C\xF4te d'Ivoire - Combined initial to 3rd periodic reports of states parties [2010] UNCEDAWSPR 22; CEDAW/C/CIV/1-3 (18 October 2010)

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Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

Review and evaluation of the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

Article 6: Suppression of the exploitation of women and violence against women 260–292 38

Obstacles to the participation of women in political and public life 331–337 47

Article 8: Representation and participation at the international level 344–353 48

1. The United Nations has steadfastly maintained for several decades that, in order for Third World countries to develop effectively, they must utilize the skills of each and every one of their citizens. Consequently, all members of society, both women and men, must be able to prosper within a framework that recognizes and applies the principle of gender equality.

2. Côte d’Ivoire adopted this fundamental principle of the United Nations when it gained independence. Guided by the need to ensure the well-being of its population and aware of the key role played by women in the development process, the State has taken steps, inter alia, to ensure their development through their socio-economic empowerment, access to credit and to decision-making and other high-level positions in public administration and the private sector.

3. To this end, Côte d’Ivoire has ratified several international legal instruments, including, in 1995, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It has also developed programmes that aim to meet those requirements. Further, its Constitution reflects its commitment to respect the human rights of both women and men.

4. This report outlines the principal measures taken by Côte d’Ivoire during the period 1996–2008 to promote the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It was prepared in conformity with the Convention’s reporting guidelines.

5. It aims to present the situation of women’s rights in Côte d’Ivoire and to focus on measures to take better account of the gender-specific needs of women.

6. The Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, through the Directorate of Gender Equality and Promotion, which coordinates activities relating to gender equality, launched the preparation of this initial report in December 2009.

7. The drafting process involved a multisectoral and participative approach. It was supported by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women and followed the schedule suggested by the Division:

8. Technical and financial support was also provided by the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

9. Various Government bodies, national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and private bodies were involved in the workshops and meetings.

10. These bodies were organized into four sectoral working committees (law, education/training/employment, social/political/health affairs and agriculture) to evaluate the implementation of the Convention.

11. Despite the difficult social and political context, marked by the military and political crisis that broke out on 19 September 2002 and led to the partition of the country, Côte d’Ivoire has consistently expressed its concern for the situation of women.

12. The crisis has had adverse consequences on the situation of different groups of the population, in particular children and women, both in Government-held territory and in the area controlled by Forces Nouvelles (ex-rebels).

13. The Government has therefore set a number of priorities in order to strengthen the realization of women’s rights. These priorities are part of general measures of implementation and incorporate the general principles of the Convention and concern mainly civil rights and freedoms, the family environment and social protection, health, well-being, leisure and recreational activities and special protection measures.

14. Côte d’Ivoire is situated in West Africa and lies between the tropics. It covers an area of 322,462 km². It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the south, Ghana to the east, Burkina Faso and Mali to the north and Guinea and Liberia to the west. Abidjan is the economic capital and Yamoussoukro the political capital of the country.

15. Côte d’Ivoire has geographical characteristics that are similar to other countries in the West African subregion that border the Gulf of Guinea. Young people account for a high proportion of the population, and immigration from neighbouring countries over the decades has enriched its sociocultural diversity.

16. The road to modern democracy began in 1990 with the introduction of multiparty politics and has been marked by a series of social and political crises. With the signing of the first supplementary agreement to the Ouagadougou Agreement in March 2007, the country initiated a process to bring about a return to normal political and social life, which is necessary for sustainable economic growth.

17. The population of Côte d’Ivoire was estimated at 20.8 million inhabitants in 2008 according to projections prepared by the National Institute of Statistics based on data from the 1998 General Population and Housing Census. According to the Institute,^[1] 43 per cent of the total population are aged under 15 years, and 49 per cent are women, 51 per cent of whom are of childbearing age. Fifty-two per cent of the population lives in rural areas and 48 per cent in urban areas.

18. The National Institute of Statistics estimated the annual population growth rate at 2.8 per cent in 2008. Fertility rates are high and start at early ages, reflecting the country’s demographic dynamism, which is illustrated by a crude birth rate of 37.9 per cent and a total fertility rate of 4.6 children per woman in 2006.

19. On account of its geographical and historical role as an economic and cultural crossroads, Côte d’Ivoire is a country with a high level of immigration. Twenty-six per cent of immigrants come mainly from the countries in the subregion.^[2]

20. Côte d’Ivoire has a multi-ethnic population. Citizens of Ivorian origin come from four main ethnic groups (the Gur, the Mande, the Akan and the Kru), which include some 60 smaller ethnic groupings.

21. The country’s social and political crisis has had adverse effects on GDP growth rates, which were particularly hard-hit between 2000 and 2003, when real GDP fell by 2.3 per cent and 1.7 per cent respectively. The national economy, which continues to be dominated by coffee and cocoa production (see economic profile, annex 1), has shown a slight improvement since 2004 thanks to resources generated by oil extraction, development of the telecommunications sector and trade.

22. This upturn is reflected in the growth rates: 1 per cent in 2004, 1.8 per cent in 2005 and 1.2 per cent in 2006.^[3] Nevertheless, the 2006 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report ranked Côte d’Ivoire 164th out of 177 countries, with a Human Development Index estimated at 0.415. The proportion of households living below the poverty line, estimated at 38.4 per cent in a survey carried out by the National Institute of Statistics in 2002, is currently estimated at 44 per cent according to the 2006 UNDP report.

23. The total estimated number of jobs was 6,006,190 in 2000. Employment is affected by economic growth (with jobs created at levels of growth above 1.5 per cent) and by the military and political crisis. This crisis has damaged productive capacity significantly, causing many Ivorians of working age to be laid off. In 2002, the unemployment rate was 6.2 per cent; in other words 402,274 persons were unemployed out of a total labour force of 6,502,115.^[4]

24. The situation in the labour market in Côte d’Ivoire is similar to that elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa. Supply is well below demand, and this imbalance inevitably drives salaries down.

25. The poverty index in Côte d’Ivoire (the number of persons below certain threshold levels in the human development index) was 40.3 per cent in 2004, with the country ranked 92nd out of 108 developing countries (2006 UNDP report). Côte d’Ivoire is still a country with an underdeveloped economy. Poverty worsened dramatically during the period leading up to the crisis. The poverty index rose from 32.3 per cent in 1993 to 36.8 per cent in 1995, and to 38.4 per cent in 2002. In 2003, it stood at between 42 per cent and 44.2 per cent.^[5]

27. Religious diversity is a feature of the country. Freedom of worship is guaranteed by the Constitution, and the principal religions are Christianity, Islam and animism. The most widely practised religions in Côte d’Ivoire are Islam (40 per cent) and Christianity (30 per cent). In addition, 20 per cent of people practise other religions and 10 per cent are animists.

28. On gaining independence, Côte d’Ivoire, a unitary State, opted for a presidential regime. The presidential regime was retained under the Second Republic and is based on the separation of powers within the State (executive, legislative and judicial branches).

29. The political and military crisis which broke out on 19 September 2002 has led to the partition of the country into two zones: the South under Government control and the Centre North-West under the control of Forces Nouvelles. Following the Ouagadougou Agreements, a transitional Government was installed on 7 March 2007 with the task of ending the crisis through the holding of free and transparent elections under the auspices of the international community.

30. Long considered a haven of peace and political stability in West Africa, the country has been through a succession of social and political crises since the coup d’état of 24 December 1999.

31. Following independence, the colonial-era judiciary was overhauled with the aim of putting in place a modern judicial system adapted to the needs of the country.

