List of tables and figures

Table 1: Applications for legal aid from 2012 to 2014

Table 2: Data on gender-based violence, 2010–2016

Table 3: Status of settled proceedings concerning gender-based violence, January 2014–October 2015

Table 4: Court decisions, 2012–2015

Table 5: Staff of the justice system in 2016

Table 6: School attendance at the beginning of the 2015/16 school year, girls and boys

Table 7: Changes in numbers of teachers, pupils and classrooms at different levels of education

Table 8: Literacy students and facilitators in 2015, by gender

Figure 1: Representation of women in public and political life

Figure 2: Growth of the health budget

Introduction

1.The State of Côte d’Ivoire, in accordance with the commitments set out in the regional texts and international legal instruments that it has ratified, hereby submits its periodic report on implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women for the period 2011–2015.

2.Following its ratification of the Convention in 1995, Côte d’Ivoire presented a combined report (initial, second and third periodic reports) to the Committee at its October 2011 session, which took place in Geneva. In that context, the Committee made 80 recommendations for the effective implementation of the Convention.

3.Côte d’Ivoire is committed to promoting the well-being of its people, with a view to becoming an emerging market by 2020. To that end, the Government formulated two successive national development plans, in 2012 and 2016, which are strategy documents designed to strengthen good governance and human development.

4.However, despite these efforts, Côte d’Ivoire is still finding it difficult to fulfil some of its commitments related to women’s fundamental rights.

5.The present report reflects the progress made in the advancement of women in Côte d’Ivoire since 2011. The preparation and adoption of the report were the results of a participatory and multisectoral process.

6.The report is divided into two main parts, dedicated respectively to the development process of Côte d’Ivoire and to the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations (which were formulated following the presentation of the combined initial to third periodic reports).

Part One: Development process of Côte d’Ivoire and major advances

Major advances

Legal and institutional reforms

Ratification of legal instruments (conventions)

7.Côte d’Ivoire ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 10 January 2014, after signing it on 7 June 2007.

8.In addition, the Head of State has increased, exceptionally, the number of public service positions for persons with disabilities from 94 to 300. At the same time, the Government is launching information and awareness-raising campaigns targeting employers, to encourage the recruitment of persons with disabilities.

Domestic legislation

•Act No. 2016-886 of 8 November 2016 establishes the Constitution of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, which recognizes the rights, freedoms and duties of every Ivorian woman and man, and clearly and expressly mentions the fight against gender-based discrimination in its articles 4 and 37.

•Decree No. 2016-781 of 12 October 2016 on the procedures for implementation of Act No. 72-833 of 21 December 1972, containing the Code of Civil, Commercial and Administrative Procedure, as it relates to legal assistance. The Decree strengthens access to justice for women victims who are destitute.

•Decree No. 2014-842 of 17 December 2014 concerning the establishment, organization and operation of the National Observatory for Equity and Gender.

•Circular No. 005 of 18 March 2014 of the Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Public Liberties and Interministerial Circular No. 016/MJ/MEMIS/MPRD of 4 August 2016 relating to the receipt of complaints concerning incidents of gender-based violence make provision for the first level of reporting of cases of gender-based violence.

•Decree No. 1651/MEME/CAB of 5 June 2012, containing the Police Reception Charter.

Institutional reform

9.The establishment of the National Women’s Council and the reform of the security sector made it possible for girls to attend the Technical Military Preparatory School (beginning in the 2013/14 academic year) and for women to join the National Gendarmerie (as of 2014).

Admission of girls to the Technical Military Preparatory School and of women to the National Gendarmerie

10.The Government has made efforts to improve gender equality by opening the Technical Military Preparatory School to girls in 2013 and authorizing women to join the National Gendarmerie in 2014.

Network of gender and police journalists

11.Roughly ten press and media organizations represented by some 30 journalists established the network of gender and police journalists in November 2014.

Support Fund for the Women of Côte d’Ivoire

12.The Support Fund for the Women of Côte d’Ivoire was established in 2012 by the First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire, Ms. Dominique Ouattara.

Establishment of the Federation of Women Cocoa Producers

13.The purpose of this Federation is to assist women cocoa producers with capacity-building for production and distribution.

Issuance of land certificates to women

14.The issuance of land certificates to 277 women beneficiaries marks the beginning of an era of equality between rural men and women. Community awareness-raising activities on rural land tenure have been carried out under the aegis of the Rural Land Agency, which was created by Decree No. 2016-590 of 3 August 2016 on its establishment, responsibilities, organization and functioning.

National Commission for the Family

15.The National Commission for the Family was established in response to an urgent need to strengthen the fundamental values of the family environment and community life.

Family meet-ups

16.“Family meet-ups”, launched in 2015 by the Ministry for the Advancement of Women and the Family and the Protection of Children, are spaces for interaction reserved for families, designed to further the President of the Republic’s noble vision of learning how to live together.

Côte d’Ivoire Compendium of Women’s Skills

17.The Côte d’Ivoire Compendium of Women’s Skills was established on 4 October 2011 by the Gender Adviser to the President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, to enhance the profile, participation and leadership of women in the management of public and private affairs.

Enforcement of the 1998 law on female genital mutilation

18.Act No. 98-757 of 23 December 1998 penalizing female genital mutilation has been enforced since 2012. Practitioners and sponsors of excision ceremonies have been sentenced in various jurisdictions.

Part Two: Status of implementation of the recommendations, difficulties, challenges, and ways forward

19. The Committee recalls the State party’s obligation to systematically and continuously implement all the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and views the concerns and recommendations identified in the present concluding observations as requiring the priority attention of the State party. The Committee calls on the State party to disseminate the present concluding observations to all relevant ministries, the Parliament and the judiciary, so as to ensure their full implementation and recommends that the State party disseminate the Convention, in particular to civil society (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 12) .

20.On 14 October 2011, Côte d’Ivoire presented its combined initial to third periodic reports to the Committee at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Various recommendations were addressed to Côte d’Ivoire. A road map has been created to facilitate the provision of feedback on the Committee’s recommendations and create a plan for putting them into practice.

Implementation of recommendations

National Assembly

21. The Committee stresses that the Convention is binding on all branches of the State apparatus, and invites the State party to encourage Parliament, in line with its procedures, where appropriate, to take the necessary steps with regard to the implementation of the present concluding observations and the visibility of the Convention (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 13).

22.The National Assembly of Côte d’Ivoire and other national institutions are working to improve women’s share of decision-making positions. In that regard, during the last legislative term, 3 women Vice-Presidents were appointed compared with 8 men, 2 women bureau secretaries were appointed compared with 10 men, and 3 women chairs of permanent commissions were appointed compared with 3 men; and a woman was appointed by a ministry to chair a commission. The Head of State follows a policy designed to enhance women’s participation in elections and increase their representation in decision-making positions during the next legislative session.

23.The creation of a caucus of parliamentary women in 2014 has fostered a support framework of technical and financial partners to assist women members of Parliament (the partners include the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), the State University of New York Center for International Development in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)).

Implementation and visibility of the Convention

24. The Committee highlights the importance of establishing a link between the restoration of the rule of law and the integration of the Convention in all reconstruction policies. It also recommends that the State party implement the Convention in all areas of life, particularly in humanitarian support, access to justice and assistance to victims of violence during the post-electoral crisis, and link the implementation of the Convention with the application of the National Action Plan for the Implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 15).

25.The Convention has been disseminated by the Ministry for the Advancement of Women and the Family and the Protection of Children, and by civil society organizations such as Organisation Nationale pour l’Enfant, la Femme et la Famille (national organization for children, women and the family). It is used as a reference and orientation document for a variety of activities for the promotion and protection of the rights of women and girls among stakeholders (awareness-raising, training, drafting of legislation, responses, ratification of treaties, etc.).

Definition of gender discrimination

26. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt amendments to the Constitution or national legislation, which include a clear definition and prohibition of all forms of discrimination against women, both direct and indirect, in accordance with articles 1 and 2 of the Convention (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 17).

27.The new 2016 Constitution takes into consideration the need to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women. Article 4 enshrines the principle of the equality of all citizens and includes a list of grounds on which discrimination is prohibited. This provision is also noted in its articles.

Discriminatory laws

28. Give priority attention to the elaboration of new laws as well as the review and repeal of discriminatory provisions in existing laws, in cooperation with relevant organizations, in order to achieve de jure equality and to enable de facto equality for women, in compliance with the State party’s obligations under the Convention (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 19 (a)).

29.Association des Femmes Juristes de Côte d’Ivoire (association of women jurists of Côte d’Ivoire) and the Network of African Women Ministers and Parliamentarians — Côte d’Ivoire have identified discriminatory legislation in cooperation with the Ministry for the Advancement of Women and the Family and the Protection of Children. Proposed revisions of the Persons and Family Code and the Criminal Code that include the amendment and elimination of discriminatory legislation are being validated.

30.The urgent need to restore equality in key social and economic sectors has led to the repeal, amendment or adoption of legislation. In that regard, the Marriage Act was adopted on 25 January 2013, enshrining the principle of joint household management by the spouses and abandoning the concept of head of the family.

31.Significant reforms have been made since 20 July 2015 to the labour legislation governing private sector companies, in particular Act 2015-532 of 20 July 2015, which devotes a chapter to the work of persons with disabilities.

32. Enact, without delay, a comprehensive law on violence against women (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 19 (b)).

33.Côte d’Ivoire has been unable to draft specific legislation on violence against women as recommended in the National Strategy for Combating Gender-based Violence adopted in 2014. Nonetheless, the reform of the judicial system begun in 2012 has made it possible to prevent and deal with cases of violence.

34. Carry out a complete review of discriminatory provisions regarding personal status laws, including marriage, divorce, inheritance and granting of all decision-making power to men within the family, and amend, without delay, its Personal and Family Code with respect to these matters (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 19 (c)).

35. Repeal discriminatory provisions in the laws on nationality, income tax and employment, in conformity with relevant provisions of the Convention (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 19 (d)).

36.Pursuant to relevant provisions of the Convention, measures have been taken for the repeal of discriminatory provisions on nationality, income tax and employment.

37.With regard to nationality, men and women are treated equally with regard to acquiring citizenship.

38.Regarding employment, since 20 July 2015 there has been a chapter devoted to the work of persons with disabilities that complies with International Labour Organization (ILO) standards.

39.Finally, regarding income tax, employed women now enjoy equality with men in terms of income tax deductions.

Access to justice

40. Ensure effective access by women to courts and tribunals, in particular women victims of violence suffered during the post-election crisis (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 21 (a)).

