Introduction

1.The present report was prepared in fulfilment of the commitments of Angola in the area of human rights in general and the commitments arising from its ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, pursuant to article 8 of which Angola submitted to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women its sixth periodic report (CEDAW/C/AGO/6), as well as its replies to the list of issues prepared by the Committee (CEDAW/C/AGO/Q/6/Add.1.)

2.Bearing in mind the periodicity set out in the above-mentioned article, the State prepared the present report in accordance with the guidelines on reporting under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and with the concluding observations on the sixth periodic report of Angola (CEDAW/C/AGO/CO/6), adopted by the Committee at its fifty-fourth session, held from 11 February to 1 March 2013.

3.The report addresses the Committee’s comments on the matters that were of particular concern during the review and seeks to clarify questions raised, while also outlining the general measures taken to implement and comply with the Convention during the reporting period.

4.The present report was prepared by the Intersectoral Commission for the Preparation of National Human Rights Reports, established by order of the Presidential Directive No. 29/14 of 26 March, which reflects the efforts undertaken in implementation of the National Development Plan 2013–2017).

I.Legislative framework

•Act No. 7/04 of 15 October, the Social Protection Act;

•Act No. 22/10 of 3 December, the Political Parties Act;

•Presidential Decree No. 8/11 of July, Legal Framework for the Family Benefits Act, which provides for maternity, food, family and funeral allowances;

•Act No. 25/11 of 14 July, the Domestic Violence Act, and its implementing regulations (Presidential Decree No. 124/13 of 28 August);

•Presidential Decree No. 138/12 of 20 June, the National Programme of Support for Rural Women;

•Presidential Decree No. 52/12 of 26 March, which created the National Commission for Prevention and Auditing of Maternal, Neonatal and Infant Deaths;

•Presidential Decree No. 25/13 of 8 May, which approved the Executive Plan to Combat Domestic Violence and established the Multisectoral Commission for the Implementation of the Plan, as well as a timetable of activities;

•Presidential Decree No. 222/13 of 24 September, the National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity;

•Act No. 3/14 of 10 February, the Crimes Underlying Money-laundering and Human Trafficking Act;

•Act No. 2/15 of 2 February, the Principles and Rules for the Organization and Operations of the Courts of Ordinary Jurisdiction;

•Presidential Decree No. 36/15 of 30 January, the Legal Regime for the Recognition of Domestic Partnerships by Mutual Consent and the Dissolution of Recognized Domestic Partnerships;

•Act No. 7/15 of 15 June, the General Labour Act;

•Act No. 25/15 of 18 September, the Asylum and Refugee Status Act;

•Act No. 10/16 of 27 July, the Accessibility Act;

•Act No. 11/16 of 12 August, the Amnesty Act;

•Act No. 13/16 of 12 September, the Basis of Territorial Organization Act;

•Act No. 12/16, of 12 August, the Dispute Mediation and Conciliation Act;

•Presidential Decree No. 155/16 of 9 August, the Legal and Social Protection Regime for Domestic Workers;

•Presidential Decree 143/17 of 26 June, the National Action Plan for the Implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security.

II.General recommendations/considerations

Implementation of the concluding observations by all State institutions, including parliament

5.The procedures and the various institutions of the State and the parliament are aligned with regard to application of the procedures for the implementation of recommendations and conventions.

Measures to enhance the visibility and dissemination of the Convention

6.Under the Constitution, duly approved or ratified international treaties and agreements become part of the Angolan legal order following their official publication and entry into force in domestic law. In line with this precept, Act No. 14/11, on international treaties, regulates the process for the conclusion of treaties and also constitutes the basis for the invocation of human rights instruments by Angolan courts.

7.Like other human rights treaties, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination began to be disseminated and implemented throughout the national territory from the moment of its ratification. All other steps for the dissemination and implementation of the Convention and the Committee’s general recommendations by all parts of the Government, the legislature and the judiciary are ensured through actions taken towards realizing the goal of promoting women’s human rights and equal opportunities and benefits for women and men in Angola, with priority given to promoting the political, legal, economic, social and human rights of women through programmes for the dissemination of the provisions of national legislation, the Convention and other, similar treaties, by means of information, education, training, awareness-raising and other activities, including through the education system.

8.Steps taken to disseminate the Convention and the Committee’s recommendations include the following:

(a)From 2013 to date, the Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women has published and distributed a total of 5,045 pamphlets and organized various seminars.

(b)The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, in collaboration with the Red Cross of Angola and the Red Cross of Spain, published a human rights training manual entitled “Know and Defend Your Rights” (750 copies), which includes a chapter on the Committee and on the Convention.

(c)The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights conducted various training courses on human rights, which included topics relating to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and its provisions.

(d)The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, within the sphere of the Intersectoral Commission for the Preparation of National Human Rights Reports, held a discussion on 6 April 2017 on the Committee’s recommendations, in which 53 persons participated, including representatives of various ministerial departments and civil society organizations.

(e)The text of the Convention, the reports submitted by Angola and the Committee’s recommendations can be viewed and downloaded on the new website of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights (http://servicos.minjusdh.gov.ao).

Access to justice

9.The current context shows signs of positive developments with regard to women’s access to justice, despite the constraints that continue to exist with regard to the availability of services in all parts of the country. Various specific programmes have been put in place with a view to rapidly eliminating the territorial imbalances between urban and rural areas and to disseminate information on the rights of women, particularly the right to have recourse to the competent national courts for any act that violates their fundamental rights as recognized and guaranteed by the Convention and by domestic laws and regulations, as well as by customs that are not contrary to the law.

10.Recognizing that access to justice begins in the educational sphere, where women, on an equal footing with men, have the opportunity to learn about their rights and the mechanisms for exercising them, the Government is harmonizing the national education programmes with medium- and long-term national objectives in a vision of sustainable development that includes policies on population and balanced territorial and sectoral development, with specific prioritized goals in the social sector.

11.Act No. 2/15 of 2 February, adopted as part of the justice and legal reform programme, establishes the principles and rules for the organization and operations of the courts of ordinary jurisdiction, which also apply to the courts of justice.

12.The aforementioned Act repealed Act No. 18/88 of 31 December, the Unified System of Justice Act, and other laws that ran counter to it; Act No. 2/15 entered into force on 1 March 2015.

13.With the entry into force of this law, the aim is to make justice more rapid, effective and accessible to citizens by expanding the system of courts so that access to justice is closer geographically, with congruence between the judicial division and the administrative division of the national territory.

14.The Constitution of Angola provides for a formal system of justice, the courts, and also for extrajudicial conflict resolution mechanisms.

15.The Out-of-Court Dispute Settlement Centre is staffed by lawyers and trainee lawyers. It provides information and legal consultations and ensures that the principle of non-discrimination on the basis of sex, social or cultural status or insufficient financial means is respected and that people know and can exercise and defend their rights and legitimate interests.

16.These mechanisms are governed by various laws: Act No. 16/2003 of 25 July, the Voluntary Arbitration Act, which establishes a special extrajudicial mechanism that can be used not only by private parties but also by the State to settle disputes; Decree No. 04/2006 of 27 February, which empowers the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights to authorize the creation of arbitration centres; Executive Decree No. 230/14 of 27 June and Executive Decree No. 244/14 of 4 July, which, respectively, create and regulate the Out-of-Court Dispute Settlement Centre; Act No. 12/16 of 12 August, the Dispute Mediation and Conciliation Act, which establishes the rules and procedures for using these dispute settlement methods; and Joint Executive Decree No. 259/16 of 17 June, which regulates the fees for mediation, conciliation, arbitration and legal advice of the Out-of-Court Dispute Settlement Centre.

17.With regard to the inclusion of the Convention and the Committee’s recommendations in the training of officials responsible for enforcing the law, the following are worth noting:

(a)Inclusion of the subject of human rights at the Institute for Higher Studies in Police and Criminal Science;

(b)Ongoing training programmes for members of the security forces;

(c)Publication of a human rights manual for the National Police, in cooperation with various international agencies (3 editions);

(d)Inclusion of the subject of human rights in training for judges and magistrates at the National Institute for Judicial Studies.

National machinery for the advancement of women

18.The great potential and transformative nature of the quest to advance women’s rights and the cross-cutting approach taken by the Angolan Government form the basis for clear innovations in the efforts to implement the provisions of the Convention, as reflected in:

•The Organic Statute of the Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women, which promotes the dissemination and the undertaking of activities for the implementation of the conventions, treaties and protocols relating to women and the family that have been signed and ratified by Angola.

•The National Policy on Gender Equality and Equity

•Other policies that are being implemented in the context of the National Development Plan 2013–2017;

•Efforts to achieve the eighth goal of the United Nations Millennium Declaration.

19.Angola participates regularly in meetings for the review of United Nations recommendations on matters relating to women’s rights, including the Committee’s general recommendation No. 6 (1988) and the guidance provided in the Beijing Platform for Action on the necessary conditions for the effective functioning of national mechanisms for the advancement of women, where it takes stock of its activities relating to the commitments made in this regard.

20.In terms of policy, the Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women encourages the involvement of women, seeking to ensure high percentages of participation by women, as was confirmed in the report on the Millennium Development Goals in September 2010, which provided ample information on the matter, with particular emphasis on Goal 3, “promote gender equality and empower women” and the target of eliminating gender disparity in primary and secondary education and at all levels.

21.The evaluation report on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals reaffirms the commitment of the Angolan Government to promoting the empowerment of women, consolidating democracy, combating poverty, raising sustainable development indices and implementing comprehensive and cross-cutting policies, among others initiatives, including:

•The Support Programme for Women in Rural and Peripheral Areas, aimed at combating poverty and establishing the economic foundations for sustainability;

•The Microcredit Programme;

•Support for microfinance initiatives;

•Family and rural entrepreneurship;

•Retraining programmes for rural villages;

•Support for the economic activities of rural women;

•Training for traditional birth attendants.

22.To ensure the effective functioning of mechanisms for the advancement of women in all areas and levels of women’s empowerment, the Government provides, in a rational manner, human and technical resources to ensure vocational training and improvement of technical skills where necessary for the development of activities with the necessary effectiveness and efficiency, the most important factor being cooperation with institutions of civil society in the framework of strengthened and enhanced capacity for coordination of the various existing mechanisms.

