I.Introduction and methodology for the preparation of the report

1.The Republic of Angola is a democratic State governed by the rule of law. It became independent in 1975. Elections were held in 1992 (inconclusive), 2008, 2012, 2017 and 2022. The President, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, was elected in August 2022.

2.The present report was prepared on the basis of the human rights commitments of Angola.

3.Pursuant to article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Angola submitted to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women its seventh periodic report (CEDAW/C/AGO/7), its replies to the list of issues and questions of the Committee (CEDAW/C/AGO/Q/7/Add.1) and its replies to the follow-up questions (CEDAW/C/AGO/FCO/7).

4.Bearing in mind the periodicity set out in the above-mentioned article, the State prepared the present report in accordance with the guidelines on reporting under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and with the concluding observations on the seventh periodic report adopted by the Committee at its seventy-second session held in February 2019.

5.The report addresses the Committee’s observations on key issues of particular concern and seeks to clarify the questions raised, while also outlining the general, legislative and policy measures taken to implement and comply with the Convention during the reporting period.

6.The present report was prepared by the Intersectoral Commission for the Preparation of National Human Rights Reports, the national mechanism for the preparation of reports and follow-up of recommendations,. As well as detailed information on the legislative and policy measures adopted during the reporting period (2019–2024), the present report outlines efforts made in the implementation of the National Development Plans for the periods 2017–2022 and 2023–2027, and the recently updated Angola 2025 Long-term National Development Strategy, which includes a dedicated programme for gender equality issues.

II.General recommendations/considerations

1.Measures to enhance the visibility and dissemination of the Convention

7.Under the Constitution of the Republic of Angola, approved or ratified international treaties and agreements are part of the Angolan legal order. Act No. 14/11 of 25 January 2011, on international treaties, regulates the process for the inclusion of human rights in national law and may be directly applied by Angolan courts. For example:

(a)Constitutional Court judgment No. 793/2022, on the right to work and employment stability;

(b)Constitutional Court judgment No. 123/2010, which contains references to the principles of equality before the law, the right of recourse and the right not to be arbitrarily detained;

(c)Constitutional Court judgment No. 121/2010, on special remedies, in which reference is made to the right to equality before the courts;

(d)Constitutional Court judgment No. 130/2011, on a posteriori review, brought by the Bar Association of Angola, in which reference is made to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (articles 11, 18, 19 and 20), the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (articles 9, 10 and 11) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (article 14);

(e)Constitutional Court judgment No. 486/2017 and Supreme Court judgment No. 1773/2011, which contain references to the right to life;

(f)Constitutional Court judgment No. 489/2010, on the principle of protection of minors;

(g)Luanda District Court judgments Nos. 1168/21-C and 1169/21-C, on the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, regarding freedom of religion and belief, money-laundering, rights of women and employment.

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

(a)From 2019 to 2020, the Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women published and distributed more than 1,000 brochures and organized various seminars;

(b)In 2020, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights published and disseminated a book containing the main Angolan documents (for the period 2012–2019) related to the implementation of the Convention (800 copies) (available at: http://www.servicos.minjusdh.gov.ao/direitos-humanos);

(c)The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), published a manual on instruments for the defence of the human rights of women (750 copies), which includes a chapter on the Convention and the text of the Convention. The manual was updated in 2022 and more than 1,000 copies were distributed (available at http://www.servicos.minjusdh.gov.ao/direitos-humanos);

(d)The Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women, in collaboration with UNDP, produced and disseminated a guide on the Convention and the main recommendations of the Committee, aimed at civil society organizations (1,000 copies) (available at: https://www.undp.org/pt/angola/publications/guia-convencao-sobre-eliminacao-de-todas-formas-de-discriminacao-contra-mulheres);

(e)In 2021, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights published a book on the sixth national conference on human rights and the protection of vulnerable groups (1,000 copies) (available at: http://www.servicos.minjusdh.gov.ao/direitos-humanos);

(f)The Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women carried out several awareness-raising and training activities, including on the topic of the Convention, notably the discussion on the recommendations of the Committee and the Commission on the Status of Women held on 26 May 2021, in which 83 focal points from various ministries, local administrations and civil society organizations participated.

9.Other outreach and implementation activities included the publication of books and brochures on civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, aimed at publicizing the mechanisms and policies adopted by the State for the realization of human rights in all their aspects.

10.All these brochures, books and other such materials are used as the basis for oral dissemination (radio, theatres and community meetings) in the various languages of Angola. The Ngola Yetu radio station provides oral interpretation.

2.Policy and legal framework for gender equality and equity

11.Since the consideration of the previous report in 2019, Angola has made significant progress in the promotion and protection of human rights and in the implementation of the rights of women and gender equality, notably the adoption of the National Human Rights Strategy and its Action Plan (Presidential Decree No. 100/20 of 14 April 2020) (available at: http://www.servicos.minjusdh.gov.ao/direitos-humanos).

12.The Strategy is a human rights public policy instrument containing an action plan to enable Angola to achieve maturity in the area of human rights by exercising the legitimacy that comes with national sovereignty, in order to ensure that it was Angolans who evaluate themselves and who denounce, address and condemn the country’s human rights failures. Three years since the adoption of the Strategy, 80 per cent of the measures set out in the action plan have already been implemented. Human rights have been upgraded to a “national security issue” and the main actors in the monitoring of human rights issues are civil society organizations, through local human rights committees, which prepare reports for submission to the National Security Council (seven reports have thus far been submitted).

13.One of the pillars of the National Human Rights Strategy is the expansion of local human rights committees at the municipality and commune levels. At present, Angola has 18 local human rights committees at the provincial level (1 in each province), 1 in each municipality (164) and in 87 communes or districts, in addition to two human rights centres in schools. Local human rights committees are multisectoral bodies that ensure the promotion and protection of human rights at the local level. The committees comprise civil society organizations representing, inter alia, traditional authorities, religious leaders, persons with disabilities, persons with albinism, academics and minority groups.

14.Developing the National Human Rights Strategy involved the broad participation of civil society at the national level, and the various government collaborators in the area of human rights were made aware of its preparation.

15.A further achievement during the reporting period was the adoption of the Criminal Code of Angola (Act No. 38/20 of 11 November 2020), the Code of Criminal Procedure (Act No. 39/20 of 11 November 2020) and the Code of Administrative Procedure, which contain provisions for upholding human rights.

16.Meaningful steps taken to promote and protect human rights with respect to the implementation of the Convention during the reporting period include:

(a)Long-term Development Strategy 2050 (Presidential Decree No. 181/23 of 1 September 2023);

(b)National Development Plan 2023–2027 (Presidential Decree nº224/23 of 10 November 2023);

(c)National Development Plan 2018–2022 (Presidential Decree No. 158/18 of 6 June 2018);

(d)Presidential Decree No. 140/18 of 6 July 2018, establishing the integrated programme for local development and the fight against poverty;

(e)Presidential Decree No. 200/18 of 27 August 2018, establishing the National Council for Refugees;

(f)Migration policy of Angola (Presidential Decree No. 318/18 of 31 December 2018);

(g)Act No. 13/19, of 23 May, on the legal regime for foreigners in Angola and its regulations;

(h)Institutionalization of participatory and gender-sensitive budgets (Presidential Decree No. 235/19 of 22 July 2019);

(i)National action plan to combat trafficking in persons (Presidential Decree No. 31/20 of 14 February 2020) and national reference mechanism and standardized operational systems (Executive Decree No. 179/22 1 April 2022);

(j)National Human Rights Strategy and its Action Plan (Presidential Decree No. 100/20 of 14 April 2020);

(k)Act No. 27/20 of 20 July 2020, on the Ombudsperson;

(l)Act No. 29/20 of 28 July 2020, on the status of the Ombudsperson;

(m)Criminal Code of Angola (Act No. 38/20 of 11 November 2020) and the Code of Criminal Procedure (Act No. 39/20 of 11 November 2020), which contain various provisions aligned with human rights conventions;

(n)Presidential Decree No. 295/20 of 18 November 2020, on the legal framework for compulsory social protection;

(o)Executive Decree No. 240/20 of 2 October 2020, on the regulation of local human rights committees;

(p)National policy on traditional and complementary medicine (Presidential Decree No. 253/20 of 2 October 2020);

(q)Constitutional Review Act (Act No. 181/21 of 16 August 2021), which, inter alia, enables citizens residing abroad to vote and establishes the Supreme Court as the primary court;

(r)National social action policy and its operationalization strategy (Presidential Decree No. 37/21 of 8 February 2021);

(s)National plan of action for the elimination of child labour (Presidential Decree No. 239/21 of 29 September 2021);

(t)Civil Service Framework Act (Act No. 26/22 of 22 August 2022);

(u)Code of Administrative and Disputes Procedure (Act No. 31/22 of 30 August 2022);

(v)Act No. 29/22 of 29 August 2022, establishing the principles and rules for the organization and functioning of the courts of ordinary jurisdiction and the Courts of Appeal Act; and review of the status of judges and prosecutors;

(w)Plan for the protection of persons with albinism 2023–2027 (Presidential Decree No. 193/23 of 9 October 2023);

(x)Plan for the inclusion and support of persons with disabilities 2023–2027 (Presidential Decree No. 217/23 of 31 October 2023);

(y)General Labour Act (Act No. 12/23 of 27 December 2023).

17.In Angola, all laws are aligned with the principle of equality and non‑discrimination enshrined in article 23 of the Angolan Constitution.

18.Article 212 of the Angolan Criminal Code imposes a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment for anyone who engages in discriminatory acts on the grounds of race, colour, ethnicity, place of birth, gender, sexual orientation, illness, physical or mental disability that does not entail an impairment or handicap, belief or religion, political or ideological convictions, social status or origin, or any other form of discrimination. It is thus fully aligned with article 1 of the Convention and with Sustainable Development Goal target 5.1.

3.Access to justice

19.In 2019, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights transferred the management of the courts of ordinary jurisdiction, the only ones that remained under the budget of the executive branch, to the Superior Council of the Judiciary. The high courts already enjoyed administrative and financial independence.

20.The judicial and rights reform process, which is aimed at identifying and proposing laws to make the judicial system more efficient and at drafting proposals intended to strengthen the independence of the judiciary, while combating corruption, is continuing. The process involves judges, prosecutors, representatives of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, lawyers, jurists and academics.

21.In recent years, significant progress has been made in legislative output, including, for example, the adoption of the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure. The Criminal Code harmonizes criminal law with international standards on human rights.

22.In that light, Act No. 29/22 of 29 August 2022, establishing the principles and rules for the organization and functioning of the courts of ordinary jurisdiction, was adopted, as was the Courts of Appeal Act. The status of judges and prosecutors was revised.

23.Angola continues to work to make justice faster, more efficient and brought closer to citizens, without discrimination, by expanding the system of courts. As a result of that exercise:

(a)Thirty-five district courts have been established to replace the provincial and municipal courts;

(b)Three courts of appeal or of second instance have been established (one in Luanda, one in Benguela and one in Huila) to relieve the pressure on the system, reduce the number of pending cases and meet demand effectively;

(c)The Division of Commerce, Intellectual Property and Industry was established and became operational in January 2021;

(d)There has been an increase in the number of judges (656, of whom 38 per cent are women), public prosecutors (620, of whom 42 per cent are women) and lawyers registered with the Bar Association of Angola and trainee lawyers (10,234, of whom 35 per cent are women).