41.To alleviate the suffering of the victims of the post-election crisis, UN-Women launched a project to restore the rights of women who had been victims of sexual violence during the post-election period, in collaboration with the Ministry for the Advancement of Women and the Family and the Protection of Children and with the financial support of the European Union. In that context, 67 of the 70 expected case files were compiled and sent to the Special Commission of Inquiry; 54 of the 67 women complainants received expert medical attention; and 41 complainants attended an average of four sessions each of psychological counselling.

42.In that regard, Order 1651/MEME/CAB of 5 June 2012 on the police public reception charter improves access to police services and provides for the victims of gender-based criminal offences to be given priority attention.

43.Finally, bulletins from the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Public Freedoms and interministerial communications facilitate the reporting of complaints of gender-based violence.

44. Develop a comprehensive policy aimed at strengthening the judicial system, including by enhancing logistical and human resources, and finalize, without delay and with the assistance of the international community, the reform of the judicial system (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 21 (b)).

45.With the support of the international community, a sector policy guidance document of the Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Public Freedoms was adopted with a view to making the judicial and prison system of Côte d’Ivoire more effective and more respectful of rights in all sectors. The document includes a multi-year plan, is anchored in the national development plan of Côte d’Ivoire and has five main goals.

46. Facilitate women’s access to justice, including by providing free legal aid to women without sufficient means (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 21 (c)).

47.Article 6 of the 2016 Constitution of Côte d’Ivoire provides that “All persons have the right to free and equal access to justice”.

48.Consequently, to improve equal access to justice services, the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Public Freedoms, with the assistance of its partners, has implemented projects to support improved access to rights and justice in cities in Côte d’Ivoire.

49.In order to facilitate access to justice for all, legal assistance for people in need (“legal aid”) was introduced in the 1970s.

50.The table below shows the number of applications for legal aid and their processing over three years.

Table 1 Applications for legal aid from 2012 to 2014

Years	Number of applications	Applications granted	Applications rejected
2012	193	148, or 76.68%	45, or 23.32%
2013	141	139, or 95.58%	2, or 4.42%
2014 (Jan.– Nov.)	140	109, or 77.85%	31, or 22.15%
Total	474	396, or 83.54%	78, or 16.46%

Source: Head Office of Civil and Criminal Affairs, Ministry of Justice.

51.The number of applications is low in relation to the population of Côte d’Ivoire, on account of the poverty rate and relatively high court costs, the geographically centralized nature of legal aid and the lack of awareness among the people who could benefit from the existence of the legal aid programme.

52.However, there is an unfortunate lack of data disaggregated by sex.

53.In response to this situation, the President of the Republic, on the recommendation of the Minister of Justice, issued Decree No. 2016-781 of 12 October 2016 laying down the procedures for the application in connection with legal aid of Act 72-833 of 21 December 1972 on the code of civil, commercial and administrative procedure. Article 2 of that Decree provides that a local office shall be set up in each court of first instance and a central office in the Chancellery for the implementation of legal aid.

54.Furthermore, Decree 2014-259 of 14 May 2015 on the rates for court fees and charges in civil, commercial, administrative and corporate matters, amending article 74 of Decree No. 2013-279 of 24 April 2013, establishes the costs of court proceedings.

55. Provide systematic training to judges, lawyers and NGOs on the application of legislation prohibiting discrimination, in light of its obligations under the Convention and its Optional Protocol (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 21 (d)).

56.Since 2012, actors in the justice system have been involved in capacity-building workshops on gender-based violence conducted by the Ministry of Solidarity, the Family, Women and Children, United Nations system agencies, the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire and civil society organizations. To date, 200 judges, prosecutors, lawyers and clerks have benefited from capacity-building initiatives on the response to gender-based violence.

57.Other actors involved in the judicial chain, including military and paramilitary forces, have been receiving training since 2011.

58. Facilitate support by NGOs to women’s access to justice (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 21 (e)) .

59.Judges’ interpretation of articles 2 and 3 of the Code of Criminal Procedure has evolved in favour of legal action by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) when the offence (crime or misdemeanour) relates to their mission. If, for example, the offence is a human rights violation, NGOs that work to defend human rights have the right to initiate legal proceedings.

60.With the assistance of development partners, access to justice for NGOs that support women is being facilitated.

National machinery for the advancement of women

61. Strengthen the national machinery for the empowerment of women at the national and local levels and provide it with the necessary human, financial and technical resources to function effectively in all areas of women’s empowerment, including, in particular, the capacity for enhanced cooperation with civil society (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 23 (a)).

62.The Ministry for the Advancement of Women and the Family and the Protection of Children has created two new structures, in addition to the Directorate for the Empowerment of Women, to address gender issues more effectively. They are:

•The Directorate for Gender and Equity (replacing the former Directorate for the Promotion of Gender and Equity, which was dissolved in 2014)

•The Directorate for Skills Development for Women.

63.The Ministry for the Advancement of Women and the Family and the Protection of Children, together with its partners, has carried out a range of actions to promote equality between women and men in different areas:

•Transformation of the Office of the Women and Development Fund into the Project for the Innovative Management of the National Women and Development Fund

•Increase in the number of Women’s Training and Education Institutes from 58 in 2011 to 115 in 2016

•Establishment in 2012 of the Support Fund for the Women of Côte d’Ivoire, by the First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire, Ms. Dominique Ouattara.

64.From an initial grant of one billion CFA francs (CFAF), the Support Fund for the Women of Côte d’Ivoire was gradually increased, to a total of CFAF 8 billion in 2016.

65.Through its social franchise strategy, the UNFPA has facilitated the establishment of 86 grass-roots community organizations of women, as well as income-generating activities, by providing microcredit for survivors of gender-based violence.

66.The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has helped to promote the emergence of small-scale productive and commercial activities among impoverished groups to support a sustainable improvement in working and living conditions, in particular for women. Women comprise 80 per cent of direct beneficiaries of these activities.

67.UNDP continues to support the Ministry of Planning and Development in the implementation of the Programme for Poverty Reduction and Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals 2009–2013. This programme is designed with a gender-specific approach, in which the different needs of young men and young women are recognized. It has provided support for more than 120 groups of approximately 5,000 members, of whom more than 85 per cent are women.

68.Since early 2016, UN-Women in Côte d’Ivoire has been running a project for women’s economic empowerment and conflict management. The project’s objectives include developing value chains in the North to include women’s groups, thus ensuring inclusive growth while strengthening women’s capacities.

69. Enhance inclusion and representation of women in the national machinery for the empowerment of women at the decision-making, policymaking and implementation levels, and support and coordinate effective use of this strategy in the development, implementation and assessment of all laws, policies and programmes (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 23 (b)).

70.In 2012, the Ministry for the Advancement of Women and the Family and the Protection of Children began the process of formalizing gender-responsive budgeting, through advocacy and the training of policymakers and planners. These activities are carried out in collaboration with the gender units of the ministries responsible for budgetary affairs and for economic and financial affairs, and other relevant ministries.

71.In addition, in 2012 Côte d’Ivoire began to pilot the medium-term expenditure framework in the relevant ministries, in accordance with the guidelines of the West African Economic and Monetary Union.

72.The Côte d’Ivoire Compendium of Women’s Skills, established in 2011, has made it possible to increase women’s visibility and to have an up-to-date database on female human resources in Côte d’Ivoire.

73.With the establishment of a National Observatory for Equity and Gender, Côte d’Ivoire intends to develop tools to measure the extent to which the specific needs of women are taken into account, as well as women’s representation in decision-making and in programme and policy development, implementation and monitoring.

74.In addition, the establishment and strengthening of technical gender units is facilitating gender mainstreaming across all ministries and technical services.

75.In order to evaluate the success of gender mainstreaming throughout the ministerial structure of Côte d’Ivoire, in 2016 three ministries were selected to participate in the gender audit exercise. This exercise will provide the three ministries with a diagnostic tool to enable them to identify gaps, conduct analysis, and implement recommendations for the appropriate incorporation of gender considerations, thereby contributing to the progress made by Côte d’Ivoire towards achieving the status of an emerging economy by 2020. With the financial and technical support of UN-Women and ILO, two consultants have been recruited and the process is under way.

76. Promote gender mainstreaming throughout all governmental bodies (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 23 (c)).

77.Côte d’Ivoire has ratified several conventions and participated in subregional and African meetings to enhance the coordination of activities to address the needs of men and women in Africa. These efforts include: (i) ratification of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) in March 2012; (ii) participation in a subregional conference on women convened by the gender unit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); (iii) collaboration with the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre; (iv) participation in regional ministerial conferences on women, held at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Economic Commission for Africa); (v) participation in African Union conferences of women ministers; (vi) use of the African Gender and Development Index; (vii) collaboration with the Intergovernmental Agency of la Francophonie; (viii) compliance with Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and the African Union Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa; and (ix) participation in an event in July 2016 at the African Union Leadership Academy, in connection with the contribution of the Maputo Protocol on women’s rights to the transformation of traditional gender roles in Africa: overview, opportunities and responsibilities.

78. Strengthen, in collaboration with other ministries, its monitoring mechanisms for the implementation of laws and plans of actions aimed at achieving de facto equality between women and men (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO /1-3 , para. 23 (d)).

79.We have counted 21 gender units and focal points, and four gender directorates (National Rural Development Support Agency, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, National Technical Studies and Development Bureau and Ministry of Vocational Training and Technical Education) which are working to mainstream gender at the various institutions in 2016.

80.A caucus of women parliamentarians, established in May 2014 with the support of the Ministry for the Advancement of Women and the Family and the Protection of Children, is working to mainstream gender in the work of parliament across its three functions (representation, oversight and voting on laws).

81. Develop a comprehensive gender indicator system to improve the collection of sex-disaggregated data necessary to assess the impact and effectiveness of policies and programmes aimed at mainstreaming gender equality and enhancing women’s enjoyment of their human rights (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO /1-3 , para. 23  (e)).

•The National Observatory for Equity and Gender was established by Decree No. 842 of 17 December 2014 and will make it possible to monitor, assess and formulate public policy proposals for the promotion of gender equality.

82.In addition, other tools provide disaggregated data in various areas, namely:

•Statistics Act No. 2013-537 of 30 July 2013 on the organization of the statistical system of Côte d’Ivoire, which abrogates Act No. 51-711 of 7 June 1951

•2014 General Population and Housing Census

•2015 living standards survey in Côte d’Ivoire

•Demographic and Health Survey and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (DHS-MICS) 2011–2012.

Temporary special measures

83. Enact and implement without delay the dra ft ordinance providing for a 30  per cent quota for women in Parliament and ensure that in each group of three candidates, at least one candidate is a woman in the electoral lists of the political parties (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 25 (a)).