23.Considering that equality is one of the principles enshrined in the Angolan Constitution, which provides that all persons are entitled to exercise their universal rights without discrimination, the National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity was approved by means of Presidential Decree No. 222/13 of 24 December. It reaffirms the recognition of the State’s responsibility for the adoption and implementation of policies designed to promote opportunities in all spheres of the political, economic, social and cultural life of women and of men, in line with the Committee’s recommendations of 1979, the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action, Article 4 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Declaration and Protocol on Gender and Development.

24.The Policy calls for intervention to: eliminate gender-based disparities and discrimination; ensure that development policies, plans and programmes take into consideration the needs and interests of both women and men; engage men and women — i.e. society in general — in the process of changing attitudes and behaviours; eliminate factors that impede women’s access to and control over resources and decision-making bodies.

25.The National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity is part of the National Development Plan and encompasses the set of goals and indicators to be taken into account in measuring results in order to assess the overall impact and effectiveness of policies within the framework of the mechanism comprising all ministerial departments. The Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women, which has specific responsibility for monitoring the gender policy, tracks its implementation and periodically evaluates all stages of its implementation in coordination with the Ministry of Planning and Territorial Development.

26.Activities carried out under the National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity include:

(a)For the empowerment of women, several occupational training programmes have been carried out at the national level, in which 380 women from associations, cooperatives and civil society organizations received training in techniques for processing agricultural products and in community leadership. Technical personnel from research and planning units and focal points from several ministerial departments also received training on budgeting and planning with a gender perspective and on gender and the Sustainable Development Goals, in alignment with public instruments and policies.

(b)In the area of gender equality, conferences and seminars have been held at the national level on gender and domestic violence, early pregnancy and maternal and neonatal mortality, and training has been offered for gender mobilizers and activists. Informational materials have been distributed, including brochures on gender-related concepts, the campaign to discourage early marriage and pregnancy, the national gender policy, the Domestic Violence Act, the “Recipe for Happiness” programme and international, regional and national instruments. In addition, traditional birth attendants have been trained and have received kits to enable them to carry out their work.

(c)On-the-job training has been offered for focal points on the gender perspective in the Sustainable Development Goals.

(d)A report was published on mapping and assessment of the capacities of civil society organizations that promote gender equality and equity in Angola.

(e)The Africa Human Development Report was released.

(f)Legal instruments on gender were disseminated.

(g)The gender policy was translated into the English and French languages for regional and international dissemination.

(h) The first Angola gender country profile was prepared in collaboration with the European Union.

(i)A regional workshop was held on budgeting for programmes, projects and plans for equality in Angola.

(j) A workshop was held on calculation of the Gender Development Index for Angola.

(k)Training was provided for women and men on the formation of associations and cooperatives at the community level.

(l)Training was provided on transformative leadership and budgeting with a gender perspective.

(m)A regional capacity-building workshop for provincial directorates was held on techniques for programming, planning, managing and budgeting for the implementation of the National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity, in the northern, southern, central and eastern regions.

(n)Multisectoral councils were formed, as bodies to track the implementation of activities for gender equality and the empowerment of women and assess the implementation of the gender equality policy.

27.Increasing women’s representation in decision-making and in the development of guidelines for the various implementing levels and bodies (public and private institutions, development mechanisms, etc.) is a commitment of the State, which led the National Assembly to adopt Resolution No. 9/02 of 19 April on gender, in consideration of the SADC Declaration on Gender and Development, signed by Heads of State and Government in September 1997, which views gender as a fundamental human rights issue and considers recognition of and advocacy on gender issues as a fundamental basis for sustainable development.

28.On this basis and pursuant to a recommendation by the National Assembly, the Government took steps to introduce into the domestic legal order the provisions of the 1997 SADC Declaration on Gender and Development and its 1998 Addendum on the Prevention and Eradication of Violence against Women and Children. The implementing regulations for the Family Code were drawn up with a view to avoiding any arbitrariness on the part of the competent bodies, especially in the areas where discrimination against women was considered most likely to occur. Guidance was provided for labour inspection bodies with a view to ensuring strict compliance by domestic and foreign employers with the provisions of the labour legislation currently in force in order to avoid differential or discriminatory treatment on the basis of sex or nationality.

29.The Commission for Justice and Legal Reform ensures that changes to be made in the Criminal Code and other laws will not create special acts that can involve only women, whether as actors or as victims, especially in cases in which female sexuality is portrayed as something that is shameful and causes dishonour. The aim is to broaden the concept of honour in the light of the democratic State and the rule of law, while making it possible to denounce noncompliance with the labour legislation by employers’ organizations and encouraging public institutions and civil society, including political parties, to promote greater participation by women in decision-making bodies, as an imperative for the elimination of gender inequalities and for the sustainable development of the country.

30.Compliance with the aforementioned resolution resulted in significant positive changes in the various spheres of activity, with the average level of female participation in relation to male participation reaching 56.33.

Violence against women

31.The Domestic Violence Act and its implementing regulations set out measures for the protection of victims. The Victim’s Statute guarantees a set of rights, including, where needed, access to shelters; preferential attention by the competent authorities to obtain evidence; free public or private institutional care; issuance of certificates attesting to a person’s status as a victim of domestic violence; protection of the victim and the victim’s family or persons in a family-like situation, provided the competent authorities consider that there is a serious threat of acts of revenge or strong indications that the individual’s privacy may be seriously disturbed.

32.In accordance with the procedural rules established under the Code of Criminal Procedure and other complementary legislation, once an accusation of the crime of domestic violence has been made, a public prosecutor or a judge may, where warranted by the seriousness of the situation, within a maximum of 72 hours:

•Refer the victim of domestic violence provisionally to a temporary shelter;

•Prohibit contact between the victim and the perpetrator in court buildings and elsewhere where proceedings involving the presence of both are held;

•Order psychosocial support for a period of up to six months, unless exceptional circumstances necessitate the extension of that period;

•Prohibit or restrict the presence of the perpetrator of the crime in the home or residence and places of work or study and other places regularly frequented by the victim;

•Seize any weapons that the perpetrator has in his possession, which remain in the custody of the authorities for as long as they deem necessary;

•Prohibit the perpetrator from using or possessing firearms, it falling to the competent authority to take the necessary steps in that regard;

•Order the return to their residence of persons who have left it for reasons of personal safety, accompanied by the competent authority.

33.Programmes put in place under the Act also aim to protect victims’ property, prevent secondary victimization and ensure free medical, psychological, social and legal support.

34.Regarding administrative resolution of conflicts, where the withdrawal of complaints is permitted, the matter may be settled administratively by public or private bodies designated for that purpose. Such bodies utilize negotiation techniques that encourage reconciliation, without prejudice to the victim’s right to compensation.

35.In the event that a perpetrator is apprehended in flagrante delicto, the individual is kept in custody until being brought before the competent magistrate for questioning or for trial in the case of a summary procedure. Where an individual has not been apprehended in flagrante delicto, detention may be ordered by the public prosecutor if there is a danger that the criminal activity will continue or if detention is deemed essential to the safety of the victim. Complaints may be filed by the aggrieved party or by any party whose legitimacy is recognized by law. Reports may be made by any person or authority with knowledge of the criminal act.

36.Withdrawal of complaints is not permitted in the following cases, which are considered public order offences related to domestic violence and are punishable by prison terms of 2 to 8 years, unless there is another, more serious penalty under the legislation in force, in respect of individuals committing any of the following acts, without prejudice to the duties attributable to the perpetrator:

•Serious or irreversible bodily or psychological harm;

•Repeated failure to provide food for children and necessary assistance to a pregnant woman;

•Sexual abuse of a minor or of an individual of legal age with a disability who is under guardianship;

•Unlawful appropriation of inherited property which, because of its monetary value, undermines the social dignity of the heirs;

•Concealment, alienation or encumbrance of family property, taking into account its monetary value;

•Traditional or other marriage with a child under the age of 14 years or with a disability.

37.In recent years, the Angolan State has adopted a set of laws that strengthen the promotion and protection of women, in particular the fight against all forms of violence against women, including:

•Act No. 25/11 of 14 July, the Domestic Violence Act; in order to ensure the Act’s effective implementation, the following instruments were also adopted:

•Presidential Decree No. 26/13 of 8 May, which approves the Executive Plan to Combat Domestic Violence and the respective timetable of actions;

•Presidential Decree No. 124/13 of 28 August, which sets out the implementing regulations for the Domestic Violence Act and provides for a set of measures to ensure support and protection for victims of domestic violence and rehabilitation of the aggressor and standardizes the operations of shelters and family reconciliation centres.

38.With the approval of the implementing regulations, the Government intends to effectively enforce the Domestic Violence Act, reduce rates of domestic violence and ensure compliance with the international instruments to which Angola is a State party.

39. The impact of the Domestic Violence Act can be seen in the figures below, which show case numbers and trends from a gender perspective.

Figure 1Trend of domestic violence cases

Source: Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women.

Figure 2 Cases of domestic violence dealt with by the institutions responsible for the Executive Plan to Combat Domestic Violence

Institutions	2014	2015	2016
MINFAMU	8 322	6 314	5 707
LINHA SOS VD	–	1 878	26 489
MININT	3 076	5 210	1 406
OMA	3 316	9 948	3 819
INAC	1 523	2 064	4 874
REDE MULHER	–	–	142
Total	16 237	25 414	42 437

MINFAMU — Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women; LINHA SOS VD — domestic violence hotline; MININT — Ministry of the Interior; OMA — Angolan Women’s Organization; INAC — National Children’s Institute; REDE MULHER — Women’s Network.

40.The rise in the number of cases is due, above all, to the extensive dissemination and awareness-raising efforts by the institutions involved and by the public.

41.In 2016, the Government, through the Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women, launched a free hotline (SOS Domestic Violence, telephone number 15020) for reporting cases of domestic violence.

42.The SOS Domestic Violence hotline provided the following data recorded during the month of November 2015.

Figure 3 Reports and types of violence reported

Type of violence	Number of calls
Physical violence	214
Economic violence	127
Sexual violence	100
Psychological violence	85
Workplace violence	3
Total	529

43.The Executive Plan to Combat Domestic Violence 2012–2017 aims to prevent acts of domestic violence, protect victims, and adopt and increase multisectoral actions to ensure comprehensive, humanized and quality support for victims in situations of violence.

44. As part of the implementation of the Executive Plan to Combat Domestic Violence, the National Criminal Investigation Service created a specialized department to deal with domestic violence complaints, and Section 9 of the Ordinary Crimes Division of the Provincial Courts was also created to deal with matters relating to domestic violence. Compensation is awarded to victims in this forum by order of the judge.