32. Three principles guided the modernization process: justice is dispensed in the name of the people; in the exercise of their duties, judges are subject only to the authority of the law, their independence being guaranteed by the President of the Republic; and the judiciary is the guardian of individual freedoms.

33. Ever since Côte d’Ivoire gained independence, its basic laws (constitutions) have always enshrined the principle of equality between citizens, in particular between women and men, as set forth in the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to both of which it adheres.

34. The Constitution of 3 November 1960 and the current Constitution of 1 August 2000 enshrine this principle of equality even though they make no express reference to “non-discrimination with respect to women”.

35. The Constitution states (art. 6): “The Republic shall guarantee to all equality before the law, without distinction as to origin, race, gender or religion. It respects all beliefs.”

36. Article 6 confirms the principle of the equality between women and men in the enjoyment of political rights, which is set forth in article 5 as follows: “Suffrage is universal, equal and secret. All Ivorian nationals of either sex who have reached the age of majority and are in possession of their civil and political rights are entitled to vote under the conditions determined by the law.”

37. These provisions are reflected in articles 30 and 33 of the Constitution of 1 August 2000, which confirm the principle set forth in article 2, which states that “all human beings are born free and equal before the law”.

38. Article 7 adds that “the State shall guarantee all its citizens equal access to health, education, culture, information, vocational training and employment”.

39. Article 17 goes further, stating that: “Access to public or private employment shall be equal for all. Any discrimination in access to or the exercise of employment on grounds of sex or political, religious or philosophical opinions shall be prohibited.”

40. The Constitution of August 2000, currently in force, represents a significant advance in the field of gender equality and human rights in general.

41. It is therefore clear that the Constitution contains the key provisions of the Convention and that the same spirit and objectives underlie the two texts. Therefore, it can be said that the Constitution accords fully with the Convention.

42. Many domestic laws confirm the principle of gender equality, which is enshrined in the Constitution. These include the following:

43. A very limited number of domestic laws still in force contain provisions that are not in conformity with the Convention (see paragraph 60). These are:

44. Some of these texts contain provisions that discriminate against women. These are:

Adherence to international law concerning non-discrimination with respect to women

45. At the international level, apart from the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which it has not yet ratified, Côte d’Ivoire has ratified several instruments that recognize the free exercise of fundamental human rights by women on an equal footing with men.

47. With a view to ensuring the implementation of the international instruments to which Côte d’Ivoire is a party, Decree No. 61-157 of 18 May 1961 instituted a specific mechanism to monitor the implementation of conventions, resolutions and other instruments.

48. In accordance with this decree, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs prepares the ratification and publication of international instruments. After it is signed and, where appropriate, ratified, the instrument is published in the Official Gazette and is incorporated ipso facto into the domestic legal system, taking precedence over domestic legislation (Constitution, art. 87).

49. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs the relevant ministry concerning implementation of the instrument.

50. The ministry responsible for gender equality issues and women’s empowerment is tasked with implementing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

51. Following ratification and publication, the Convention, like any other convention, was incorporated ipso facto into the domestic legal system. Further, in accordance with the Constitution (art. 87), it takes precedence over domestic laws. Consequently, the Convention prevails over national legislation in the event of a conflict between them.

52. Under article 84 of the Constitution of 2000, the President of the Republic is entitled to “negotiate and ratify international treaties and agreements”. Nevertheless, article 85 states that those treaties, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, that “change domestic law may be ratified only by a law” enacted by Parliament authorizing the President to ratify agreements with a view to their incorporation into the domestic legal system.

53. Article 87 of the Constitution states that “treaties and agreements ratified through regular procedures shall, upon publication, take precedence over domestic legislation, subject, in regard to each treaty or agreement, to its application by the other party”.

54. It follows from these provisions that the Convention, or any other instrument ratified by Côte d’Ivoire through regular procedures, forms an integral part of the domestic legal system. Therefore, it can be invoked directly in Ivorian courts by both the general public and the professionals concerned. However, the Convention prevails in the event of conflict with domestic legislation since it takes precedence over national laws.

55. The State must amend its domestic laws in order to bring them into line with international standards. Such changes are brought about through amendments proposed by the Government or Parliament.

57. Despite its direct applicability in the courts, certain obstacles prevent the Convention from being invoked. The main obstacle is widespread ignorance of international instruments in general, and of the Convention in particular, on the part of the general public and the professionals concerned. Consequently, they make very little reference to the Convention.

58. This ignorance is due to a lack of dissemination of the Convention. As with many other instruments ratified by Côte d’Ivoire, the Convention has not been adequately disseminated or promoted nationally, despite some measures taken by the ministry responsible for women and social affairs and by women’s NGOs.

59. The Optional Protocol has not yet been ratified. The preparation of this report will undoubtedly enable the State to hold a debate on its international commitments and, therefore, to ratify the Optional Protocol.

60. Although gender equality is recognized by the Constitution and some laws, several other pieces of legislation contain provisions that are inconsistent with that principle.

Administrative policies and practices that discriminate against women in certain areas

65. The first Ivorian Constitution and the Constitution in force since 2000 recognize the equality of all citizens before the law, without distinction as to gender. There are therefore no formal policies that are manifestly discriminatory against women.

66. Nevertheless, women have no access to certain areas of professional activity, such as the gendarmerie (see article 7).

Traditional or religious customs and practices that discriminate against women

67. The payment of dowry, which is a criminal offence in Côte d’Ivoire, occurs in virtually all cultures.

68. Widowhood rites such as levirate and sororate are still observed in certain regions.

69. Traditional forced and early unions and consensual unions that limit the freedom of women, and especially girls, constitute forms of mental violence against women.

70. Female genital mutilation, with a prevalence rate of 36.4 per cent, remains a fairly widespread practice in Côte d’Ivoire. It constitutes an act of serious violence against women, with harmful effects on their health.

71. All these practices, most of which are prohibited by law, still occur within families and communities and cause severe physical and mental harm to women.

72. Social and political crises, in particular the one in 2002, have exacerbated violence against women, in particular sexual violence. This violence is perpetrated by armed groups, who use it as weapon of war.

73. In 2007, the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, in cooperation with UNFPA, carried out a study on gender-based violence in the district of Abidjan, where most persons displaced by war were concentrated. The study revealed that 21.35 per cent of respondents, consisting mainly of women, were the victims of sexual violence.

74. According to the August 2007 Human Rights Watch report “My heart is cut”, 122 cases of rape were reported between November 2002 and June 2004. Two out of every five women interviewed said that they had been victims of sexual abuse.

75. These acts of sexual violence have extremely serious consequences, including sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, traumas which often result in feelings of anguish, shame, rage, depression and fear, unwanted pregnancies, miscarriages and illegal abortions.

76. Continuing discrimination against women is caused by the lack of public awareness-raising measures and programmes. Although the institutional framework exists (the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights), policies and programmes to disseminate international and national instruments on women’s rights and gender equality have little impact because of the lack of available human and financial resources.

77. Consequently, there is no sense of ownership of the Convention, either on the part of national actors responsible for implementing the law or of women, most of whom are illiterate.

78. However, a national NGO is currently documenting those national laws that contain discriminatory provisions.

79. In addition, some civil society organizations and Government human rights bodies are increasingly active in the field.

80. The reasons for the existence of discriminatory practices are also linked to the lack of studies and surveys on gender equality. The studies and surveys that have been conducted with a view to disseminating and promoting women’s rights and gender equality are inadequate. Those which do exist have not been sufficiently disseminated by their authors and the authorities.

81. Nevertheless, some commercials, discussions and announcements related to gender equality have started to appear on radio and television.