24.In order to improve access to justice for vulnerable groups, including women, the Constitution provides for free legal aid, which is governed by Act No. 15/95 of 24 January 1995 on legal aid, implemented through the Bar Association of Angola with State financial support. From 2019 to 2021, a total of 14,941 people received free legal aid.

25.Out-of-court dispute settlement centres were established in Executive Decree No. 230/14 of 27 June 2014, and the regulations governing them were established in Executive Decree No. 244/14 of 4 July 2014. The lawyers and trainee lawyers who staff the centres provide legal information and advice and uphold the principle of non‑discrimination on the basis of sex, social status, cultural affiliation and financial status.

26.To meet the demand for the services provided at the centres, more centres are being established in the provincial offices of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, which currently has more than 70 mediation and conciliation specialists. Two public and three private centres have been established. From 2018 to 2022, a total of 4,106 citizens availed themselves of the centre in Luanda, 2,177 of whom were referred to conflict mediation services (most cases were commercial in nature, followed by family, labour and corporate matters).

27.In this regard, specialized continuing training is being offered at public and private universities on the mediation of business and family disputes and institutional arbitration at the International Court of Arbitration.

28.There is also the Voluntary Arbitration Act and the Dispute Mediation and Conciliation Act (Act No. 12/16 of 12 August 2016).

29.With regard to the inclusion of the Convention and the Committee’s recommendations in the training of law enforcement officials, the following points are worth noting:

•Human rights are part of the curriculum of the National Institute of Criminal Sciences, a training school of the National Police. Under the memorandum of cooperation signed in 2018 between the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and the Ministry of the Interior/National Police, between 2018 and 2023, 18 training-the-trainer events were held. More than 1,200 officers participated in the events, which have now also been held at the provincial level, reaching more than 3,000 members of the security forces.

•There are ongoing training programmes for members of the security forces and family counsellors.

•A human rights manual for the National Police has been published, in cooperation with various international organizations (three editions).

•A human rights module has been included in the curriculum of the National Institute of Judicial Studies, aimed at practising and trainee judges and prosecutors.

30.With regard to the measures envisaged to resolve inconsistencies between statutory law and customary law, article 7 of the Constitution of the Republic of Angola enshrines the validity of customary law that is not contrary to the dignity of the person; and article 23 establishes the principle of equality between men and women.

31.The bodies working to resolve possible conflicts in this regard include the National Directorate for Extrajudicial Conflict Resolution (department of community support), the National Directorate of Human Rights (both under the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights), the State dispute settlement chamber of the Office of the Public Prosecutor, and the Ministry of Culture.

32.The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, the Office of the Public Prosecutor, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women are engaged in this area, with the support of non-governmental organizations such as the Lutheran World Federation, the Platform for Women in Action and the Forum of Women Journalists for Gender Equality.

33.As indicated above, the mechanisms for extrajudicial conflict resolution operate on the basis of Act No. 12/16 of 12 August 2016, the Dispute Mediation and Conciliation Act, which provides for the possibility of general criminal and civil mediation through the out-of-court dispute settlement centres, where no established rights are at stake, as well as voluntary or institutional arbitration based on Executive Decree 290/17 of 11 May 2017.

34.During the reporting period, no cases of discrimination against women were referred to out-of-court conflict resolution mechanisms.

35.Information campaigns on the rights of women and training for traditional authorities, as well as for media and social network stakeholders, have been carried out.

4.National machinery for the advancement of women

36.After ten years of implementation, the National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity (Presidential Decree No. 222/13 of 24 December 2013), along with its action plan, are currently being reviewed and updated. In order to incorporate specific indicators and targets to measure progress on gender issues in Angola, gender markers were included in the National Development Plan 2023–2027. The Plan also includes a gender equality programme that cuts across all ministries.

37.The National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity, as part of the National Development Plan, incorporates all the goals and indicators that need to be taken into account in order to assess the results used to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the policies as a whole. The Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women, which has specific responsibility for monitoring the gender policy, tracks its implementation and periodically evaluates all stages of its implementation, in coordination with the Ministry of Planning and Territorial Development.

38.The Angola Gender Observatory – a mechanism for tracking more than 150 cross-cutting indicators in all areas – is being developed to help monitor and facilitate the preparation of reports.

39.Examples of other relevant programmes and projects include:

•Programme for gender parity and the empowerment of women

•Integrated programme for local development and the fight against poverty

•Microcredit programme

•Support for initiatives on the employment of women

•Family and rural entrepreneurship

•Support for the economic activities of rural women

•Social cash transfer programmes (Kwenda and Valor Menor)

•Basic social protection programme

•Child-friendly municipality project

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

(a)Project to train traditional birth attendants, involving training and distribution of kits for hygienic, dignified childbirth, representing a women’s empowerment measure focused on rural areas, where access to sexual and reproductive health services for women is scarce;

(b)Launch and implementation of a two-year national campaign against early marriage and pregnancy;

(c)Lectures and seminars to raise awareness of gender issues and domestic violence, teenage pregnancy and maternal and neonatal deaths, as well as training of gender mobilizers and activists. Information materials were also distributed to 57,894 people between 2020 and 2022. These materials included brochures on gender concepts; campaigns on early marriage and pregnancy; the national gender policy; the Domestic Violence Act; the “Receita da Felicidade” communication strategy; and international, regional and national instruments;

(d)Preparation of the second Angola gender country profile containing five indicators, including bodily autonomy, in collaboration with the European Union;

(e)Dissemination of legal instruments on gender and violence;

(f)Conduct of a regional workshop on budgeting for gender equality programmes, projects and plans, with the participation of parliamentary representatives;

(g)Conduct of a workshop on the establishment of the Angola Gender Observatory;

(h)Training for women and men on the formation of associations and cooperatives at the community level and the formalization of women’s cooperatives; 54 women’s cooperatives, including cooperatives for women with disabilities, have been legalized;

(i)A regional capacity-building workshop for provincial directorates on techniques for programming, planning, managing and budgeting for the implementation of the National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity;

(j)Conduct of an annual multisectoral gender meeting, which serves as a means to assess the implementation of activities on gender equality and the empowerment of women and as a barometer for the implementation of the National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity. Participants included the focal points of ministries, civil society and public and private enterprises;

(k)Training and capacity-building in entrepreneurship and small business management to foster participation in the labour market; initiatives to support the financial literacy of families and women under a programme on strengthening families and family competencies, with the support of the National Bank of Angola and as part of a memorandum of cooperation with the Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women;

(l)Holding of the national forum on rural women, with participants from across the country;

(m)Training on the use of local products with a view to promoting income-generating initiatives for families.

41.To ensure the effective functioning of mechanisms for the advancement of women in all areas and levels of women’s empowerment, the Government provides, in a rational manner, human and technical resources to ensure vocational training and improvement of technical skills for the development of activities with the necessary effectiveness and efficiency, in cooperation with civil society institutions.

42.The sectoral programmes of the Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women are included in the general State budget. The Organic Statute of the Ministry was updated by Presidential Decree No. 2/23 of 3 January 2023, and the National Directorate for Gender Equity and Equality was reinstated, with a special unit responsible for implementing the measures envisaged in the National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity. The Multisectoral Gender Commission, which comprises focal points from various ministries and civil society organizations and is coordinated by the Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women, has also been reinstated to evaluate the implementation of the National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity in all provinces and municipalities across the country.

43.Through Presidential Decree No. 235/19 of 22 July 2019, Angola institutionalized participatory and gender-sensitive budgeting, which is now being implemented, with specific gender markers. For that exercise, the Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women was supported by partners such as UNDP, with training sessions involving various institutions, such as the National Assembly, and civil society organizations being held for follow-up and monitoring.

44.Participatory budgeting is a government mechanism of participatory democracy that enables citizens to influence or contribute to decision-making on public budgets, generally at the municipal level, through community participation processes. The mechanism was institutionalized by Presidential Decree No. 235/19 of 22 July 2019 and has two components: (a) a budget developed by citizens and (b) a budget developed with the participation of municipal governments. The aims of participatory budgeting are to have citizens participate in the determination of municipal expenditures; to promote participatory, democratic and shared management of public resources; to foster the effective exercise of citizenship; to establish mechanisms for tracking and monitoring public expenditures; and to foster inclusive citizen participation, enabling the government to take comprehensive measures to serve the people’s interests.

45.Gender-sensitive budgeting is a means of integrating, in an equitable manner, the interests and realities of men and women into national and sectoral programmes. It helps to provide the resources needed to eliminate gender barriers and stereotypes and ensure access to public goods and services. Gender-sensitive budgeting was introduced in the instructions for the preparation of the general State budget for the 2022 fiscal year (Presidential Decree No. 195/21 of 18 August 2021) and the medium-term expenditure framework for 2021–2025.

5.National human rights institutions

46.Angola has an Ombudsperson, which represents compliance, to an extent, with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (Paris Principles), especially as it is independent of the bodies of the Government. Established by means of a law promulgated by the National Assembly, the Ombudsperson is backed by constitutional guarantees and has an independent mandate. The Office of the Ombudsperson is in the process of being accredited by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions.

47.Under article 192 of the Constitution, the Office of the Ombudsperson is an independent public entity whose purpose is to defend the fundamental rights, freedoms and guarantees of citizens, ensuring through informal means the justice and legality of government actions. The activity of the Ombudsperson is independent of the measures of litigation and mediation provided for in the Constitution and the law. The Office has administrative and financial autonomy and operates in its own facilities.

48.The laws on the Ombudsperson (Act No. 27/20 of 20 July 2020) and on the status of the Ombudsperson (Act No. 29/20 of 28 July 2020) have been revised to comply with the Constitution and to clarify the role of the Ombudsperson in defending and promoting citizens’ rights (including the rights of women), freedoms and fundamental guarantees. The revisions have allowed for an increase in the number of staff in the Office by means of a public competition, which is helping to ensure that complaints and claims submitted to the Ombudsperson are dealt with more quickly.

49.The Office has a presence in 10 provinces, which facilitates citizens’ access to the Ombudsperson and enables them to make their concerns heard. Where necessary, the Office of the Ombudsperson may use the facilities of the provincial offices of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights or the Office of the Public Prosecutor, or other local offices where physical space is available, thereby maintaining full autonomy at all times.

Figure 1:Complaints to the Ombudsperson, 2020–2022

Source: Office of the Ombudsperson.

Figure 2: How complaints to the Ombudsperson are received

Source: Office of the Ombudsperson.

50.The Ombudsperson of Angola (the incumbent is a woman) is a member of the International Ombudsman Institute, in which she serves as a member of the Board of Directors and as Regional Director for Africa; a member of the African Ombudsman and Mediators Association, of which she was president between 2010 and 2014; and a member of the network of ombudspersons and human rights defenders of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries, of which she is the current president. She has participated in the meetings of the ombudspersons and mediators of the Great Lakes region and of the Commonwealth ombudspersons’ association.

51.The Ombudsperson receives support from UNDP to implement various activities, fully align the work of the Office with the Paris Principles and obtain accreditation as a national human rights institution.

52.Although the Office does not have a specific focus on gender equality, it does have a department dedicated to the protection of vulnerable groups, including women. Of particular concern are cases of domestic violence and gender-based discrimination, which represent violations of the rights of vulnerable citizens and fall within the Ombudsperson’s mandate (arts. 18 (h) and 20 of Act No. 29/20 of 28 July 2020, on the status of the Ombudsperson).