84.Article 36 of the new October 2016 Constitution stipulates that the State shall take action to promote the political rights of women by providing them with greater opportunities for representation in electoral assemblies. The rules for application of this article must be established by law.

85. Ensure that the draft ordinance aimed at enhancing women’s representation within the public administration includes temporary special measures to accelerate the full and equal participation of women in public and political life, in particular at high levels of decision-making; and enact said ordinance without delay (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 25 (b)).

86.The new October 2016 Constitution provides for the promotion of gender parity in the labour market. It encourages the full participation of women in appointed positions in both public institutions and public administration. There is a clear reference to “gender parity” in the Constitution.

87. Implement temporary special measures in other areas covered by the Convention in which women are underrepresented or disadvantaged (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 25 (c)).

88.In order to safeguard the right to property, the Government introduced, by Ordinance No. 2013-481 of 2 July 2013, a reform of the Arrêté de Concession Définitive (decision on permanent concession), to introduce some order in the urban land sector. The reform provides safeguards for the urban population and establishes equal rights of ownership for women and men.

89. Include information on the use of temporary special measures, in relation to the various provisions of the Convention, and the impact of such measures in its next periodic report (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 25 (d)).

90.No temporary special measures have been taken regarding the quota of women in decision-making spheres. Nevertheless, the ministry responsible for gender issues has submitted a draft law establishing quotas of at least 30 per cent for women candidates for election, and it has already received a first reading in the Council of Ministers. This reading has led to some amendments that are now being incorporated into the text.

Stereotypes and harmful practices

91. Put in place, without delay, a comprehensive strategy to eliminate harmful traditional practices and stereotypes that discriminate against women, in conformity with articles 2(f) and 5(a) of the Convention. Such measures should include more concerted efforts, in collaboration with civil society, to educate and raise awareness about this subject, targeting women and men at all levels of society, and should involve the school system, the media as well as community and religious leaders (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 27 (a)).

92.The National Strategy for Combating Gender-based Violence adopted in 2014 is supported by two other framework documents: the accelerated plan to combat early marriage and pregnancy in the period 2013–2015 and the accelerated plan to combat pregnancy among schoolgirls in the period 2013–2015.

93. Address harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation, forced and early marriages, levirate, sororate, polygamy and granting of all decision-making power to men within the family, broadening public education programmes and effectively enforcing the laws prohibiting such practices, particularly in rural areas (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 27 (b)).

•An accelerated plan to combat early marriage and early pregnancy in the period 2013–2015 was developed and implemented

•A formal commitment was made by community leaders and religious guides in various regions

•Côte d’Ivoire has taken numerous measures to implement United Nations General Assembly resolution 67/146 on intensifying global efforts for the elimination of female genital mutilation

•A campaign on zero tolerance for female genital mutilation was launched in 2013 and actions to strengthen the enforcement of Act No. 98-757 of 23 December 1998 on female genital mutilation have been initiated in support of legal professionals and the prefectural authorities.

94. Conduct an assessment of the impact of these measures in order to identify shortcomings and improve them accordingly (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 27 (c)).

95.The implementation of the National Strategy for Combating Gender-based Violence was evaluated in 2015. A feedback workshop will be held to assess the degree of implementation and to take new measures for a holistic approach to prevention of and response to gender-based violence.

96.A baseline survey for the “Tracking Results Continuously” approach (TRaC), to be used to monitor and evaluate the abandonment of the practice of female genital mutilation in Côte d’Ivoire, was conducted in 2013 by the National School of Statistics and Applied Economics and the Ministry of Solidarity, the Family, Women and Children. Data were collected on women whose daughters have not been subjected to female genital mutilation and women who do not intend to subject their daughters to this practice, and the determinants of opportunity, ability and motivation linked to this practice within the population. The survey showed that the percentages of women who have not or do not intend to subject their daughters to this practice are very high, and that they exceed 70 per cent both in urban areas (93.4 per cent and 84.5 per cent) and in rural areas (81.9 per cent and 71.3 per cent). This result clearly indicates a trend over time of abandoning the practice of female genital mutilation.

Violence against women

97. Expedite the approval and implementation of a comprehensive and updated national strategy against gender-based violence (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 31 (a)).

98.The National Strategy for Combating Gender-based Violence has been strengthened with an operational action plan. Analysis carried out under the National Strategy has led to the development of a results framework aligned with the Government’s challenges and priorities related to combating gender-based violence. However, it is necessary to overhaul the funding arrangements to ensure adequate finances for the response to gender-based violence.

99. Ensure effective access by women to courts and tribunals and strengthen victim assistance and rehabilitation through the setting up, with the assistance of the international community, of a comprehensive care system for victims of gender-based violence, including measures to provide them with medical and psychological support and to combat stigmatization (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO /1-3 , para. 31 (b)).

100.The project for the restoration of the rights of women victims of sexual violence during the post-electoral period (2012–2014) was carried out under the supervision of the Ministry of Solidarity, the Family, Women and Children. Medical experts and lawyers helped to compile the case files of 67 women who were victims of sexual violence, and the outcomes of their formal complaints are pending.

101.Between 2011 and 2014, standard operating procedures were established and training sessions on the medical, psychosocial and legal care of victims of gender-based violence were conducted for 300 national managers and the staff of NGOs.

102.The prevalence of sexual violence in Côte d’Ivoire, the impediments to survivors’ access to holistic care and the lessons learned at the training sessions have demonstrated the need for the dissemination, to all the health facilities in the country, of a protocol for the clinical care of rape victims. To this end, a procedure for the clinical care of rape victims that conformed to the national guidelines on HIV prevention and the guidelines of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee was established through a participative process in 2012. It is a reference tool that helps all providers to offer quality care to rape survivors. A total of 10,000 copies of the procedure have been printed and it has served as a capacity-building tool for more than 1,000 health and psychosocial response professionals.

103.Advocacy efforts for free-of-charge medical certificates have been initiated, as fees for medical certificates have long hindered the process of obtaining legal redress. Circular 016/MJ/MEMIS/MPRD of 4 August 2016 (mentioned in the legislative reforms) has been approved, and the Congress of Gynaecologists and the Medical Association have been asked to provide assistance in this area. Nearly 100 doctors have agreed to provide medical certificates free of charge in cases of rape.

104.With the support of United Nations system agencies, 120 monitoring committees have been established; they ensure that reported cases are transmitted to the competent authorities so that medical and legal care is provided. In addition, five police departments and one corps of gendarmes now have gender units, which help to process complaints in cases of violence against women and girls. Since April 2014, these units have recorded and responded to 1,541 cases of gender-based violence.

105. Amend, without delay, the Criminal Code and Act No. 98-757 of 23 December 1998 to introduce a definition of rape covering any sexual assault, including in the absence of resistance by the victim, and to criminalize domestic violence and marital rape, in line with the Convention and the Committee’s recommendation No. 19 on violence against women (1992) (see CEDAW/C/CIV /CO/1-3 , para. 31 (c)).

106.The Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure are currently being revised, taking into account the definition of rape. Although the process of revising the Criminal Code is not yet complete, various State and non-State actors have used the gender-based violence classification tool to develop a definition of rape that is used in the protocol for the clinical care of rape victims. This definition is used by the justice system to describe the offence. In this connection, more than 1,000 members of the police force, the gendarmerie and the army, and justice system actors, as well as 2,865 former combatants, have benefited from training in the prevention of rape and the response to cases of rape.

107. Ensure effective enforcement of the provisions of the Act of 23 December 1998 criminalizing female genital mutilation; prosecute such acts; impose on perpetrators appropriate penalties commensurate with the gravity of their crime; and significantly increase its awareness-raising and education efforts targeting both men and women, with the support of civil society organizations, in order to completely eliminate female genital mutilation and its underlying cultural justifications. Such efforts should include the design and implementation of effective education campaigns aimed at eliminating traditional and family pressures in favour of the practice, particularly among those who are illiterate, and especially the parents of the girl child (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 31 (d)).

108.Since January 2012, seven persons have been convicted by the courts of Katiola, Danané, Séguéla, Odienné, Bouaké, Tabou and Man, following the adoption of Act No. 98-757 of 23 December 1998, which criminalizes female genital mutilation.

109.A project on support for and social reintegration of women victims of violence in conflict situations in Côte d’Ivoire supported the production of an awareness-raising film on gender-based violence, targeting actors on the ground. The film, entitled Le défi de Fifi (Fifi’s challenge), premiered in Abidjan in 2014.

110. Consider adopting a comprehensive law on violence against women and provide protection measures for women victims of violence and strengthen support measures such as shelters, counselling and rehabilitation services throughout the territory of the State party (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 31  (e)).

111.As part of the follow-up to the recommendations made in the universal periodic review process, the National Coordination of Judicial Actors Against Gender-Based Violence, the NGO SOS Sexual Violence and other actors in the country, with funding from Save the Children, have begun advocacy for free medical certificates and, in addition, for the adoption of a comprehensive law on gender-based violence. Consultations are continuing between non-State actors and the Government with a view to reconsidering the draft law on the issue.

112. Collect disaggregated data on the number of complaints, prosecutions, convictions, and on the sentences imposed on perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence, including female genital mutilation and domestic violence, and include such data in its next report (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 31 (f)).

113.To improve the collection of data on gender-based violence, the NGO International Rescue Committee, with financial support from United Nations system agencies, introduced the Gender-Based Violence Information Management System in 2010. The gender-based violence sub-cluster managed the data in 2011 and 2012 and then, at the end of 2012, the system was “nationalized”. A technical working group composed of representatives of the Ministry of Solidarity, the Family, Women and Children, UNFPA and the International Rescue Committee, established in April 2013, began a pilot deployment of the Gender-Based Violence Information Management System based on existing platforms for combating gender-based violence. Capacity-building sessions on use of the database were conducted on site for 6 national trainers, 20 data managers from 20 pilot platforms and 16 regional directors of the Ministry of Solidarity, the Family, Women and Children.

Table 2Data on gender-based violence, 2010–2016

Type of gender-based violence	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Total	711	918	2 646	1 780	582	1 323	578
Rape	159	217	578	497	292	249	159
Sexual assault	22	36	151	52	37	93	29
Physical assault	82	281	662	465	136	260	187
Forced marriage	no data	no data	no data	49	6	64	12
Denial of resources, opportunities or services	204	249	798	558	83	443	144
Psychological/emotional violence	82	113	422	159	28	214	47

Sources: International Rescue Committee: 2010 and 2011 (January–September), 2012–2014 (with UNFPA support for the implementation of the Gender-Based Violence Information Management System); Studies and Documentation Planning Directorate, Ministry for the Advancement of Women and the Family and the Protection of Children: data for gender-based violence for 2015 (data still being consolidated); and Côte d’Ivoire Gender-Based Violence Information Management System: partial data on gender-based violence for 2016 (January–September), data still being processed.