At the level of special courts and victims’ complaints filed before the courts

82. In the Ivorian legal system, there are no special courts or special chambers within the courts to hear cases of violence and other forms of discrimination committed in the home.

83. Nevertheless, in order to ensure due process of law, judges are appointed either as family court judges or as guardianship judges (Act No. 70-483 of 3 August 1970 on minors, article 51) with responsibility for settling marriage disputes and those related to divorce proceedings.

84. Legal aid for the poor is provided for under Act No. 72-833 of 21 December 1972 on the Code of Civil, Commercial and Administrative Procedure (arts. 27–31); the procedures for applying the Act are laid down in Decree No. 75-319 of 9 May 1975. Aid is available for all poor persons and is not specific to women victims of violence.

85. However, thanks to capacity-building programmes initiated and implemented by the gender unit within the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, there is an increasing awareness of gender issues among judges.

86. Despite the existence of family court judges and legal aid, underreporting of cases and their non-referral to the courts do nothing to discourage discriminatory acts, especially acts of violence against women.

87. Violence almost always occurs within the privacy of the home, where third parties are reluctant to intervene. The victims themselves report cases less often and resort to the law less frequently. The fear of reprisals, taboos around the issue of sexual violence, shame and the sense of guilt experienced by raped women, the blind acceptance of tradition and the silence imposed by male dominance are all factors that encourage this violence.

88. Two State bodies provide extrajudicial remedies for women victims of discrimination and violence:

89. In addition, there are non-State bodies operating within civil society. These include:

90. All these State bodies and civil society organizations, which are working to promote human rights in general and those of women in particular, lack human, financial and material resources. This considerably hampers their efforts on the ground.

Measures to eliminate discrimination and to bring domestic legislation into line with the Convention

91. The effect of the revision of the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure carried out in 1998 was to penalize certain harmful traditional practices and certain forms of gender-based violence.

92. The law on the suppression of the smuggling of migrants was designed to penalize cross-border trafficking in minors, an activity that involves large numbers of girls.

93. The Act of 23 December 1998 penalizes female genital mutilation and sexual harassment.

94. Act No. 98-756 of 23 December 1998 amends the Criminal Code established under Act No. 81-640 of 31 July 1981. The Act of 23 December makes early and forced unions punishable offences.

95. The process of revising civil legislation related to the rights of individuals and the family has been under way since 2008. A bill has been prepared and submitted to the Government for adoption. The law is designed to redress inequalities between men and women with respect to rights arising from marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, parentage and minority.

96. A bill is being prepared to amend electoral laws relating to regional, departmental, municipal and district councils with a view to establishing a reasonable level of women’s representation.

99. The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights is preparing a bill to amend the provisions of the Criminal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure relating to gender-based violence.

100. A mechanism to monitor implementation of the international instruments to which Côte d’Ivoire is a party was established under Decree No. 61-157 of 18 May 1961, on the ratification and publication of international commitments undertaken by Côte d’Ivoire.

101. With regard more specifically to the Convention and instruments on gender equality and women’s empowerment, their follow-up and dissemination are the responsibility of the ministry that deals with these issues.

102. In 1976, Côte d’Ivoire established a ministry responsible for women’s issues – one year after the proclamation of the International Women’s Year in 1975.

103. This ministry, known as the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs since 2007, is the Government institution responsible for ensuring gender equality and women’s empowerment (see article 3).

104. The ministry has set up a platform for cooperation between various bodies. These include:

105. The results of this cooperation are considered in detail in the section on article 3.

106. Care facilities and mechanisms for women victims of violence have been established by the Government and civil society organizations in order to provide psychosocial, medical, security-related and legal support (see article 3).

107. The activities of all these bodies have greatly contributed to reducing inequalities and promoting women’s rights.

108. Apart from ordinary law remedies, there are no special women’s courts in Côte d’Ivoire. Women’s rights are considered within the general framework of human rights protection. However, the establishment of certain State and non-State bodies has made it possible to provide care for a large number of women victims.

109. Some temporary special measures have also been taken in the areas of political, educational and social development (see article 4).

110. In Côte d’Ivoire, the principle of equality between men and women is recognized by a number of legal instruments, including the Constitution, the Civil Code, the Criminal Code, the Labour Code and the Social Insurance Code. These instruments guarantee the advancement of women in social, political, economic and cultural affairs.

111. With a view to ensuring the implementation of the international instruments to which Côte d’Ivoire is a party, a decree instituted a specific mechanism to monitor the implementation of conventions, resolutions and other instruments signed by Côte d’Ivoire (see paragraphs 100 and 101 above).

112. The ministry responsible for women’s affairs was established in 1976 and confirmed in Decree No. 2007-569 of 10 August 2007 and Decree No. 2007-458 of 20 April 2007, dealing respectively with the functions of members of the Government and the structure of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs.

Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs: a mechanism for the advancement of women and monitoring of the implementation of the Convention at national level

113. The ministry that deals with the women’s affairs, called the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs since 2007, has the following functions:

114. The ministry, which implements and monitors Government policy on the protection of the family, women and children and on social affairs, is therefore the Government body responsible for ensuring equality between the sexes and empowerment of women.

115. The ministry’s budget has not increased greatly over the years. It is currently less than 1 per cent of the national budget, as shown by the table below.

116. This budget allocation remains small compared with the ministry’s mandate and the broad scope of such policies as the national policy on equal opportunity, equity and gender, which requires the mobilization of resources equivalent to 10 per cent of the State budget.

117. The ministry has a two-tier administrative structure: central and decentralized.

118. The central level consists of the following services, advisory bodies and central directorates specifically responsible for the advancement of women and equality between the sexes.

Year	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004
National Budget	1 780 900 000 000	1 289 200 000 000	1 946 600 000 000	1 518 900 000 000
Budget of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs	2 252 038 711	2 335 916 923	2 574 905 385	2 696 091 035	2 719 473 376
Budget of the ministry as a percentage of the national budget	0.12	0.18	0.13	0.17	0.13

119. The Directorate for the Promotion of the Family, Women and Socio-economic Activities has existed since 1976. Its mandate includes: (i) promotion of moral awareness and protection and development of citizens in a family context; (ii) promotion of initiatives for families and women to create income-generating activities in both rural and urban areas; and (iii) encouragement for the creation, strengthening and support of women’s groups, in collaboration with the other ministries concerned.

120. The directorate has carried out many activities and set up income-generating activities for women. In 1994, it established the National Women and Development Fund, which specifically finances income-generating activities by women, in groups or otherwise.

121. The fund has been given a new lease of life with the creation of the Innovative Management Project for the National Women and Development Fund.

122. The project was officially launched on 17 October 2007 following the signing of the collaboration agreement between the ministry and four microfinance institutions, each of which was granted a loan of approximately 80 million CFA francs (CFAF), at a favourable interest rate of 2 per cent, to be passed on to women at a rate of interest not exceeding 12 per cent.

123. This initiative was launched to remedy the problems faced by women in obtaining credit.

124. As part of this commitment by the State, since the launch of the initiative, a sum amounting to CFAF 417 million has been made available to selected microfinance institutions to support women’s businesses and the socio-economic reintegration of women in the post-crisis period and to improve living conditions for impoverished and vulnerable groups. Over 500 women, individually or in groups, have benefited from the loans granted by these institutions.

125. Legally constituted women’s cooperatives are given help to obtain loans and grants. Cooperatives in Sakassou (a department in the centre of the country) and the Zanzan region (in the north-east) have benefited from such loans.