53.The Ombudsperson has established a standing commission to support particularly vulnerable citizens, including women (Order No. 90/2021 of 29 November 2021). Its responsibilities include the following:

(a)Promoting, by means of an action plan, mechanisms for assisting, educating and supporting victims of violence at the national level, in police stations, in hospitals, and in support centres and shelters;

(b)Establishing coordination mechanisms with the Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women; the Ministry of the Interior; the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights; the Ministry of Youth and Sports; the Ministry of Education; the Ministry of Health; the Office of the Public Prosecutor; the Ministry of Telecommunications, Information Technology and Social Communication; the Bar Association of Angola; civil society organizations; non-governmental organizations; educational and specialized institutions; and institutions that provide support to victims;

(c)Developing a multisectoral engagement and evaluation monitoring mechanism, as well as seminars, lectures, radio and television debates, spots, brochures and the corresponding communication plans;

(d)Putting forward recommendations for the prevention and protection of particularly vulnerable citizens;

(e)Raising awareness of the role of the Ombudsperson in defending victims of domestic violence.

54.As part of the efforts to promote and protect the rights of women, the Ombudsperson has participated in events on gender equality and meetings with specific civil society organizations, such as the Platform for Women in Action in March 2023; a webinar in November 2023; the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign; and mechanisms for the elimination of discrimination of the network of ombudspersons of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries.

6.Women human rights defenders, journalists and civil society organizations

55.Freedom of association and freedom of assembly are guaranteed, for both men and women, under articles 47 and 48 of the Constitution.

56.The Government has taken legislative measures to protect those rights, notably through the adoption of the Private Associations Act (Act No. 6/12 of 18 January 2012), as well as its implementing regulations, in which the framework for the establishment of associations in Angola is set out.

57.The “public interest” status was approved in 2021 (Presidential Decree No. 183/21 of 2 August 2021); on the basis of that status, public funds are allocated, for a period of three years, to associations whose work is considered relevant, and the Court of Auditors evaluates and oversees the use of these funds.

58.In May 2023, the Parliament passed, in broad terms, a draft law on the status of non-governmental organizations, which is aligned with the Guidelines on Freedom of Association and Assembly in Africa and financial institutions’ recommendations and rules on combating money-laundering and the financing of terrorism in non-profit organizations. The related process is currently under way, in consultation with relevant supporters and partners.

Figure 3: Number of registered civil society organizations, 2013–2023

Source: Ministry of Justice and Human Rights.

59.Human rights defenders are generally protected by the law. Dialogue and cooperation with civil society are open and ongoing. It is worth highlighting the National Human Rights Strategy; one of the specific objectives of the Strategy is to strengthen dialogue with civil society, whose members are considered to be essential partners. For example, Angola supported a Human Rights Council resolution aimed at supporting environmental human rights defenders.

60.The National Development Plan 2023–2027 includes a specific programme on strengthening civil society participation.

61.The Government establishes systems for listening to and consulting with civil society organizations. For example:

•Civil society is part of the Council of the Republic, a body that advises the President and the councils for social consultation and coordination.

•The President holds regular meetings with civil society organizations and civic associations. For example, he held meetings with young people in November 2018 and 2020 and during his periodic visits to the provinces.

•Meetings are held through multilateral mechanisms, such as the periodic human rights forums held with civil society organizations in 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 (six in total to date); follow-up action is also taken in respect of the recommendations emanating from the forums.

•Public consultations are held to collect contributions for the National Human Rights Strategy.

•The Secretary of State for Human Rights and Citizenship conducts visits to the offices of various civil society organizations and maintains ongoing dialogue with them.

•At the provincial level, civil society organizations are members of local human rights committees.

•The various ministries have their own civil society partners and hold ongoing dialogue and public consultations on the various policies. For example, the Ministry of Territorial Administration has held a public consultation on its local government legislative package and the Ministry of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication has held a public consultation on its press package.

•The National Assembly holds dialogues with civil society organizations.

•Representatives of various civil society organizations have participated in the training courses organized by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, both in Angola and abroad (including a specialized course on human rights, the Oslo Diploma Course and training for human rights trainers in collaboration with the University of Coimbra).

•The Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women has signed memorandums with several organizations, institutions and civil society organizations, such as the Angolan Women’s Network, the Association of Women Lawyers and the Platform for Women in Action, which have led to progress on gender issues.

7.Gender-based violence against women

62.Angola faces the challenge of combating gender violence, notably domestic violence, and is implementing measures such as Act No. 25/11 of 14 July 2011, against domestic violence, and its implementing regulations (Presidential Decree No. 124/13 of 28 August 2013). Both documents are currently under public consultation. At the legal level, these measures have been reinforced with the adoption of the Criminal Code, and the Government continues to step up its efforts to raise awareness and mobilize families and to strengthen accountability and the handling of cases.

63.The legal provisions of the Criminal Code have been expanded or made more specific, with tougher penalties for crimes of violence, such as discrimination, sexual assault and sexual assault by deception (see, for example, arts. 71, 149, 159, 160, 161, 170, 175, 181 et seq., 190 and 192 et seq.).

64.The number of cases reported has increased in recent years, owing to the significant outreach and awareness-raising work done by the responsible institutions:

•From 2017 to 2022 the Maianga Counselling Centre (Luanda) registered 5,248 cases, 4,590 (87.5 per cent) of which were reported by women (see figure 4).

•Of those 5,248 cases, 62 per cent related to family abandonment, 17 per cent to psychological violence, 11 per cent to property-related violence, 7 per cent to physical violence and 1 per cent to sexual violence (see figure 5).

•The provincial offices of the Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women registered a total of 12,893 cases of domestic violence.

•During the period under review, the Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women and the Ministry of Health, working together to manage telephone lines 145 and 146, responded to 20,693 calls, of which 15,701 required action and 4,992 were dismissed.

Figure 4: Cases of domestic violence, 2017–2022

Source: Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women.

Figure 5: Types of violence (percentage), 2017–2022

Source: Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women.

65.Since 2020, in the context of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the post-pandemic period, dedicated campaigns to combat domestic violence have been strengthened. Women were particularly affected by the lockdowns, which exacerbated existing problems and generated new challenges in various areas of life, such as an increase in cases of domestic violence, a breakdown of family units caused by the reduction in employment and the abandonment of children by their fathers (which is the type of violence most frequently handled by counselling centres). With the aim of promoting positive changes, the State has called for the participation of all people in order to raise awareness among families and communities of the importance of ending negative behaviours and building healthier and more equal relationships.

66.In order to reduce gender-based violence, a free telephone reporting hotline (15020) has been launched, in addition to telephone line 111 of the Comprehensive Public Safety Centre and the “SOS Children” 15015 hotline, which was set up for the reporting of cases of violence against children. Assistance is also provided by specialized units at municipal and district police stations and family counselling centres.

67.To support and assist victims of gender-based violence, several initiatives have been carried out, including the training of family counsellors, the implementing regulations of Act No. 25/11 against domestic violence, ongoing awareness-raising activities on social media, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign and the training of police instructors of the specialized units assisting victims of domestic violence.

68.With regard to the treatment of perpetrators, awareness-raising activities are carried out to foster a culture of reporting through free hotlines and in-person services, mainly in the family courts.

69.A domestic violence data and information platform (http://violenciadomestica.ao) has been launched to facilitate the collection of data and the processing and monitoring of gender-based violence cases.

70.The Government has carried out multiple public awareness campaigns, through seminars, lectures, radio and television debates, billboards, text messages sent via mobile phone, and training of family counsellors, police officials and health professionals, to promote and protect the rights of women and to combat and prevent gender-based violence.

71.With regard to awareness-raising and outreach, since 2020, the brochures on Act No. 25/11 and its related regulations, the Executive Plan, domestic violence in general and other relevant topics, have been reissued.

72.The collaboration between the Government and civil society organizations facilitates effective response in the provision of care to victims of domestic violence, through the training of technicians and volunteers and awareness-raising activities.

73.Appropriate funding is obtained through the partnerships set up between the Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women and a number of international organizations offering technical, methodological and financial support. In addition, the Support and Protection Programme for Victims of Violence which, among other things, runs the 15020 domestic violence reporting hotline, is a component of the National Development Plan 2023–2027, a medium- to long-term plan captured in the general State budget. The protection measures for victims of gender-based violence are set out in Act No. 25/11 and its implementing regulations, which provide for the establishment of the status of victim, which guarantees the following rights: access to shelters; preferential treatment in the gathering of evidence by the competent authorities; free public or private institutional care; issuance of the certificate attesting to a person’s status as a victim of domestic violence; protection of the victim and the victim’s families or persons in a family-like situation, provided the competent authorities consider that there is a serious threat of acts of revenge or strong indications that the individual’s privacy may be seriously compromised.

74.In accordance with the procedural rules established under the Code of Criminal Procedure and other complementary laws, in cases of crimes of domestic violence, victims may be separated from the alleged perpetrator within a maximum of 72 hours by a public prosecutor or a judge, where warranted by the seriousness of the situation, and be referred for psychological support, among other measures.

75.Examples of court rulings on liability and penalties in cases involving domestic violence crimes include:

•Judgment of the Supreme Court in case No. 45666/20, appeal filed by the prisoner’s legal counsel for a review of the decision and the value of the compensation. The Court decided to uphold the defendant’s sentence.

•Judgment of the Supreme Court in case No. 3399/21, appeal filed by the Office of the Public Prosecutor seeking a more severe sentence for the perpetrator of a crime of rape. After considering the case, the Court upheld the sentence imposed by the previous court, but amended the amount of the court fees and the compensation to be paid to the victim.

•Luanda Provincial Court case No. 495/2020, in which the defendant was sentenced to a single sentence of eight years’ imprisonment, for rape and sexual assault of a woman. The sentence was appealed by the defendant’s legal counsel and by the Office of the Public Prosecutor, as required by law.

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

77.In the event that a perpetrator is apprehended in flagrante delicto, the individual is remanded in custody until being brought before the competent magistrate for questioning or for trial in the case of a summary procedure. Where an individual has not been apprehended in flagrante delicto, detention may be ordered by the public prosecutor if there is a danger that the criminal activity will continue or that the safety of the victim is at risk. Reports may be made by the victim or any person with knowledge of the criminal act.

78.Under article 25 of the Act, the withdrawal of complaints is not permitted in cases of the following acts of violence, as they are considered public order offences punishable by prison terms of two to eight years, unless there is another, more serious penalty under the laws in force, in addition to the corresponding compensation:

(a)Serious or irreversible bodily or psychological harm;

(b)Repeated failure to provide food for children or necessary assistance to a pregnant woman;

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

(d)Unlawful appropriation of inherited property that, because of its monetary value, undermines the social dignity of the heirs;

(e)Concealment or alienation of family property, taking into account its monetary value;

(f)Traditional or other marriage with a child under 14 years of age or with a disability.

79.Among the actions taken to ensure assistance for victims of domestic violence, the Government and its partners have put in place a network of free legal assistance centres across the country and support centres for victims of violence in the 164 municipalities, strengthened the out-of-court procedures for settling family conflicts and disputes, and established partnerships with religious and civil society entities as part of the implementation of the Executive Plan to Combat Domestic Violence.

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

81.In order to reinforce the network of victim care facilities, the Government has built 53 integrated social action centres, located in 14 provinces, that provide victim care services, in addition to social protection.

82.The Commission to Combat Domestic Violence promotes interlinkages between the various providers of support and protection for victims of violence, including the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of the Interior and civil society organizations working to combat domestic violence.

8.Data collection

83.The present report provides updated statistics and disaggregated data in the various areas, as well as comprehensive data that have been included in the various sections and subsections.