45.The Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women is the executive body responsible for the implementation of the strategy for the advancement of women. Its statutory powers were strengthened through the creation of the National Directorate for Gender Policy and the National Directorate for Women’s Rights, which coordinates the family reconciliation centres and liaises with NGO centres and the Violence Prevention Department of the Ministry of the Interior.

46. Among the actions taken to ensure assistance for victims of violence, the Government has put in place a network of free legal information centres (a total of 14 in various provinces) and support centres for victims of violence, strengthened the out-of-court procedures for settling family conflicts and disputes, and established collaborations with religious and civil society entities as part of the implementation of the Executive Plan to Combat Domestic Violence.

47.An extensive national-level programme is also under way to provide training to family counsellors in intermediation, guidance and support for victims of domestic violence. To date, a total of 805 family counsellors have been trained.

48. A programme is currently being carried out to expand the network of shelters and specialized units at police stations and hospitals throughout the country in order to ensure care for victims of domestic violence and create the multisectoral victim assistance teams.

49.Currently, there is one shelter in Cabinda, six in Uíge, one in Cuando Cubango and one in Lunda Sul, for a total of nine. Additional shelters are being built and will operate in collaboration with the Angolan Women’s Organization.

50.From the cultural point of view, there are a number of harmful and discriminatory stereotypes and cultural practices, in response to which the Government and civil society organizations have carried out information, awareness-raising and education campaigns promoting the values of freedom, respect for human rights, social harmony and solidarity, through seminars at the provincial, municipal and community levels.

51.The Government has carried out public awareness campaigns to promote and protect women’s rights and to combat and prevent violence through seminars, conferences, radio and television debates, billboards, pro-life text messages sent via mobile phone, and training of family counsellors, police officials and health professionals, with a view to improving the services provided to users.

52.In the area of awareness-raising and dissemination, from 2013 to 201 a total of 9,410 leaflets on Act No. 25/11, 2,220 on the implementing regulations for the Act, 4,345 on the Executive Plan and 4,210 on domestic violence, among others, were produced.

53.The Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women carried out a dialogue and consultation process to hear the views of rural women and lend support to their efforts to achieve gender equality and prevent domestic violence. The Government assumed responsibility for creating the conditions needed rural women to build and reap benefits from their human capital.

54.As part of measures to protect women asylum seekers, refugees and immigrants from all forms of violence, the Ministry conducted training activities in partnership with civil society (the Women’s Network) in eastern and northern Angola, where there are Angolan refugees arriving from Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a view to enhancing their social integration.

55.The National Plan of Action for the Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) was approved by means of Presidential Decree No. 143/17 of 26 June 26. The Plan’s objectives are to:

(a)General objectives:

i.Help increase the participation of women in decision-making processes and encourage their full involvement in all efforts to maintain and promote peace and security;

ii. Contribute to the elimination of violations of the human rights of women in situations of conflict, including sexual violence, which disproportionately affects women and girls, and trafficking in women and girls.

(b)Specific objectives:

i.Increase the participation of women and incorporate a gender equality dimension in all phases of peacebuilding processes at all decision-making levels;

ii.Ensure training on gender equality and gender-based violence for persons involved in peacebuilding processes;

iii.Promote and protect respect for women’s human rights and the prevention and elimination of gender-based and sexual violence and promote women’s empowerment;

iv.Enhance and disseminate knowledge on the topic “women, peace and security”, including training and awareness-raising for entities with decision-making capacity and for the general public;

v.Promote the participation of civil society in the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security;

vi.Incorporate a gender perspective in budgeting.

56.The Plan calls for a set of activities to be carried out over three years by the various responsible institutions: the Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Assembly, the National Electoral Commission, the Ministry of Social Assistance and Reintegration, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, the Ministry of Youth, NGOs, women’s organizations and churches.

57.Prior to the approval of the Plan, the following activities were carried out:

(a)Round tables and interviews with the media to disseminate and underline the importance of the approach to peace and security in the world and, especially, in Angola;

(b)The Pan-African Forum for a Culture of Peace, held in Luanda, Angola, from 26 to 28 March 2013, with the theme “Sources and Resources for a Culture of Peace”;

(c)The International Conference on a Culture of Peace, sponsored by the Eduardo dos Santos Foundation, held 10 and 11 September 2015.

58.The issue of compensation or reparations for women victims of crimes committed during the period of conflict was addressed under the Amnesty Act.

National human rights institution

59.Due consideration is being given to the establishment of a national human rights institution in line with the Paris Principles.

60.Regarding the creation of a new national human rights institution, Angola already has the Office of the Ombudsman (Provedoria da Justiça), an independent public entity whose purpose is to defend the rights, freedoms and guarantees of citizens, ensuring, through informal means, justice and the legality of the public administration.

61.Generally speaking, the Ombudsman Statute is considered to be in accordance with the Paris Principles relating to the powers, responsibilities and constitutional mandate of the Ombudsman, in particular the following, and therefore, as in other countries, the Office of the Ombudsman fulfils the role of the national human rights institution:

(a)Independence (vis-à-vis the public authorities, especially the executive branch);

(b)Democratic election (the Ombudsman of Angola is elected by the National Assembly, by absolute majority of the currently serving deputies);

(c)Informal procedures for the treatment of citizens’ complaints or claims (for example, to submit a complaint or claim to the Ombudsman, no official document is required — complaints and clams may be submitted orally by telephone or by email or fax or via the Office’s website — nor is a hearing required);

(d)Free services (the services provided by the Ombudsman to citizens are completely free of charge, including services provided by mail);

(e)Prompt action;

(f)Neutrality and confidentiality.

62.Regarding the nature or type of claims dealt with, the largest percentage of cases concern labour-related matters, in particular unfair dismissals; issues relating to justice, such as the slowness of court proceedings; claims relating to land rights, such as disputes between the State and individuals over the ownership and compensation value of lands.

63.The Ombudsman has intervened in several processes for the relocation of citizens in the context of programmes for urban renewal and resettlement of populations residing in risk areas, maintaining dialogue with the authorities with a view to safeguarding the legitimate interests of the individuals concerned.

64.Ombudsman services are available in five provinces, in addition to Luanda: Bengo, Cabinda, Cunene, Huambo and Cuanza Sul, and the process of opening services in the provinces of Benguela, Lunda Norte, Moxico and Uíge is in the advanced stages. It is intended that Ombudsman services will eventually be available in all provinces of the country.

Data collection

65.The National Statistics Institute conducted a general population and housing survey (census) in 2014. The results of the 2014 census are in line with international quality standards, with a coverage rate of 94.4 per cent, which is considered “good”, according to the United Nations classification. The census presents data disaggregated by sex.

66.In 2016, the National Statistics Institute also carried out the 2015–2016 Multiple Indicator and Health Survey. The results of this survey are disaggregated by sex and provide information that will serve as a basis for the assessment of indicators relating to the National Development Plan 2013–2017, health sector reform and monitoring of the National Health Development Plan 2021–2025, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Amendment to article 20 (1) of the Convention

67.With regard to general recommendation No. 22 adopted by the Committee at its fourteenth session, Angola deposited its instrument of formal acceptance of the amendment to article 20 (1) of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women with the Treaty Section of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat in New York, together with its instrument of accession to the Optional Protocol to the Convention.

68.The acceptance and accession process culminated in the adoption of Executive Decree No. 23/07 of June 25, which incorporated into Angolan law the provisions of General Assembly resolution 54/4, with emphasis on paragraph 5, which requests the Committee (treaty body) to organize and hold regular annual meetings, in accordance with the provisions of article 20 of the Convention.

Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (recommendation in para. 42)

69.The interim report addressed this recommendation, with a focus on:

•The financial resources devoted to national mechanisms for the empowerment of women at the national and local levels, seeking to respond to the aspirations expressed and the issues raised during a national forum organized to hear women’s views;

•The National Rural Women’s Development Programme (PNADEMUR 2015–2017) and its inclusion in the National Development Plan 2013–2017;

•The National Policy on Gender and the Agrarian Reform Programme;

•The National Strategy for Combating Poverty.

Millennium Development Goals

70.The subject of the Millennium Development Goals was also addressed in the interim report. The 8 Goals and their 20 respective targets and 56 indicators coincide with the objectives of the Angola 2025 Long-term Development Strategy, and the country has incorporated them into the frameworks for the preparation of its medium-term planning instruments and related public policies and into the evaluations conducted periodically to assess progress in implementing those policies.

71.The Strategy is implemented through annual and biannual plans. In this framework, the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals was pursued initially through the Programme for Improvement and Increased Availability of Basic Social Services and subsequently through integrated municipal programmes for rural development and poverty elimination.

72.The Development Strategy is currently being implemented through the National Development Plan 2013–2017, which contains 229 basic, cross-cutting and sectoral action programmes for the implementation of 11 national policies, which are expected to have an impact on human development and on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal targets, with emphasis on the promotion of economic growth, employment growth, diversification of the economy, equitable distribution of national income and social protection.

73.In September 2015, at the conference held at the United Nations in New York, Angola reaffirmed its commitment to intensify its development efforts by signing on to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and is currently working at the sectoral level to implement the Agenda.

Dissemination and implementation

74.Efforts to increase the visibility and application of the Convention and the Committee’s concluding observations are part of the programming for the dissemination of all international human rights treaties, an ongoing responsibility of the executive branch, which encourages the mechanisms created for the protection and promotion of human rights human rights in Angola to promote and hold debates, workshops, seminars and meetings. In addition, pamphlets, posters, brochures, booklets, manuals and other materials have been produced for national distribution, and the media (TV, radio, press and magazines) are also being used to heighten the visibility of these instruments.

75.Other dissemination and implementation activities include publications on civil, political, economic and social rights and efforts to publicize the mechanisms and policies adopted by the State for the realization of human rights in all areas, most notably through the following:

•First extended encounter with civil society organizations working in the area of human rights, with the theme “Together for an Education for a Culture of Human Rights” (Secretariat of State for Human Rights, 2010);

•Final report of the first Angola-Norway bilateral seminar on human rights (Secretariat of State for Human Rights, February 2011);

•International Round Table on the Right to Water, Food and Land — Conclusions and Recommendations (October 2011);

•Provincial human rights committees (Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, 2015);

•Compendium of Human Rights — Provincial and Local Implementation of Human Rights (José Manzumba da Silva and Njal Hostmaelingen);

•Trafficking in Human Beings: Prevention, Protection and Assistance to Victims (Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, 2016);

•Basic Human Rights Training Manual: Know and Defend your Rights (Red Cross of Angola and Red Cross of Spain in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights);

•Law, Inclusion and Participation: Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol (Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, 2016);

•Angola and the Universal Periodic Review (Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, 2016);

•Angola and the Implementation of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, 2016).