126. In order to achieve its aims in both rural and urban areas, the Directorate for the Promotion of the Family, Women and Socio-economic Activities, working in collaboration with NGOs and groups for the advancement of women and protection of families, employs specialized female support staff called animatrices rurales (rural organizers) for awareness-raising, information and capacity-building among rural women.

127. These activities have had a genuine impact on the situation of women in the form of a net reduction in certain discriminatory practices.

128. The barriers hampering these activities are, firstly, sociocultural factors and, secondly, the lack of financial resources to scale up awareness-raising and information campaigns.

129. The mandate of the Directorate of Training and Education Establishments for Women includes: (i) designing awareness-raising, education and training programmes to match the needs expressed by women, in collaboration with the relevant ministries, municipalities and women’s organizations and associations; and (ii) ensuring that, within the training and education establishments for women, initial and advanced training modules are organized on issues relevant to rural areas, as well as awareness-raising campaigns on various general and practical topics in order to improve living conditions for families, women and children.

130. Through the training and education establishments for women, the directorate contributes to literacy education for women and girls who have not been able to participate in formal basic education.

131. Between 2004 and 2008, 8,435 women and girls aged between 9 and 47 received ongoing education in these establishments. During the same period, 2,500 women followed short courses in bookkeeping, literacy, preparation of cleaning products, embroidery, crochet and dyeing.

132. Obstacles: over one third of the training and educational establishments for women are out of operation because they have fallen into disrepair and because of the sociopolitical crisis which has damaged many of them.

133. The Directorate of Social Protection is responsible for: (i) coordinating and supervising all social protection activities aimed at vulnerable persons; and (ii) contributing to the drafting and implementation of laws and regulations on the family, women, children and vulnerable persons.

134. Among the activities conducted, the following are particularly noteworthy: (i) the establishment of the National Committee to Combat the Trafficking and Exploitation of Children, by Decree No. 2001-467 of 25 July 2001, and the ratification of the ILO Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment (No. 138) and Convention concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (No. 182) in 2003; (ii) the implementation, since 2006, of the programme to combat trafficking in children, with the support of the International Labour Office; (iii) the preparation of the national action plan for children for the period 2008–2012, adopted in December 2008, which covers protection of all categories of children, without distinction by gender.

135. The implementation of these various activities has achieved the following results:

136. Elderly people, a group which includes many women, receive support at the organizational level from the Directorate of Social Protection of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs. A national policy for elderly people is being drawn up.

137. Pursuant to Framework Act No. 98-594 of the Ministry of the Civil Service on Persons with Disabilities, dated 10 November 1998, which permits the recruitment to the civil service (according to identical criteria) of disabled persons (men and women) outside the normal recruitment procedure, the Directorate for the Advancement of Persons with Disabilities has contributed to the recruitment of 337 disabled persons. The directorate has taken steps to enrol non-sighted persons (men and women) in vocational training centres. In 2009/10, four non-sighted people, three of them women, were enrolled at the vocational training centre in Man.

138. Measures have also been taken to protect and promote the rights of disabled and elderly women.

139. The mandate of the Directorate of Social Security and Mutual Benefit Insurance includes: (i) promoting social security and mutual insurance; (ii) initiating or contributing to studies and projects for the development of social security and mutual insurance; and (iii) acting as the permanent secretariat of the Steering Committee of the Universal Health Insurance Scheme.

140. As part of its social policy, the Government of Cote d’Ivoire has restructured the national social security system by introducing the Universal Health Insurance Scheme, which provides guaranteed coverage of risks associated with sickness and motherhood for all individuals residing on Ivorian territory. The Universal Health Insurance Act was passed by Parliament on 9 October 2001, and a pilot project was launched in 2004 in two towns, Bondoukou and Soubré.

141. An evaluation in May 2006 of the pilot phase showed that it had covered only awareness-raising among the population of the two pilot sites. Since then, the Universal Health Insurance Scheme has not been taken further owing to budgetary constraints.

142. The Directorate of Gender Equality and Promotion was established by Decree No. 2006-41 of 15 March 2006 on the structure of the Ministry of the Family and Social Affairs. Its mandate is: (i) to ensure that equality between women and men is respected; (ii) to coordinate all initiatives related to gender and gender-based violence; and (iii) to follow up and evaluate the implementation of Côte d’Ivoire’s international commitments relating to gender equality and equity.

143. One of the bodies associated with the Directorate for Gender Equality and Promotion is the National Committee to Combat Violence against Women and Children, established by Decree No. 2000-133 of 23 February 2000. Decree No. 2004-209 of 11 March 2004 established a permanent secretariat for the Committee and gave it the status of a subdirectorate in the office of the Minister of the Family, Women and Social Affairs. Its mandate is: (i) to coordinate planning and to implement programmes of assistance, advice, prevention and psychosocial care for victims of violence; and (ii) to promote the enforcement of laws protecting women and children.

144. A total of 2,447 children were protected from various forms of violence (physical abuse, rape, abandonment, domestic disputes, early marriage, female circumcision, etc.) between 2000 and 2009.

145. The Coordination Unit of the Water, Women, Sustainable Development and Peace Programme is responsible for: (i) increasing women’s sense of ownership in the management of village water-supply systems, in order to create permanent water-supply points in rural areas; (ii) proposing measures and activities to improve the status of women in water management; and (iii) raising awareness among the population, particularly women, about more rational water use, including the concepts of sustainable development and peace.

146. The decentralized level consists of regional directorates and local offices.

147. The regional directorates are located throughout the country. They are responsible for promoting, monitoring and coordinating the activities of the local offices and community organizations active in this area, within their regions. They are also responsible for ensuring the implementation at regional level of national policy guidance relating to the family, women and social affairs. The 16 regional directorates can be found in most of the regional administrative centres (see table of regional directorates of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, annex 1).

148. The social centres cover the whole country, as shown in the map of social services drawn up in 2007. They are responsible for: (i) monitoring the social and health status and psychomotor development of mothers and children up to two years of age; (ii) family education for women and young people; (iii) management of specific problems of young people and disabled persons; and (iv) improving living standards for groups and communities.

149. The main activities of the social centres are mother and child protection, community action, educational assistance and follow-up and evaluation. Some of them have become centres of excellence and have expanded their activities to cover care for victims of gender-based violence, particularly sexual assault, and care for persons infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS and orphans and vulnerable children.

150. Training and education establishments for women have been in place since 1958 to provide training for women in order to combat illiteracy and create businesses. These establishments work in the following areas: (i) professional, health, social and educational development of women and girls; (ii) social and professional integration and reintegration of women and girls; and (iii) greater social and economic empowerment of women and girls to assist their personal development.

151. The main activities of these establishments are embroidery, flower-arranging, home repairs, crochet, cookery, civic and moral education and parenting education, including general and food hygiene, domestic finances, childcare, literacy skills and selling. To date (2009), 91 training and education establishments for women have been set up, although only 67, or 73.6 per cent, are currently in operation, owing to the social and political crisis which affected many of them.

Source: Directorate of Planning, Studies and Documentation, Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, “Concept document for the integrated collection and management system for data on the family, women and social affairs”, November 2009, annexes VI–VIII.

153. The Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs also provides supervision and specialized education and training for disabled persons (girls and boys), including the following:

154. In view of the international commitments undertaken by Côte d’Ivoire in respect of human rights and gender equality (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995)), the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs has drawn up framework plans and programmes for development in order to promote the advancement of women.

155. The National Action Plan for Women, drawn up in 2002, was intended to promote and empower women in all areas and integrate women into all development sectors.