84.The National Statistics Institute conducted a general census in 2014 and has conducted other specific surveys, including on multiple health indicators (2015–2016); on expenditure, income and employment in Angola (2018–2019); quarterly employment surveys (from 2019 onwards); an agricultural and fisheries census; a business census; an index of multidimensional poverty in Angola; and a child poverty survey. A pilot census was conducted in 2023, and the new general census will be conducted in 2024, 10 years after the first general census, in accordance with the established terms. A report on gender statistics has also been prepared.

85.Several institutions have been designated as delegated entities of the National Statistics Institute. They are bodies that collect sectoral data for national statistics purposes. Data collection commissions are being strengthened.

9.Amendment to article 20 (1) of the Convention

86.Angola agrees with the amendments concerning general recommendation No. 22 adopted by the Committee at its fourteenth session.

10.Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action

87.The Beijing Platform for Action is recognized by the Government and is used as a basis for protecting the human rights of women in Angola, with action taken in the 12 areas of the Platform. Angola submits its implementation report every five years, with the most recent report submitted in 2020.

11.Technical assistance

88.Angola has extensive experience in international cooperation in the thematic areas of the Convention, as part of its relations with the various mechanisms and with a number of specialized agencies, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, UNDP, the International Labour Organization, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Organization for Migration and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

89.The European Union, through the Joint Way Forward agreement, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Bank have also provided technical assistance to Angola in support of the country’s economic and social reforms, which include improved governance, economic diversification and social development. The support provided by these organizations has been instrumental in the success of the reforms, which have enabled Angola to obtain new classification conditions and to strengthen the economic stabilization process.

90.At the regional level, the Southern African Development Community provides support for the economic empowerment of women and the strengthening of civil society organizations that work with women by offering financing, training and technical support.

12.Ratification of other treaties

91.In recent years, Angola has ratified a number of international human rights treaties at the United Nations and African Union levels.

92.Angola has signed the following United Nations human rights treaties:

(a)Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (National Assembly resolution No. 38/19 of 16 July 2019);

(b)International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (National Assembly resolution No. 35/19 of 9 July 2019);

(c)Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty (National Assembly resolution No. 37/19 of 9 July 2019).

93.Of the nine international treaties, Angola is a State party to seven and a signatory to another (the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance), for which the ratification process is under way. The country is also examining the possibility of ratifying other relevant international human rights instruments.

94.Angola has signed or ratified all African regional human rights treaties. During the reporting period, the following instruments were ratified:

(a)Protocol of the Court of Justice of the African Union (National Assembly resolution No. 50/18 of 31 December 2018);

(b)African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (2012) (National Assembly resolution No. 3/20 of 2 January 2020);

(c)Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Older Persons in Africa (resolution No. 15/22 of 7 April 2022) and Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa (resolution No. 14/22 of 7 April 2022);

(d)Resolution No. 25/23 of 7 December 2023, approving for ratification the amendments to the Protocol on the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights.

III.Part I of the Convention

Article 1: Discrimination against women

95.In Angola, the principle of equality and non-discrimination enshrined in article 23 of the Angolan Constitution is built into all laws in Angola.

96.Article 212 of the Angolan Criminal Code imposes a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment for anyone who engages in discriminatory acts on the grounds of race, colour, ethnicity, place of birth, gender, sexual orientation, illness, physical or mental disability that does not entail an impairment or handicap, belief or religion, political or ideological convictions, social status or origin, or any other form of discrimination.

97.Cases of discrimination have been reported and prosecuted, including the case of a woman with a disability who experienced discrimination in the province of Namibe. The case was heard in 2020, and the perpetrator was sentenced to two years and six months of unconditional imprisonment. In Luanda, there is an ongoing trial (No. 7377/022–2, B vs PP) for discrimination based on sexual orientation.

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

98.As indicated above, the principle of equality and non-discrimination is guaranteed in article 23 of the Constitution. That principle was reinforced by the adoption of the Criminal Code (article 212).

99.For more information, see paragraphs 17 and 18 of the present report.

Article 3: Advancement of women and exercise of human rights

100.During the reporting period, various measures were taken in the political, social, economic and cultural spheres to ensure the full development and advancement of women. For more information, see paragraphs 12–19.

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

101.Temporary special measures are being implemented with a view to achieving substantive equality for women and other vulnerable groups, notably Act No. 2/05 of 1 July, the Political Parties Act, whose article 20 (m) provides that the statutes of political parties must include rules that encourage the promotion of equality between men and women and ensure that women make up at least 30 per cent of their governing bodies at all levels. As a result of awareness-raising and a commitment to the advancement of the political participation of women, in the most recent general election, held in 2022, the winning party, the Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola), presented a parity list, with women making up 50 per cent of its candidates, exceeding the 30 per cent requirement under the Political Parties Act.

102.Also of note is Presidential Decree No. 12/16 of 15 January 2016, regulating the reservation of vacancies for persons with disabilities (both men and women). In the public sector, 4 per cent of vacancies must be reserved for persons with disabilities, while 2 per cent are to be reserved in the private sector.

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

Measures for the elimination of stereotypes and harmful practices

103.The Republic of Angola is fully committed to the elimination of harmful practices, including child marriage, domestic violence, polygamy, female genital mutilation and accusations of witchcraft, all of which are illegal in the country.

104.To ensure that such practices are not part of Angolan custom, a national campaign against early pregnancy and early marriage is under way.

105.The Criminal Code includes a section on crimes against women and the criminalization of female genital mutilation and discrimination based on sex and sexual orientation, among other harmful practices.

106.Studies show that female genital mutilation is not a cultural practice in Angola. Even so, measures to prevent acts that violate the physical, sexual or psychological integrity, or right to life, of women and girls are being strengthened, owing to the migratory flows in the region. Female genital mutilation is punishable under the Criminal Code (article 160), with penalties ranging from 2 to 10 years’ imprisonment.

107.In the Advertising Act (Act No. 9/17 of 13 March 2017), any type of advertising for pornography is prohibited; article 15 prohibits advertising that associates images of women with stereotyped, discriminatory or humiliating behaviour or behaviour that offends public morals and decency.

108.As part of the implementation of the 11 commitments made by Angola to children, the National Institute for Children has exerted great efforts to protect children through a programme on the protection and promotion of their rights. The programme is aimed at preventing, combating and protecting minors against acts of violence and violations of their rights, notably cases of sexual abuse, child labour, instrumentalization, accusations of witchcraft, child abduction and trafficking, early marriage and pregnancy, and abandonment, as well as a number of harmful sociocultural practices that prevent the normal development of children, and providing them with access to basic services.

109.With the support of provincial governments, work has been carried out with the traditional authorities (sobas) to change negative attitudes. These efforts are being undertaken through municipal social consultation councils, ministerial commissions and municipal residents’ councils. Churches have also been involved in raising awareness of harmful practices. Such awareness-raising activities have reached 2,540,393 people across the country, of whom 1,271,044 are men and 1,269,349 are women.

110.In addition, a national campaign to prevent and combat sexual violence against minors was carried out between March 2021 and March 2022, reaching 2,075,213 people.

Minimum age for marriage and data

111.The Family Code (Act No. 1/88 of 20 January 1988) is being revised to ensure that the law embodies the principles of equality and non-discrimination and upholds the rights of minors as set out in the Constitution, the Convention and other instruments.

112.The rule in article 24 of the Family Code is under revision to ensure equality between men and women.

113.Angola recorded few official cases of child marriage (on the basis of article 24 of the Family Code) from 2017 to 2021: one in Malanje, one in Lunda Sul, five in Benguela, four in Namibe and five in Luanda.

114.Progress has been made in the protection of girls through the support and guidance of parents, associations working to defend the rights of women, the availability of information and education, and awareness campaigns in communities. As a result, there has been a significant reduction in cases of child marriage.

115.Under the law, a de facto union is the union between a man and a woman who live together, without being married, for a certain period of time. Men and women are equal before the law.

116.According to the 2014 census, the average family was composed of 4.6 people, 62 per cent of households were headed by men and 38 per cent by women, 14.1 per cent of Angolans were married, 3.5 per cent were widowed, 2.9 per cent were separated or divorced, 33.7 per cent lived in de facto unions and 46 per cent were single.

117.According to data of the National Statistics Institute (Survey on Expenditure, Revenue and Employment in Angola 2018–2019):

(a)Most (69.6 per cent) households are headed by men, compared with 30.4 per cent headed by women;

(b)The average age of heads of households is 43 years;

(c)By province, Luanda has the largest number of households;

(d)The average number of persons in households headed by men is 5.2; in households headed by women, that number is 4.3;

(e)Regarding marital status, the majority of heads of households live in marital union (marriage or de facto union), as shown in figure 6.

Figure 6: Marital status of heads of households

Source: National Statistics Institute. Survey on Expenditure, Revenue and Employment in Angola 2018–2019.

118.Forced marriage is considered a crime under Act No. 25/11 of 14 July 2011, the Domestic Violence Act. To prevent such practices, the Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women has intensified its efforts through national campaigns to combat early marriage and pregnancy. In 2022, it carried out a campaign in which more than 8,496 people participated. Lectures and training sessions were also held in schools and with traditional authorities, and information leaflets on the causes and consequences of teenage pregnancy were distributed.

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

119.There are several laws in Angola relating to trafficking in persons and any form of exploitation or slavery:

(a)The Criminal Code of Angola, which includes several provisions concerning trafficking in persons and establishes a range of crimes against the individual: trafficking (art. 178), kidnapping (art. 175), hostage-taking (art. 176), slavery (art. 177), sexual assault (art. 182), sexual abuse of a person who is unconscious or incapable of resisting (art. 184), procurement (art. 189), procurement of minors (art. 195), sexual trafficking in persons (art. 190), sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 14 (art. 192), sexual trafficking in minors (art. 196), child pornography (art. 198), smuggling of migrants (art. 281) and criminal association (art. 296), among others;

(b)Act No. 3/14 of 10 February 2014, to combat money-laundering and trafficking in persons (repealed by the Criminal Code of Angola), article 19 of which defines trafficking in persons;

(c)National Plan to Combat Trafficking in Persons (Presidential Decree No. 31/20 of 14 February 2020);

(d)Act No. 13/19 of 23 May 2019, on the legal regime for foreigners in Angola, articles 16 and 17 of which establish the obligation of authorization for travel by minors and of documentary inspection at border posts, measures that help to combat trafficking; article 56 provides for the option of issuing humanitarian visas for victims of trafficking;

(e)Law on the protection of victims, witnesses and defendants and their families (Act No. 1/20 of 22 January 2020);

(f)National plan of action for the elimination of child labour in Angola, 2021–2025 (Presidential Decree No. 239/21 of 29 September 2021);

(g)Flow chart and standard procedures for the care of minors who are victims of violence (Joint Executive Decree No. 455/21 of 2 September 2021, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women);

(h)National reference mechanism and standardized operational systems (Executive Decree No. 179/22 of 1 April 2022);

(i)Angola has ratified the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the additional protocols thereto (including the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children) (National Assembly Resolution No. 21/10 of 20 June 2010).

120.The main institution responsible for combating trafficking is the Interministerial Commission against Trafficking in Persons (Presidential Decree No. 235/14 of 2 December 2014), coordinated by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and composed of different ministries, the National Police and the Office of the Public Prosecutor. The Commission works within the scope of what are known as the 4 Ps: promotion, protection, prosecution and partnership.

121.Other institutions with a relevant role in combating trafficking are the courts, the prosecutors’ offices, the Commission for the National Plan of Action for the Elimination of Child Labour and the National Council for Social Action.