114.In addition, in compliance with Security Council resolution 1960 (2010), the Human Rights Division of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) has been monitoring the human rights situation and has documented 1,129 rape cases affecting 1,146 victims throughout Côte d’Ivoire between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2015. Sixty-six per cent of the victims were children, 1 per cent of whom were boys. Close to 7 per cent of all alleged perpetrators in the cases documented by the Human Rights Division were State agents, mainly members of the Forces républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire and teachers.

115.As for judicial prosecution of rape, data collected by the Human Rights Division indicates that investigations were initiated and files opened in 1,021 cases, or 90 per cent of all the cases that it documented.

116.The judicial prosecution of rape has been hindered by various obstacles, including the fact that the criminal courts did not hold any sessions between 2001 and 2014, and the irregular holding of sessions since 2014.

117.The Human Rights Division found that over 93 per cent of all the perpetrators of the rapes that it documented during the reporting period were private individuals without State positions, while almost 7 per cent were agents of the State. The perpetrators of rape who were not State agents were mostly unknown to their victims (60 per cent), while 30 per cent were neighbours or acquaintances and 10 per cent were members of their families.

118.Of the State agents who perpetrated rapes, 60 per cent were members of the defence and security forces: mainly the Forces républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire (51 individuals, or 31 per cent), and, to a lesser extent, gendarmes and police officers (one gendarme, one prison guard and three police officers). The number of child victims of rape committed by uniformed State agents is particularly high, with 41 of their victims aged from 3 to 17 years (comprising 5 per cent of the total number of child victims identified by the Human Rights Division). Of the 40 civilian State agents who committed rapes recorded by the Human Rights Division, 32, or 2 per cent of the total number of perpetrators of recorded rapes, were teachers. Data gathered by the Ivorian judicial system can be used to assess the level of follow-up of cases.

Table 3Status of settled proceedings concerning gender-based violence, January 2014–October 2015

No.	Type of offence	Number of  reports recorded	Follow-up	Number of cases tried	Number of cases not yet tried
CSS	FD	Info JI	Info JE	CD
1.	Rape	13	0	0	10	3	0	1	12
2.	Public indecency	21	0	18	2	0	0	19	2
3.	Abduction of minors	3	2	1	0	0	0	1	0
4.	Forced marriage	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	0

Source: Periodic report of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, 2016.

Violence against women in conflict and peacebuilding situations

119. Ensure that those responsible for violations of the human rights of women during the post-electoral crisis are brought to justice and that all acts of sexual violence are punished (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 29 (a)).

120.Two Ivorian political leaders have been brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC). The trial is under way, and the charges made against them include sexual violence against women perpetrated during the post-electoral crisis. The supervising officers of the Ivorian army were unable to establish a chain of command to hold the rapists accountable. As a result, after a process of capacity-building to prevent rape in conflict situations, supported by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and by the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, they have committed to improving the monitoring of the situation.

121. Initiate a thorough and complete investigation into the perpetration of sexual abuse by defence and security forces and their allies (militias and mercenaries), the Forces républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire (FRCI) and private actors during the post-electoral crisis, ensuring that inquiries are conducted exhaustively, impartially and transparently; and request the United Nations to ensure that UNOCI peacekeepers suspected of committing sexual exploitation and abuse are returned to the sending State(s) with a request to initiate domestic investigations and prosecutions (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 29 (b)).

122.Investigation reports from human rights NGOs such as Actions pour la Protection des Droits de l’Homme (actions for the protection of human rights) and Regroupement des Acteurs Ivoiriens des Droits Humains (consortium of Ivorian human rights activists) provide information collected through testimonies, confessions, photographs, statements, field surveys and analysis. This information has been cross-checked against external sources such as reports and communications from international NGOs including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Federation for Human Rights, as well as incomplete reports from other national NGOs. The reports clearly show that all parties to the conflict have committed crimes under international law, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.

123.Information obtained from the joint efforts of the Abidjan Military Tribunal and the UNOCI police component indicates that between 2013 and 2015, 1,108 cases of gender-based violence were reported.

124.In the case of the Abidjan Military Tribunal, 548 incidents of gender-based violence and 325 cases of rape were reported in 2014 in collaboration with the UNOCI police component. Of those incidents, 30 are attributed to the defence and security forces and 20 to the Forces républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire. The perpetrators have been effectively punished. Between 2012 and 2015, six complaints were received, six proceedings instituted, five judgments pronounced and two judgments enforced.

125.The table below shows the court decisions and proceedings initiated between 2012 and 2015.

Table 4 Court decisions 2012–2015

Rank of the accused person	Crime	Decisions	Date
Police chief/officer	Public indecency	Not guilty	12 April 2012
Police officer	Assault
Police officer	Rape
Police chief/officer
Sergeant
Private First Class
Private First Class	Gang rape of a minor under 15 years of age	Life imprisonment	19 July 2012
Sergeant
Private First Class
Corporal	Violent rape	24 months military detention without committal order; 1 million franc fine	7 June 2012
Sergeant	Rape	Military tribunal lacks jurisdiction	7 June 2012
Corporal	Rape	Guilty 5 years imprisonment with committal order	4 December 2014

Source: Periodic report of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, 2016.

126.In September 2013, with the support of the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on sexual violence against women in armed conflict, the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre and UNFPA, a national expert committee on sexual violence in conflict (defence and internal affairs) was established to build the capacity of all the bodies of the Forces républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire. In June 2014, the leaders of the Forces républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire pledged to eradicate conflict-related sexual violence in a statement delivered at the London Summit. An action plan was then put in place to eradicate conflict-related sexual violence.

127.Furthermore, in line with a zero-tolerance approach to sexual violence, the Ministry of Defence has taken disciplinary measures, including the expulsion of about 20 soldiers found guilty of sexual violence in 2014.

128.In order to follow through with the commitments made in London, Decree No. 2016-373 of 3 June 2016 was issued; it relates to the establishment, powers, organization and functioning of a national committee to combat conflict-related sexual violence.

129. Take comprehensive measures to provide medical and psychological support to women victims of the sexual crimes committed during the 2002 – 2007 conflict and covered by the 2007 Ordinance providing amnesty for most crimes committed during the conflict, including systematic acts of sexual violence (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 29 (c)).

130.As part of a post-crisis institutional and multisectoral support project, a component on assistance and social reintegration for women victims of violence in conflict situation in Côte d’Ivoire was implemented from July 2008 to November 2013, with a view to reducing the maternal mortality ratio and increasing protection for those exposed to gender-based violence, including the victims of the 2002–2007 crisis and the 2010 and 2011 crises. The project covered 10 departments in the central northern and western zones occupied by the Forces Nouvelles, namely Bouaké, Dabakala, Danané, Duékoué, Guiglo, Korhogo, Man, Odienné and Sakassou as well as M’Bahiakro, a department in the republican zone. A number of actions have been undertaken to promote reproductive health, the prevention of gender-based violence and care for survivors of such violence.

131.With a budget of $3,908,587, the project was financed by the African Development Bank and, under the guidance of UNFPA, it dealt with 399, or 87 per cent, of the 457 reported cases of rape.

132. Ensure access to justice and to legal aid for all women affected by violence related to the post-electoral crisis, including women victims of sexual violence (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 29 (d)).

133.A free legal aid project, initiated by the Minister of Justice in collaboration with the Ivorian Bar Association and financially supported by the European Union, is designed to provide free legal and judicial assistance to more than 500 impoverished individuals. Emphasis is placed on certain types of cases, such as those involving rape or sexual assault.

134.The prefectural corps and parliamentarians received training in 2013 and 2014 on the gender approach and gender-based violence, in order to be ready to monitor compliance with the law and protect the population.

135.With the financial support of the CERF and OFDA, in 2012, UNFPA and its implementing partners (the NGOs OIS-Africa, Organisation pour le Développement des Activités des Femmes and Association de Soutien à l’Autopromotion Sanitaire et Urbaine) helped to provide care for 226 survivors, including 67 rape victims, and to establish five Centres of Excellence in some neighbourhoods of Abidjan.

136. Strengthen the measures taken to establish counselling centres for women to address their traumatic experiences, specifically with regard to sexual violence, and provide adequate access to health-care services (see CEDAW/C /CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 29 (e)).

137.In this area, a national committee to combat gender-based violence was established and has been operational since 2014. New platforms for addressing violence in conjunction with child protection mechanisms have been established and existing platforms have been strengthened. To date, there are 48 platforms throughout the country which report directly to the local authorities, and 14 counselling offices have been opened. These offices are staffed by 238 volunteers (community workers), who detect early warning signs of violence. The platforms and counselling offices are at the heart of multisectoral care and individual case management in the field.

138.In addition, centres of excellence for holistic care for gender-based violence victims have been established in Korhogo, Bouaké, Yopougon, Abobo, Marcory, Abidjan (Centre for Prevention and Assistance for Victims of Sexual Violence and Man (Centre of Excellence for the Women of Man).

139.As part of the project for the restoration of the rights of women victims of sexual violence during the post-electoral period, 5 peace huts have also been established in Abobo, Danané, Duékoué, Man and Yopougon to provide counselling and referral for women victims of violence.

140. Ensure the security of internally displaced women and allocate more resources to meet their needs, in particular their access to a livelihood, water and education for themselves and their children (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 29 (f)).

141.In order to strengthen the process of national reconciliation and provision of care for victims initiated by the Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the National Commission for Reconciliation and Compensation of Victims, the National Programme for Social Cohesion and the Ministry of Solidarity, Social Cohesion and Compensation of Victims were set up in January 2016.

142.Through this framework, the Ministry is tasked with restorative responsibilities, which include the identification and compensation of victims.

143.In its pilot phase, the victims who had suffered physical harm were assisted by the Ministry of Solidarity, Social Cohesion and Compensation of Victims, which had an initial budget of CFAF 10 billion. The list of aid recipients was provided by the Ministry of Solidarity, the Family, Women and Children, the National Electoral Commission and the Authority on Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration. A total of 4,500 victims, including 3,500 recipients and 1,000 injured persons, were involved in the compensation process.

144.Regarding the care of orphaned children, Côte d’Ivoire adopted Act No. 2014-137 of 24 March 2014 on the status of wards of the State. The law defines the status of a ward of the State and the arrangements for their medical care, their general and tertiary education and their social and professional integration.