156. The action plan consists of five action programmes, as follows: (i) support for the economic advancement of women and for action against poverty; (ii) support for improvements in the health and living conditions of women and girls and protection against violence; (iii) improvements in school attendance rates among girls, the education and information provided for women and their social image as portrayed in the media; (iv) support for enhancement of the status and role of women in society and their participation in public life, mediation and education for peace; and (v) strengthening of institutional arrangements for the advancement of women.

157. The action plan has enabled the country to determine the direction of its national programmes, including the national reproductive health programme implemented by the Ministry of Health and Hygiene and the social policy and follow-up and evaluation programme led by the Directorate-General of Planning of the Ministry of Planning and Development, with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

158. Because of the sociopolitical crisis in Côte d’Ivoire in 2002, the action plan has not been effectively implemented.

159. The Solemn Declaration, signed by the President of Côte d’Ivoire on 21 February 2007, shows the political commitment of the Government and provides guidance on national gender policy and implementation of the 30 per cent quota recommended by the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The declaration is currently being converted into a framework law for implementation. The draft order relating to the declaration was drawn up in September 2009, but was not approved because the grounds cited in it were considered unsatisfactory.

National Plan of Action for the Implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security

160. This national action plan, drawn up in 2007 according to the principles of results-based management by representatives of various institutions (State, civil society organizations, the press, the United Nations, UNDP, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), UNFPA), was adopted by the Government for a five-year period (2008–2012). It has four main elements, defined by a results chain, ranging from the long-term result (strategic) to immediate results (output), and the action to be taken. There are indicators for each element. The priority areas for intervention are: (i) protection of women and girls from sexual violence, including female genital mutilation; (ii) inclusion of gender issues in development policies and programmes; (iii) participation of both women and men in the national reconstruction and reintegration process; and (iv) greater participation by both women and men in the political decision-making process.

161. The first steps towards implementing the national action plan have been taken, in the form of two major projects funded jointly by the Government of Côte d’Ivoire and the UNDP office in Côte d’Ivoire.

162. These two projects are being implemented in the departments of Abidjan in the south, Man in the west, and Yamoussoukro and Bouaké in the centre of the country. The following outcomes have been achieved:

163. These two major projects are now considered best practice in Côte d’Ivoire and at the subregional level.

164. The main elements of the national action plan are also taken into account in the programmes and projects drawn up by other government agencies.

165. It should be noted that the coordination, follow-up and evaluation mechanisms which need to be introduced for the regular and continuous evaluation of the action plan have not yet been set up, and the budget for the action plan, which has been set at CFAF 3,694,400,000, or US$ 7,388,800, for a five-year period from 2008 to 2012, and which has been approved by the Council of Ministers, has not yet been adopted by Parliament.

166. This national strategy was drawn up in December 2008 in order to harmonize and promote strategies for the care of victims of gender-based violence, particularly sexual violence, at the national and regional level, but it has not yet been approved. Nevertheless, the counselling services run by the National Committee to Combat Violence against Women and Children, the groups against sexual violence and the integrated care centres for victims of sexual violence (the centre of excellence in Man and the Reference Centre for Prevention and Assistance to Victims of Sexual Violence in Attécoubé) all contribute to the implementation of the strategy.

167. This national policy paper, adopted by the Council of Ministers on 23 April 2009, is intended to create an environment in which gender issues can be taken into account in all sectors and at all levels. It also creates a frame of reference for the integration of a gender approach in development policies, programmes and projects in all areas of social life in Côte d’Ivoire.

168. As part of the implementation of the National Gender Policy, four main areas for priority intervention have been identified, showing the gender challenges which need to be faced in Côte d’Ivoire. These are: (i) gender, governance and human rights; (ii) gender, macroeconomic framework and budgetary analysis; (iii) gender, reconstruction and basic gender-related social services; and (iv) gender, capacity-building and follow-up and evaluation mechanism.

169. It should be pointed out that various activities were conducted before the national policy paper was adopted by the Council of Ministers. These include the following:

170. The National Gender Policy has also facilitated the integration of a gender approach into national policy framework documents, including the National Development Strategy Paper, based on the Millennium Development Goals, which was adopted in 2007, the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper for the period 2009–2013 and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework for the period 2009–2013.

171. The National Policy Paper on Equal Opportunity, Equity and Gender is now being disseminated and plans are being made for the preparation of the strategic plan for its implementation in collaboration with all partners.

172. To sum up, it is emphasized that, before 2006, the strategies for the advancement of women developed in the policy framework documents focused on so-called “vulnerable groups”, i.e. the most deprived groups and particularly women, rather than on the social relationships between men and women which might reduce inequality. The lack of mechanisms for coordination and implementation of activities thus made it difficult to capitalize on, follow up on and evaluate the activities.

173. For this reason, and in the light of persistent inequality, the Ivorian State decided to strengthen the institutional framework for the promotion of gender and the capacity to respond to and coordinate gender issues by creating a national body to deal with gender issues.

Directorate of Gender Equality and Promotion: a mechanism for coordination and collaboration with other ministries and State agencies

174. The institutionalization of gender issues in this directorate has created synergy of action and facilitated the implementation of decisions at the meso and micro levels. All new institutional and operational activities have been implemented using a participatory approach involving all national and international partners since 2006. This has created a growing awareness of gender issues which has brought about a change of mentality, with the aim of encouraging people to abandon or modify discriminatory customs and practices.

175. The Gender and Development Group was established in 2006 to create mutual understanding and promote concerted action among government agencies, United Nations agencies and civil society organizations concerned with gender issues in Côte d’Ivoire.

176. Since 2007, gender units have been established by ministerial decree in ministries; 14 of them are in operation today. The gender units are responsible for ensuring that attention is paid to the practical and strategic needs of women and men in the preparation, implementation, follow-up and evaluation of the programmes or projects of their ministerial departments.

180. In 2008, this initial experiment with holistic care (psychosocial, medical, security and legal services) in Côte d’Ivoire, for which all related costs were covered, was undeniably successful: 27 victims of rape aged between 2 and 35 years were given comprehensive care, and three rapists were prosecuted and convicted.

181. The capacity of national actors in the area of gender and development has been strengthened since 2006.

Collaboration between the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs and other agencies (ministries, NGOs, development partners, the private sector) and integration of the gender approach into their activities (health, education, teaching, AIDS control, youth, solidarity and war victims, etc.)

182. Other ministries: the platform for collaboration among focal points has been institutionalized by the creation of gender units authorized by ministerial decree.

183. NGOs: it should be noted that those which are active in the advancement and empowerment of women come under the aegis of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, the government agency responsible for these matters. In this area, they are operational partners of the ministry.

184. For this reason, their action in the field is included in the implementation of the ministry’s projects and programmes, with financial support from development partners, in the following ways:

185. Problems: some NGOs are now financed directly by development partners or international bodies to carry out activities of which the ministry is often not aware, which creates problems for coordination and optimal use of the outcomes.

186. The ministry receives technical and financial support as part of the cooperation between Côte d’Ivoire and its development partners, particularly United Nations agencies under United Nations Development Assistance Framework programmes. The various elements of the Development Assistance Framework reflect the government’s priorities as contained in its Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.

187. The partnership with private-sector actors is not well enough developed. It is mainly restricted to material and financial assistance given to the ministry when special celebrations are organized, including:

188. The partnership with inter-occupational trade unions has not developed as it should because of misconceptions about the functions of the ministry and the financial autonomy of the trade unions.

Tangible results already achieved through the use of gender-based analysis in the field

189. No studies have been conducted to measure changes in mentality. However, the general feeling is that there is a nationwide reaction against gender-based inequality.