122.Main results of the work of the Commission against Trafficking:

(a)National plan of action to combat trafficking in persons, which standardizes actions to combat trafficking, with a special focus on women and girls, based on the 4 Ps: promotion, protection, prosecution and partnership. More than 50 per cent of the plan has been implemented;

(b)Development and implementation of the national reference mechanism and standardized operational systems;

(c)In July 2018, Angola joined the Blue Heart Campaign of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to raise awareness of trafficking;

(d)Also in 2018, Angola signed on to the Southern African Development Community database for collecting trafficking cases, and entered its first cases in the database in 2019;

(e)Holding of training, talks, workshops, etc. for the National Police and other stakeholders, such as young people, transport companies, schools and civil society in general, with the participation of more than 8,000 people during the reporting period;

(f)Registration and follow-up of cases and care for victims. From 2015 to date, 172 proceedings on possible cases of trafficking have been recorded, of which 20 per cent have already been adjudicated;

(g)Support for victims in reuniting with their families, both nationally and internationally;

(h)Profile of trafficking victims: children, 47 per cent (almost equal percentage of boys and girls); adults, 41 per cent (mostly male); 78 per cent national and 22 per cent international.

123.In partnership with the International Organization for Migration, Angola has initiated a project to retrofit centres that will serve as shelters for victims of trafficking. For the first phase, four centres in different provinces have been selected.

124.Angola has conducted studies on the causes of prostitution and campaigns to raise awareness and ensure the accountability of persons who procure female minors for prostitution.

IV.Part II of the Convention

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

125.As mentioned above, the Political Parties Act provides that women should make up at least 30 per cent women of the lists of political parties contesting the general elections (which elect representatives at both the national and the provincial levels). Angola has acceded to the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, which provides for a 50 per cent quota for women in public office, but not all parties have complied with the established quota. Compliance is monitored by the National Electoral Commission and observers.

126.Notwithstanding the challenges, women’s occupancy of decision-making positions has advanced significantly in recent years. For the first time in history, women occupy highly important positions in Angola: Vice-President of the Republic, Speaker of the National Assembly, President of the Constitutional Court, Ombudsperson, Attorney-General, President of the Supreme Court and President of the Court of Auditors. The proportion of female members of the current (fifth) legislature (37.7 per cent) is the highest in the history of Angola. The party that won the elections, the Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola, presented a parity list, with women making up 50 per cent of the candidates, exceeding the 30 per cent requirement under the Political Parties Act. In the 2022 elections, a party led by a woman, the Partido Humanista de Angola (Humanist Party of Angola), won two seats in the National Assembly.

127.The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-WOMEN) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union rank Angola thirty-fourth for women in government (in 2021, it was forty-eighth) and fifty-first for women in parliament (in 2021, it was fifty-second) among 186 States. In addition, Angola is among the 22.7 per cent of countries that have a woman as Speaker of the parliament.

Table 1

Representation of women, 2012–2023

	2012	2021	2022
Members of parliament	33%	30%	37.7%
Ministers of State (1 of 4)		25%	25%
Ministers	21%	33%	39%
Secretaries of State		17%	23%
Provincial governors	17%	22%	27%
Provincial vice-governors			29%
Municipal administrators		25%	26%
Diplomatic corps	28.3%	40%	40%
Ambassadors		28%	30%
Public prosecutors	34.4%	40%	42%
Judges	31%	40%	38%
Leadership positions in the civil service	30.5%	35.5%	35.5%
Civil service		42%	42%
Ministry of Justice and Human Rights			50.22%

Source: Intersectoral Commission for the Preparation of National Human Rights Reports.

128.Activities to raise societal awareness of the importance of women’s participation in decision-making are conducted as part of programmes and policy measures, specifically in relation to “support for gender issues and women’s programming”, under which policy measures such as the National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity, the training of women entrepreneurs and women leaders and the training of police instructors of specialized units are implemented.

129.The National School of Administration conducts training sessions for leaders and experts from all sectors, with a main focus on the public sector.

Article 8: International representation and participation

130.The opportunity for women to represent the Government at the international level is constitutionally and legally guaranteed, since all citizens enjoy the same right, without discrimination of any kind, to become members of representative bodies at the national and international levels.

131.According to table 1, on the representation of women during the period 2012–2023, the percentage of women diplomats increased from 28.3 per cent in 2012 to 40 per cent in 2023. At the international level, Angolan women have been appointed to regional posts, such as Commissioner of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment of the African Union Commission.

Article 9: Nationality

132.Article 32 of the Constitution of the Republic of Angola provides for the right to identity, privacy and intimacy. Other relevant laws in this area are highlighted below:

(a)Civil Registry Code;

(b)Joint Executive Decree No. 95/11 of 13 July 2011, Presidential Decree No. 80/13 of 5 September 2013 and Executive Decree No. 309/13 of 23 September 2013, which set out the exemption from fees for the registration of births and the issuance of national identity cards;

(c)These decrees were revoked by Decree No. 301/19 of 16 October 2019 on the standardization and simplification of fee schedules, article 13 of which provides that all births occurring in Angolan territory and abroad are to be registered free of charge. In addition, the first birth certificate is to be issued free of charge for all ages.

133.According to the 2014 census, 53.5 per cent of people had a birth registration certificate, indicating that more than 10 million people did not have a birth registration certificate at that time. In order to strengthen the civil registry and increase the number of registered persons, Decree No. 309/19 of 16 October 2019, on the standardization and simplification of fee schedules, provided that birth registration certificates and the first national identity card were to be issued free of charge.

134.To bolster and guarantee the free issuance of identity documents throughout the country, from September 2013 to December 2017, a total of 6,599,897 minors and adult citizens were registered, of whom 3,010,058 were male and 3,589,779 were female (54.3 per cent).

135.Thereafter, with a view to further guaranteeing the universalization of the right to citizenship, a programme was set up to expand the registration of births and the issuance of identity cards with the support of mobile and stationary brigades throughout the country. The programme, which ran from November 2019 to April 2022, led to the registration of 5,846,673 births and the issuance of 3,092,248 identity cards to first-time recipients.

136.The consolidated data during the 2017–2022 legislature resulting from these campaigns were as follows: registration of 7,743,256 births and issuance of 8,691,671 identity cards (18 per cent more than in the previous period). It is noteworthy that 4,366,528 identity cards were issued to first-time recipients and 4,325,143 to second-time recipients (renewals or duplicates).

137.Currently, a total of 13,640,730 identity cards have been issued (48 per cent of which are to women).

138.Birth registration stations and identity card issuing stations have been set up in every municipality. There are currently 323 identity card issuing stations, of which 35 are in the diplomatic and consular missions of 18 countries.

139.As part of a programme to ensure that all children are registered at birth, initially implemented with the support of UNICEF and the European Union, 105 birth registration stations have been set up in maternity hospitals and health centres. Under the programme, there are plans to set up registration stations in health units with a delivery room. The aim is to create mechanisms to ensure that children are registered immediately at birth, in order to simplify and reduce the bureaucracy related to the procedures for safeguarding citizens’ rights. The project with UNICEF has ended, but the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights continues to set up stations in maternity hospitals.

140.The “I Support” responsible fatherhood campaign is being conducted to raise awareness among society in general and men in particular of the importance of registering their children.

141.The birth registration campaign is being conducted in first-cycle schools, and first identity cards are being issued in schools in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (mainly from January to March, which is when school enrolment begins).

142.With the approval of the one-stop shop for public services, citizens can register births in municipal and communal administrations and in urban districts, and voter registration card data have been harmonized with data from the births register.

143.Measures taken to modernize and computerize services are highlighted below:

(a)The new identity card production centre was inaugurated on 8 November 2019 and has the capacity to print 20,000 identity cards per day, with a centralized printing model that guarantees greater security in the citizenship-granting process;

(b)The new civil registry application has been developed and is in the expansion phase; it will allow for the use of a single database and the implementation of the unique citizen’s number, which is assigned upon birth registration, and which then becomes the citizen’s identity card number, tax identification number, voter registration number and social security number. In the future, it will also become the citizen’s driving licence number and passport number, and the number for any other existing document.

144.While the births of foreign citizens are registered, that does not imply the granting of Angolan nationality, in accordance with the criteria and procedures of the Nationality Act. However, this does not mean that there are barriers to them accessing the various services. For example, the Government, in collaboration with United Nations agencies, provides protection to children of refugees from the Kassai region (Democratic Republic of the Congo), registering them for schooling and medical assistance purposes. Some 3,273 minors and adolescents have been integrated into the education system, including 1,592 (48.6 per cent) female minors who are asylum-seekers and refugees in Angola, allowing them to access the formal education system since 2019.

145.Angola is registering the members of its diaspora, most of whom used to be refugees in Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo, to prevent them from being at risk of statelessness.

146.The register continues to be a challenge for the country in terms of vital statistics.

V.Part III of the Convention

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

147.During the reporting period, legislative measures, programmes, policies and strategies were adopted to fully guarantee the right to education, in particular:

(a)Act No. 32/20 of 10 August 2020 (amendment and republication of the law on the fundamentals of the education and teaching system);

(b)A curricular adaptation programme (2018–2025) aimed at updating, correcting and creating teaching and educational conditions for implementing new curricular materials, owing to the increase in availability of high-quality education, leading to the inclusion of national languages in the national education curriculum;

(c)The national strategy for the provision of education to nomadic populations and minority ethnic groups in Angola, which has improved the situation of these groups (with a particular focus on the rights of girls), who often face problems in accessing education, drinking water and other means of subsistence;

(d)A girls’ education project aimed at promoting equity in the internal scholarship system in partnership with the African Development Bank, offering 250 scholarships to vulnerable girls from various regions of the country to ensure access to, retention in and completion of secondary education;

(e)Preventing school dropout in order to ensure the welfare of minors within the education system and their retention in school: school meal programme; health and the school environment (promotion of personal hygiene and healthy lifestyle); water, sanitation and hygiene; first aid in school; healthy eating; sexual, gender and reproductive health education; girls’ empowerment; oral and eye health; sensory disabilities; prevention of the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs; and physical activity and the promotion of sport at school;

(f)In 2018, the Ministry of Education added sex education to the primary and secondary school curricula, thus promoting high-quality information, in particular for girls;

(g)The Ministry of Education has created the Commission for the Coordination of Human Rights in the Education System, which is aimed at improving the promotion and protection of human rights; empowering girls in school; promoting their access to and retention at school; rescuing adolescent mothers; raising the awareness of parents and the community, including traditional leaders, in order to change attitudes towards the practice of child and forced marriage; discouraging all forms of gender-based violence, with an emphasis on sexual violence and harassment in school and on the way to and from school; and ensuring the vocational training of adolescent mothers, thereby fostering their education;

(h)The Commission also ensures the implementation of the education project for the San communities in the provinces of Huíla and Cuando Cubango, which has helped to support 3,000 minors in the education system;

(i)A project to revitalize technical education and vocational training is currently being implemented with the support of the European Union, in order to enhance the quality and relevance of curricula for, and qualifications earned in, those areas, thereby promoting the integration of young graduates into the labour market;

(j)Youth and adult education;

(k)Second-chance education programme (whereby primary education, which normally lasts six years, can be completed in four and secondary education, which normally lasts four to five years, can be completed in three);

(l)All United for Children, a programme aimed at creating nurseries and kindergartens in rural communities.

Reinforcement of adult literacy programmes

148.The acceleration plan for enhancing literacy and young adult education has been approved to strengthen adult literacy programmes, expand the network of partners and diversify funding sources for literacy.

