no financial resources and therefore cannot obtain loans under the usual conditions from conventional banks. The Fund has now closed but the Innovative Management Project is ongoing.
Social security arrangements made by the State
600. Given the very limited social protection system covering only a tiny section of the population, the Government, acting through the ministry responsible for solidarity, social security and persons with disabilities, launched a universal health insurance scheme (Act No. 2001-636 of 9 October 2001) as an appropriate response to the low level of social security coverage in Côte d’Ivoire. Although trials of the project in the pilot phase in Soubré and Bondoukou have been abandoned, discussions are under way and studies are in progress with a view to relaunching and fully implementing the project.
601. The Directorate of Social Security and Mutual Benefit Insurance is keen to extend social security coverage in Côte d’Ivoire and has launched a programme to extend mutual benefit society membership to sectors of the population that have hitherto been excluded from the social security system. The programme initially involved putting in place mutual benefit societies for craftworkers. In this context, the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs has set up a platform for consultations and cooperation with the Côte d’Ivoire National Chamber of Trades, and signed a partnership agreement with it on 15 April 2008.
602. Women working in the food-crop sector are not being left out of the programme to extend mutual benefit society membership. Indeed, the Directorate of Social Security and Mutual Benefit Insurance has already taken steps to build ties with women’s associations in this sector in Abidjan with a view to setting up a mutual benefit society for these women.
603. Furthermore, in accordance with its three-year programme contract for 2010–2012 with the State of Côte d’Ivoire, the National Social Insurance Fund is considering the establishment in 2011 of a social security scheme for so-called independent, non-wage-earning workers (merchants, craftworkers, farmers, professionals and the like).
Women and sporting, cultural and recreational activities
604. Both girls and boys take part in sporting activities in schools. Interested women receive training and coaching on an equal footing.
Article 14
605. The principle of equality between men and women is enshrined in the second Constitution of Côte d’Ivoire, of 1 August 2000, which also prohibits all forms of torture, physical and psychological violence, mutilation and debasement of women.
General information on rural women
606. According to the 1998 General Population and Housing Census, the total rural population was estimated at 8,837,635, of which 4,322,855, or 48.91 per cent, were estimated to be women. The urban female population was estimated at 3,199,194. Rural women therefore make up 57.47 per cent of the Ivorian female population, which is estimated at 7,522,049.
607. According to statistics for 2010 provided by the Directorate for Population Policy at the Ministry of Planning and Development, the rural female population is estimated at 5,328,605 (as compared to 5,541,434 rural men) out of a total rural population of 10,870,037, meaning women account for 49 per cent of the rural population. Rural women aged 15 to 49 represent 53.64 per cent, as compared to 45.46 per cent in 1998.
Rural women and societies’ cultural systems
608. Côte d’Ivoire has approximately 60 ethnic groups, which are mostly organized and function according to two main systems of descent:[7] patriarchies and matriarchies.
609. In patriarchal societies, women are considered as wives, mothers, sisters or daughters, and are therefore protected against outside influences. In some groups in such societies, which are divided into castes and whose firmly hierarchical structure discourages individual ambition, women are excluded from the conduct of public affairs.
610. In contrast, in matriarchal societies, the inheritance system gives priority to women. However, women do not play a prominent role at the political level, with the exception of queen mothers.
Rural women and household responsibilities
611. According to the National Agricultural Census (2001), female heads of household account for 10 per cent of all heads of household. This proportion varies between regions (see table 1).
612. Table 1 shows heads of household according to sex and region.
Region
|
Male heads of household (per cent)
|
Female heads of household (per cent)
|
---|---|---|
Lacs
|
75.35
|
33.38
|
Vallée du Bandama
|
76.42
|
30.72
|
Zanzan
|
76.47
|
28.03
|
N’zi Comoé
|
81.73
|
20.44
|
Moyen-Comoé
|
85.28
|
14.50
|
Agneby
|
89.47
|
9.84
|
Lagunes
|
91.11
|
9.29
|
Montagnes
|
92.72
|
6.82
|
Sud-Comoé
|
93.24
|
6.48
|
Savanes
|
91.95
|
6.03
|
Moyen Cavally
|
93.47
|
5.64
|
Fromager
|
95.30
|
4.18
|
Sud-Bandama
|
95.46
|
4.15
|
Marahoué
|
95.44
|
4.07
|
Bas-Sassandra
|
96.68
|
2.83
|
Haut-Sassandra
|
96.55
|
2.63
|
Bafing
|
96.31
|
2.56
|
Denguelé
|
96.67
|
2.08
|
Worodougou
|
97.40
|
1.84
|
Country as a whole
|
90
|
10
|
Source: National Agricultural Census, 2001.
613. There are two particular reasons for these results:
• The predominance in these regions of an indigenous population whose social organization is based on matriarchy, and so sharing responsibility among the women of a household is accepted, in contrast to regions where a patriarchal system is followed (Denguélé, Marahoué and Haut-Sassandra)
• The mass migration of men to forested regions to grow crops for export, such as coffee and cocoa[8]
614. Since 1998, standards of living have been steadily falling, and poverty levels have been greatly exacerbated by the political crisis in the country. The increase in poverty is much more apparent in rural areas, where the poverty rate rose from 41.8 per cent in 1998 to 62.5 per cent in 2008, an increase of more than 20 percentage points, as compared to an increase of only 6 percentage points for urban areas over the same period. This is confirmation that poverty in Côte d’Ivoire is primarily a rural phenomenon (National Agricultural Investment Programme, 2009).
615. Poverty is an increasingly female phenomenon, as studies have shown (National Institute of Statistics, 2003 and 2002; UNDP, 1995), and is greater in rural areas. In some rural regions, more than 65 per cent of households headed by women are living in poverty (National Institute of Statistics, 2002). This is particularly true in the north-east, where the figure is 72.6 per cent for households headed by women, as compared to 55.8 per cent for those headed by men; in the west, where the figures are 72 per cent for women and 67 per cent for men; and in the centre west, where the figure is 65.7 per cent.
616. One of the reasons for this disparity stems from the fact that the socio-economic groups most affected by poverty in the long-term work in the agricultural sector and live mainly in rural areas.
Overview of the situation of rural women
617. In general, rural women live in adverse socio-economic and cultural conditions:
• Problematic access to training and information
• Illiteracy rate of 63.2 per cent (National Agricultural Census, 2001)
• Excessive domestic work
• Lack of social security
• Male dominance of the cash-crops sector, the export-goods sector and the export trade
• Pre-eminence of the plantation economy in the Ivorian agro-export model, to the detriment of subsistence farming
• Difficulties in accessing credit and production inputs
• Lack of knowledge about conservation techniques or large-scale processing of agricultural products
• Poor access to inputs, land and landownership.