Results of collaboration with United Nations agencies, development partners and civil society

190. Cooperation with UNFPA: gender issues are integrated into the various programmes supported by UNFPA, including the population and development programme, reproductive health programme and gender and human rights programme. As far as the gender component is concerned, the following projects have been conducted since 2003:

191. Cooperation with UNDP: gender is a cross-cutting theme. The following projects involving the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs can be mentioned:

192. Cooperation with UNIFEM: the implementation of the project entitled “Support for gender mainstreaming in the electoral process” was funded jointly by the Ivorian Government, UNDP and UNIFEM.

193. Cooperation with UNICEF: considerable support has been provided to the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, and its Directorate of Gender Equality and Promotion, for the Protection Programme with a view to stopping gender-based violence. The programme has also helped to build the capacity of national actors in the area of gender issues and gender-sensitive budgeting.

194. Cooperation with the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR): gender issues are taken into account in the Government’s programme to combat HIV/AIDS. Accordingly, the Directorate of Gender Equality and Promotion, of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, was asked to help implement the project on gender and HIV/AIDS (Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs/PEPFAR) (2008–2009).

195. Cooperation with the International Rescue Centre: a protocol was signed between the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs and this NGO on activities to combat gender-based violence.

196. Attention is also drawn to the following results, and to the many documents prepared with the support of development partners (see list of documents annexed to this report).

Results from collaboration with other ministries, the private sector and other national and international institutions or organizations

197. The following has been achieved with the cooperation of ministries, civil society organizations, the private sector and other institutions:

198. In cooperation with various ministries, the Government has taken gender into account in the programmes, projects and activities which have been implemented, as can be seen below.

199. The Integrated Programme of School Canteens, run by the Ministry of Education since 1997, is considered best practice in the field of gender activities, since it mainstreams gender issues at all stages of the programming cycle. This has enabled the Millennium Development Goals to be translated into specific activities on the ground (UNDP report “Best practice of UNDP-CI in Gender Equality”).

200. The Cross-sectoral Programme for the Advancement of Women and Gender Equality, launched in 2001, has encouraged access to and control of economic goods and resources by women, in response to the priorities laid down in the National Action Plan for Women for the period 2001–2005, with technical assistance from ILO.

201. The 2000–2003 project in support of the Programme to Combat Poverty, managed by the Ministry of Planning and Development with technical and financial support from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNAIDS, ILO and the World Food Programme, strengthened national coordination and resource-mobilization capacity for combating poverty and created a system for observation and follow-up of household living standards.

202. Investigations and studies were conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and other agencies in an effort to disaggregate data by sex (e.g. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, 2000; AIDS Indicators Survey, 2005; National Report on the State and Future of the Population of Côte d’Ivoire, 2009).

203. The synergy between the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and the Ministry of Health and Hygiene has facilitated the provision of integrated care for victims of sexual violence, as part of the implementation of the project on gender-based violence which has been tested in the community of Attécoubé, Abidjan, and in the North-West (an occupied zone) and the African Development Bank project in the Centre North-West (a former occupied zone).

204. The Ministry of Planning and Development is responsible for preparing the report on the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, using a participatory, inclusive methodology as part of the process of drawing up this national report, which will shed light on the issue of the promotion and defence of women’s rights.

205. The principle of equality between men and women, as enshrined in the Constitution (arts. 2, 7 and 30), does not make particular reference to temporary special measures aimed at the objectives of equality of opportunity and treatment for men and women.

206. This would explain the insufficient attention given to or even disregard for the very notion of temporary special measures, both in the administration and in the Government. As a consequence, there are no institutions responsible for devising, implementing, applying, monitoring or evaluating the impact of whatever temporary special measures have been adopted.

207. Nevertheless, measures have been taken by some national bodies (governmental and private), which follow certain practices, run programmes and apply methods of recruitment or appointment conducive to the integration of women and the establishment of gender equality.

208. The positive measures to promote and facilitate the access of women to public life in general and politics in particular include:

209. The declaration has not yet been applied, however, as it has never been formalized through a framework law or a decree.

210. In the public sector, the positive measures to promote and facilitate the access of women to economic activity include:

211. Starting in 2010, this form of recruitment is to be applied in civil service competitions and examinations. Women and men are subject to the same criteria.

213. Arrangements were also made for a sight-impaired woman to be admitted to the Ecole Normale Supérieure. She is now a primary-school inspector and supervises special institutions for persons with disabilities.

214. Among the measures taken by the Directorate for the Advancement of Persons with Disabilities of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs to admit sight-impaired persons (men and women) to vocational training centres, four sight-impaired persons, including three women, were taken on at the centre in Man.

215. Some departments have decided to support women by allowing them access to certain jobs which are normally reserved for men. They include:

216. In the private sector, the positive measures to promote and facilitate the access of women to economic activity include a policy on the part of enterprises to promote women by allowing them access to posts traditionally reserved for men. One such enterprise is the Société de Transport Abidjanais (Abidjan Transport Company) (SOTRA), which decided to give priority to recruiting female drivers and promoting female managers, as shown by the figures below.

	Staffing levels by sex, 2005–2009
	2005				2007				2009
	M	W	*Total*	% W	M	W	*Total*	% W	M	W	*Total*	% W
Managers	168	46	214	21.49	174	52	226	23.00	161	67	228	29.38
Senior technicians	174	74	248	29.83	236	114	350	32.57	241	123	364	33.79
Foremen	1 881	98	1 979	4.95	1 727	135	1 862	7.25	1 643	138	1 781	7.74
Employees	1 478	62	1 540	4.02	1 940	65	2 005	3.24	1 783	84	1 847	4.54
Total	3 701	280	3 981	7.03	4 077	366	4 443	8.23	3 828	392	4 220	9.28

Decentralized affirmative action to facilitate the promotion and access of women to financial decision-making positions

218. Local authorities, together with the National Agency for Rural Development Aid (ANADER), recommend that at least 10 per cent of the team preparing local development plans should be women.

Affirmative action to facilitate the promotion and access of women in the field of education

219. The Ministry of Education has taken measures (by ministerial decree) to promote the education of girls. They include:

220. As a result of these measures, the gross admission rates to the first year of primary school, which were 58.6 per cent for girls compared with 61.1 per cent for boys in 2001/02, had changed to 57.3 per cent for girls and 57.3 per cent for boys by 2006/07. The girls/boys parity index for primary education has stood at 0.88 since 2006.

221. Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research: the Higher Education Support Project 2008–2013, which sets a quota of one third of women in all activities, has led to an increase in the number of women and girls engaged in the fields of the sciences, mathematics and technology. This Government action aims to eliminate existing disparities between women and men in all areas of higher education by 2015, in conformity with Millennium Development Goal 3 (target 4).

225. Under the Constitution of Côte d’Ivoire, men and women are guaranteed equal rights. The roles played by men and women in the household and in society are therefore laid down and regulated by legislation (the laws on marriage and minors).

226. Under this legislation, men and women share the same obligations for the upkeep of their children and their household, even though parental authority is exercised only by men, who therefore hold the exclusive power to make decisions.

227. In Côte d’Ivoire, stereotypes are inbred in men and women in the course of the process of socialization, which begins very early on in the family, when children learn how to become men or women. They are therefore derived from the patriarchal nature of family relationships, which determine male and female roles according to gender, with men being attributed outdoor tasks and women indoor activities, apart from providing help with farm work and supplying water and wood for heating.