76.All of these documents are available on the website of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights: http://www.servicos.minjusdh.gov.ao/direitos-humanos.

Ratification of other treaties

77.With regard to implementation of the recommendations concerning the ratification of international legal instruments on human rights, Angola has demonstrated its commitment by acceding to almost all the relevant international treaties.

78.Steps have also been taken to enhance domestic legislation and ensure the incorporation of the provisions of the various international instruments.

79.The Angolan State, in addition to demonstrating its commitment through the process of ratifying international treaties, is working on harmonizing domestic legislation with international human rights treaties.

80.International treaties can and have been applied directly in the Angolan courts, including both the Constitutional Court and the ordinary courts.

Figure 4

Core United Nations human rights treaties signed and ratified by Angola

			Date of ratification(r)/accession (a) or succession (d)
No.	Treaty	Date of signature	Publication in Official Gazette	Deposit with the United Nations
1	International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)		Resolution No. AN 26-B/91 27 Dec 1991	10 Jan 1992 (a)
	Optional Protocol to the Convention on Civil and Political Rights			10 Jan 1992
	Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty	24 Sept 2013	In process of ratification
2	International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966)		Resolution No. AN 26-B/91 27 Dec 1991	10 Jan 1992 (a)
	Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights		In process of ratification
	Study on procedure and implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights		In process of ratification
3	International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1969)	24 Sept 2013	In process of ratification
	Individual communications under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination		In process of ratification
4	Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1981)		Resolution No. AN 15/84 19 Sept 1984	17 Sept 1986 (a)
	Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women		Resolution No. AN 23/07 23 June 2007	01 Nov 2007
	Study on the procedure for implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women		Resolution No. AN 23/07 23 June 2007	1 Nov 2007
5	Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1987)	24 Sept 2013	In process of ratification
	Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture	24 Sept 2013	In process of ratification
	Individual communications procedure under the Convention against Torture		In process of ratification
	Study on the Convention against Torture		In process of ratification
6	Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990)	14 Feb 1990	Resolution No. AN 20/90 10 Nov 1990	5 Dec 1990
	Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure (December 2011)		In process of ratification
	Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict		Resolution No. AN 21/02 13 Aug 2002	11 Oct 2007 (a)
	Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography		Resolution No. AN 21/02 13 Aug 2002	24 Mar 2005 (a)
7	International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (2003)		In process of ratification
	Individual communications under the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families		In process of ratification
8	Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2008)		Resolution No. AN 1/13 11 Jan 2013	05 Mar 2013
	Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (communications)		Resolution No. AN 1/13 11 Jan. 2013	05 Mar 2013
	Procedures and study relating to the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities		Resolution No. AN 1/13 1/13 11 Jan 2013	05 Mar 2013
9	International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance (2010)	24 Sept 2013	In process of ratification
	Individual communications under the Convention on Enforced Disappearance		In process of ratification
	Study on procedure relating to the Convention on Enforced Disappearance		In process of ratification

Source: Ministry of Justice and Human Rights

Follow-up to concluding observations

81.Angola submitted its sixth periodic report (CEDAW/C/AGO/6), its replies to the Committee’s list of issues (CEDAW/C/AGO/Q/6/Add.1) and to the questions raised in the dialogue with the Committee during its fifty-fourth session. In response to the Committee’s request for written information concerning the implementation of the recommendations contained in paragraphs 14 (b), (c) and (e) and 34 (b), Angola submitted an 18-page report with 12 annexes, with information on implementation of the Beijing guidance, the national gender policy, the agrarian reform programme and the national poverty reduction strategy.

82.Angola also submitted an interim report (see the Committee’s website for replies to the questions received).

Technical assistance

83.Cooperation with the United Nations takes place in the framework of relations with various mechanisms through a set of specialized agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme, the International Labour Organization, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the Human Rights Council established to replace the Commission on Human Rights with a view to improving implementation and monitoring of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

84.In addition, the International Monetary Fund, an international institution, provides technical advisory services to the Angolan Government under a stand-by arrangement relating to the reforms that Angola is pursuing, which are expected to give Angola the credibility required to obtain new classification conditions and also strengthen the macroeconomic stabilization process in the country.

85.The economic arm of the African Union, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, has prioritized international cooperation projects in which the concept of “partnership” prevails over that of “assistance”, the aim being to foster effective development on the continent. This is one example of the African commitment, encouraged by the African Union, to work towards effective solutions to the problems affecting the region.

86.The strategic options relating to the positioning of Angola in the international and regional context are expressly laid out in the Long-term Development Strategy and include:

•Continued respect for and application of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the Constitutive Act of the African Union and the establishment of friendly relations and cooperation with all peoples and the State;

• Support for competitive participation in the global economy, diversifying bilateral relations to expand trade agreements, and scientific and technological cooperation with emerging countries, participating in negotiations and agreements for South-South cooperation and cooperation with tropical countries, strengthening trade relations and cultural and technological cooperation with the Portuguese-speaking countries within the framework of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries, and establishing trade understandings with the United States of America in relation to the Gulf of Guinea, in order to consolidate the Angolan presence in the region and negotiate trade partnerships with the European Union within the framework of the Southern African Development Community.

87.Other strategic options are related to the promotion of regional integration with leadership, either within the framework of the establishment of the regional common market or through political initiatives to ensure regional security and political stability or the establishment of Angola as a platform for coordination between the Southern African Development Community, the Economic Community of Central African States and the Gulf of Guinea region, as well as the expansion of the country’s participation in the global energy market.

III.Part I of the Convention, current situation

Article 1: Discrimination against women

88.The fight against various forms of discrimination against women, as a sociological phenomenon of human relationships, has received special attention from the executive branch, which has taken political, legislative and administrative measures in order to guard against situations that might lead to exclusion or restrictions based on sex. From a legal point of view, acts of discrimination are considered offences against the dignity of persons and are criminalized and punished under the Criminal Code, with sanctions ranging from 2 years’ imprisonment to 240 days’ fine.

Article 2: Constitutional and legal provisions guaranteeing the principle of equality between men and women

89.The legal framework for the protection and promotion of human rights, and in particular the rights of women, during the reporting period was amended owing to the need to establish a set of laws that would enable the practical application of constitutional provisions and of the justice and legal reform process in Angola, which aims to improve the aspects that seem out of step with the current context and align all domestic legislation with international human rights treaties.

90.In the area of legislation, a number of laws aimed at achieving the objective of promoting equality between men and women are in force in the country, including:

(a)National Assembly Resolution No. 9/02 of March 28, on gender;

(b) Act No. 25/11 of 14 June 2011, the Domestic Violence Act, which addresses violence as a form of discrimination;

(c)Presidential Decree No. 26/13 of 8 May, which approves the Executive Plan to Combat Domestic Violence and the Multisectoral Commission for the Implementation of the Plan and its timetable of activities;

(d)Presidential Decree No. 124/13 of 28 August, which approves the implementing regulations for the Domestic Violence Act;

(e)Presidential Decree No. 222/13 of 24 December, which approves the Gender Equality and Equity Policy;

(f)Presidential Decree No. 36/15 of 30 January, which approves the legal regime for recognition of domestic partnerships and dissolution of such partnerships, as a means of preventing analogous situations arising from such a relationship.

91.With regard to administrative and other measures, the following are worth noting:

(a)Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women, which aims to link planning instruments and community agents for the period 2009–2012, the Ministry’s Institutional Capacity-building Programme and the Programme for Strengthening Families and Family Competencies;

(b)Programme for Support on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women;

(c)Programme to Support Victims of Violence.

92.The public policy for the promotion of equality between men and women is overseen by the Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women. Independently of the functions of this ministerial department, responsibility for all principles relating to the elimination of discrimination and the promotion of equality among citizens is entrusted to the constitutionally recognized powers in the organization of the State, which include the sovereign bodies, the legislative branch and the judicial branch.

Article 3: Advancement of women and exercise of human rights

93.It is important to reaffirm that all Angolan laws and policy measures are drafted with a view to ensuring that their provisions are in line with the Constitution of the Republic and with international law in all domains (political, civil, social, economic and cultural), with the intention of ensuring the full development and advancement of women with regard to the rights of citizens and the obligations of the State. They also aim to ensure the exercise and enjoyment of the rights and fundamental freedoms of citizens, on a basis of equality between men and women.

94.Articles 22 and 23 of the Constitution establish the principles of universality and equality and enshrine, respectively: the enjoyment of rights, freedoms and guarantees, all subject to the obligations established under the Constitution and by law, and the equality of all under the Constitution and the law. These principles are in harmony with the concept of discrimination against women and the condemnation of this phenomenon established in the Convention.

Special measures for vulnerable groups, especially rural women

95.The National Strategy for Combating Poverty was developed in a context of consolidating peace and in response to the objectives and priorities set out in the Government’s programmes, which emphasize the need to promote broad and sustainable economic and social development in order to ensure that everyone will benefit in an equitable manner from the national reconstruction and development process. The overall objective is to consolidate peace and national unity through sustainable improvement of the living conditions of the neediest and most vulnerable Angolan citizens, encouraging them to participate actively in the process of economic and social development.

96.The programmes established under the Strategy have yielded visible positive results and made it possible to achieve objectives such as: enabling the return and establishment of residence of internally displaced persons, refugees and demobilized persons in their areas of residence or resettlement, integrating them in a sustainable manner into the economic and social life of the country; ensuring minimum conditions of physical safety for citizens through demining, disarmament and the maintenance of law and order throughout the national territory; mitigating the risk of hunger, meeting domestic food needs and relaunching the rural economy as a vital sector for sustainable development; controlling the spread of HIV/AIDS and mitigating the impact on people living with AIDS and their families; ensuring universal access to primary education, health services, drinking water, environmental sanitation, microcredit, cooperatives and entrepreneurial opportunities; and eliminating illiteracy and creating conditions for the protection and integration of young adolescents and persons with special educational needs, always ensuring gender equity.

97.The Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women carried out a dialogue and consultation process to hear the views of rural women and lend support to their efforts to achieve gender equality and prevent domestic violence. The Government assumed responsibility for creating the conditions needed to enable rural women to build and reap benefits from their human capital, thereby contributing to a prosperous, peaceful and democratic Angola.