Rural women and level of education
618. Illiteracy rates in Côte d’Ivoire are approximately 67.6 per cent among women and 48.1 per cent among men (AIDS Indicators Survey, 2005).
619. More than half of the rural population of Côte d’Ivoire is uneducated. The proportion of women who are illiterate was 60 per cent in 2005 (AIDS Indicators Survey, 2005), as compared to 63.2 per cent in 2001 (National Agricultural Census, 2001), whereas 53 per cent of women in urban areas are literate.
620. School enrolment rates are much lower for girls than for boys. The proportion of girls in primary education is much lower (28.3 per cent) than the proportion of boys (37 per cent) (National Agricultural Census, 2001). The number of girls in secondary or higher education is negligible (see table 2).
621. Table 2 provides information on the educational level of the agricultural population by sex.
Level
|
Male
|
%
|
Female
|
%
|
Total
|
%
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Illiterate
|
1 527 265
|
44.09
|
2 115 906
|
63.21
|
3 643 171
|
53.5
|
Primary
|
1 269 384
|
36.65
|
947 770
|
28.32
|
2 217 154
|
32.5
|
Lower secondary
|
279 492
|
8.07
|
120 758
|
3.61
|
400 250
|
5.9
|
Koranic
|
179 587
|
5.18
|
75 669
|
2.26
|
255 256
|
2.7
|
Newly literate
|
109 940
|
3.17
|
60 348
|
1.80
|
170 288
|
3.5
|
Upper secondary
|
72 788
|
2.10
|
21 624
|
0.65
|
94 412
|
1.4
|
Higher
|
25 367
|
0.73
|
5 100
|
0.15
|
30 467
|
0.4
|
Subtotal
|
3 463 823
|
100
|
3 334 177
|
100
|
6 552 247
|
100
|
Source: National Agricultural Census, 2001.
622. The results demonstrate the persistence of discrimination in education against girls, which explains the high illiteracy rate among women. In addition, girls’ school attendance tends to be low. The main reasons why girls drop out of school are, in decreasing order of importance, pregnancy, forced marriage, lack of financial resources and illness.
623. With the establishment of departmental councils, efforts are being made to reduce disparities between urban and rural areas.
624. To reach the Government target of a literacy rate of 85 per cent at the national level, and 70 per cent for women, by 2010, with 28 per cent in rural areas, several measures have been taken by the Ministry of Education to reduce disparities.
625. For example, a textbook loan system for the poorest pupils, for a fee of CFAF 250, has been introduced to improve the performance at school of both girls and boys.
626. Another example is the introduction in 1997 of school canteens by the Ministry of Education which, in addition to ensuring food security in primary schools, encourages the promotion of education for girls in urban and rural areas.
Rural women and food security
627. The crisis has highlighted the know-how of women who, despite sociocultural obstacles and a very difficult political and economic environment, have occupied the vacuum left by unemployed men and have set to work in an unprecedented manner in income-generating activities in the informal sector, taking care of every aspect of the daily survival of their families and becoming the backbones of their community.
628. However, in remote areas, food flows remain limited. Access to sufficient and varied food is still difficult for families who are vulnerable because of their limited production capacity and because they cannot afford to purchase the basic food basket.
Rural women and the environment
629. The male owners of large plantations and heads of logging companies are primarily responsible for the destruction of the forest in Côte d’Ivoire. Women are still underrepresented in the “agricultural industry and exports” sector, where 94.8 per cent of the workforce are men and only 5.2 per cent women (National Agricultural Census, 2001). In the forestry and logging industries, women account for only 0.9 per cent of the workforce, while in the woodwork and wooden products manufacturing industries they account for 4.4 per cent of workers.[9]
630. Owing to the need to meet the different domestic needs of their families (water, energy, food, medicinal plants, etc.), 80 per cent of rural women are involved in the day-to-day management of the environment and are responsible to some extent for damage caused to the environment.
631. However, it is important to emphasize that there is still little active participation by women, including rural women, in environmental decision-making, including at the managerial, design, planning and project implementation levels.
Rural women and rural development
Participation of rural women in the planning process of local development programmes and consideration of their specific needs
632. Women need to be involved in the preparation of strategic local development plans by local authorities so that their specific needs can be addressed. Their participation, estimated at approximately 10 per cent, legitimizes these plans and increases the likelihood of receiving donor funding.
633. Despite their participation, the results of these development plans rarely reflect the specific needs of rural women. At the national level, gender-specific budgeting does not yet exist, which makes it more difficult to improve women’s standard of living. At the sectoral level, the Ministry of Agriculture is setting up projects aimed at the economic empowerment of women.
Rural women and the cooperative movement
634. The cooperative movement used to be a mechanism confined to male workers; women were responsible for domestic work and helped on the plots of land owned by their husbands, where they provided most of the labour. Women themselves made do with small plots on which they grew food crops.
635. At the initiative of the Association des Femmes de Toumanguié (Toumanguié Women’s Association), the Coopérative des Femmes de Toumanguié (Toumanguié Women’s Cooperative) was established and has made considerable progress.
636. This has inspired the creation of other women’s cooperatives, such as the Plate-forme des Femmes Agricultrices (Women Farmers’ Platform) and the Réseau des Productrices de Vivrier de Côte d’Ivoire (Côte d’Ivoire Women Food Producers’ Network).
637. As well as being producers, women are growing richer and more powerful in another sector: marketing.
638. Current challenges include: improving marketing, organizing food producers, increasing the productivity of food producers, modernizing production tools, and accessing landownership and finance.
Rural women and agricultural training
National Agency for Rural Development Aid
639. The National Agency for Rural Development Aid (ANADER) was set up in 1994 to provide agricultural training. It has facilitated the mainstreaming of gender-specific activities since 1998, through the creation of a unit that was turned into an independent gender and development service when it was noted that very few of its customers were women. The role of this unit is to ensure gender awareness in all ANADER projects and programmes. Since then, the proportion of women trained has increased from 23 per cent in 2002 to 46 per cent in 2009.
640. In 2009, training on cultivation methods, livestock farming, cooperative management, seed production and agricultural inputs and equipment was provided to 129,166 women running farms. Women accounted for 46 per cent of those receiving training, exceeding the ANADER target of 30 per cent.