228. In practice, over and above their traditional domestic tasks, women are responsible for managing household expenses, such as food, schooling and pocket money for the children (attending school), which account for 85 per cent of the annual expenditure of the households surveyed (ANADER survey, 2006).

229. This implicit division of tasks is reflected in the way children are brought up in the home, with girls being tied to the mother and boys to the father figure. The traditional tendency is to equate sexual and gender roles, so that the only differences that are recognized are those based on a person’s sex.

230. In the family, the jobs and tasks attributed to women are those related to building a home and looking after children, including domestic work, the children’s upbringing, their good health and the daily feeding of the family.

231. Men are responsible for meeting the material and financial needs of the family.

232. As in most African countries, society in Côte d’Ivoire is male-dominated. Men hold the status of head of household, which is accepted by all in accordance with both law and practice, and they are responsible for taking all major decisions on behalf of the couple.

233. Women, on the other hand, are generally seen in their biological reproductive role.

234. Certain customary, traditional and religious practices tend to place women in a position of inferiority compared with men; they deny them any freedom of opinion and give them an inferior status under the authority of the male, who is the head of the family.

235. Despite the legal protection they are granted, 35 per cent of married women are in polygamous marriages; a substantial proportion of girls come under all sorts of pressure to get married and almost half of all women are still subjected to female circumcision.

236. While there has been some progress in urban areas, women in rural areas have great difficulty overcoming stereotypes. This is reflected in a number of practices, attitudes and customs, but those that affect them most are the practices related to widowhood, keeping girls out of school, limited participation in public meetings on community development, and the ineligibility of women for traditional chiefdom status.

237. One possible explanation for the persistence of these practices may be ignorance of the law, which has probably given rise to a different stereotyped perception of the roles that should be played by men and women in the family and in society.

238. Within the community, heavy physical work is performed by men (such as felling trees and farming perennial crops), while women tend the food crops and do the housework. The paternal authority conferred on men by law is limited in practice to the attribution of roles, with women managing the household under the moral authority of men.

239. This stereotyped perception of gender roles is reflected in school textbooks and in the media.

241. As far as the content of the textbooks is concerned, it may be observed that male figures (whether leading or secondary) clearly outnumber female figures, both in the written word and in pictures. Among leading figures, men are more often represented than women and are often shown as models.

243. From the point of view of the situations where male and female characters are represented in both text and pictures, men are typically shown working, while more women go to the market.

244. As far as roles are concerned, women deal with domestic and educational activities, while men are mostly shown in work-related, leisure or sporting activities. Schoolchildren are far more often depicted as boys than as girls. With regard to civil status, women tend to appear more often than men as married.

245. Teachers are generally male. In most reading books, the introductory account of the return to school or school activities features either a little boy or a male teacher.

246. Fortunately, textbooks on civic education adopt a more balanced attitude and show some pictures of women doctors, judges and lawyers, besides a broad range of other professional activities performed by women.

247. Stereotypes also affect the responsibilities and roles attributed to boys and girls. Thus class leaders are generally boys, while in out-of-school activities, child-rearing is performed by girls and gardening by boys, and in class work, boys develop an interest in science subjects and girls tend towards literary options.

248. The whole audio-visual landscape in Côte d’Ivoire is permeated by gender stereotypes, especially in advertising, video clips, etc. Magazines showing pictures of nude women are sure to sell well. The aggressiveness is such that the factors in social success tend to be reduced to mere physical attractiveness. In addition, a shameless image of women is often conveyed in television series and soap operas.

249. There are two types of stereotype that emerge from the press and broadcasting.

250. Firstly, the media generally attach little importance to the social problems of women, such as violence, the feminization of poverty or poor access to basic social services (such as health care, education or employment). Moreover, women usually play a part only on the occasion of commemorations.

251. Secondly, women are underrepresented in the media. They mostly appear in television programmes, where they are more numerous, but are often restricted to the part of announcers or presenters, according to the stereotype whereby women have attractive voices and are nice to look at.

252. Musical and film productions readily exploit women’s physical attractiveness, and the market is flooded with pornographic films.

253. By attributing parental authority exclusively to the male, the Marriage Act violates the principle of equality proclaimed in the Constitution and the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It concentrates all decision-making powers in the man’s hands, reducing the woman to the role of executant. There is no law that either condemns or represses the stereotypes developed in society which govern relations between men and women. Similarly, there is no law that condemns certain customs attached to widowhood, such as the levirate and sororate.

254. Revision of school textbooks in order to remove sexist stereotypes (since 2004).

255. Training of school textbook authors (inspectors and teaching advisers for different subjects) and teachers in the gender approach.

256. Warning and informing the public about stereotypes by non-governmental organizations.

257. Broadcasting of radio and television material that denounces these stereotypes and promotes a more dignified image of women. Religious broadcasts are also very helpful in this respect.

258. Awareness-raising through commercials, billboards, posters and television sketches.

259. The promotion of women by private firms such as the CIE and SOTRA electricity and transport companies (as operators or drivers) is due to greater awareness of gender issues following implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action.

260. Côte d’Ivoire does not suppress or formally prohibit prostitution, even though it is looked upon as an amoral phenomenon in Ivorian society. Some forms of exploitation and practices related to prostitution, however, are punishable under the Criminal Code.

261. These include procuring (arts. 335 and 336), public soliciting (art. 338), facilitating, aiding and abetting the debauchery or prostitution of adults and minors (arts. 334, 337, 339 and 340) and keeping an establishment, premises or site where prostitution is practised. In Ivorian law these practices are therefore considered criminal offences.

262. Ivorian criminal law does not prohibit the prostitution of minors but does outlaw procuring.

263. The issue of HIV/AIDS is not covered by the law, not even from the point of view of contamination.

264. There is no specific national legislation to prevent and punish trafficking in women and girls.

265. Regarding violence against women, there are general provisions in the Criminal Code that punish murder, assassination, parricide, infanticide, causing grievous bodily harm, rape, violence and assault. In addition, Act No. 98-757 of 23 December 1998, on suppressing certain forms of violence against women, prohibits female genital mutilation.

266. According to a survey conducted by the Ministry responsible for Combating AIDS with the support of UNFPA, on behaviour, attitudes and practices of sex workers in relation to sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS in the eight departments worst affected by the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, there were 2,461 sex workers in 2008, of whom 49.28 per cent worked in Abidjan, 8.28 per cent in Yamoussoukro, 8.20 per cent in San Pedro, 8.20 per cent in Man, 3.12 per cent in Duékoué, 7.55 per cent in Danané, 7.19 per cent in Daloa, and 8.12 per cent in Bouaké. Of the total, 77 per cent are aged under 30; 67 per cent are Ivorian nationals and 18 per cent Nigerian.

267. The surveys and studies conducted to estimate the extent, causes and effects of all these forms of violence have not identified any specific occurrence of trafficking of women. This means there are no data on which to base an estimate of the extent of the problem.

268. The above survey has shown poverty and unemployment to be causes of sexual exploitation owing to the fact that they make women more vulnerable.

269. According to the survey, 65 per cent of sex workers maintain that they took to prostitution owing to the lack of financial support, 30 per cent on account of their parents’ poverty, 24 per cent because they wanted to be independent, 10 to 15 per cent for social or cultural reasons, and 26 per cent as a result of the crisis. According to the statistics, women are driven to prostitution by economic pressures. Thus the socio-political crisis that Côte d’Ivoire underwent in effect aggravated the trafficking of women and prostitution, according to 79 per cent of the sex workers themselves.

270. Armed conflicts are causes of sexual violence, trafficking of women and increasing prostitution. They have certainly aggravated the trafficking of women and prostitution.