149.In this connection, in the 2021/2022 school year, 204,132 women, of whom 62 per cent were in rural areas, were taught to read and write. In 2022/2023, 221,326 women, 58 per cent of whom were from rural areas, attended the literacy programme.

150.The Learning for All Project is aimed at helping around 250,000 beneficiaries aged 15 or over to achieve literacy and catch up on their education through make-up classes up to the second cycle of adult secondary education, with a particular emphasis on girls in rural areas in the provinces of Bié, Huíla, Malanje, Moxico, Lunda-Norte and Lunda-Sul.

Increase in the budget for education

151.Despite the global financial crisis, the budget allocated to the social sector in general, and education specifically, has increased in recent years, going from 382,162 billion kwanzas in 2016 to 755,229 billion kwanzas in 2021, and that increase has been reflected in the improvement in the quality of the education system and in infrastructure.

152.Also in recent years, there has been a significant expansion of school infrastructure. A total of 13,710 schools were in operation in the 2020/2021 school year (of which 15 provided special education). In the past five years, 670 new schools have been built. More than 101,000 classrooms are in use.

153.In addition, 400 schools have received infrastructure investments in the area of water, sanitation and hygiene, including separate latrines for boys and girls under the Girls’ Empowerment and Learning for All Project.

154.The integrated programme of intervention in the municipalities has actively contributed to the expansion of the school network in all provinces of Angola, allowing more children, young people and adults to access the education system. Some 811 new schools are being built.

155.Currently, there are 220,000 teachers, a significant increase resulting from the public competitive examinations carried out by the Ministry of Education. Teachers also receive technical training periodically to deal with students in the classroom and to enhance their competencies and skills.

156.School enrolment rates have risen significantly, going from 8,337,224 in 2015 (55.6 per cent female) to more than 10,000,000 (55.2 per cent female) in 2022.

157.The number of children outside the education system has been reduced by approximately 40 per cent, and every effort is being made to bring all children that are outside the system back into the system through various programmes.

158.The number of students in higher education increased from 261,214 in 2018 to 314,840 in 2021. The number of graduates per year increased from 20,027 in 2017 to 29,652 in 2021, for a total of 72,623 graduates during the reporting period. During the period, a total of 931 master’s degrees and 183 doctorates were earned and 31,000 internal undergraduate scholarships and 4,474 internal postgraduate scholarships were awarded.

159.The national development plan for education – Educate Angola 2030 – includes a specific focus on numerous indicators aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Eliminating gender stereotypes

160.Under the previously mentioned curricular adaptation programme (2018–2025), inclusive curricula are being developed at different levels, with materials that promote gender equality as a cross-cutting issue and as part of the disciplinary model, eliminating the various forms of discrimination against women, in accordance with Goal 4 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

161.Curricular materials that reflect the gender perspective are also being developed.

Sexual and reproductive health education

162.In 2018, the Ministry of Education included sex education in the primary and secondary school curricula to provide high-quality information, in particular for girls.

163.The Girls Empowerment and Learning for All Project includes a sexual and reproductive health support component, a scholarship component for the most vulnerable, with a focus on girls, and a component on the improvement of school conditions (mainly bathrooms in order to keep girls in school).

164.The Project also includes components on preventing teenage pregnancy and on keeping pregnant minors in school. For example, in the province of Luanda, in both public and private schools, only 0.16 per cent of girls enrolled are pregnant.

165.The Safeguard Young People Programme is also being implemented in primary and secondary schools in collaboration with UNFPA. It is a regional programme aimed at training adolescents and young people between the ages of 10 and 24 in protecting themselves against sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, and preventing teenage pregnancy, abortion, child marriage, harmful practices and gender-based violence. It is being implemented in five provinces with the participation of different ministries.

166.Some 198 teachers and coordinators of extracurricular activities have been trained in management, menstrual health and sex education.

167.Under the Programme, menstrual hygiene products are distributed to menstruating girls in primary and secondary education, in order to reduce absenteeism and school dropout.

168.Its aim is to carry out measures in 779 schools, and it will benefit 300,000 students, of whom 185,000 are female.

169.In 2023, the Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women launched the national programme for the elimination of early pregnancy and marriage and its action plan. It established various initiatives for meetings with partners to draft an operational plan and held lectures on sexual and reproductive health education and menstrual hygiene for adolescents and young people. It helped raise the awareness of 1,446 adolescents (498 males and 948 (65.5 per cent) females).

Inclusion of women and girls in non-traditional education areas and careers

170.The Government has opted increasingly to promote a society of technological innovation, accompanying the existing development in the area of information and communications technology (ICT) with an increase in projects such as digital television, virtual school, Angosat 2, telecommunications infrastructure rehabilitation projects, rural communications, “Angola Online” and “Girls and ICT”, to the creation of a safe digital environment for young women and ensure uninterrupted communication and the installation of digital decoders.

171.Women and girls are being encouraged to participate more in the development of innovative and self-empowering initiatives to contribute more in their communities. From 2017 to 2019, the proportion of female students in disciplines mainly dominated by men rose by about 45.5 per cent. The proportion of women graduating from these disciplines is higher in private institutions (34 per cent), compared with 17.8 per cent for public institutions.

172.As a result of these changes, the Government is working to increase the quality as well as the quantity of institutions offering higher education training throughout the country (currently 97 - 28 public and 69 private). The programmes being implemented include the following: promotion of gender and women’s empowerment; improvement of the quality and development of primary education; increase in the quantity and quality of institutions offering graduate and postgraduate training; improvement of the quality of higher education and development of scientific research; promotion of innovation and technology transfer; Angola Online; and the Chilonga programme.

173.The numbers relating to women’s and girls’ access to new information technologies and digital education are still not satisfactory for courses related to engineering, mathematics and computer science, which are still dominated by men. In the 2021 academic year, only 21.62 per cent of students in engineering were women, and in exact sciences, 39.18 per cent.

174.The aforementioned measures have been reinforced with the granting of 610 scholarships for underprivileged girls in secondary education in the areas of science and technology, 55 scholarships for postgraduate studies, of which 55 per cent are for women, 160 scholarships specifically for young women in space disciplines, and the financing of 167 scientific research projects, of which 50 per cent are coordinated by women.

175.To promote the education and employability of women, in particular in rural areas, the Agricultural and Rural Training Support Project is being implemented in cooperation with the French Development Agency. It is aimed at revitalizing the agrarian institutes, empowering girls and creating job opportunities for young people. The project will provide scholarships and financial support for integrating girls into professional studies in the agricultural sector.

176.To prevent gender-based violence and encourage the most vulnerable girls to stay in or return to school, the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology and Innovation, has provided scholarships to 610 girls and adolescents from the 18 provinces in the secondary schools of the general technical professional and teaching education subsystems.

177.Also of note is the partnership of the Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women with the company UNIÃO Automóviles on a programme of technical internships in mechanics and technological innovation for girls. Between 2021 and 2022, 20 girls benefited from the programme.

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

Gender-sensitive employment policy

178.Eight years after the passing of the General Labour Act (Act No. 7/15 of 15 June 2015), the New General Labour Act (Act No. 23/23 of 27 December 2023) and the Labour Procedure Code have been adopted. The new Act was unanimously adopted in consultation with the social partners (including ILO) and is focused on the return of the principle of “favor laboratoris”, which benefits workers by establishing a series of specific measures to promote equal opportunities for men and women in the labour market. For example, the Act prohibits employment discrimination based on sex, race, ethnicity, religion, age or sexual orientation.

179.The new civil service regime and the Civil Service Framework Act (Act No. 6/22 of 8 August 2022) prohibit discrimination in access to public employment based on sex, race, ethnicity, religion, age or sexual orientation. They also establish specific measures to promote equal opportunities for men and women in public employment, such as paid maternity and paternity leave and protection against discrimination for having children.

180.Ensuring that economic growth and diversification translate into increased employment opportunities in particular for young people and women, is one of the Government’s priorities as set out in the National Development Plan. Specifically, the Government is working to diversify the economy, boost domestic production of basic goods and services, increase the variety of exportable products and raise the number of available jobs.

181.During the period from 2018 to the third quarter of 2022, it is estimated that the population over the age of 15 and part of the workforce for the production of goods and services increased by 20 per cent (2,722,509 persons), from 13,651,042 in 2018 to 16,373,551 in 2022.

182.In absolute terms, during that period, more than 2,722,509 adult citizens who were residents of Angola joined the workforce. Of these, 958,139 found employment and 1,556,346 were unable to find work.

183.These changes in the employment market resulted in a 1.2 percentage point reduction in the employment rate from 61.7 per cent in 2018 to 60.5 per cent in the third quarter of 2022, a 5.1 percentage point increase in the unemployment rate from 29 per cent in 2018 to 34.1 per cent in the third quarter of 2022, and a 4.9 percentage point reduction in the participation rate.

184.Of every 10 jobs posted, 7 are for men and 3 for women. Luanda is the province with the highest number of jobs posted (53 per cent).

185.According to data from the National Statistics Institute, more than 500,000 jobs were created from 2017 to 2022, while thousands of citizens lost their jobs owing to the pandemic (estimated at more than 200,000).

186.According to data from the Ministry of Public Administration, Labour and Social Security, from 2018 to 2022, approximately 189,923 net formal jobs were created, that being the difference between the 459,775 new jobs created and the 269,652 jobs lost.

Figure 7:Net jobs created, by gender, 2018–2022

Source: Ministry of Public Administration, Labour and Social Security.

187.Of the net jobs created, 68 per cent were for men and 32 per cent were for women (see figure 7).

188.Active labour market policies are aimed at increasing employment opportunities. Accordingly, the Government has prepared the multifaceted Plan of Action for the Promotion of Employability (PAPE) (Presidential Decree No. 113/19 of 16 April 2019) to foster the employment of newly trained, unemployed young people, entrepreneurs who need support to make their businesses viable and young people who intend to become entrepreneurs. It implements active labour market policies to ensure the social and vocational inclusion of groups and individuals vulnerable to unemployment, in particular young people seeking their first jobs, persons with disabilities and women in peri-urban and rural areas. The Plan had a duration of three years (until the first quarter of 2023). A second plan of action for the promotion of employability, with a five-year duration, (PAPE II), is currently in the approval phase.

189.The measures in the first PAPE included developing a women’s training programme aimed essentially at getting women involved in vocational training activities, with a particular focus on those that promote self-employment and entrepreneurship.

190.Under the PAPE, 571,175 young people have found jobs, 414,898 have acquired vocational training and internships, 88,432 have received training on access to credit and 95,743 have received producer support, making a total of 1,170,247 young beneficiaries.

191.The goal of the PAPE is to have 60,000 people trained through short- and medium-duration courses and 53,366 have been trained so far, for a completion rate of 89 per cent. A total of 53,366 new jobs have been created, of which 10,200 (19 per cent) are in Luanda, 8,646 (16 per cent) are in Huila and 3,910 (7 per cent) are in Moxico.

192.Some of the programmes supporting the PAPE will be restructured and incorporated into the priority programmes for the implementation of the National Employment Policy and Strategy for 2023–2027.

193.With regard to providing support to the most vulnerable groups, under Presidential Decree No. 300/20 of 23 November 2020, which establishes the regulations, arrangements and criteria governing access to and exercise of vocational apprenticeships as an active employment measure, priority access is given to women, persons with disabilities and persons from the most disadvantaged social groups. The Government finances all of the internship scholarships.