Article 4: Adoption of special measures to accelerate the achievement of de facto equality between men and women

98.The following temporary special measures are in place: Act No. 22/10 of 3 December, the Political Parties Act, whose article 20 (m), on statutes and programming, provides that the statutes of political parties must mandatorily include rules that encourage the promotion of equality between men and women and ensure that women make up at least 30 per cent of their governing bodies at all levels. The Act also provides that electoral processes must ensure the reservation of parliamentary seats for women in order to ensure parity or representative percentages in terms of women’s right to participate in public and political life in Angola.

Article 5: Modification of social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women

Measures for the elimination of stereotypes and harmful practices

99.The main focus of efforts to eliminate stereotypes and harmful practices against women is the implementation of the Impact and Resource Mobilization Strategy for the Implementation and Monitoring of the National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity, with priority attention to the issue of domestic violence, which is a major concern, especially in relation to early marriage, polygamy, levirate and acts of violence against children and older women considered to be witches.

100.In the activities carried out throughout the country by the provincial governments and by national agencies, no cases of female genital mutilation or acts of violence against women of the San Community were identified. None of the studies carried out, including the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2001 and the Integrated Survey on the Well-being of the Population (IBEP) 2008–2009, found any cases of female genital mutilation being performed or any community reports of cases.

101.The Government has been working with the traditional authorities (sobas) to change negative cultural attitudes. These efforts are taking place in the framework of municipal social consultation councils and in collaboration with the presidents of the municipal residents’ councils and with churches. Traditional authorities have also been involved in the process of raising awareness about harmful practices.

Legal provisions prohibiting polygamy, early marriage, female genital mutilation and levirate

102.Marriage in Angola is permitted by law in accordance with article 35 of the Constitution. The law also regulates domestic partnerships as a union between a man and a woman for a certain period of time. Men and women are equal before the law.

103.According to data from the 2014 census, Angolan families are composed of an average of 4.6 people; 62 per cent of households are headed by men and 38 per cent by women; 14.1 per cent of Angolans are married, 3.5 per cent are widowed, 2.9 per cent are separated or divorced, 33.7 per cent live in domestic partnerships and 46 per cent are single.

Figure 5

Demographic and social indicators from the 2014 census

Indicators		Indicators
Qualitative	Quantitative		Qualitative	Quantitative
Total population	25,789,024 million		Per cent married	14.1%
Per cent women	52%		Per cent widowed	3.5%
Per cent men	48%		Per cent separated	2.5%
Family units	5,544,834		Per cent divorced	0.4%
Average family unit size	4.6		Per cent living in own home	76%
Per cent of households headed by men	62%		Per cent living in rented home	19%
Per cent of households headed by women	38%		Per cent unlawfully occupied homes	5%

Source: Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women/National Statistics Institute

104.Under article 24 of the Family Code, the minimum legal age for marriage is 18 years. In exceptional cases, men aged 16 and women aged 15 may be allowed to marry, when marriage is deemed to be the best option in the light of the circumstances and the interests of the minors. Authorization to marry is granted by the parents, guardians or other persons with responsibility for the minor. A court may also authorize the marriage of minors. In practice, terms, few minors marry.

105.Children are recognized as equals in terms of their filiation, regardless of whether they are born in or out of wedlock.

106.Forced marriage is considered a crime under Act No. 25/11 of 14 July, the Domestic Violence Act.

107.With a view to preventing such practices, on 29 July 2015 the Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women launched a national campaign to prevent early pregnancy and marriage in Angola. Campaign activities have included awareness-raising talks in schools, training events and the distribution of information cards on the causes and consequences of early pregnancy at youth rallies held in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and civil society.

108.A proposed national strategy for the prevention of early pregnancy and marriage 2018–2022 is currently in the approval phase, and priority activities are being planned to discourage these practices and promote the rights of children and adolescents; these activities are to be implemented by institutions of the State, civil society, the private sector, churches and other actors.

Article 6: Measures to suppress all forms of trafficking in women and exploitation and prostitution of women

109.Angola ratified the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, known as the Palermo Protocol, on 20 June 2010 (by means of National Assembly Resolution No. 21/10). It thus acknowledged the State’s duty to prevent and combat transnational organized crime and the need to take appropriate measures to combat it, including international cooperation and other measures at the regional level.

110.Act No. 3/14 of 10 February on the criminalization of offences underlying money-laundering, article 19 (1), of which provides that “anyone who offers, delivers, bribes, accepts, transports, houses or shelters persons for purposes of labour exploitation or extraction of organs, by means of violence, abduction or serious threat or through trickery or fraudulent means, by abusing authority resulting from a relationship of seniority, economic, work-related or family dependency, or by taking advantage of the mental incapacity or situation of special vulnerability of the victim, or by obtaining the consent of the person who has control over the victim, shall be punished by imprisonment for 8 to 12 years.”

111.As part of the efforts undertaken to eliminate these phenomena, the Act, especially its article 3, applies in respect of the following acts carried out in Angolan territory by nationals or foreigners and acts carried out abroad:

(a)Acts against Angolans by Angolans normally residing in Angola at the time of the act and found on Angolan soil;

(b)Acts by a perpetrator who is found in Angola and cannot be extradited or surrendered under an existing instrument of international cooperation that is binding on the Angolan State;

(c)Acts by Angolans or by foreigners against Angolans, where the perpetrators are found in Angola, or where the act is also punishable by law in the place in which it was committed, but no punitive action is taken in that place, or the act is an offence subject to extradition, but extradition cannot be authorized or it is decided not to hand over the perpetrator pursuant to an instrument of international cooperation that is binding on the Angolan State;

(d)Acts by foreign nationals found in Angola whose extradition has been requested, when the act is an offence subject to extradition, but extradition cannot be authorized or it is decided not to hand over the perpetrator pursuant to an instrument of international cooperation that is binding on the Angolan State;

(e)Acts by a legal person or against a legal person domiciled or effectively located in Angolan territory or against collective entities without legal personality located in Angolan territory.

112.The Act establishes the following penalties:

(a) For kidnapping, article 15 provides for prison sentences of 6 months to 15 years;

(b) For abduction, article 16 provides for prison sentences of 1 to 14 years;

(c) For hostage-taking, article 17 provides for prison sentences of 2 to 8 years;

(d) For slavery and servitude, article 28 provides for prison sentences of 1 to 15 years;

(e) For trafficking in persons, article 19 provides for prison sentences of 8 to 12 years;

(f) For trafficking in persons for purposes of sexual exploitation, article 20 provides for prison sentences of 2 to 10 years;

(g) For procuring, article 21 provides for prison sentences of 1 to 2 years;

(h) For procuring of minors, article 22 provides for prison sentences of 2 to 12 years;

(i) For trafficking in minors for purposes of sexual exploitation, article 23 provides for prison sentences of 3 to 15 years.

113.The Intersectoral Commission against Trafficking in Human Beings was created (by Presidential Decree No. 235/14 of 2 December) to ensure the protection, assistance, recovery, rehabilitation and social reintegration of victims. The Commission is coordinated by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and its members include the Ministers of Social Reintegration and Social Assistance; Foreign Affairs; the Interior; Public Administration, Employment and Social Security; Family and Promotion of Women; and Youth and Sports.

114.A number of activities have been carried out in the areas of prevention, dissemination and training of law enforcement officials and others, provision of protection to victims similar to the protection provided to victims of domestic violence, and prosecution of perpetrators. The Criminal Investigation Service has established a National Anti-Trafficking Unit, and activities have been carried out in collaboration with various State and non-State institutions. A number of cases have been investigated and brought to trial under Act No. 3/14.

115.Angola has taken action to combat human trafficking as a member of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries, the Southern African Development Community, the Economic Community of Central African States and the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region. In addition, Angola collaborates in the fight against trafficking in human beings with international organizations such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Organization for Migration and bilaterally with the United States of America.

IV.Part II of the Convention

Article 7: Elimination of all forms of discrimination in the political and public life of the country

116.Activities to raise societal awareness of the importance of women’s participation in decision-making are routinely carried out within the framework of programmes and policy measures, in particular the Programme for Support on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, under which various policy measures are being implemented, including the National Gender Policy, training for women entrepreneurs and women leaders, training of police instructors and staff of specialized units, among others.

117.The National School of Administration conducts training sessions for leaders and technical staff from all sectors, but especially the public sector.

118.With regard to the participation of women in political and public life, the Angolan State adheres strictly to the provisions of article 17 of the Constitution, which relates to political parties, and to Act No. 22/10 of 3 December, the Political Parties Act, which requires that women make up at least 30 per cent of the candidates fielded by political parties taking part in the general elections.

119.Presidential Decree No. 222/13 of 24 December approved the National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity and the Strategic Plan for the Policy, which promotes gender equality for men and women, with equal opportunities, rights and responsibilities in all spheres of economic, political and social life. It is based on the principles of gender equality, gender equity, non-discrimination, and respect for and recognition of the worth of the human person, as well as the principle of gender mainstreaming.

Figure 6

Women’s participation in political and public life, 2017

	Percentage
Office held	Men	Women
Legislators	63.2	36.8
Ministers	80.5	19.5
Secretaries of State	83.6	16.4
Provincial governors	88.9	11.1
Provincial lieutenant governors	80.5	19.5
Diplomats	70.1	29.9
Public magistrates	65.6	34.4
Judicial magistrates	69.0	31.0
High-level public officials	69.5	30.5

Source: Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women

Figure 7

Economic activity rate by sex

	Total	Men	Women
Angola	52.8	61.1	45.4

Source: 2014 census

Figure 8

Employment rate by sex

	Total	Men	Women
Angola	40.0	46.6	34.1

Source: 2014 census

120.By way of example, the percentage of female officials at the Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women is 70 per cent and at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights it is 49.1 per cent.

121.Measures have been taken in compliance with article 23 of the Constitution, on the principle of equality, which affirms the equality of all and protects all citizens from any situation that might harm them, deprive them or exclude them from the enjoyment of any right, for any reason relating to ancestry, sex, race, ethnicity, colour, disability, language, place of birth, religion, political, ideological or philosophical convictions, level of education, economic or social status or profession, thus providing safeguards against situations that night lead to discrimination.