641. ANADER did a census of an estimated 960,300 farmers in 2009, of whom 303,516, or 32 per cent, were women. Approximately 29 per cent of the farmers in the census received support from ANADER (281,596 farmers), of whom 152,430 were men and 129,166 were women.
642. These national statistics do not include the figures from the Centre Region Directorate (in Bouaké), which were not available at the time of writing.
643. However, these national averages and estimates mask disparities between regions and areas of activity. The proportion of women who receive training in the west and south is less than the 30 per cent target (20 per cent in the west and 24 per cent in the south).
644. Women account for most of ANADER clients receiving support with vegetable and subsistence crops, in particular peanuts and manioc. They represent, respectively, 75 per cent, 57 per cent, 50 per cent, 33 per cent and 23 per cent of producers trained in the cultivation of vegetables, peanut and manioc, soya, rice and maize.
645. Analysis and surveys in 2009 showed how many women were found in different sectors, including traditionally male-dominated ones, such as coffee and cocoa, oil palms, cashew nuts and rubber.
646. Table 4 shows the proportion of women in the different agricultural and livestock sectors in 2009 according to ANADER.
|
Farmers surveyed
|
Farmers trained
|
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
National total
|
Number of
women
|
% of
women
|
National total
|
Number of women
|
% of women
|
||
Cacao
|
271 827
|
6 610
|
2.43
|
|
|
|
|
Cashew
|
55 265
|
7 093
|
12.83
|
927
|
125
|
13.5
|
|
Rubber
|
13 587
|
434
|
3.19
|
362
|
50
|
14
|
|
Oil palm
|
11 339
|
410
|
3.61
|
54
|
15
|
28
|
|
Cola
|
380
|
5
|
1.31
|
42
|
0
|
0
|
|
Mango
|
12 662
|
734
|
5.80
|
53
|
0
|
0
|
|
Manioc
|
98 870
|
49 164
|
49.73
|
25 894
|
16 125
|
62
|
|
Yam
|
103 584
|
16 236
|
15.74
|
4 905
|
2 691
|
55
|
|
Off-season banana tree
|
10 113
|
2 705
|
20.52
|
1 134
|
226
|
20
|
|
Rain-fed rice
|
138 511
|
32 572
|
23.51
|
9 090
|
3 145
|
35
|
|
Maize
|
124 280
|
25 358
|
20.40
|
2 642
|
777
|
30
|
|
Peanuts
|
30 736
|
17 722
|
57.66
|
3 881
|
2 103
|
54
|
|
Soya
|
907
|
306
|
33.74
|
2 126
|
1 764
|
81
|
|
Vegetable crops
|
68 745
|
51 571
|
75.02
|
14 206
|
9 313
|
66
|
|
Cattle
|
7 010
|
131
|
1.87
|
|
|
|
|
Sheep
|
19 819
|
1 314
|
6.63
|
|
|
|
|
Pigs
|
757
|
249
|
32.89
|
757
|
249
|
33
|
|
Broiler chickens
|
2 553
|
1 234
|
48.33
|
1 867
|
659
|
35
|
|
Laying hens
|
269
|
116
|
43.12
|
129
|
74
|
57
|
|
Fish farming
|
1 314
|
110
|
8.37
|
904
|
86
|
10
|
Source: ANADER report, 2009.
Ministry of Agriculture, Gender Unit
647. The Gender Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture was established by Decision No. 134/MINAGRI/CAB of 18 June 2007. It is responsible for mainstreaming gender in agricultural development projects, programmes and plans at the sectoral level.
648. The Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs have implemented programmes to improve women’s standard of living. The Zanzan Development Programme 2000–2006, the Marketing and Local Initiatives Support Programme 1997–2004 and the Community Lowlands Development Programme are some of the initiatives with a women’s component that have helped reduce some of the obstacles faced by women.
649. The projects designed and implemented by the Directorate of Food Production and Diversification of the Ministry of Agriculture, of which 77 per cent are for rural women and which mostly take place in the west, north and centre west, aim to:
• Improve rural people’s organizational capacities and knowledge
• Facilitate rural people’s access to agricultural inputs (seeds, fertilizers and insecticides)
• Consolidate food security
Representation of rural women in local decision-making bodies
Participation of rural women in community activities and in public and economic life
650. In general, neither religious nor cultural traditions prevent women from participating in community activities, but their participation is subject to a highly codified division of labour.
651. Women make up a large part of the unpaid workforce, particularly in so-called cash crops (coffee, cocoa and cotton). They account for two thirds of the agricultural workforce.
652. In the primary sector, women account for 49.2 per cent of food and subsistence crop producers. They represent 63 per cent of the informal tertiary sector and 38.8 per cent of small businesses and services. It should also be noted that, in the informal and agricultural sectors, women earn 33 and 22 per cent respectively of what men earn (National Action Plan for Women, 2003, pp. 21–29).
653. In the informal sector in urban areas, some very dynamic illiterate women provide a link between illiterate rural and urban women, and assist in the development of distribution networks. For example, the Fédération Nationale des Commerçantes du Vivrier (National Federation of Women Food Retailers) offers several women from the Abidjan area a network for the distribution, sale and marketing of food products (aubergines, tomatoes, okra, peppers, etc.).
Rural women and types of agricultural activity
654. In the agricultural sector, women are responsible for the collection, transport, storage, conservation, processing, distribution and marketing of food produce (which represents approximately 70 per cent of value added in agriculture) and for food security.
655. Table 6 shows the participation of women in agricultural production for different types of crops.
Type of crop
|
Percentage of women
|
---|---|
Food crops (roots)
|
22.15
|
Cash crops
|
4.78
|
Vegetables
|
35.54
|
Fruit
|
5.45
|
Food crops (cereals)
|
15.45
|
Source: National Agricultural Census, 2001 (data based on size of plots belonging to women).
656. Women are very active in growing vegetables, farming 35 per cent of plots used for this purpose; food crops, farming 22 per cent of plots used for growing tubers, roots and other such crops; and cereals, farming more than 15 per cent of plots used for this purpose.
657. Livestock farming remains a secondary activity in which women are rarely involved. However, they are involved, in a general manner, in raising small ruminants. The northern regions have a high proportion of female livestock owners.