145. Implement economic and social rights in post-conflict reconstruction (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 29 (g)).

The right to decent work

146.Decree No. 2013-791 of 20 November 2013 on revaluation of the guaranteed inter-occupational minimum wage raised the minimum wage in Côte d’Ivoire from CFAF 36,607 to CFAF 60,000.

147. Ensure effective implementation of the National Action Plan for the Implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325, in connection with the implementation of the Convention, and assure that victims of sexual crimes receive appropriate reparations and rehabilitation, including by mobilizing international funding to this effect (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 29 (h)).

148.The Côte d’Ivoire section of the Network on Peace and Security for Women in the ECOWAS region has carried out activities to support implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). In 2014 it prepared information sheets on Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) in collaboration with the United Nations Office for West Africa for improved outreach. The network had conducted a mini-workshop on capacity-building for women’s civil society organizations on Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008) and had launched a database on gender, women, peace and security in West Africa on 13 February 2014.

149. Enhance inclusion and representation of women in institutions and mechanisms on peacebuilding at the decision-making, policymaking and implementation levels (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 29 (i)).

150.Women commissioners accounted for 36.36 per cent of members of the Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was established to provide reparation for victims and support reconciliation among Côte d’Ivoire inhabitants. The current Government Minister responsible for social cohesion and compensation of victims is also a woman. Women have been able to join the National Police of Côte d’Ivoire since 1987. Out of 457 commissioners in the police force, 52 are female. Women hold 15 of 237 decision-making posts, which is 6 per cent. In 2011, the first woman Director of Administration of the National Police was appointed. In 2012, the first woman district chief was appointed. To date, there are 2 women district chiefs. In 2015, the first woman Deputy General Director was appointed. Women occupy 6 per cent of decision-making positions.

151.As part of a project to support women’s community initiatives to support reconciliation and peace in Côte d’Ivoire, funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund during the period 2014–2015, six women-friendly spaces were created in the west of Côte d’Ivoire.

152. Facilitate cooperation with the International Criminal Court and consider ratifying the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 29 (j)).

153.Côte d’Ivoire ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in 2013. In this regard, two Ivorian leaders have been brought before the International Criminal Court and their trial is in progress.

Trafficking and exploitation of prostitution

154. Carry out a study to investigate the scope, extent and causes of human trafficking and forced prostitution, particularly of women, including through the collection and analysis of data on trafficking and exploitation of women in prostitution, and provide information on the results of the study, along with sex-disaggregated data, in its next periodic report (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 33 (a)).

155.A study conducted by the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs in 2012 showed that most girls who had dropped out or never been to school lived in difficult conditions in which they were unable to meet their basic needs for food, clothing, health services, information and housing. Some of these girls resorted to clandestine or professional prostitution.

156.Another study was conducted by Alliance Côte d’Ivoire in Abidjan in 2015 on the socio-economic vulnerability of girls exposed to sexual exploitation. The study indicated that sex work was practiced by girls aged 11 years (0.9 per cent) as well as girls aged 18 years and older (38.1 per cent), and that the median age was 17 years. The majority of the girls’ parents (63 per cent) had very low incomes, and 37 per cent of the girls were from large families. They were mostly of Ivorian nationality, 72 per cent compared to 28 per cent foreigners. Many of them consumed alcohol (45.5%) and some used drugs (11.7%). There were several different ways these girls had entered into prostitution. In fact, 46.6 per cent had entered voluntarily, 40.7 per cent had been encouraged and 5.8 per cent had been forced to do so. They were often subjected to violence. For example, 38.6 per cent of them had been abused, the most common forms of this abuse being: (i) physical violence (47.4%); (ii) unpaid work (27.4%) and (iii) sexual violence (18%) Their abusers included: clients (46.9 per cent), followed by strangers (34.5 per cent) and law enforcement officers (12.4 per cent). In half of the abuse cases, sex workers did not receive any assistance. In 18 per cent of the cases, they were assisted by their protectors, and in 17.7 per cent of cases, by their friends. It should be noted that 36.7 per cent of these girls have never been tested for HIV.

157. Adopt a comprehensive law on trafficking which fully complies with article 6 of the Convention so as to strengthen mechanisms for the investigation, prosecution and punishment of trafficking offenders. (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO /1-3 , para. 33 (b).

At the legal level

158.The process of preparing legislation on human trafficking, which began in 2014, has reached a very important stage. The law was adopted on 7 December 2016 and is awaiting enactment. The law is a response to the need to prevent and suppress human trafficking and exploitation, in particular that of young girls, which is occurring on a large scale in Côte d’Ivoire. The law on trafficking also defines the acts which qualify as human trafficking, namely: the exploitation of persons, forced labour, sexual exploitation, organized exploitation, begging and migrant smuggling. There are other instruments that strengthen mechanisms for investigating and prosecuting perpetrators of human trafficking:

•Decree No. 2013-857 of 9 December 2013 establishing the Children’s Parliament of Côte d’Ivoire; this organization helps children to understand their rights and to participate in preventing violations of these rights;

•Decree No. 2014-290 of 21 May 2014 implementing law No. 2010-272 on the prohibition of trafficking and the worst forms of child labour.

At the institutional level

159.A national strategy to combat human trafficking and a 5-year action plan were developed in 2015. These instruments support the national child protection policy and enhance mechanisms for the protection of individuals.

160.Two committees and a programme have been established to combat trafficking, exploitation and child labour:

•The Interministerial Committee to Combat Child Trafficking, Exploitation and Labour, established pursuant to Decree No. 2011-365 of 3 November 2011

•The National Monitoring Committee for Actions to Combat Child Trafficking, Exploitation and Labour, established pursuant to Decree No. 2011-366 of 3 November 2011

•The National Programme for Community Action for the Protection of Children, based on the community assessments of 200 out of 500 communities.

At the operational level

161.The implementation of the National Plan of Action for the period 2012–2014 to combat child labour achieved satisfactory results, including:

•With regard to prevention: strengthening of the legal and regulatory framework with the adoption of several texts, one of which prohibited the worst forms of child labour in Côte d’Ivoire. The text led to the arrest and conviction of several traffickers of children, who received effective prison sentences.

•The establishment of the Child Labour Monitoring System in Côte d’Ivoire.

•Community-based campaigns have been launched to encourage national awareness-building for increased local ownership of national efforts to combat the worst forms of child labour.

•The signing of 6 prefectural decisions on the establishment, allocation and operation of regional child protection mechanisms.

•The establishment of bodies to coordinate and monitor implementation of the National Child Protection Policy; six platforms established in six regions.

•The establishment of a 116 hotline, Âllo enfant en détresse, which in 2015 received 18,655 calls regarding different instances of mistreatment and abuse.

162. Increase efforts aimed at international, regional and bilateral cooperation with countries of origin, transit and destination, in order to prevent trafficking through information exchange and to harmonize legal procedures aiming at the prosecution and punishment of traffickers (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 33 (c)).

163.In addition to the bilateral cooperation agreement between Côte d’Ivoire and Mali to combat cross-border child trafficking, signed on 1 September 2000, and the multilateral cooperation agreement between Côte d’Ivoire and eight other countries to combat child trafficking, signed on 27 July 2005, Côte d’Ivoire signed an agreement with Burkina Faso on combating cross-border child trafficking on 17 October 2013. Additionally, a joint statement of commitment by the First Ladies of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana on combating cross-border trafficking and the worst forms of child labour was signed on 13 September 2016.

164. Ratify the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 33 (d)).

165.Côte d’Ivoire ratified the following three protocols: (i) the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, on 6 December 2011; (ii) the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict on 3 August 2011 and (iii) the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography on 7 September 2011.

166. Address the root causes of prostitution of women and girls, including poverty, in order to eliminate the vulnerability of women and girls to sexual exploitation and trafficking and undertake efforts for the recovery and social reintegration of victims (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 33 (e)).

167.The Ministry of Urban Hygiene and Sanitation, in collaboration with the Ministry for the Advancement of Women and the Family and the Protection of Children, has dismantled some prostitution networks and closed some bars, informal diners and night clubs in 2012 and 2016. Such action should be encouraged and continued in other major areas.

168.In addition, in 2011 the Government began a national campaign to combat the trafficking and sexual exploitation of children by strengthening protection and education mechanisms.

•Free primary education and simpler enrolment conditions have greatly improved access to school for boys and girls.

•The average score required for secondary school admission was lowered in order to reduce the dropout rate at the end of primary school.

•Act No. 2015-635 of 17 September 2015, amending Education Act No, 95-696 of 7 September 1995, establishes that education is compulsory for children aged between 6 and 16 years in Côte d’Ivoire, a measure supported by the authorities.

•The inclusion of wards of the State.

169. Adopt a comprehensive approach to addressing the issue of prostitution, including exit programmes for women and girls who wish to leave prostitution (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 33 (f)).

170.The child protection strategy is the first tool that covers all cases of vulnerability and has been used by the Directorate for the Protection of the Child since its transformation into a directorate of central administration of the Ministry of Solidarity, the Family, Women and Children. In order to better guide the development of a comprehensive strategy to combat prostitution, the Directorate for the Protection of the Child intended to use the results of a study conducted by the organization End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism on the commercial sexual exploitation of children.

Participation in political and public life

171. Enact, without delay, the draft ordinance proving for a 30 per cent quota for women’s representation in Parliament (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 35 (a)).

172.The situation has improved. The draft ordinance has become a bill and has already undergone a first reading in the Council of Ministers.

173. Implement awareness-raising activities for society as a whole on the importance of women’s participation in decision-making, and develop targeted training and mentoring programmes on leadership and negotiation skills for current and potential women candidates and women holding public office (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para . 35 (b)).

174.In general, political parties are still far from complying with the international recommendations, including those made in Beijing, that have proposed a 30-per-cent quota for the representation of women in decision-making bodies and in the African Union Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa.

175.However, women are beginning to hold positions of responsibility in political parties, unions, employer associations and professional associations.

176. Ensure the inclusion of women in all areas of public life, in particular the gendarmerie, police and judiciary, including at high levels of decision-making (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 35 (c)).

177.The State encourages the promotion of women to positions of responsibility in public institutions and authorities and in private companies (article 37).

178.The convening of the High-level Panel on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment and MDGs Post 2015 in Abidjan from 2 to 4 October 2013 has made it possible to involve the authorities of Côte d’Ivoire in initiatives for the advancement of women in decision-making bodies and to address the critical needs of women in specific areas.