122.Angola has a significant number of non-governmental associations, which attests to the openness to such organizations and to the capacity of women, including: the Angolan Women’s Organization, the Association of Women Entrepreneurs, the League of Angolan Women, the Angolan Association of Women Lawyers, the Women’s Network, the Association of Women Police, the Association of Women Parliamentarians, the Forum of Women Journalists for Gender Equality, the Association of Women Journalists, the Women in Action Platform and the Network of Women Living with HIV/AIDS.

Article 8: International representation and participation

123.Women’s opportunity to represent the Government at the international level is guaranteed by the Constitution and by law, as all citizens enjoy the same rights, without discrimination of any kind, domestically and abroad, to participate in representative bodies. The constitutional and legal guarantees are applied through:

(a)The National Gender Policy implemented by the Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women, with support from the Multisectoral Gender Coordination Council, civil society organizations, including political parties, and cooperation with United Nations bodies, such as the forum for sharing experiences created by the United Nations Development Programme;

(b)Academic and professional training policies, which call for personnel training with a gender perspective to protect the interests of the Republic of Angola, protect the rights of its citizens abroad and support and provide cultural and informative assistance to Angolan communities abroad;

(c)The foreign affairs and international cooperation policy of the Republic of Angola in all its facets, which calls for the affirmation of the country and the defence of its national interests in the international context, based on the principles of unity, interdependence and collaboration among bodies and services, as well as other State agencies with indirect participation in the implementation of the foreign policy of the Republic of Angola.

124.As can be seen from figure 6, on the participation of women in political and public life in 2017 (see article 7 above), women currently comprise 29.9 per cent of the diplomatic corps. At the international level, Angolan women have held regional positions in organizations such as the International Coffee Organization, the African Organization for Agriculture, the African Development Bank and the World Bank, and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Figure 9

Women’s participation in the diplomatic service

Source: Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women

Article 9: Nationality

125.The primary legal confirmation of Angolan nationality is birth registration, which enables the individual concerned to acquire an identity document. Birth registration is regulated by the Civil Registry Code, approved by means of Decree Law No. 131/95 of 6 June and updated by Acts No. 7/1, 23/13, 90/15, 143/15 and 2/16 and by Decrees Law 209/12 and 201/15, legislation that has served to expedite the process, as any citizens who do not have this important identification document can register for free. New births are registered by the competent services, especially births occurring in maternity hospitals throughout the country, including the most remote locations, as services are increasingly being made available closer to where citizens lives.

126.As part of a programme to expand civil registry services and facilitate the acquisition of identity documents, the “Citizen at Birth” project aims to register children born in Angolan maternity hospitals at birth. This project is receiving support from the United Nations Children’s Fund and the European Union.

127.Act No. 1/05 of 1 July, the Nationality Act, repealed Act No. 13/91 and changed the main rules establishing the conditions for attribution, acquisition, loss and recovery of Angolan nationality, bringing them into line with the new political and social conditions arising from the transformations under way in the country and setting out the modalities, the conditions for their application over time and their effects in relation to acquisition and loss of nationality.

128.Under the Act, the following persons are considered Angolan citizens by birth: children of fathers or mothers of Angolan nationality born in Angola; children of fathers or mothers of Angolan nationality born abroad, who are considered Angolan citizens by birth, unless there is evidence to the contrary, when the newborn is presented for registration in Angolan territory. As for the acquisition of Angolan nationality through filiation, nationality can be granted to minor children and children with a disability of fathers or mothers who have acquired Angolan nationality and who request Angolan nationality for their children, who can then opt for another nationality when they reach the age of majority. A child legally adopted by Angolan nationals acquires Angolan nationality, and all previous ties with the child’s natural family are severed, except where they might constitute an impediment to marriage or the recognition of a de facto union.

129.Regarding acquisition of nationality by marriage: a foreigner married to a national (man or woman) for more than five years, may, after the views of the spouse have been heard, apply for and acquire Angolan nationality by marriage, as can foreigners married to an Angolan national who lose their previous nationality because of the marriage. The annulment or declaration of invalidity of the marriage does not affect the nationality acquired by a spouse or partner who acquired it in good faith. Hence, the Nationality Act gives women equal rights and is completely in line with article 9 of the Convention.

130.Identification services operate in major cities, communities, towns and villages throughout the country and provide services without discrimination to minors, women and men to enable citizens to acquire their identity documents without problem. The process has become even easier with the introduction of computerized services.

Figure 10

Number of identity documents issued, 2013–2016

2013	2014	2015	2016	Total
1 156 164	1 632 114	1 543 888	1 086 404	5 418 570

Source: Ministry of Justice and Human Rights

Figure 11

Birth registered under the civil registry expansion campaign, 2017

Males	Females	Total
2 123 474	2 22 912	4 246 386

Source: Ministry of Justice and Human Rights

V.Part III of the Convention

Article 10: Elimination of discrimination against women in the field of education

Measures to ensure girls’ enrolment in school

131.The number of students at the different levels of the education system in Angola has risen significantly. From 2008 to 2012 there was an increase of 1,000,500 new students, which represents an overall growth rate of 26.5 per cent.

132. With regard to the measures implemented to prevent girls from being excluded from the education system, the Ministry of Education is developing, with the participation of parents and education administrators, a strategy to reactivate and strengthen the gender and human rights units in the provincial education directorates, which will have an impact on provincial schools in terms of ensuring a gender balance; providing psycho-educational support for victims of domestic violence, forced labour, orphanhood and early pregnancy; and eliminating gender-based discrimination and enhancing female participation in the education system.

133.At the primary level, the trend has been satisfactory, with the number of girls in the system growing by 5.03 per cent per year; in contrast, the number of boys rose by 4.43 per cent for the period 2013–2015.

134.At the lower secondary level, the gender parity index reflects a decline in female participation during the reporting period, as the index fell from 0.81 in 2012 to 0.68 in 2015. At the upper secondary level, female participation grew by 32.0 per cent, versus 27.7 per cent for males. As a result, the overall participation of girls at this level of education rose from 0.70 in 2012 to 0.78 in 2015.

Figure 12

Percentage distribution of males and females aged 15–49 years by highest level of schooling attended or completed

Females Males

Source: National Statistics Institute — Multiple Indicator and Health Survey

Figure 13

School attendance rate (percentage of school-age children who attend school)

Source: National Statistics Institute — Multiple Indicator and Health Survey

Adequate resources for education to increase the number of teachers and improve the quality of teacher training and school facilities

135.Resources were allocated under the national budget for 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 for the implementation of the following programmes: purchase of teaching materials for secondary education; purchase of technical textbooks for intermediate technical institutes; purchase of textbooks for the lower secondary level; preparation of textbooks for national languages; purchase of specialized teaching materials for special education; training of future teachers; professional technical training and development; teacher training and development of teaching materials for 22 intermediate institutes; introduction of computer technology in schools; maintenance of national schools and buildings; provision of education services; strategy for incorporation of teaching of national languages at the primary level; development and printing of textbooks for the lower secondary level; restructuring of the curriculum for the general education subsystem of Angola; holding of school sports events; and regulation of education activity.

136.The general objective of the aforementioned programmes is to increase the number of qualified teachers, improve facilities and ensure the rational distribution of materials produced internally and acquired abroad. Owing to fiscal constraints, the amounts allocated to the aforementioned programmes had to be adjusted in order to adapt them to the current situation and to the needs of the moment; accordingly, the following amounts were allocated: in 2013, 11,488,023,674; in 2014, 9,171,342,700; in 2015, 11,488,023,674; in 2016, 10,211,610,534; and in 2017, 11,467,631,990.00.

Figure 14

School attendance rate (percentage of school-age children who attend school)

Source: National budgets, 2013–2017

Strengthening of adult literacy programmes

137.Strengthening of adult literacy has required ensuring the continuity of and enhancing the adult literacy programme. Organizing and implementing the Literacy in the Workplace Programme and intensifying adult literacy training in rural areas have been priorities, as has improvement of the vocational training system.

138.One of the objectives of the education system in Angola was to achieve a 50 per cent increase in the number of literate adults, especially women, by 2015, by providing all adults with equitable access to basic and continuing education.

139.The literacy rate at the national level is 66 per cent among the population as a whole, 79 per cent in rural areas and 41 per cent in urban areas, according to data from the 2014 census.

140.As to differences between men and women in literacy rates, 58 per cent of women and 84 per cent of men know how to read (source: National Statistics Institute, Multiple Indicator and Health Survey 2015–2016).

Figure 15

Literacy rate among persons aged 15 years or more, by age group

15-24 years Men

Source: National Statistics Institute, Census 2014

Article 11: Elimination of discrimination against women in the field of employment

141.The Constitution of the Republic of Angola (art. 76) requires the State to guarantee the right to work by adopting and implementing an employment policy based on the principle of equality with a view to promoting opportunities for the selection of occupation or line of work and creating the necessary conditions so that access to work, or to academic training or the development of scientific, technical or professional skills, is not prohibited or limited by any form of discrimination.

142.The State policy adopted in compliance with this constitutional provision is aligned with article 11 of the Convention and pursues objectives and priorities intended to promote access for all Angolans to productive, skilled, remunerative and socially useful work and to ensure the continued development of national human resources and promote the employment of young people and support their smooth transition from the education system to working or economically active life.

143.In Angola, there is no legal provision that distinguishes or differentiates wages on the basis of gender, in either the public or the private sector.

144.The General Labour Act (Act No. 7/15 of 15 June) establishes, in its article 272, the protection of maternity as one of the special rights of working women and sets out the following provisions relating to women’s employment during pregnancy and after childbirth:

(a) Employers may not require women to perform, or reduce their salaries for failing to perform, tasks that are contraindicated for their condition or that would require them to work in uncomfortable or harmful positions, and must ensure that they have jobs that are suited to their condition.

(b) Employers may not require women to work overtime or transfer them to another job or workplace, unless it is located in the same geographical area and represents an improvement in their employment situation.

(c) In the case of shift work, the General Labour Inspectorate may not authorize any night work for women, even in cases of force majeure, that causes any abnormal change in the operations of the workplace, even where the raw materials being processed are susceptible to rapid deterioration, with an attendant risk of inevitable loss thereof if the work does not continue, and even where the worker has agreed to work such shifts.

(d) Women may not be dismissed, except for a disciplinary infraction that makes it immediately and practically impossible to maintain the legal-employment relationship; they must be allowed two breaks of half an hour each per day to breastfeed a child, without any reduction of salary, provided that the child is cared for at the workplace or in a day-care facility operated by the employer, and must also be granted maternity leave.