658. Table 5 shows the percentage of male and female farmers for different livestock species.
|
Male farmers
|
Female farmers
|
Total
|
|||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number
|
%
|
Number
|
%
|
Number
|
%
|
|
Cattle
|
58 829
|
78.94
|
15 694
|
21.06
|
74 523
|
100
|
Goats
|
270 305
|
93.12
|
19 983
|
6.88
|
290 288
|
100
|
Sheep
|
300 150
|
92.04
|
25 966
|
7.96
|
326 116
|
100
|
Pigs
|
111 964
|
92.23
|
9 431
|
7.77
|
121 395
|
100
|
Source: National Agricultural Census, 2001.
Rural women and human rights
659. The competent authorities have taken the provisions of article 14 of the Convention into account to some extent, as shown by the general conditions in which rural women live, as described in previous paragraphs (see, for example, paragraph 617).
Rural women and awareness of their rights
660. There is currently no national legislation in this area. However, women’s NGOs that are part of the Réseau Ivoirien des Organisations Féminines (Ivorian Network of Women’s Organizations)[10] carry out awareness-raising activities to combat gender-based violence, particularly female circumcision.
661. They are actively involved in development areas such as health, economic integration, literacy, education and training, promotion of citizenship, human and women’s rights, rural development, organization of women’s groups, the environment and communication. The International Day of Rural Women, celebrated on 15 October every year since 1996 by the United Nations and regularly observed in Côte d’Ivoire, aims to raise awareness about the need for robust action to increase the economic power of rural women on a sustainable basis and to ensure their autonomy and thus social equilibrium.
Rural women’s access to land
662. According to article 1 of the Rural Land Act (No. 98-750) of 23 December 1998, all natural persons of Ivorian nationality are authorized to own land. This law enshrines the principle of equal access to land for men and women of Ivorian nationality.
663. In reality, however, Ivorian women rarely become landowners, in particular in rural areas, owing to sociocultural constraints that are a result of customs, values, practices and women’s ignorance of rights and laws. These factors are a considerable barrier to landownership by women.
664. Women’s economic activity is characterized by its diversity. However, in rural areas, they mostly work in agriculture, and food production in particular, as it is easier to access land for growing out-of-season crops rather than perennial crops.
665. Land use in rural areas remains an obstacle for women farmers. Of an overall land area of 4,351,633 hectares, only 302,437 hectares are farmed by women (National Agricultural Census, 2001). Moreover, women become landowners through the customary law system, which prohibits them from growing perennial crops on land they inherit.
666. Table 4 gives details of overall land area according to how it was acquired and by which sex.
Means of acquisition
|
Men
|
Women
|
Total
|
|||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Area (hectares)
|
%
|
Area (hectares)
|
%
|
Area (hectares)
|
%
|
|
Ownership
|
1 792 878
|
94.98
|
94 765
|
5.02
|
1 887 643
|
45.49
|
Customary law
|
1 568 347
|
90.49
|
164 828
|
9.51
|
1 733 176
|
37.39
|
Loan
|
273 385
|
90.34
|
29 228
|
9.66
|
302 614
|
7.05
|
Other
|
228 992
|
96.61
|
8 035
|
3.39
|
237 028
|
5.57
|
Lease
|
185 623
|
97.08
|
5 580
|
2.92
|
191 203
|
5.50
|
Total
|
4 049 226
|
93.05
|
302 437
|
6.69
|
4 351 663
|
100
|
Source: National Agricultural Census, 2001.
Access to agricultural credit
667. Agricultural credit and loans are generally available to both men and women in rural areas, but are far from adequate to meet ever-increasing demand.
668. The proportion of women granted such loans and credit is very low, as a result of legislative and sociocultural traditions that consider men as the heads of the family. When specialized banks or microfinance services offer loans specifically for women, the conditions of the loans or credit often require a male guarantor (husband, brother or father), who is assumed to be solvent.
669. Yet these microfinance services were set up to help disadvantaged women to access microcredit.
670. To overcome these difficulties, some groups have themselves developed savings and microcredit services. They use different strategies, such as loans in kind, merchandise (generally food products) or cash loans for groups whose members do different kinds of work.
Rural women, health and violence
Rural women, violence and ill-treatment
671. Rural women are often subjected to two types of violence: violence in the home, particularly verbal abuse (43 per cent in urban areas as compared to 36 per cent in rural areas of the 40 per cent of people interviewed); and violence and ill-treatment in the community, notably in the form of female circumcision and overwork.
Rural women, health and family planning
672. Infant mortality is higher in rural areas than in urban areas (Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, 2009). There are several reasons for this:
• More than half of births are not attended by a health-care professional.
• 42 per cent of emergency obstetric-care needs are not met.
• Only 43.9 per cent of pregnant women have at least three prenatal consultations.
• The death of one out of three women aged between 25 and 34 is related to childbirth. The main causes are haemorrhaging and puerperal infections.
673. The availability of health-care services in rural areas is not comparable to that in urban areas. In rural areas, only 54 per cent of the Ivorian population live in a district with a health-care centre, and only 14 per cent live within 5 km of such a centre.[11]
674. The impoverishment of the rural population, the distance to a health-care centre, illiteracy, women’s dependency and lack of influence in decision-making, and the persistence of harmful sociocultural factors linked to their status as women (poor perception of the health-care system, taboos, genital mutilation, etc.) are obstacles that prevent women from receiving primary health care and family-planning advice in rural areas.
HIV in rural areas
675. According to the 2005 AIDS Indicators Survey carried out in Côte d’Ivoire, the infection rate for women is double that for men. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS is much higher in urban areas (5.4 per cent) than in rural areas (4.1 per cent). In rural areas, the prevalence rate is 5.5 per cent for women and 2.5 per cent for men.
676. Following a report from the field on the increase in deaths of its workers and producers, ANADER has been involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS in rural areas since 2002 through its programme under the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). This programme, which is part of a bigger programme to combat HIV/AIDS in rural areas as described in the Strategic Plan to Combat HIV/AIDs, was carried out over a four-year period (2005–2008) by three partners: the Réseau des Professionnels des Arts et Médias engagés dans la lutte contre le VIH/SIDA et autres pandémies en Côte d’Ivoire (Network of Media, Art and Sports Professionals committed to controlling HIV/AIDS in Côte d’Ivoire) and two non-governmental organizations, Aconda-VIH/SIDA and Population Services International.
677. The programme has allowed rural people to access better services related to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Article 15
Equality before the law in civil matters
Legislation on civil equality
678. The principle of equality between men and women before the law is set out in article 2, paragraph 2, of the Constitution of Côte d’Ivoire (Act No. 2000-513 of 1 August 2000), which reads: “All human beings are born free and equal before the law.”