Informal sector

194.It is estimated that four out of every five employees (80.4 per cent) in Angola work in the informal sector. Informal work has been the predominant type of work in rural areas (93.7 per cent), among women (90 per cent) and among young people aged 15 to 24 (92.2 per cent).

195.To ensure the legal and social protection of informal sector workers and their integration into the formal economy and access to microcredit, a programme is under way to formalize the informal sector. The programme is complemented by immediate compulsory social protection coverage.

196.The programme in question is the Informal Economy Conversion Programme, which promotes the transition from an informal to a formal economy. It serves as a catalyst for increasing the tax base and the number of operators in the formal economy, thus ensuring that older persons have contributory social protection. From 2021 to 2023, 253,048 economic agents were formalized and 48,305 were trained.

197.From October 2020 to August 2023, 2,028 projects led by women were financed, and 8,977 jobs were created, of which 3,605 (40.15 per cent) were for women.

198.The ongoing formalization process began in Luanda, in the “Mercado do 30” market, where members of the registration brigades and an intersectoral team composed of the National Directorate of Identification, Registration and Notaries, the municipal administration, the General Tax Administration, the one-stop shop for businesses, the National Institute for Employment and Vocational Training, the National Institute for Assistance to Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, the National Social Security Institute and microcredit companies have formalized the businesses of the informal operators registered during the first phase.

199.The legal regime governing mandatory social protection for workers in agriculture, fisheries and small businesses was established by Presidential Decree No. 295/20 of 18 November 2020. The primary objective of the Decree was to expand the mandatory social protection scheme for employees who work in sectors with small businesses, hence the reference to the agricultural and fisheries sector. The needs for simplification and streamlining of the scheme are being seen as a way to encourage voluntary participation and thereby naturally expand the contribution base for mandatory social protection.

200.Women in rural areas represent 17 per cent of the population, or about 5 million people nationwide. The National Day and Forum for Women in Rural Areas is a platform for highlighting initiatives supporting the promotion of women in the informal economy. The Forum entails activities such as training on financial management multipliers, financial inclusion offices, family skills reinforcement and financial education seminars.

201.These events are held in partnership between the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning, the National Population Directorate and the Angolan Active Risk Capital Fund, with a total of 2,419 participants, comprising 524 men and 1,895 women.

Labour inspections

202.The General Labour Inspectorate conducts investigations and institutes proceedings, either on its own initiative or on the basis of a complaint, by means of inspection visits, verification, complaint follow-up, counselling and mediation, among other measures. When implementing these periodic measures, it monitors compliance with all provisions of the General Labour Act, including those related to maternity leave, and where it finds non-compliance, it sanctions the employers in accordance with the law.

Domestic labour

203.The legal and social protection regime for domestic workers was adopted by Presidential Decree No. 155/16 of 9 August 2016, which is an important instrument for promoting gender equality and improving the living conditions of female domestic workers, as it is aimed at guaranteeing a fair salary, which can help to reduce poverty and gender inequality. The compulsory social protection contribution rate for employers is 6 per cent, while the rate for workers is 2 per cent, which can help to ensure the financial security of women and their families. Social recognition can also help with valuing women’s work and combating negative stereotypes about domestic workers. Another aim of the Decree is to take thousands of people, in particular women, out of the informal sector.

204.To achieve these aims, 20 targeted awareness-raising and training campaigns have been conducted on the procedures envisaged in the Decree, with the participation of social actors, including social organizations and the population in general.

205.The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and the Observatory for Public Policy from a Gender Perspective has identified barriers and conducted campaigns to encourage the registration of domestic workers.

206.In addition to information and training campaigns and taking into account the provisions of the law on the formalities and specificities of domestic work contracts, they have also established the technical conditions for the preparation of booklets and time sheets and registration in the compulsory social protection system (social security) in various service centres, in order to expedite and simplify the process throughout the country. As a result, by the second quarter of 2023, 8,369 people had been registered in the compulsory social protection system, 6,669 (79.6 per cent) of whom were women.

Ratification of the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189)

207.The Council of Ministers, in its February 2024 session, approved the draft resolution for the accession of Angola to International Labour Organization Convention No. 189 on domestic work, which will be examined by the National Assembly.

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

Legislation on abortion and access to safe abortion

208.In Angola, abortion is addressed within the framework of the protection of the right to life, which is a constitutional right.

209.In the Criminal Code of Angola, the protection of life is paramount, but certain exceptions are contemplated, in accordance with international human rights standards. The issue of abortion was much discussed during the public consultations on the Criminal Code, dominated by two main groups: Christians and feminists, the latter claiming the right of women to have control over their own bodies. After both positions were assessed, a solution was reached that is aligned with the principle of the protection of life. Under this principle, abortion or the voluntary termination of pregnancy is considered a crime if performed after 16 weeks of pregnancy, and the punishment can range from two to eight years; the goal is to safeguard intrauterine life and to comply with the entire legal system for the protection of life. Notwithstanding this prohibition, article 156 of the Criminal Code establishes exceptions, allowing abortion in the following cases (always with the consent of the pregnant woman): to save the life of the mother (when it is the only means of eliminating the risk of death or serious and irreversible physical or psychological injury for the woman); when medically certified that the foetus is non-viable (eugenic abortion); and when the pregnancy results from a crime against sexual freedom and self-determination and the termination is performed in the first 16 weeks of gestation (humanitarian abortion).

210.The protection of human life in all its dimensions and the safeguarding of the dignity of the human person from conception, birth and growth are at stake.

Strengthening women’s access to health services

211.The national public health system is free and universal; there is also a broad network of private services and other stakeholders based on the National Health Policy, which is being implemented on an ongoing basis as part of the National Health Development Plan for 2012–2025 and the National Development Plan 2018–2022, under the responsibility of the Ministry of Health.

212.The policy on the administration of health services at the municipal level is being implemented, with the aim of offering health services to the people and preventing and treating the illnesses that most affect them, thus bringing health services closer to the communities.

213.Currently, the national health system has 3,336 health units, including 2,311 health stations, 13 central hospitals, 34 specialized facilities and services, 23 general hospitals, 172 municipal hospitals, 98 maternal and child centres and 668 health centres.

214.A total of 163 new health units have been built, expanded or equipped with new technologies, including 48 under the Priority Investment Programme and 115 under the Integrated Municipalities Intervention Programme. Of these, 155 are at the primary-care level. In addition, 24,382 beds have been added to the national health system. The referral and counter-referral mechanisms have also been strengthened, guaranteeing the follow-up of users from the primary-care level to the tertiary level.

215.Some 92 per cent of these facilities are at the primary-care level. The ratio of facilities per capita is approximately 1 health facility to every 10,000 residents.

216.The expansion of some health infrastructure has been accompanied by an annual budget allocation to municipalities for primary health care, as part of the administration of health services at the municipal level, aimed at strengthening the supply of high-quality health services for promoting health among the people and preventing and treating illnesses that most affect them, thus bringing health closer to the communities.

217.In terms of human resources, the staffing pool has been gradually expanded to meet increased demand. In 2020, the national health system had 84,631 staff members of different categories, distributed throughout all the provinces: 5,407 doctors, 35,800 nurses, 9,341 diagnostic and therapeutic technicians and 34,083 general technicians.

218.In recent years, 33,093 new, mostly young professionals working mainly in primary care have been hired in the public system, representing a 35 per cent increase in the overall health sector workforce.

219.The rapid response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is worth noting. From 625 hospital beds, the country now has 5,240 (forty-eight times more than it had). The number of intensive-care beds has increased from 289 to 1,020.

220.To enhance health services, the Government has signed an agreement with the World Bank to strengthen the national health system, which will make it possible to improve the performance of approximately 300 primary-care facilities in 21 municipalities of seven provinces (Luanda, Bengo, Lunda-Norte, Moxico, Malanje, Uíge and Cuando Cubango). The project will benefit women of reproductive age and children under 5 years of age.

221.There is a health gender committee, which is coordinated by the Ministry of Health and is composed of NGOs, various ministries and USAID.

Sexual and reproductive health

222.With regard to sexual and reproductive health, a national campaign to accelerate the reduction of maternal and infant mortality was launched in 2010, and the National Commission for the Prevention and Auditing of Maternal, Neonatal and Infant Deaths was established in 2012. More than 700 health facilities have agreed to follow protocols for promoting and standardizing sexual and reproductive health services.

223.The Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women is the coordinator of the Commission, which was created through Presidential Decree No. 52/12 of 26 March 2012. Various Ministry of Health entities that work to identify causes and propose measures for risk elimination, both in hospitals and in the communities, are members of the Commission.

224.In 2023, the Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women visited five provinces to monitor and reactivate the provincial committees for the prevention and auditing of maternal and neonatal deaths.

225.As a result of the collaborative project between the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women, and the Ministry of Education, more than 3,450 traditional birth attendants have been trained, 3,340 young people have received information on gender, teenage pregnancy and maternal and neonatal deaths, and monitoring visits have been conducted to provincial health committees.

226.There is a strategic plan designed to raise awareness among adolescents of sexual and reproductive health that has already achieved some progress with a reduction in the number of pregnancies among girls under 18 years of age.

227.The Strategy for Comprehensive Health Care for Adolescents and Youth has been adopted in collaboration with UNFPA, UNICEF, USAID, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women, and the Ministry of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication, raising awareness of and providing useful information on sexual and reproductive health.

228.A comprehensive package of maternal and child health-care measures is being implemented, including family planning, prenatal consultations, vaccination, medical attention at childbirth, postnatal consultations, newborn care, emergency obstetric and neonatal care, and check-ups to monitor children’s growth and development. The package of measures has helped to reduce maternal and child mortality.

229.Investments have been made to provide comprehensive, high-quality, people-centred essential health care delivered by trained health professionals of the national health system. As a result, the proportion of health facilities offering at least three modern family planning methods rose from 30 per cent in 2018 to 60 per cent in 2021, as had been called for in the National Development Plan 2018–2021. The proportion of institutional childbirth services provided by qualified personnel also rose from 30 per cent in 2018 to 47 per cent in 2021; the number of health facilities offering comprehensive care visits for children rose from 25 per cent in 2018 to 93 per cent in 2021, and the percentage of facilities offering comprehensive care for adolescents increased from 10 per cent in 2018 to 93 per cent in 2021, exceeding the evaluation target set in the National Development Plan 2018-2021.

230.Prenatal coverage increased from 16 per cent in 2018 to 73 per cent in 2021.

231.Notwithstanding the 5,476 maternal deaths due to complications related to pregnancy or childbirth recorded for the period from 2017 to the first quarter of 2022, the institutional maternal mortality rate fell, with 187 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births recorded in 2021, the lowest rate since 2017, when the figure was 377 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. In the first quarter of 2022, the rate was 218 deaths per 100,000 live births.

232.As mentioned above, there is a national strategy for preventing and combating early pregnancy and marriage that is being implemented.

233.The Ministry of Youth has launched the Oi Kambas and Oi Meninas hotlines to answer young people’s questions about sexual and reproductive health.

Women facing multiple forms of discrimination

234.Two laws have been adopted to combat and control HIV/AIDS: Act No. 8/04 on HIV/AIDS and Decree No. 43/03 on HIV/AIDS, employment and vocational training. The Government, aware that HIV/AIDS is currently one of the greatest health issues, has made every effort to implement these laws.

235.As a complementary measure, the “Born Free to Shine” campaign was launched on 1 December 2018 by the First Lady of the Republic of Angola, Ana Dias Lourenço, in the 18 provinces of Angola. Consequently, access by pregnant women to HIV diagnosis in antenatal consultations and treatment for HIV-positive women has increased and antiretroviral coverage rose from 25 per cent in 2017 to 73 per cent in 2021, while mother-to-child transmission of HIV decreased from 28 per cent to 15 per cent.