145.The prohibitions on requiring women to perform contraindicated work and work overtime, be transferred to another workplace and perform night work apply for up to three months after childbirth and may in some cases be extended, if a doctor certifies that such an extension is warranted for medical reasons. The prohibition of dismissal except for serious disciplinary infractions applies for up to one year after the birth. Daily breaks for breastfeeding may be taken at times chosen by the worker.

146.Women workers are entitled to three months’ maternity leave, which may begin four weeks before the expected date of the birth and continue for the remaining time after the birth; the period of leave may be extended for another four weeks in the case of multiple births. In the event that the birth takes place after the expected due date, the period of leave will be increased by the necessary time so that it lasts for nine complete weeks after the birth. Employers may not allow a worker to return to work during the first few weeks after childbirth, even if she does not intend to take her full maternity leave.

147.The employer must advance the maternity allowance to the worker through the social security system, up to the net amount of remuneration that she would have received if she had continued working; maternity leave is thus considered to be working time for all intents and purposes, except for the corresponding remuneration that is the responsibility of the social security system.

148.With regard to maternity leave in anomalous situations, such as miscarriage or stillbirth, the leave takes place after the fact and for a period of six weeks, and the worker cannot refuse to take leave. If a child dies before the end of maternity leave, the period of leave ends, provided that six weeks have passed since the birth, and the worker returns to work one week after the death.

149.Up to four weeks’ additional maternity leave may be granted after the ordinary maternity leave has ended, provided the length of the additional period is agreed in advance with the employer and provided that the company does not have a day-care facility, so that the worker can care for her child, but the worker will not be entitled to be paid during this additional period. During pregnancy and for up to 15 months after giving birth, women workers have the right to miss one day per month, without loss of salary, for reasons relating to their own health and the care of their child.

Regulation of informal sector employment

150.Presidential Decree No. 155/16 of 9 August establishes a legal and social protection scheme for domestic workers. It defines which workers are domestic workers (a large proportion of whom are women) and requires the payment of a mandatory contribution to the social protection system for such workers, with six per cent to be paid by the employer and two per cent by the beneficiary.

151.The aim of this law is to remove thousands of citizens from the informal sector, especially women.

152.During the interim between the date on which Presidential Decree No. 155/16 of August 9 was issued and the date on which it took effect, various training and awareness-raising activities were carried out with the participation of a variety of social actors, from social collaborators to the general public, in order to inform the beneficiaries of the law about its provisions.

153.In addition to the information, training and workshops, taking into account the provisions of the law on the formalities and specific conditions relating to the domestic work contract, the technical conditions were created for the issuance of employment record booklets and time sheets and for registration in the mandatory social protection system (social security) in various service centres in order to expedite and simplify the process throughout the national territory, which has resulted in the registration of 616 domestic workers so far in the mandatory social protection system.

Women’s access to microfinance and microcredit

154.In order to combat poverty, promote development and help strengthen small businesses, the Government has made use of microcredit in the form of loans granted by banks, such as Banco Sol, Banco de Poupança e Crédito (BPC) and the African Investment Bank AIB-Microfinance), for small agricultural producers located in rural and peri-urban areas.

155.The beneficiaries are groups of three to seven farmers who receive a minimum amount equivalent to US$ 100 and a maximum of US$ 1,500, available by group from all BPC agencies for a period of 18 years. The term of the loan and the forms of repayment depend on the types of crops. Repayment is made through daily deposits of income received, with loan guarantees provided by all members of the group. However, the aforementioned banks have not been able to meet the needs of disadvantaged populations to the intended extent, owing to risk-averseness.

156.As it is necessary to give this important segment of the population an opportunity so that groups of farmers can demonstrate their skills, and to create the necessary conditions for them to function as small businesses, the possibility of establishing specialized banks in Angola to provide microcredit to the rural population is being explored, as microcredit is an important instrument for combating poverty and promoting social equity. The creation of a fund to cover new risks associated with granting microcredit to rural women is also being considered, given the difficulty in mobilizing sufficient resources for this purpose.

Article 12: Elimination of discrimination against women in the field of health

Access to health services and strengthening of the National Health System

157.In line with the Committee’s general recommendation No. 24 (1999) on the implementation of article 12 of the Convention, the Angolan Government continues to develop policies to strengthen municipal health systems and the essential care package for mothers and children and to improve the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the population in relation to maternal and child health. These efforts have translated into an increase in annual budgets for training of technical staff in the areas of diagnosis and treatment, laboratory, supervision, treatment of uncomplicated cases of incomplete abortion, family planning and family skills.

158.With the aim of carrying out ongoing activities and programmes for the development of the pharmaceutical sector and the management of medical devices; procurement management and expenditure for health sector supplies and logistics; provision of primary and hospital care; promotion of employment, training and continued professional development of national human resources; institutional training; combating major endemic diseases; management and expansion of the health network; improvement of the quality of health services; and improvement of maternal and child health, the following amounts were allocated to the health sector under the annual national budgets (in Angolan kwanzas): for 2011, 67,174,205,304; for 2012, 81,794,671,660; for 2013, 81,794,671,660; for 2014, 120,275,532,467; for 2015, 77,585,993,645; and for 2016, 93,468,768,204.

159.The national budget for the year 2015 was prepared in a context of great uncertainty owing to the evolution of petroleum prices, in particular the magnitude and the duration of the recent decline, a situation that led to a subsequent revision of the budget.

160.In order to achieve the established objectives and priorities and to eliminate obstacles to women’s access to medical treatment, political measures were implemented to improve and increase the capacity of hospital services, combat major endemic diseases (malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, trypanosomiasis and other diseases) and train human resources at the local level so that patients would not have to travel long distances.

161.As a result of the rehabilitation of infrastructure and the construction of new facilities with state-of-the-art equipment as part of the effort to make health services available at the municipal level and render them more accessible to urban, peri-urban and rural populations, the estimated ratio of hospital beds per inhabitant is: in 2012, 8 per cent; in 2013, 10 per cent; in 2014, 12 per cent; in 2015, 13 per cent; in 2016, 14 per cent; in 2017, 16 per cent. This situation, while not yet meeting expectations, enabled qualitative and quantitative progress in ensuring people’s access to health services without any discrimination.

162.Deliveries are officially performed in hospital units, in particular maternity wards and maternal and child centres, by midwives or by skilled personnel, including doctors and nurses, where professional midwives are not available, a situation that has improved as a result of intensive training of health personnel. An estimated 22.8 per cent of births still occur at home, mostly with the support of trained traditional birth attendants, who are supervised and provided with guidance under the national health system throughout the country.

163.With regard to training in this area, the National Development Plan established an annual training goal of 564 traditional birth attendants, a number that was exceeded, as some 2,000 were trained in 2012, 1,305 in 2013, 673 in 2014, 1,187 in 2015, 792 in 2016 and 350 in 2017, significant numbers that indicate the Government’s interest in addressing, by this means, the problem of maternal mortality.

164.The cooperation agreement established between the Government and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 1978 was carried out through Angolan programmes that, during the period 2009–2014, were extended to all 18 provinces. Notable achievements included the provision of training to health professionals in 2017 and the opening of the National Centre for the Treatment of Obstetric Fistula at the Municipal Hospital of Damba in 2010. As of the end of 2014, the year that marked the start of the expansion of obstetric fistula treatment at the Lucrecia Paim Hospital in Luanda, the largest maternity hospital in Angola, more than 400 women from all provinces had received treatment for this condition. The United Nations Population Fund in Angola produced a video on obstetric fistula that raises awareness about the condition and calls for action to be taken to eradicate poverty.

Reduction of maternal and child mortality

165.The most recent results recorded in the country indicate progress: life expectancy increased from 48 years for both sexes in 2009 to 60 years in 2014; infant mortality fell from 116 per 1,000 live births in 2009 to 44; and under-5 child mortality decreased from 194 to 68 in 2015. The number of pregnancy-related deaths among women aged 15–49 is 239 deaths per 100,000 live births.

Figure 16

Maternal mortality, Angola, 2013–2015

Source: Reports from provincial health directorates

Education on sexual rights and reproductive health and prevention of early pregnancy

166.With regard to ensuring that reproductive health services are accessible to all women and adolescents, there is a National Sexual and Reproductive Health Plan, which is implemented by the Ministry of Health.

167.According to data from the 2015–2016 Multiple Indicator and Health Survey (IIMS), the vast majority (825) of women aged 15 to 49 who had a live-born child in the last five years had at least one antenatal care visit with a qualified health professional; 54 per cent were seen by a nurse, 16 per cent by a doctor and 12 per cent by a midwife.

Figure 17

Trend of antenatal care coverage provided by skilled health professionals

Source: National Statistics Institute, Multiple Indicator and Health Survey

168.In addition, there are other sexual and reproductive health programmes led by the Ministry of Health in the areas of family planning; prevention and treatment of infertility and sexual dysfunction in women and men; prevention of induced abortion and treatment of complications; prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections; management of HIV/AIDS; comprehensive health care for adolescents and youth; care for victims of violence and sexual abuse; prevention and control of colon uterine, breast and prostate cancer; and care during menopause and andropause. In addition, an integrated adolescent and youth health action strategy (National Public Health Directorate, United Nations Population Fund, United Nations Children’s Fund, United States Agency for International Development) is being implemented, with distribution of condoms free of charge in all provinces.

Figure 18

Percentage of currently married women aged 15–49 years who use contraceptives

Sexually active unmarried women Currently married women Any method Any modern Injections Contraceptive Male A traditional method pill condom method

Source: National Statistics Institute, Multiple Indicator and Health Survey

169.Awareness-raising among adolescents about sexual and reproductive health has been carried out by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women, which coordinates the National Commission for Prevention and Auditing of Maternal and Neonatal Deaths.

170.To prevent early pregnancy, the Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women launched, on 29 July 2015, the “United Against Early Pregnancy and Marriage in Angola” campaign, which was carried out nationwide over two years. During this period, awareness-raising talks were given in schools, training events were carried out and information cards about the causes and consequences of early pregnancy were distributed at youth rallies held in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and civil society.

171.In addition, a proposed national strategy for the prevention of early pregnancy and marriage 2018–2022 is currently in the approval phase, and priority activities are being planned to discourage these practices and promote the rights of children and adolescents; these activities are to be implemented by institutions of the State, civil society, the private sector, churches and other actors.