679. Article 30, paragraph 2, states that: “The Republic assures to all equality before the law without distinction as to origin, race, ethnic group, sex or religion.”
Other legislation
Civil and commercial matters
680. The principle of equality between the sexes is also set out in Act No. 72-0833 of 21 December 1972 on the Code of Civil, Commercial and Administrative Procedure, as amended by Act No. 78-663 of 5 August 1978 and by Act No. 97-516 and Act No. 97-517 of 4 September 1997 (art. 1, para. 1, and arts. 3 and 19).
681. Article 1123 of the Civil Code recognizes the capacity of all persons, regardless of sex, to enter into a contract, unless they have been declared incompetent by law. Women thus enjoy the same legal capacity as men. This equality applies to rural women and men, and to rural women and urban women. Hence, in law, persons of both sexes have an equal right to do the following:
• Conclude contracts
• Acquire and manage their own property
• Make legal transactions of all types
• Freely undertake all types of employment
• Access credit, and acquire and own land
• Inherit from parents or spouse
• Receive job-related social benefits
• Be an executor or administrator of an estate
682. With regard to inheritance, the surviving spouse inherits from the deceased spouse (Inheritance Act, art. 39).
683. Legislation on marriage and the family also respects the principle of equality, in particular with regard to the administration of property within a marriage, as set out in the Marriage Act (No. 64-375) of 7 October 1964, as amended by Act No. 83-800 of 2 August 1983 (art. 66, new para. 1, and new arts. 68, 80 and 83). Article 80 of this Act reads: “For the administration of their assets, women have the same powers as their husbands for administering other joint property”; and article 83 states that “each spouse may administer, enjoy and freely dispose of their own property”.
Access to employment and engaging in an occupation
684. Anyone, regardless of sex, can take a job in the public or private sector. Article 13-1 of the Labour Code recognizes the right of both men and women to freely enter into an employment contract.
Observations
685. The following observations can be made on legislation and practice.
Legislation
686. Despite the aforementioned legal provisions, which set out the principle of equality of women and men before the law, some provisions that discriminate against women do exist in Ivorian legislation and regulations. The principle of equality, in particular as set out by the Constitution, is therefore sometimes undermined by legal or regulatory provisions that:
• Limit the rights and legal capacity of women or
• Require women to have a guarantor or meet other conditions, often involving their husband
687. Overall, this situation leads to discrimination against women. Such discrimination is observed at the following levels:
• Work: new article 67 of the Marriage Act creates inequality between spouses in that it differentiates women from men by providing for the possibility of judicial censure to prevent the woman from working, as follows: “A woman may engage in an occupation distinct from that of her husband unless it is established by a court that to do so would be contrary to the interests of the family.”
• Residence: the man chooses the family home and, under article 60 of the Marriage Act, “the woman must live with him”.
• Paternal authority: articles 3 and 6 of the Minors Act assign the exercise of paternal authority during the marriage to the father, as head of the family. This provision in itself creates inequality between men and women.
• Age of marriage and majority: the Marriage Act is discriminatory in that it establishes the age of marriage as 18 for women and 20 for men.
688. Marriages between minors are subject to the consent of their father or mother or, under article 5 of the Marriage Act, to the consent of the parent who exercises parental authority.
689. However, the age of civil majority is 21 for everyone (Civil Code, art. 488; Minors Act, No. 70-483 of 3 August 1970, art. 1). The voting age is 18 for everyone (Constitution, art. 33; Electoral Code, art. 3).
Practice
690. Women may receive free legal assistance if they are unable to pay for it themselves.
691. Women receive the same benefits as men if they are single parents and hold parental authority.
692. There is no direct discrimination in determining the revenue base, but only in the number of allowances for a married or unmarried woman. Income tax is deducted from salaries according to marital status and whether individuals have any children.
693. There are no inequalities in the exercise of legal capacity by urban and rural women. Inequalities are linked to a lack of awareness of legislation on access to credit and property ownership, criminal matters, family benefits, engaging in an occupation and the situation of rural women.
Situation of women in prisons
694. The Ivorian prison service has no women-only prisons; instead, female prisoners are separated from male prisoners. They are held in a special wing and guarded by female officers. They enjoy all the rights accorded to detained persons, in addition to some gender-specific rights.
695. Under article 48 of the Criminal Code, pregnant women sentenced to a custodial sentence do not begin to serve their sentences until at least eight weeks after giving birth. Women in pretrial detention will continue to be subject to the pretrial detention regime until the end of this period.
696. Article 161 of Decree No. 69-189 of 14 May 1969, governing penal establishments and laying down the conditions for the enforcement of custodial sentences, provides for the transfer of pregnant prisoners to a hospital or maternity ward towards the end of their pregnancy. The mother is readmitted to prison with her child when their health permits.
697. Article 162 of the Decree also states that children may remain with their mothers in detention up to the age of 2.
698. However, information received indicates that, in practice, the rights accorded to women under article 48 of the Criminal Code are not always respected in prisons.
699. As of 26 March 2010, there were 137 women in pretrial detention and 79 women serving custodial sentences in the whole of the country. No woman had been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Access to justice
700. The facts of the transgression, the definition of the offence and the applicable penalties are the same for everyone, as are the rules of evidence.
701. However, the rules are different in the case of adultery by a man.
Current reforms
702. A reform of the Personal and Family Code is under way. A preliminary draft has been completed and submitted to the Government for endorsement. This draft has been established to rectify existing inequalities between women and men in rights relating to marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, parentage and minors.
703. Reforms have been proposed by different civil society bodies and organizations to rectify the inequalities mentioned above.
704. A study of legislation in Ivorian positive law that discriminates against women or men has been carried out by the Association des Femmes Juristes, a women’s rights organization, and will soon be submitted to the President. This legislation will be submitted to Parliament as soon as the socio-political situation of the country allows.
705. Wider dissemination of current legislation among women in rural areas and from disadvantaged backgrounds should increase awareness of this discrimination.