179.Since the beginning of the 2013/14 school year, about 35 girls have entered the Technical Military Preparatory School each year. At the beginning of the 2016/17 school year, the school had a total of 130 girls in the first four grades.

180.In addition, after receiving military officer training at the School of the Armed Forces, four young women joined the gendarmerie in 2014.

181.In the justice system, as shown by the table below, women account for 22.5 per cent of the workforce. Women have the highest level of representation among notaries (52.11%) and are least represented as agents (6.09%). Women constitute 26.5 per cent of judges.

182.In May 2016 women judges of Côte d’Ivoire, in defence of their rights and the rights of women in conflict with the law, formed the Association of Women Judges of Côte d’Ivoire. The Association will work to promote women in the judiciary, especially in positions of responsibility. To this end, the Association will work to promote a positive image of women judges in positions of responsibility, with a view to combating all forms of discrimination against women judges and their continuing education.

Table 5 Staff of the justice system in 2016

Profession	Total staff	Number of women	Percentage
Bailiff	417	48	11.51
Notary	213	111	52.11
Lawyers	513	137	26.7
Legal Adviser	118	22	18.64
Auctioneer	135	12	8.88
Magistrate	679	180	26.5
Registrar	1 025	230	22.43
Agent	246	15	6.1
Total	3 346	755	22.56

183. Carefully monitor the effectiveness of measures taken and results achieved to ensure women’s greater participation in political and public life (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 35 (d)).

184.Women’s representation in decision-making roles is still small, as depicted in figure 1.

Figure 1 Representation of women in public and political life

Government serviceSub-prefectsPrefectsRegional councilsHeads of diplomatic missionsEconomic and social councilsConstitutional councilsMunicipal councillorsTown hallsIndependent Electoral CommissionNational assemblyGovernment0.0%5.0%10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.5%35.0%

185.Women in Côte d’Ivoire are currently underrepresented in positions of responsibility in public and private administration. Women’s current level of representation is less than 30 per cent in decision-making positions. In elected positions, women are very much in the minority: 11.5 per cent in the last parliamentary elections.

Education

186. Identify and implement measures to reduce and prevent drop-outs among girls, including awareness-raising among parents, communities, teachers, traditional leaders and public officials about the importance of women’s and girls’ education (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 37 (a)).

187.The Strategic Plan to Accelerate the Education of Girls 2016–2018, which refers to a focus on girls as the challenge of compulsory education, is aimed at strengthening all actions that have been taken since 2007 to keep girls in school. Six secondary schools for girls have been constructed, in Man, Bondoukou, Abobo, Odienné, San Pedro and Dimbokro, to complement those that are already operational (two in Bouaké, one in Yopougon, one in Bingerville, one in Man and one in Yamoussoukro). It should be noted that plans for secondary schools should include boarding facilities.

188.Since the launching of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI 2005), awareness-raising activities have been carried out by the Ministry of National Education and Technical Learning to provide access and encourage retention of girls in school, including school watch committees, gender mainstreaming in the curricula for the 2009‐2012 period and the concept of child-friendly and girl-friendly schools.

189.The project to mobilise sparsely populated communities and women in support of girls’ education that began in 2009 is still under way. Twenty communities have developed plans for the promotion of girls’ education. School Girl Mothers’ Clubs (CMEF) have been established in more than 15 regional directorates.

Table 6 School attendance at the beginning of the 2015/16 school year, girls and boys

Level of education	Number of schools	Number of classrooms	Number of students		Number of teachers
Girls	Boys	Women	Men
Preschools	2 223	5 668	80 885 (50%)	85 811 (50%)	6 524 (93%)	521 (7%)
Primary schools	15 547	84 730	1 705 016 (47%)	1 912,203 (53%)	23 851 (28%)	61 258 (72%)
General secondary	1 479	28 357	672 145 (41%)	949 729 (59%)	7 645 (14%)	45 892 (86%)
Teacher training centres	16	170	2 822 (48%)	3 064 (52%)

190.In terms of professional training, a variety of measures have been taken: (i) establishment in 2012 of a gender service with a budget and a permanent staff; (ii) appointment in 2016 of a technical adviser for gender; (iii) drafting of a sectoral gender policy document for the Ministry, pending validation since 2016; (iv) introduction in 2015 of the Day to Promote Gender Equality; (v) an increase in the annual scholarship for girls studying industry-related subjects from CFAF 36,000 to CFAF 180,000; (vi) the establishment of a monitoring system and a support centre for the industrial sectors.

191. Enforce a zero tolerance policy with respect to sexual abuse and harassment by teachers and tutors and ensure that perpetrators are punished appropriately (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 37 (b)).

192.The Government of Côte d’Ivoire has included the following in the code of ethics of the teaching profession: “The code of ethics strictly prohibits sexual intercourse between teacher and student”.

193.Many teachers have been punished for rape or indecent assault of underage students from primary and secondary schools in various locations.

194. Continue to allocate adequate resources to education and ensure that it improves the quality of teacher training and includes training on the impact of gender on schooling and the education of girls (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 37 (c)).

195.Côte d’Ivoire allocates over 22 per cent of the national budget to education or training. During the period from 2012 to 2014, CFAF 31.45 billion were spent on basic education, CFAF 3.486 billion were spent on general secondary education and CFAF 1.235 billion were spent on technical education and vocational training.

196.The overall spending requirements for the education and training sector totalled CFAF 1,190.9 billion in 2016, compared with CFAF 954.8 billion in the 2015 budget. These resources cover, inter alia, measures to implement the plans for compulsory education; the construction of 3,000 primary school classrooms; the acquisition of textbooks, school kits and teaching kits; the construction, equipment and rehabilitation of school infrastructure; an increase in operational funds for educational facilities; and the provision of scholarships and subsidies for private schools and for the Société des Transports Abidjanais (Abidjan transport company) for transporting students.

Table 7 Changes in numbers of teachers, pupils and classrooms at different levels of education

Category	School year	2011–2012	2012–2013	2013–2014	2014–2015	2015–2016
Preschool	Classroom	3 143	3 803	4 308	4 584	5 668
Pupils	91 393	111 384	129 371	144 128	161 699
Teachers	4 941	5 378	5 921	6 524	7 045
Primary	Classroom	68 557	70 296	74 671	76 564	84 730
Pupils	2 920 791	3 021 417	3 176 874	3 370 558	3 617 219
Teachers	70 016	73 691	74 703	80 155	85 109
General secondary	Classroom	19 274	20 491	22 339	25 709	28 357
Pupils	1 132 464	1 215 672	1 321 556	1 479 005	1 621 874
Teachers	31 109	57 065	49 550	51 192	53 537

197. Ensure the completion of the integration process of Koranic schools into the education system and the validation of their training and curriculum modules (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 37 (d)).

198.The National Commission for the Support of Islamic Educational Institutions has facilitated the integration of 116 Islamic religious schools into the formal education system (22 in 2011 and 94 in 2012). From 2011 to 2016, visits were made to 1,080 institutions to monitor their integration.

199. Undertake a new revision of educational textbooks to eliminate remaining gender stereotypes (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 37 (e)).

200.A gender perspective was mainstreamed into the curricula during the period from 2009 to 2012, and textbooks were revised.

201. Strengthen adult literacy programmes, especially for women in rural areas (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 37 (f)).

202.In 2012, the Government of Côte d’Ivoire strengthened the operational capacities of the Independent Literacy Service. As a result of an enhanced literacy policy, 2,828 centres have been established, with a total enrolment of 75,275 learners: 43,626 women and 31,649 men. Staffed by 4,371 facilitators, the centres provide various opportunities to receive training in such areas as sewing, caregiving and hairdressing.

Table 8 Literacy students and facilitators in 2015, by gender

	Number of centres		Number of learners		Number of facilitators
Literacy	Female	Male	Female	Male
Level 1	1 641	27 828 (58%)	20 445 (42%)	377 (15%)	2 063 (85%)
Level 2	823	11 601 (59%)	7 993 (41%)	176 (14%)	1 109 (86%)
Post-literacy	355	4 197 (57%)	3 211 (43%)	91 (14%)	555 (86%)
Total	2 828	43 626 (58%)	31 649 (42%)	644 (15%)	3 727 (85%)
		75 275	4 371

203.With regard to non-formal basic education for girls, measures were taken to expand and strengthen training and education establishments for women and girls. These institutions contribute to enabling girls who have dropped out of school and women to become literate and provide them with training for income-generating employment. A total of 15,840 persons received literacy training from 2011 to 2016 from women teachers at these institutions. A policy document on reform of these establishments is being finalized and will improve the integration of students.

Employment

204. Protect girls and boys from exploitative child labour, in particular on cocoa plantations and in domestic service, through increased inspections and fines for employers, in accordance with International Labour Organization (ILO) Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), regulate and monitor the working conditions of domestic workers, in particular girls, and consider ratifying ILO Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189) (see CEDAW/C /CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 39 (a)).

205.Passed in September 2010, Act No. 2010-272 on the prohibition of child trafficking and the worst forms of child labour provides for prison sentences of from 5 to 20 years and a fine for coercing children or offering them for prostitution.

206.The National Monitoring Committee and the Interministerial Committee, established in 2011, continue to act as the national coordinating bodies on issues of trafficking in persons in Côte d’Ivoire. The 2012–2014 National Action Plan against Child Labour and Human Trafficking was implemented and yielded real progress.

207. Establish mechanisms for the promotion of women in all sectors of professional life (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 39 (b)).

208.The State has developed a number of policies and programmes specifically for women, as listed below.

•The National Agricultural Investment Plan (2012–2015), which benefits women in rural areas;

•The Plan to implement the National Policy on Equal Opportunity, Equity and Gender (2014–2016);

•The National Social Protection Strategy (2013–2016).

209. Expand access by women to land as well as to microfinance and microcredit at low interest rates so as to enable women to engage in income-generating activities and to start their own businesses (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 39 (c)).

210.The Government of Côte d’Ivoire has agreed to establish various bodies to govern the labour market.

211.As part of the actions taken to implement the National Agricultural Investment Plan, reforms that will benefit women in rural areas are being carried out. Since 2015, the Gender Technical Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has been organizing training sessions for regional directors and project coordinators in charge of training sessions on the gender and development approach.

212.In addition, the Government has also:

•Allocated 30 per cent of developed land for use by women;

•Supported capacity-building in administrative and financial management for the leaders of cooperatives and women’s groups;

•Provided capacity-building in leadership for women managers and members of civil society organizations;

•Provided rural women with on-site training on how to produce and market food crops;

•Acknowledged the work of women entrepreneurs on behalf of the nation by honouring them with awards and ceremonies;

•Organized national days of reflection on women’s entrepreneurship (on three occasions to date);

•Awarded grants for study trips and participation in trade fairs abroad.