Legislation on abortion

172.Under the Constitution, the State protects life, and the interruption of pregnancy is regulated under the current Criminal Code. The draft new Criminal Code establishes the applicable circumstances and sanctions for the performance of abortion. This topic calls for a broad discussion among those who support free access to abortion and those who support the prohibition of any means of eliminating a fetus (intrauterine life).

Implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Strategy to Combat HIV/AIDS

173.The programme currently under way to combat HIV/AIDS has the following central objectives: universal access of the sexually active population to information, education and services, including condoms, counselling and voluntary testing; reduction in the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections among vulnerable populations to 25 per cent; reduction of the risk of HIV contamination of blood between 1 per cent and 3 per cent; research on seroprevalence and subtyping of circulating HIV strains in the country; and expansion of access by persons infected or affected by HIV/AIDS to voluntary counselling and testing services, psychosocial support, antiretroviral therapy and other essential services, including health, education and nutrition services.

174.The factors driving the epidemic in Angola are of a social, economic and cultural nature and include:

(a)High rates of illiteracy;

(b)High rates of migration and establishment of new population settlements;

(c)Gender inequalities;

(d)Early initiation of sexual relations;

(e)Casual sexual encounters;

(f)Lack of knowledge and existence of preconceptions about the risk of sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS;

(g)Sexual practices without protection and rejection of the use of condoms;

(h)Male polygamy;

(i)Cultural and religious barriers to the use of prevention methods.

175.Sexual transmission is the primary means of HIV transmission in Angola, according to the Fourth National Strategic Plan to Combat AIDS, which references a study indicating that more than 86 per cent of cases originated through sexual transmission. The infection is transmitted by sex workers and their clients, as well as by men who have sex with men (Respondent-driven sampling among men who have sex with men, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Global AIDS Program).

176.The overall prevalence of AIDs in Angola is estimated at 2.38 per cent among the population aged 15–49 years. Based on sentinel surveillance among pregnant women, which has been carried out regularly since 2004 in Angola, supplemented with non-extrapolatable information, the estimated prevalence is 7.2 per cent and 8.2 per cent among sex workers and homosexual men, respectively.

177.Among pregnant women, sentinel surveillance puts overall seroprevalence at 3 per cent, with a lower rate of 2 per cent among young pregnant women aged 14 to 24 years.

178.This information is contained in the Global AIDS Response Progress Report (GARPR 2014), framed in the context in which the United Nations General Assembly conducted a midterm review in 2013, in which it found, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), that the value of the annual report lies in its contribution to the strengthening of the national monitoring and evaluation system around a set of basic indicators, within a relatively short time frame (1 year).

179.The report demonstrates the commitment of the Angolan Government to the implementation of the National Strategy to Combat HIV/AIDS 2012–2014. Recording of the information necessary for the preparation of the report was coordinated by the National Institute for the Fight against AIDS and involved partners from United Nations agencies (UNAIDS), the public and private sectors and civil society (NGOs).

180.As a result of the implementation of the Strategy, there are provincial reports that provide important data on the evolution of seroprevalence, the analysis of which confirms verify that there has been a downward trend since 2004.

181.Increased access for women and young people, particularly in rural areas, to basic health services and the elimination of obstacles impeding women’s access to medical treatment, including sociocultural norms, have been addressed through the implementation of a specific programme aimed at achieving the following goals: universal access for the sexually active population to information, education and services, including condoms, counselling and voluntary testing, in proportions defined under specific programmes in an extended manner for all people infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.

Article 13: Measures to eliminate discrimination against women in other areas of economic and social life

182.The elimination of all forms of discrimination against women in all areas of life, including the economic and social spheres, is part of the legislation and the public policies adopted by the Government, and a series of measures have been implemented to that end. For example, Act No. 7/04, the Social Protection Act, which seeks to ensure the full participation of women in the labour market, provides for, among other measures, a maternity allowance for working women who meet the requirements set forth therein and a food allowance that covers living children of the insured fully for up to 36 months after birth.

183.The amount of the food subsidy and the family allowance is determined on a sliding scale, with higher amounts going to those whose remuneration (wage) is lower, based on the remuneration received by the insured or the pensioner in relation to the national minimum wage. At the time of childbirth, a working woman is entitled to a maternity leave of three months, which may begin four weeks before the expected date of the birth and continue for the remaining time after the birth; the period of leave may be extended for another four weeks in the case of multiple births.

184.The amount of the subsidy paid to a woman who is enjoying pre-maternity leave is equivalent to 60 per cent of the average of her two highest monthly remunerations in the six months preceding the start of maternity leave, paid by the employer within 30 days of the start of the leave period, through completion of the process required by means of submission of the certificate or form to be approved by the Minister of Social Protection. The maternity allowance is calculated from the first day of leave and is paid for the entire period of maternity leave, from the time of the birth, or four weeks before the expected date of the birth, and for any additional period defined by law.

185.In order for a person to receive the food subsidy, certain conditions must be met, such as having contributed to the social security systems during 3 months in the previous 12 months, having registered the birth of the child and having had the child vaccinated in accordance with the vaccination schedule established by the Ministry of Health.

Article 14: Women in rural areas

186.The Angolan Government is developing a policy aimed at creating favourable conditions for rural women, especially in fulfilment of the commitments set out in the National Development Plan and in response to the results of the national forum held to hear rural women’s views on 7 August 2014.

187.The general data collected indicate that the views expressed during the forum by more than 40,000 women in rural and peri-urban areas in all provinces of the country were carefully and patiently examined by specialists from various spheres of knowledge, who produced documents that were made public, which described the political will and the aspirations of rural women in Angola today, especially women farmers. This information facilitated the Government’s consideration of measures to address to the concerns in the main areas of interest to women, including: access to land, natural and technological resources; access to credit for the purchase of equipment and materials for agriculture; access to electricity, water and basic sanitation; access to employment and vocational-occupational training; literacy and education; housing; health and kits for traditional birth attendants; gender equality and participation; domestic violence; culture; positive traditional habits; and birth registration and acquisition of an identity document.

188.To support the economic activities of rural women, it is proposed to promote the productive and social organization of rural women, support the processing of agricultural products, develop the skills of development agents at the central and local levels, encourage the creation of local development agencies and promote the updating of the legal framework for rural development.

VI.Part IV of the Convention

Article 15: Recognition of equality between women and men before the law (civil matters)

189.The State is subject to the provisions of the Constitution and functions on the basis of legality, applying, respecting and enforcing duly approved or ratified laws, treaties and international agreements. The constitutional principles of universality and equality, in line with the precepts of international treaties, enable all Angolan citizens to enjoy the rights, freedoms and guarantees enshrined therein and also makes them subject to duties, including those who reside or are staying abroad subject to the protection of the State.

190.As the Constitution recognizes the right of all citizens to enter into contracts and other private instruments without discrimination on the basis of sex or any other reason, any and all laws that regulate such instruments preventively nullify any clause or procedure that contains provisions that might limit the legal capacity of women.

191.Employment contracts are the means by which a worker agrees to perform an occupational activity for an employer, within the scope of the organization and at the direction and under the authority of the latter, in exchange for remuneration. The legal-employment relationship is established with the conclusion of the employment contract, which sets out the rights and duties of the parties. There may be legal-employment relationships of a special nature in some circumstances, but any clause or stipulation of the contract that contravenes legal norms is considered null and void, as is any clause that discriminates against a worker on the basis of age, employment, occupation, wage, duration of employment or other working conditions, race, colour, sex, citizenship, ethnic origin, marital status, social status, religious or political views, union affiliation, kinship with other workers in the company or language.

192.Freedom of movement is constitutionally guaranteed for all citizens and is a right that is freely exercised. Article 46 of the Constitution stipulates that citizens are free to establish residence, move to and remain in any part of Angola, and to emigrate and leave the country and return to it, subject to any applicable constitutional or legal restrictions.

Article 16: Marriage and family relations

193.With regard to family, marriage and children, the Constitution (art. 35) establishes that the family is the basic unit for the organization of society and is entitled to special protection from the State, whether it is based on marriage or a de facto union between a man and a woman. The Constitution also establishes that everyone has the right to freely establish a family, in which men and women are equal in terms of rights and duties, just as they are in society and the State.

194.The Family Code, approved by means of Act No. 1/88 of 2 February establishes, in its articles 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively, the protection of the family, harmony and responsibility within the family, equality between men and women and protection of the equality of children.

195. Article 24 of the current Family Code establishes that: (1) only persons over 18 years of age may marry; (2) in exceptional cases, men aged 16 and women aged 15 may be allowed to marry, when marriage is deemed to be the best option in the light of the circumstances and the interests of the minors; (3) authorization for minors to marry is granted by the parents, guardians or other persons with responsibility for the minor; a court may also authorize the marriage of minors, after hearing the opinion of the Family Council when non-authorization is deemed unjustified.

196.According to data from the 2014 census, Angolan families are composed of an average of 4.6 people; 62 per cent of households are headed by men and 38 per cent by women; 14.1 per cent of Angolans are married, 3.5 per cent are widowed, 2.9 per cent are separated or divorced, 33.7 per cent live in domestic partnerships and 46 per cent are single.

197. Children are recognized as equals in terms of their filiation, regardless of whether they are born in or out of wedlock.

198.Forced marriage is considered a crime under Act No. 25/11 of 14 July, the Domestic Violence Act.

199.To prevent early pregnancy, the Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women launched, on 29 July 2015, the “United Against Early Pregnancy and Marriage in Angola” campaign, which was carried out nationwide over two years. During this period, awareness-raising talks were given in schools, training events were carried out and information cards about the causes and consequences of early pregnancy were distributed at youth rallies held in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and civil society.

200.A proposed national strategy for the prevention of early pregnancy and marriage 2018–2022 is currently in the approval phase, and priority activities are being planned to discourage these practices and promote the rights of children and adolescents; these activities are to be implemented by institutions of the State, civil society, the private sector, churches and other actors.

201.According to the Multiple Indicator and Health Survey 2015–2016 conducted by the National Statistics Institute, the average age at first marriage is 20.5 years for women aged 25–49 and 24.4 years for men in the same age group.

202.Three out of every 10 women (30 per cent) marry before the age 19 and about half marry before the age of 20 (47 per cent). The percentages are lower among men: 7 per cent marry or form a domestic partnership before the age of 18 and 21 per cent before the age of 20.

203.Angola plans to improve the representation of women with regard to equality before the law, gradually reducing harmful cultural practices through formal and informal education. In the public sector, a situation of parity may be achieved in many ministerial departments in the coming years, given the increase in the number of women attending universities and institutes.