Article 16
Legislation on marriage
706. In Côte d’Ivoire, family relations and marriage are governed by a collection of laws that constitute a section of the Civil Code. The relevant laws for each area are as follows:
• Marriage: Act No. 64-375 of 7 October 1964, as amended by Act No. 83-800 of 2 August 1983
• Divorce and legal separation: Act No. 64-376 of 7 October 1964, as amended by Act No. 83-801 of 2 August 1983 and Act No. 98-748 of 23 December 1998
• Paternity and parentage: Act No. 64-377 of 7 October 1964, as amended by Act No. 83-799 of 2 August 1983
• Adoption: Act No. 64-378 of 7 October 1964, as amended by Act No. 83-802 of 2 August 1983
• Minors: Act No. 70-483 of 7 August 1970
• Inheritance: Act No. 64-379 of 7 October 1964
• Nationality: Act No. 61-415 of 14 December 1961, as amended by Act No. 72-852 of 21 December 1972; Act No. 2004-662 of 17 December 2004; Decision No. 2005-03/PR of 15 July 2005; and Decision No. 2005-09/PR of 29 August 2005
• Civil status: Act No. 64-374 of 7 October 1964, as amended by Act No. 83-799 of 2 August 1983 and Act No. 99-961 of 14 December 1999
• The Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by Decree No. 1162 and Decree No. 1163 of 28 September 1990 (Official Gazette, No. 41, 25 October 1990, pp. 349–350)
707. Despite the existence of this legislation, many issues relating to personal status are regulated by customary rules in some regions or families. These vary between cultural and ethnic groups and are often contrary to the laws enacted by Parliament.
708. Nevertheless, when disputes are brought before the courts, the parties are subject to the civil law applied by the national courts.
Matrimonial regime
709. Current legislation provides for two matrimonial regimes: community of property and separation of property. Under ordinary law, community of property applies to acquisitions only.
710. These different regimes do not give women the same rights as men with regard to the management and disposal of property acquired during marriage. In the case of community of property, one spouse may not dispose of joint property without the agreement of the other.
Observations
Rights and responsibilities during marriage
711. Women and men have the same rights and responsibilities within a marriage, even though the man is the head of the family and, as such, must take on the main responsibilities of marriage.
712. Under Ivorian law, marriage establishes the obligation of both spouses to provide and care for their children. Spouses who do not fulfil their obligations may be ordered to do so by the court. In practice, women are more involved in the upbringing and care of children.
713. Women have the right to keep their maiden name when they marry, but they may use their husband’s name. Women may only give their last name to their children from the marriage if the father agrees.
714. Women may only give their maiden name to children born outside marriage if paternity is established after the event. Following a divorce, women may only continue using their married name if their former husband agrees or if authorized by a judge in cases where the woman can prove it would be in her or her children’s interests.
The persistence of sociocultural constraints: rites imposed on widows, inheritances and legacies, and dowries
715. The legal provisions on the right to inherit are contained in Act No. 64-379 of 7 October 1964.
716. Under Ivorian legislation, women have the right to inherit. The Rural Land Act (No. 98-750) of 23 December 1998 recognizes women’s right to acquire property. Traditionally, however, women do not inherit, especially in rural areas, though in urban areas they often do.
717. The tradition of dowries persists, even though it is prohibited by law.
718. As no studies have been carried out on this issue, no statistics are available.
Freedom to choose a spouse; forced and/or early marriage
719. Legally, women have the same right as men to choose their spouse.
720. The Criminal Code prohibits early and forced marriage. The minimum age for marriage is 20 for men and 18 for women. The State Prosecutor may issue an exemption for marriages before those ages.
721. These ages do not conform to the provisions of the United Nations Convention.
722. In practice, early or forced customary or religious marriages are still carried out, to the detriment of young women, especially in the north of the country. However, no survey or study has been carried out that would provide statistics on the exact nature of the phenomenon.
Cohabitation
723. Customary marriages are not legally recognized. They are considered as free unions (cohabitation). This type of marriage is accepted by society and is a widespread practice. Cohabitation is not legally protected; no law covers unmarried partners.
Children born outside marriage
724. Children born outside recognized marriages have the same rights as legitimate children.
Sanctions for domestic violence
725. Other than general legislation against assault and battery, there is no legislative provision prohibiting and sanctioning domestic violence. No provisions exist against marital rape.
Procedure for divorce, custody and maintenance
726. Divorce can be sought by both men and women on the same grounds. Ivorian legislation provides for fault-based divorce and divorce by mutual consent.
727. Divorce by mutual consent is allowed for marriages that have lasted for at least two years. Fault-based divorce is granted in the following cases: adultery, abuse, ill-treatment or serious insults of one spouse by the other, desertion of the family or the marital home, and a spouse’s conviction for a breach of honour that makes the marriage intolerable.
728. Dissolution of a marriage is carried out on the basis of equal respect for the rights of the husband and wife.
729. In cases of divorce, custody of underage children is awarded to the spouse who sought the divorce, unless the court, upon examination of the information received on the living conditions of each spouse, orders that all or some of the children should be placed in the care of either the other spouse or a third party, taking into consideration the best interests of the child.
730. A maintenance allowance is payable by either the husband or the wife, as specified by the court.
731. In the case of unmarried partners, this issue is not settled in court as they do not have legal status.
732. In principle, in the case of the death of her husband or partner, a woman will have custody of their underage children except if, in the best interests of the children, the guardianship judge decides they should be cared for by a third party.
Conclusion
733. In this report, we have gone through, one by one, the 16 articles of the Convention in relation to legislative reforms designed to help women in different areas of development in Côte d’Ivoire. Important legal and administrative provisions have been adopted to resolve the issues of discrimination and unequal opportunities.
734. The Government of Côte d’Ivoire is convinced that, following the submission of this combined report, containing the initial and periodic reports due in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008, the concluding observations and recommendations of the Committee will constitute a platform for guaranteeing the fundamental rights of women and promoting equality between men and women.
Annex 1
Economic profile
Economic indicators
|
|
---|---|
|
|
Currency
|
CFA franc
|
Tax year
|
Calendar year
|
International organizations
|
World Bank, World Trade Organization, West African Economic and Monetary
Union, Economic Community of West African States
|
Statistics
|
|
Gross domestic product (GDP) (nominal parity)
|
$23.4 billion (2008 est.)
|
GDP (purchasing power parity)
|
$34.9 billion (2008 est.)
|
GDP ranking (purchasing power parity)
|
188
|
GDP growth
|
2.3% (2008)
|
GDP per capita (purchasing power parity)
|
$980 (2008)
|
GDP by sector
|
Agriculture: 23.9%; Industry: 25.3%; Services: 50.8%
|
Inflation (consumer price index)
|
8.1% (2008 est.)
|
Population under the poverty line
|
48.9% (2008 est.)
|
Human Development Index
|
163 (2009)
|
Working population
|
6 502 115
|
Working population by sector
|
Agriculture: 27%; Industry: 18.5%; Services: 54.5%
|
Unemployment rate
|
45%
|
Main industries
|
Oil refining, cocoa, coffee, wood and wood products, food products,
beverages, truck and bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building
materials,
electricity, shipbuilding and repair
|
Foreign trade
|
|
Exports
|
$18.5 billion (2007 est.)