213. Collect sex-disaggregated data on the situation of women in the private and informal sectors and take effective measures to monitor and improve the working conditions of women in those sectors (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 39 (d)).

214.National surveys on the state of employment and the informal sector were launched in February 2016 and are under way. The following data have been taken from the 2013 and 2014 surveys and analytical report.

215.The working-age population (persons 14 years of age or older) accounted for 62.5 per cent of the Ivorian population, 63 per cent of men and 61 per cent of women. The number of employed persons was 7,644,539, of whom 57.1 per cent were men and 42.9 per cent were women.

216.In 2013, Côte d’Ivoire had a total of 426,225 unemployed persons, 53.4 per cent of whom were women. The population outside the labour force, accounting for 44.3 per cent of the general population of working age, was predominantly women (55.6 per cent). Forty-eight per cent of men and 36.4 per cent of women worked in the agricultural sector. On the other hand, 23.5 per cent of Ivorian women worked in trade, a form of activity in which only 13.2 per cent of men participated. There were 3,537,722 jobs in the non-agricultural informal sector, comprising 46.3 per cent of all jobs. Those jobs were predominantly held by women (56.3 per cent).

217.Household jobs were estimated at 176,803, accounting for 2.3 per cent of all jobs. They were held mainly by women and constituted 4.1 per cent of Ivorian women’s jobs, 5.3 per cent of jobs held by people aged 14 to 24 years and 2.1 per cent of jobs held by people aged 25 to 35 years.

218.In terms of types of employment, non-agricultural self-employment accounted for 37 per cent of all jobs in February 2014, while 29.6 per cent of people in agricultural jobs were self-employed. Overall, nearly three quarters of the employed population were therefore self-employed (74.6 per cent including caregivers). Men were more likely to be self-employed in the agricultural sector (35.3 per cent), while women were more likely to be self-employed in non-agricultural work (52.6 per cent). Moreover, only 25.4 per cent of jobs in Côte d’Ivoire were salaried positions. In addition, 33.9 per cent of jobs held by men were salaried, compared to 13.8 per cent of jobs held by women.

219.It should also be noted that women with several jobs were more likely to work in income-generating activities (72.5 per cent) than in agriculture (27.7 per cent), whereas men were equally likely to work in income-generating activities (43.2 per cent) or own plots of farmland (46.2 per cent).

220.Moreover, young people aged 14 to 35 years account for 58.9 per cent of workers in the informal economy, while the proportion of women in that sector is 44 per cent. It is significant that 51.6 per cent of domestic jobs (providing household services) are held by women.

221. Provide a regulatory framework for the informal sector, with a view to providing women in this sector with access to social security and other benefits (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 39 (e)).

222.One of the initiatives of the National Social Protection Strategy for the period 2013–2016, currently under way, will be the establishment of a pension scheme for self-employed workers. This system, known as the social security scheme for independent workers, will be open to any self-employed person engaged in economic sectors ranging from family farming to the professions. This scheme will also cover daily allowances in cases of temporary disability owing to illness. Health insurance will be established under the universal health insurance system, for workers in both the informal sector and the formal sector.

Health

223. Ensure, with the support of relevant United Nations agencies, that appropriate funding is provided to health (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 41 (a)).

224.The budget allocated to the Ministry of Health has increased notably, as shown in the figure below. Indeed, from $190 billion in 2013, it rose to $245 billion in 2014 and to $278 billion in 2015. The budget amounted to $596.31 billion in 2016, accounting for approximately 5.36 per cent of the total State budget of Côte d’Ivoire.

Figure 2 Growth of the health budget

Linear (BUDGET)

225. Strengthen efforts to reduce, with the support of the international community, the incidence of maternal mortality and increase access by women and girls to basic health-care services (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 41 (b)).

226.The Government of Côte d’Ivoire has initiated several activities with its partners. In the area of sexual and reproductive health and child health these have included (i) the establishment of the targeted free care policy in 2012 to improve the affordability of health facilities for the general population and especially for children under 5 years of age; (ii) the development and implementation of the Millennium Development Goal 5 Acceleration Framework in 2012; (iii) the development and implementation of high-impact activities as part of the Muskoka Initiative for Maternal, Newborn and Under-Five Child Health (2011) and H4 + Sida (2013) initiatives; (iv) the launch in 2013 of the Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal, Newborn and Child Mortality in Africa and its implementation in all health regions; (v) the development and implementation of the 2015–2020 national budgeted plan for family planning; (vi) the formalization by the Ministry of Health and Hygiene of the maternal death review and response policy; (vii) the implementation of a project to address obstetric fistula; (viii) the establishment of the college of midwives and birth attendants; (ix) support for the dissemination and management of the Government’s efforts to submit the candidacy of Côte d’Ivoire to host a master’s degree in nursing and obstetric science in 2016; (x) the adoption of a law on prevention, protection against and eradication of HIV; (xi) the establishment of the Directorate of Nursing and Maternity Care; (xii) starting the process of establishing universal health coverage; and (xiii) the 2016–2020 strategic plan on maternal and child health, which is being finalized and which takes into account the Sustainable Development Goals.

227. Strengthen efforts to combat malnutrition and malaria (see CEDAW/C /CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 41 (c)).

228.The national strategic plan for malaria control was reviewed in the period from 2012 to 2015 and is in the process of being implemented.

229.The annual health situation report for 2015 notes that the incidence of malaria in the general population was 155.5 per thousand and 291.8 per thousand among children under 5 years of age.

230.In the area of health care, the Government has increased the availability of free artemisinin-based combination therapies in public health facilities.

231.In order to combat malnutrition more effectively, several measures have been taken by the Government of Côte d’Ivoire. These include: (i) the 2013 decree regulating the marketing of breast-milk substitutes; (ii) the re-launch of the baby-friendly hospital initiative in 2013 and the organization of a national campaign on good nutritional practices; (iii) the establishment of village water supply programmes that have helped to equip 77 per cent of localities with village pumps, with the objective of reaching 100 per cent coverage in 2015; (iv) the launch of projects to boost agricultural and fishery production to improve the productivity and competitiveness of production to cover local food needs, in particular to cover the significant shortages of the following: rice (100 per cent of requirements in 2016), fruit and vegetables (100 per cent of requirements in 2020) and meat and meat offal (62 per cent of requirements in 2020); (v) the adoption of a policy to develop school canteens, especially in rural areas, as a way to improve children’s nutrition. In 2014, 43 per cent of public schools had operational canteens.

232. Collect disaggregated data on the prevalence of unsafe abortion; ensure the provision of skilled medical aid and health facilities to women and girls suffering from health complications due to unsafe abortions and decriminalize abortion under certain conditions, specifically when pregnancy is harmful to the mother’s life and/or health, as well as in cases of incest and rape, and more particularly in cases of rape perpetrated in a conflict and post-conflict context (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 41 (d)).

233.Data on this topic are difficult to obtain in view of the restrictive law against abortion. However, some studies conducted in the country show that clandestine abortions still occurred country-wide with rates climbing from 31 per cent in 1994 to 41.5 per cent in 2006 and 42.5 per cent in 2012.

234.Implementation has begun for a strategy to provide care in the event of complications following clandestine abortions, known as post-abortion care, which is one of the key interventions to combat maternal deaths.

235. Widely promote education on sexual and reproductive health and rights, in particular by undertaking large-scale awareness-raising campaigns for the population in general and by integrating effective and age-appropriate education on sexual and reproductive health and rights at all school levels and incorporate it in the school curricula (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 41 (e)).

236.Since 2014, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the ministry responsible for youth development has conducted health awareness and service activities in about a hundred departments each year. These services for adolescents and young people from 10 to 24 years of age focus on sex education, condom distribution and HIV testing. In 2014, 207,235 young people received awareness training, including 84,557 girls.

237. Expedite the adoption of the draft law on persons living with HIV/AIDS and ensure the provision of free anti-retroviral treatment to all men and women living with HIV/AIDS, including pregnant women so as to prevent mother-to-child transmission; and continue to sensitize mothers and fathers living with HIV/AIDS on the importance of preventing mother-to-child transmission (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 41 (f)).

238.At the legal level, Act No. 2014-430 of 14 July 2014 on the regime to prevent, protect against and eradicate HIV/AIDS was adopted.

239.At the institutional level, the national strategic plan to combat HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections for the implementation period up to 2015 was revised; and the Directorate for Coordination of the National AIDS Programme was established in 2014.

240.Care focuses on palliative and physical care and spiritual, psychosocial and nutritional support for all patients, regardless of sex. Antiretroviral drugs in Côte d’Ivoire are available free of charge to eligible persons, both men and women. For pregnant women, an initial pre-care assessment is systematically conducted and there has been an increase in the number of mother-to-child transmission prevention centres.

Marriage and family relations

241. Ensure the effective enforcement of legal provisions to eliminate the practice of polygamous marriages (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 43 (a)).

242.Article 4 of the Marriage Act provides that only men and women of full legal age may consent to their marriage. In addition, article 20 states that no minister may conduct a religious marriage ceremony without the presentation of the certificate of civil marriage prescribed in article 28, thereby precluding polygamous marriage.

243. Amend without delay the Penal Code to prohibit levirate and sororate, as well as discriminatory practices with respect to women’s inheritance (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 43 (b)).

244.The revision of the criminal code to include the prohibition of levirate and sororate, as well as discriminatory practices, is still under way. However, the courts, when involved, find in favour of women. Under the law on succession, women inherit from the spouse.

245. Adopt without delay the draft Personal and Family Code and ensure that it is comprehensive and in conformity with the Convention (see CEDAW/C/CIV /CO/1-3 , para. 43 (c)).

246.Revision of the Personal and Family Code is taking pace as part of the current process of judicial reform.

247. Review and amend without delay existing discriminatory provisions, including the difference in the age of marriage for women and men; the granting of all decision-making power to men; the waiting period for remarriage of women; and the difference in the admissibility of evidence in cases of adultery, to bring them fully in line with articles 2 and 16 of the Convention (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 43 (d)).

248.The existing discriminatory provisions have been identified in a paper on discriminatory legislation and included in the draft revision of the Personal and Family Code. Provisions that are discriminatory have been corrected, that is, the different age of marriage for women and men, the waiting period for the remarriage of women and differences in the admissibility of evidence in cases of adultery.

249.With regard to the granting of decision-making power to men, Act No. 2013-33 of 13 January 2013 removed the inequality by removing references to the concept of head of the family. The Act abrogated article 53 and amended articles 58, 59, 60 and 67. This new law, which establishes joint management of the household, makes men and women equal in the home, each participating according to his or her respective capacities.