236.The main prevention campaign has been conducted through television and radio programmes; training events for peer educators; lectures; workshops; forums; debates; condom distribution; information, education and communication materials; interpersonal communication with various stakeholders to promote safe behaviours; voluntary testing; and free antiretroviral treatment. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Angola is estimated at 2 per cent, one of the lowest rates in the southern region.

237.Gender policies and programmes encompass all people, including women with disabilities, and are developed with the participation of associations of women with disabilities. They are aimed at promoting entrepreneurship, psychological support and technical and vocational training. As a result of these policies and programmes, 14 tailoring, handicraft, motorcycle taxi drivers, mechanics and agriculture cooperatives have been created in the provinces of Luanda, Bengo, Benguela, Cabinda, Huíla, Uíge and Zaire(an average of two per province).

238.A workshop on the social inclusion of women with disabilities, women with albinism and women living with HIV/AIDS has been held in seven provinces (Luanda, Benguela, Bengo, Huíla, Zaire, Uíge and Cabinda) to raise awareness among local actors of combating stigmas and discrimination against persons with disabilities.

239.Civil society organizations representing persons with disabilities, including women and girls, form part of the National Council for Social Action and actively participate in the development of different programmes and policies.

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

240.The right to education, culture and sports is set out in article 79 of the Constitution of the Republic of Angola. The Government promotes access to culture and the participation of all men and women, without discrimination, encouraging the various individual stakeholders to participate of in its implementation.

241.The elimination of all forms of discrimination against women in all areas of life, including economic and social life, is embedded in the laws and public policies of the Government, and a series of measures have been adopted to that end.

242.For example, in recent years, the number of traditional authorities has been increased. The National Directorate of Communities and Institutions with Traditional Power (Ministry of Culture) has a register showing that 1,869 women (4.6 per cent) head the 40,075 traditional authorities in Angola. The most prominent traditional authority in Angola was headed by the late Queen Nhakatolo, representative of the Luvale-Luena subgroup until July 2023, when she was replaced by another female sovereign. Currently, other figures such as Sobas and Regidoras are emerging in all provinces, except Namibe, where there are no traditional authorities led by women. An evolving cultural practice is the active participation of women as heads of family decision-making processes, a role previously performed by male uncles. In recent years, families have tended to delegate this function to women – aunts – who take the floor or make decisions, in particular in alambamento (traditional marriage) processes, which was not customary in our communities.

243.The Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the representatives of the Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women have conducted awareness-raising activities on the role of women aimed at traditional authorities.

244.Efforts by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources to empower women in the fisheries sector include the following:

(a)Support for young women fish processors in the form of training in small business management, fresh fish processing, cooperative activity, access to credit and other matters, in the provinces of Namibe, Benguela, Cuanza Sul, Uíge, Cuanza Norte, Luanda, Zaire and Cabinda (760 beneficiaries);

(b)Granting of loans and microcredit to women fish sellers and processors in Uíge and Bengo (193 beneficiaries).

Article 14: Women in rural areas

245.The Government is developing a policy aimed at creating favourable conditions for women in rural areas on the basis of the National Development Plans for 2018–2022 and 2023–2027, the results of the 2014 national rural women’s survey forum, and the implementation of the National Rural Women’s Support Programme, to encourage women to obtain title to their land, a measure to combat gender stereotypes in rural areas.

246.The National Development Plans set out specific actions regarding women, with a view to promoting equal opportunities and highlighting their role in the family, society, politics, economics and entrepreneurship, and to ensuring the sustainable empowerment of young women and of women in rural areas. Noteworthy programmes include the Gender Equality and Social Action Programme and the Programme for Strengthening Families and Family Competencies.

247.Before initiating any project that may affect the people, the Government takes steps to ensure transparency and dialogue with all stakeholders, including women, vulnerable groups and all interested parties.

248.To ensure the free, prior and informed consent of all community groups, including women, with specific actions where necessary, consultations are held with stakeholders living in the affected areas prior to the approval of any land acquisition or implementation of resource exploitation projects on rural land. Article 16 (Rights of the communities) of the Mining Code stipulates that mining policy must always take into account the customs of the communities in the areas where mining projects are undertaken and contribute to their sustainable economic and social development.

249.In addition, the responsible body, in coordination with local government bodies and holders of mining rights, must establish consultation mechanisms that allow local communities affected by mining projects to participate actively in decisions related to the protection of their rights, within the constitutional limits. Consultation is mandatory in all cases that might result in destruction of or damage to material, cultural or historical assets belonging to the local community as a result of the implementation of mining projects. For example, one public consultation was held in 2018, in Luanda, and four were held in 2019 (two in Luanda, one in Cabinda and one in Bengo). Such consultations are also contemplated in the Land Act.

VI.Part IV of the Convention

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

Protection of and access to services for women asylum-seekers and migrants

250.Act No. 10/15 of 15 June 2015 on the right of asylum and refugee status establishes the legal regime governing the right of asylum and defines refugee status, in accordance with article 71 (1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Angola, the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees of 28 July 1951, the Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees of 31 January 1967 and the Organization of African Unity Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, of 1969, relating to the protection of refugees.

251.The rights and duties of refugees and asylum-seekers and the principle of non-refoulement are enshrined in Act No. 10/15 of 17 July 2015 and are respected and upheld in the implementation of the Act.

252.For the purposes of implementing the Act, the National Council for Refugees has been established by Presidential Decree No. 200/18 of 27 August 2018 as a multisectoral consultative body for the implementation of policies relating to the right of asylum for refugees and is chaired by the Director General of the Migration and Foreigners Service. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) sits on the Council as an observer.

253.Currently, 52,659 internationally protected persons of different nationalities are registered with the National Council for Refugees: namely 16,171 refugees, 30,133 asylum-seekers and 6,335 prima facie refugees from the Lôvua camp (Lunda-Norte) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, comprising 1,209 men, 1,259 women and 3,851 minors. They are awaiting voluntary repatriation to their countries of origin.

254.In 2020, 10,487 requests were received for extension of asylum applications and 10,441 (99 per cent) were granted. Regarding the renewal of refugee cards, the biometric registration of refugees and asylum-seekers in Angola has been under way since July 2023 and is being monitored by the refugee community, NGOs and UNHCR.

255.Like the National Council for Refugees, the Centre for the Reception of Refugees and Asylum-seekers was established in 2018 (through Presidential Decree No. 204/18 of 3 September). It is a public institute in the social sector under the functional responsibility of the Ministry of Social Action, the Family and the Advancement of Women and the methodological responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior, with administrative, patrimonial and financial management autonomy limited to the management of resources from the general State budget. Its main powers are: (a) to create the necessary conditions for healthy development during the period of stay by meeting basic needs: careful, varied and balanced nutrition, hygiene and sleep habits, health care, and the maintenance and creation of stable emotional relationships; (b) to give children special individualized attention tailored to the needs of each child; and (c) to provide a comfortable setting that is as close to a family environment as possible.

256.The State is responsible for ensuring that asylum-seekers have the conditions necessary for their healthy development during their stay in refugee and asylum-seeker reception centres, by meeting their basic needs.

257.The Migration Policy of Angola (Presidential Decree No. 318/18), a guiding instrument for all bodies involved in the management of migratory flows, was also adopted in 2018. To protect refugees and asylum-seekers, it sets out policy measures through which the State undertakes to safeguard the family unity of refugees and asylum-seekers, including minors, guarantee guardianship and/or adoption in the country, and guarantee the existence and functioning of the authority responsible for examining applications for asylum and assistance as necessary, making it feasible for it to communicate with the institutions.

258.With regard to the application of the legal regime relating to the right of asylum that defines refugee status, it is not common practice for agents of the migratory authority and other bodies responsible for maintaining public security to commit acts of violence of any kind against women, and in the event of such acts occurring, the perpetrators are punished in accordance with the law.

259.Migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers are treated with dignity, and their rights are respected.

260.Angola is in the process of registering the members of its diaspora (there are already 35 registration stations), most of whom are former refugees from Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo, to prevent them from being at risk of statelessness.

261.A study has been conducted on the risks of statelessness in Angola and of its diaspora (www.servicos.minjusdh.gov.ao). It should also be noted that Angola acceded to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (Resolution No. 39/19 of 16 July 2019), has had cases in which nationality was granted to persons at risk of statelessness, and participated in the “I Belong” campaign of UNHCR.

262.Angola grants nationality to children at risk of statelessness through a process implemented by the Commission for the Process of Granting Nationality.

263.In 2017, during the conflict in the Kassai region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, more than 36,000 people, of whom 76 per cent were women and girls, were hosted in the province of Lunda-North.

264.The Government, in collaboration with United Nations agencies, provided protection to children of refugees, who are registered for schooling and for medical assistance. In addition, it led the response to that emergency situation, including by offering the minimum initial package of reproductive health services, with an emphasis on the prevention of maternal and neonatal mortality as well as gender-based violence.

265.In 2019, some 3,273 asylum-seeking and refugee minors, 1592 of whom were female, were integrated into the formal education system.

266.At the initiative of the Government of the Republic of Angola, the first tripartite meeting between representatives of the Government of Angola, the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and UNHCR was held in Luanda on 22 and 23 August 2019, with the aim of organizing the voluntary, facilitated and organized repatriation of Congolese refugees settled in the province of Lunda-Norte. At that time, approximately 20,000 registered refugees were registered with UNHCR, approximately 16,177 refugees expressed the desire to return to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and many of them did so spontaneously. A total of 5,611 residents were included in the return programme at the Lóvua reception centre, and 626 have already returned.

267.It should be noted that there are no records of mass or individual expulsions of refugees and migrants, in particular women, to countries where their lives may be at risk. The human rights of asylum-seekers, refugees and migrants are respected and safeguarded.

268.All operations for determining the legality of the residence of foreigners are conducted with strict respect for human dignity.

Article 16: Marriage and family relations

Ensuring equality in access to land

269.Under the Constitution of the Republic of Angola and other laws such as the Family Code, the Criminal Code of Angola and the Land Act, there is no distinction between women and men in inheritance rights. However, because of cultural factors, widowed women sometimes suffer discrimination in inheritance and land allocation in some regions of the country. These cases can be taken to court for the application of the family law, under which wives are entitled to 50 per cent of their husbands’ inheritance.

270.Various campaigns are being conducted to combat this type of harmful practice, and in the event of litigation, recourse is available through the family counselling centres, the courts, the extrajudicial dispute resolution centres and the Ombudsperson.

271.With regard to the access of communities to land, in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Angola, under the “My Land” programme (Presidential Decree No. 14/18 of 19 February 2018), land titles have been granted to rural communities, and the process of granting titles to cooperatives has been simplified. To date, a total of 1,024 titles have been awarded (57 per cent to men and 43 per cent to women). The aim is to grant 3,600 land titles to rural communities. As at November 2019, 239 rural communities had been identified in the provinces of Bié, Benguela, Huambo and Huíla, and of these, 31 have already received customary useful domain recognition titles in partnership with NGOs.

VII.Concluding remarks

272.The Government wishes to highlight the importance of the adoption and implementation of the National and its Action Plan, which is in conformity with the requirements of the various treaty bodies in general and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in particular.

273.Angola recognizes the challenges to the implementation of the Convention but reiterates its commitment to voluntarily upholding, respecting and protecting the human rights of women.