|
Export goods
|
cocoa, coffee, wood, oil, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, fish
|
Largest customers
|
Germany 9.6%, Nigeria 9.1%, Netherlands 8.3%, France 7.2%, United States of
America 6.9%, Burkina Faso 4.4% (2007)
|
Imports
|
$5.2 billion (2007 est.)
|
Import goods
|
Fuel, capital equipment, foodstuffs
|
Main suppliers
|
Nigeria 29.5%, France 16.8%, China 6.9%, Belgium 3.5% (2007)
|
Public finances
|
|
Public debt
|
75.2% of GDP (2008 est.)
|
Foreign debt
|
$13.79 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
|
Government revenues
|
20.8% of GDP (2008 est.)
|
Public expenditure
|
20.5% of GDP (2008 est.)
|
Development assistance
|
|
Sources: 1. CIA, The World Factbook; 2. World Bank; 3. Economic Perspectives.
Unless stated otherwise, all figures are in United States dollars.
Regional offices of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs
Regional office
|
Administrative area
|
Headquarters (location)
|
---|---|---|
|
|
|
Agneby
|
Agneby
|
Agboville
|
Bas-Sassandra
|
Bas-Sassandra
|
San-Pédro
|
Denguélé/Bafing
|
Denguélé
Bafing
|
Odienné
|
Fromager
|
Fromager
|
Gagnoa
|
Haut-Sassandra
|
Haut-Sassandra
|
Daloa
|
Lacs
|
Lacs
|
Yamoussoukro
|
Lagunes
|
Lagunes
|
Abidjan
|
Marahoué
|
Marahoué
|
Bouaflé
|
Montagnes/Moyen-Cavally
|
Montagnes
Moyen-Cavally
|
Man
|
Moyen-Comoé
|
Moyen-Comoé
|
Abengourou
|
N’zi Comoé
|
N’zi Comoé
|
Dimbokro
|
Savanes
|
Savanes
|
Korhogo
|
Sud-Bandama
|
Sud-Bandama
|
Divo
|
Sud-Comoé
|
Sud-Comoé
|
Aboisso
|
Vallée du Bandama/Worodougou
|
Vallée du Bandama
Worodougou
|
Bouaké
|
Zanzan
|
Zanzan
|
Bondoukou
|
Annex 2
Resource persons who contributed to the preparation of the report on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
Surname, first name
|
Function/department
|
---|---|
|
|
YAO KOUASSI Euphrasie
|
Director, Directorate of Gender Equality and Promotion (DEPG)
|
KABA Yaya Fofana
|
Technical adviser, Office of the Minister
|
KATOU Augustine
|
Deputy director for international cooperation (DEPG)
|
N’DA AHUA Marcelle
|
Deputy director for awareness-raising and training (DEPG)
|
SORO Natogoma Gon
|
Deputy director for monitoring and coordinating the work of gender units
(DEPG)
|
KOUADIO Kra
|
Deputy director, Directorate of Social Protection (DPS)
|
KONE TAQUI Djeneba
|
Deputy director, Directorate for the Promotion of the Family, Women and
Socio-economic Activities (DPFFAS)
|
COULIBALY Fanta
|
Staff member attached to the National Committee to Combat Violence against
Women and Children (CNLVFE)
|
ANGBOMON Jean Marie
|
Chief of service responsible for coordinating gender units (DEPG)
|
KAGAMBEGA née Coulibaly
|
Lawyer, Legal Department
|
KRAIDY Sandrine
|
Directorate of Social Protection (DPS)
|
KOSSA Viviane
|
Gender focal point, Directorate for the Advancement of Persons with
Disabilities (DPPH)
|
BAMBA Koné Karidja
|
Directorate of Social Security and Mutual Benefit Insurance (DSSM)
|
Kouadio Didier Charles
|
Chief of Service, DEPG
|
KOFFI Eric Dassan
|
Staff member, DEPG
|
MELAN Michel
|
Staff member, DEPG
|
TOURE Affousatou
|
Secretary, DEPG
|
Rose KOFFI Nevry
|
Senior lecturer, UNESCO Chair in Water, Women and Decision-making
|
KOFFI Behou Jean Marie
|
Unit manager, Water, Women and Decision-making
|
Dr. TRAORE Kassoum
|
Project manager, National Programme for Orphans and Children Made
Vulnerable by HIV/AIDS (Ministry of Health and Hygiene)
|
KATI Coulibaly Caroline
|
Staff member, Directorate of Training and Education Establishments for
Women (DIFEF)
|
SANGARE Mamadou
|
Chief of service, Directorate of Planning, Studies and Documentation
(DEPED)
|
KOFFI Alain Didier
|
Staff member, DEPG
|
KOUAME Kouadio
|
Deputy Chief, Legal Department
|
State institutions
|
|
---|---|
KOUASSI Amani Sébastien
|
Lawyer, Administrator, National Assembly, Directorate of Regulations and
Laws
|
GNAGNE Elise Nomel
|
Council member, Economic and Social Council
|
N’GORAN Mireille
|
Lawyer, National Human Rights Commission
|
Ministries
|
|
---|---|
|
|
YAPI Kacou Michel
|
Judge, Gender Unit, Ministry of Justice and Human Rights
|
AMON Kouakou DONGO
|
Lawyer, Directorate of Human Rights, Ministry of Justice and Human
Rights
|
BAHI Guy Michel
|
Communications officer, Gender Unit, Ministry of the Civil Service and
Employment
|
OUATTARA Célestine
|
Gender Unit, Ministry of Agriculture
|
COULIBALY Mamadou
|
Gender Unit, Ministry of Agriculture
|
NASSA Marie Berthe
|
Project manager, National Agency for Rural Development Aid (ANADER)
|
ASSENAN Kokola Juliette
|
ANADER/Ministry of Agriculture
|
Dr. TRAORE Mamadi
|
Doctor/consultant, Ministry of Health and Hygiene
|
GLAOU Sophie
|
Chief of service, Gender Unit, Ministry of Education
|
GEORGES Kouadio TIACOH
|
Project manager, Gender Unit, Ministry of Planning and Development
|
TOH AGNES Roselyne
|
Project manager, Gender Unit, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific
Research
|
TANOH Florence
|
Technical Education Inspector, Gender Unit, Ministry of Technical Education
and Vocational Training
|
Colonel-Médecin ABOU KOUASSI Anne Marie
|
Doctor, gender focal point, Ministry of Defence
|
GUIRO Marie Jeanne
|
Gender focal point, Ministry of the Environment, Water and Forests
|
KONE Fatoumata
|
Sociologist, gender focal point, Ministry of the Interior
|
GATTA Tanoa Marie Chantal
|
Assistant lecturer, Gender Unit, Ministry responsible for Combating
AIDS
|
N’GUESSAN Menan Bernard
|
Gender Unit, Ministry of Trade
|
TOURE Seydou
|
Gender Unit, Ministry of Trade
|
Non-governmental organizations
|
|
---|---|
Me KAUDJHIS OFFOUMOU
|
President, Association Internationale pour la Démocratie en Afrique
(AID Afrique)
|
TRAORE Aminata
|
Organisation Nationale pour l’Enfant et la Femme (ONEF)