National Human Rights Institution

250. Ensure that the National Human Rights Commission is in compliance with the Paris Principles, and is provided with sufficient resources, a broad human rights mandate and a specific mandate on gender equality (see CEDAW/C/CIV /CO/1-3 , para. 45 (a)).

251.Following a review of its case in May 2016, the National Human Rights Commission of Côte d’Ivoire received “B” accreditation status from the Subcommittee on Accreditation, together with recommendations designed to bring it into compliance with the Paris Principles in every respect.

252. Ensure that the composition and activities of the National Human Rights Commission are gender-sensitive and fully address women’s human rights (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 45 (b)).

253.The Convention is a working tool of the National Human Rights Commission of Côte d’Ivoire, and guides all its awareness-raising and protection activities. The Commission has carried out activities for the empowerment and advancement of women. It has also provided support to women incarcerated at the Abidjan Detention and Correctional Centre.

254.In addition, the report of the National Human Rights Commission of Côte d’Ivoire on violence against women is currently being finalized.

Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action

255. The Committee urges the State party, in the implementation of its obligations under the Convention, to fully utilize the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which reinforce the provisions of the Convention; it requests the State party to include information thereon in its next periodic report (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 46).

256.Côte d’Ivoire assessed the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action in 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015, with support from United Nations system agencies. The most recent report, from 2014, drew attention to a number of issues.

257.The two main failings with regard to achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment are: (i) the lack of improvement in the representation of women in decision-making positions, as planned — Côte d’Ivoire is far from reaching the 30 per cent quota planned at the Beijing Conference; and (ii) the absence of a citizen oversight mechanism for actions carried out by the Government in the areas of gender and women’s empowerment.

Millennium Development Goals

258. The Committee emphasizes that full and effective implementation of the Convention is indispensable for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. It calls for the integration of a gender perspective and explicit reflection of the provisions of the Convention in all efforts aimed at the realization of the Millennium Development Goals, and requests the State party to include information thereon in its next periodic report (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 47).

259.United Nations system agencies have provided assistance in the form of technical and financial capacity-building for women’s organizations so that they can support the economic empowerment of women as part of the efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in Côte d’Ivoire.

260.In an approach that takes into account environmental protection, the improvement of living conditions and the involvement of women in environmental management, studies have been carried out under the aegis of the Ministry for the Advancement of Women and the Family and the Protection of Children and the Ministry for the Environment and Sustainable Development. These include: (i) a 2015 study on the integration of a gender approach in the water sector; (ii) a 2015 study on clean cooking energy in Côte d’Ivoire - situation and perspectives; and (iii) a 2016 assessment of supply and demand for household fuels and trends in their use in agroecological zones as defined by the United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries.

Dissemination

261. The Committee requests the State party to continue to disseminate widely, in particular to women’s and human rights organizations, the Committee’s general recommendations, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly on the theme “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century” (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 48).

262.The Ministry for the Advancement of Women and the Family and the Protection of Children has organized television and radio programmes to raise public awareness of the Convention, Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and the Beijing Platform for Action.

Ratification of other treaties

263. The Committee therefore encourages the State party to consider ratifying the treaties to which it is not yet a party, namely the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families; the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance; and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 49).

264.Côte d’Ivoire has been unable to comply with the Committee’s wish for ratification of the following conventions: (i) the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families; and (ii) the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

Reports issued

265.Côte d’Ivoire has issued several reports relating to the treaties that it has ratified. These include: (i) the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in October 2011; (ii) the Beijing Platform for Action and the 20-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 2014; (iii) the second report of 29 April 2014 of the universal periodic review; (iv) the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights in October 2012 and in 2016; (v) the African Union Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa made by Heads of State and Government in 2014; (vi) the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child in December 2015 and (vii) the Convention on the Rights of the Child in January 2016.

Follow-up to concluding observations

266. The Committee requests the State party to provide, within two years, written information on the steps undertaken to implement the recommendations contained in paragraphs 29 and 35 above (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 50).

267.The road map developed in July 2012 by the Ministry of Solidarity, the Family, Women and Children, its partners and civil society organizations was presented in December 2013 to all actors in order to serve as a guideline for all action in support of women. The implementation of its five focus areas was evaluated during a mini-retreat in March 2014.

Technical assistance

268. The Committee recommends that the State party seek cooperation and technical assistance in the development and implementation of a comprehensive programme aimed at the implementation of the above recommendations and the Convention as a whole. The Committee also calls on the State party to strengthen further its cooperation with specialized agencies and programmes of the United Nations system (see CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3 , para. 51).

Single programming framework/United Nations Development Assistance Framework of the United Nations system

269.In collaboration with the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, the United Nations system agencies have developed a single programmatic and strategic document which guides the interventions of all United Nations system organizations. The United Nations Development Assistance Framework programming for 2009–2013 was focused on the stabilization of security and peacebuilding.

270.The programming for 2013–2015 is aligned with the 2012–2015 national development plan of Côte d’Ivoire and focused on three main areas, namely: (i) peacebuilding and the protection of human rights and governance; (ii) job creation, income growth and sustainable development; and (iii) basic social services.

271.The programme for 2017–2020, which is aligned with the 2016–2020 national development plan, is referred to as a single programming framework. It is designed to strengthen synergy, coherence, unity of effort and coordination of United Nations operational activities in Côte d’Ivoire and their alignment with national priorities, in accordance with the Paris Declaration.

Thematic Group on Gender and Development

272.The Thematic Group on Gender and Development was set up in 2004 to foster a common understanding of joint, coordinated actions between United Nations system agencies with respect to gender. It is chaired by UN-Women for the United Nations system and co-chaired by the Ministry for the Advancement of Women and the Family and the Protection of Women. It engages with international NGOs dealing with issues of gender, sectoral gender units and a number of technical and financial partners. In accordance with its terms of reference, the Thematic Group meets on a monthly basis. It supports the development, validation and implementation of policies and framework documents including: the national development plan, the single programming framework, the National Strategy for Combating Gender-based Violence, the National Policy on Equal Opportunity, Equity and Gender adopted in June 2009, and the National Action Plan for the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000).

The gender scorecard

273.Adopted by the United Nations Development Group in 2008, the process of utilizing the results sheet, or gender scorecard, began with an assessment mission in May 2015, led by UN-Women. This mission facilitated: (i) identification of the areas in which efforts to mainstream gender considerations do or do not meet the minimum standards set out in the results sheet; (ii) a constructive dialogue within the United Nations system on the current situation regarding support for the promotion of gender equality; and (iii) women’s empowerment and ways of improving the effectiveness and relevance of this support in line with the national development priorities of Côte d’Ivoire. The gender audit of the relevant ministries currently taking place is part of the process of utilizing the results sheet.

Difficulties in implementation, challenges and ways forward

Difficulties

•The lack of an overarching coordination framework or mechanism for the implementation of the actions outlined in the road map for implementation of the Convention.

•The inadequacy of the national budget allocation.

•Sociocultural obstacles.

•The low level of reporting and the lack of sex-disaggregated data.

•Between 2012 and 2016 Côte d’Ivoire underwent three changes of Government, resulting in the ministry responsible for women’s issues being led by three different ministers in five years. Each minister needed time to take ownership of the process. This delayed some actions, such as work to meet internationally agreed commitments.

•The turnover of civil servants has also contributed to delays in issues being understood and addressed. This has affected several gender units.

•The failure to institutionalize gender-sensitive budgeting.

•The ineffectiveness of funding arrangements.

•The absence of temporary special measures to provide for the 30 per cent quota, and the insufficient dissemination of legislation.

•The lack of ownership of the gender and development approach.

•The approximate share of the national budget allocated to the achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment.

•The weakness of institutional responsibility for gender issues within the Government.

•The fact that the financial resources for issues of gender and women’s empowerment come from two sources: the State and donors.

274.The share of the State budget allocated to issues of gender equality and women’s empowerment falls short of requirements and accounts for less than 10 per cent of the national budget.

Challenges

275.The following actions are needed for the advancement of women and girls:

•Empower the relevant actors to take ownership of the 16 articles of the Convention for better integration of its principles in the daily activities of each institution

•Adopt the draft law on the quota

•Engage people and institutions to bring about the changes in attitudes, behaviour and practices that are essential for the reduction of gender-related inequalities

•Pursue gender-sensitive legal reforms to increase women’s representation in decision-making bodies

•Develop strategies for creating conditions that are conducive to the recognition of women’s potential

•Promote a model for responsible families, and family and community values that are positive and foster social cohesion

•Promote gender-sensitive budgeting

•Conduct a gender audit of all ministries

•Ensure that services are adequate and scale up interventions for the protection of women and girls

•Develop stronger partnerships and improve coordination with the private sector, civil society, local communities and development partners.

Ways forward

276.The following are ways to improve monitoring of the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations and of the various instruments that have been ratified:

•Create and strengthen mechanisms for the monitoring and incorporation into national legislation of international instruments and national strategies and policy documents

•Strengthen mechanisms for evaluating the implementation of the road maps and action plans

•Establish, by creating indicators, links between the various ratified international instruments to ensure better targeting of actions

•Use statistical data collection tools to obtain sex-disaggregated data

•Formalize the establishment and strengthening of technical gender units for gender mainstreaming and planning across the relevant ministries

•Strengthen the resource mobilization capacity of United Nations system agencies and civil society organizations to enable them to better support the Ministry for the Advancement of Women and the Family and the Protection of Children

•Develop public-private partnerships for the advancement of women and girls

•Advocate for the provision of funds for the implementation of conventions and other international instruments.

Conclusion

277.The Convention is of great interest for Côte d’Ivoire, as it provides an effective strategic framework for combating discrimination against women and girls in all spheres of social life.

278.Its implementation is primarily the responsibility of the Government, and in particular the Ministry for the Advancement of Women and the Family and the Protection of Children, which is the leading body for actions on gender, the advancement of women and efforts to combat all forms of discrimination against women.

279.This fourth report by Côte d’Ivoire shows the significant progress that has been made and the urgent and concrete actions that have been taken to reduce discrimination and violence against women, in accordance with the recommendations made by the Committee following the presentation of the combined first report.

280.The progress made in the implementation of these recommendations are the result of collaboration and the effective involvement of different groups of institutional (government and private) stakeholders, technical and financial partners, national and international NGOs and local communities.

281.These actions have helped to improve the conditions of women’s lives, and have had a positive influence on the relevant statistics, in line with the vision of the Government to accelerate the achievement of gender equality in Côte d’Ivoire.