|
Me SOMBO Kouao Viviane
|
President, Association des Femmes Juristes de Côte d’Ivoire
(AFJCI)
|
Me KOULOUFOUA Yvonne
|
Association des Femmes Juristes de Côte d’Ivoire (AFJCI)
|
Me MOLOKO Léontine
|
Secretary, Association des Femmes Juristes de Côte d’Ivoire
(AFJCI)
|
FOFANA Valérie
|
West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP)
|
DATTE Marie
|
West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP)
|
KONE Tenin Patricia
|
Organisation des Femmes Actives de Côte d’Ivoire (OFACI)
|
YAO Koffi Michel
|
Solidarité Femme
|
KOUAME Affoué Monique
|
Ligue Ivoirienne des Droits de l’Homme (LIDHO)
|
Private sector and trade unions
|
|
---|---|
YANDAKI ASSOKO Brigitte
|
Société des Transports Abidjanais (SOTRA)
|
FANOUD Priscilla
|
Caisse National de Prévoyance Sociale (CNPS)
|
ADAMA Fofana
|
Confédération Générale des Entreprises de
Côte d’Ivoire
|
KOUAME Edith
|
Union Générale des Travailleurs de Côte d’Ivoire
(UGTCI)
|
VLEI Suzanne
|
Union Générale des Travailleurs de Côte d’Ivoire
(UGTCI)
|
Partners from the United Nations system and embassies
|
|
---|---|
KOUYE Pauline
|
Programme officer, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
|
CARREAU Pauline
|
Lawyer, UNFPA
|
FATOU Dieng Thiam
|
Lawyer, Human Rights Division, United Nations Operation in Côte
d’Ivoire (UNOCI)
|
KAURAI Adélaide
|
Lawyer, Human Rights Division, UNOCI
|
SAOUDATOU Fousseni
|
Lawyer, Human Rights Division, UNOCI
|
OKA Balima Madeleine
|
Programme officer, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
|
AHOUA Désiré
|
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Côte
d’Ivoire
|
COULIBALY Matenin
|
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
|
KAMBOU Sié
|
Assistant protection officer, United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF)
|
DEGARDIN Francy
|
First counsellor, French Embassy
|
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Ministère de la lutte contre le sida, comportements, attitudes, pratiques des professionnelles du sexe vis-à-vis des IST/VIH/sida, dans huit départements les plus affectés par la crise en Côte d’Ivoire, FNUAP, 2008.
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Ministère de l’économie et des finances, La Côte d’Ivoire en chiffres, dialogue production, Abidjan, 2007, p. 14.
Ministère de l’éducation nationale, Plan national de développement du secteur éducation/formation (2007-2010), Abidjan, 2007.
Ministère de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche scientifique, Plan stratégique de développement de l’enseignement supérieur (2004-2008), Abidjan, 2004.
Organisation des Nations Unies, Déclaration et Programme d’action de Beijing, 1995.
Organisation non gouvernementale ONEF, Étude sur les mutilations génitales féminines, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 2004.
Rapport EIS, Enquête sur les indicateurs du sida, 2005.
Rapport ENV, Enquête sur le niveau de vie des ménages en Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 2002, 2008.
Rapport MICS, Enquête par grappes à indicateurs multiples – Suivi de la situation des enfants et des femmes – Côte d’Ivoire, 2000, 2002, 2006.
Rapport RESEN, Rapport d’État sur le système éducatif, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 2007.
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[*] In accordance with the information transmitted to States parties regarding the processing of their reports, the present document was not formally edited before being sent to the United Nations translation services.
[1] Population database, Institute of National Statistics, Department of Demography and Social Statistics, 2006; Directorate for Population Policy, Ministry of State, Ministry of Planning and Development; Directorate-General of the Economy, Ministry of the Economy and Finance, and La Côte d’Ivoire en chiffres, Dialogue Production, Abidjan, 2007, p. 14.
[2] Directorate-General of the Economy, Ministry of the Economy and Finance, and La Côte d’Ivoire en chiffres, Dialogue Production, Abidjan, 2007, pp. 176–180.
[3] Directorate-General of the Economy, Ministry of the Economy and Finance, and La Côte d’Ivoire en chiffres, Dialogue Production, Abidjan, 2007, pp. 32–35.
[4] Directorate-General of the Economy, Ministry of the Economy and Finance, and La Côte d’Ivoire en chiffres, Dialogue Production, Abidjan, 2007, pp. 176–180.
[5] Population database, Institute of National Statistics, Department of Demography and Social Statistics, 2006; Directorate for Population Policy, Ministry of State, Ministry of Planning and Development; Directorate-General of the Economy, Ministry of the Economy and Finance, and La Côte d’Ivoire en chiffres, Dialogue Production, Abidjan, 2007, p. 14.
[6] Calculated on the basis of the 2002 Household Survey.
[7] Tenin Toure-Diabate, Analyse du genre – Recensement National de l’Agriculture 2001 (Gender Analysis – National Agricultural Census 2001), Ministry of Agriculture, Directorate of Statistics, Documentation and Information Technology, 2003.
[8] Tenin Toure-Diabate, Analyse du genre – Recensement National de l’Agriculture 2001, Ministry of Agriculture, Directorate of Statistics, Documentation and Information Technology, 2003.
[9] Employment Research and Promotion Agency, Survey of Enterprises in the Modern Sector, June 1998.
[10] The Organisation Nationale pour l’Enfant, la Femme et la Famille (National Organization for Children, Women and the Family) and 40 NGOs established the Réseau Ivoirien des Organisations Féminines in 1995.
[11] Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, Statement on Gender Policy, p. 23.
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