271. There are several resettlement programmes for young combatants and war victims, but they do not take account of the specific problems of girls.

272. Despite the existence of the general legislation described above, the courts and tribunals in Côte d’Ivoire only very rarely deal with or register the kinds of violence referred to or other forms of gender-based violence, owing to the absence of complaints lodged by victims and their families.

273. Women and girls exploited by procurers or who brazenly engage in prostitution are stigmatized by society and tend to be socially excluded.

274. Women who have been subjected to violence, including sexual violence, tend to suffer the same fate.

275. To deal with the situation, the Government, through the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs and civil society organizations, has expanded the services available to women who have been victims of violence. These services take many forms and are very comprehensive.

276. Since 2003–2004, six counselling offices have been opened in Abidjan, as well as social centres in the hinterland, in order to provide psychosocial support and medical and legal assistance to women and children who have been the victims of violence. These offices, which are run by the National Committee to Combat Violence against Women and Children at the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs, also organize visits to victims’ homes, give advice to families in trouble and conduct social surveys.

278. In 2005, 230 cases were dealt with; 97 home visits were carried out across Abidjan and 100 families in trouble were offered advice.

279. In 2007, psychosocial support was provided in 82 cases; 15 visits were made to the homes of victims of violence; three social surveys were conducted; and 100 women registered as survivors of violence in Government-controlled areas were given assistance.

280. A platform for combating gender-based violence was set up in the department of Yamoussoukro in 2007. Using a new referral and cross-referral system, the victims of violence are given advice and looked after. In 2007 and 2008, the individual units of the platform on which the referral system relied included social centres, health services, the courts, the police services and the gendarmerie of the department of Yamoussoukro.

281. These services have been supported by national and international NGOs, such as the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

282. The Centre of Excellence for the Women of Man (CEFM) was set up on 18 February 1989 (No. 194/INT/ATAP/AGP/5 of 11 August 1994) on the initiative of the NGO International Friendship Service to care for victims of violence in Man (western Côte d’Ivoire).

283. The purpose of this centre, now under the responsibility of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs and supported by UNDP, is to improve the well-being of vulnerable sectors of the population (including women, girls, boys and children) living in rural areas and deprived neighbourhoods in the Centre North-West, and particularly in the Montagnes region, where all kinds of violence occurred during the crisis, including pillaging of property, sexual violence, rape and murder.

284. The Centre of Excellence therefore has the task of providing social, psychological, legal and material assistance to women affected by and rendered vulnerable on account of the armed conflict.

286. The improvement in the economic situation has had a positive effect on the families of victims and their communities.

287. The Akwaba centre for counselling, care, advice, emergency accommodation and resettlement of women victims of violence, with or without children, and for supporting the development of women was set up in Abidjan in August 2008 by the NGO Women in Law and Development in Africa, with the technical support of the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs. Since 2008, nine persons have been assisted by the centre.

288. Legal advice surgeries were opened by the NGO Association des Femmes Juristes de Côte d'Ivoire in 2000 with funding from the United States Embassy. These surgeries, which have been supported by the Ministry of the Family, Women and Social Affairs since 2005 within the framework of the gender, women’s and family support project, are aimed at offering legal advice and assistance to the victims of violence of all kinds. Since 2004, the 20 clinics in operation have dealt with 779 cases and prepared 3,000 leaflets on gender-based violence.

289. A shelter for girls in difficulty was started by the NGO Organisation des Femmes Actives de Côte d’Ivoire (Organization of Active Women of Côte d’Ivoire) (OFACI) in Port Bouet in 2008 with Soleterre funding. The shelter takes in any girls who find themselves in difficult circumstances.

291. Despite the above successes, many challenges remain where the abuse and exploitation of women are concerned:

292. In view of these challenges, which represent major obstacles, the following recommendations must be followed up on by the Government:

293. Women’s right to participate in political and public life is proclaimed by the Constitution through the principle of equality. This principle, which was enshrined in article 5 of the 1960 Constitution, is echoed in articles 17, 30 and 23 of the August 2000 version.

294. It is stated in article 17, paragraphs 2 and 3, that: “Access to public or private employment shall be equal for all. Any discrimination in access to or the exercise of employment on grounds of sex or political, religious or philosophical opinions shall be prohibited.”

295. This equality in the exercise of public and political rights is bolstered by freedom of thought and expression, including freedom of conscience and religious and philosophical opinion, which is guaranteed for all, subject to respect for the law, the rights of others, national security and public order (2000 Constitution, art. 9).

296. These constitutional provisions are supplemented and confirmed by legislation that prescribes equal access to public employment and political life.

297. The following legislation supports women’s access to positions of authority:

298. It is clear from the above legislation that all Ivorian citizens may exercise any public or private occupation in the same conditions. In addition, there is the Solemn Declaration on Equal Opportunities, Equity and Gender, which was signed by the President on 21 February 2007 and is currently being prepared as an ordinance for implementation.

299. Côte d’Ivoire’s determination to promote the access of women to public and political activities has also led to the ratification of international instruments that support women’s participation in civil and political life.

300. Côte d’Ivoire has ratified or acceded to the following international instruments, conventions and declarations:

301. Côte d’Ivoire’s fairly comprehensive legal framework offers women the opportunity to assert their rights and to participate in public and political activities on an equal basis with men, in compliance with the terms of article 7 of the Convention. How is this reflected in practice?

302. According to a survey conducted by UNESCO in 2002, women, who account for a substantial proportion of the working population of Côte d’Ivoire, are more active in the economic than in the political field. In the political field and in public administration they are mainly employed as executants.

303. In the primary sector (agriculture, livestock breeding) women account for 60 to 70 per cent of all those employed in the sector.

304. In view of their contribution to the sector, the Government has encouraged them to set up cooperative groups which could raise their profile and give them greater weight in their relations with economic operators interested in their output.

305. As a result of this initiative, more than 44 formal women’s groups and cooperatives were registered in 2002.

306. The secondary sector (small and medium-sized industries and enterprises) accounts for 16.7 per cent of the national workforce. The great majority of women work either in agribusiness (food, fisheries, textiles) or in the packaging industry or the petrochemical industry (cosmetics, etc.), where they account for 3.5 per cent of the sector’s workforce.

307. In the tertiary sector (trade, services, office work), in 1991 women accounted for 22 per cent of all those employed (47 per cent in education, 11 per cent in health care, 18 per cent in general administration). By 2001 the proportion of women had risen to 33 per cent.

308. The main employer of women is the civil service (where they account for 27 per cent of the total workforce compared with 11.5 per cent in the private sector). They are mostly employed in administrative and commercial jobs. Few, on the other hand, are employed in industry.

309. From 1980 onwards, when some jobs traditionally performed by men were opened up to women, the latter began to occupy more and more key posts in the ministries (as ministers, chiefs of staff, principal private secretaries and, in some cases, departmental heads). They also occupy managerial posts in the central administration of the civil service.

310. The gender distribution of managerial posts in the Ministry of the Economy and Finance was as follows in 2010.

	Female	Male	*Total*
Minister		1	1
Chief of staff		1	1
Deputy chief of staff	1		1
Director-general	1	3	4
Inspector-general of finance with the rank of deputy director-general		1	1
Deputy director-general	3	6	9
Acting director-general		1	1
Director-general of customs with the rank of deputy director-general		1	1
Deputy director-general of finance		2	2
Director	4	47	51
Coordinator with the rank of director		2	2
Paymaster-general of Defence and Security Forces		1	1
Paymaster-general of the Treasury		1	1
Treasurer-general for foreign affairs		1	1
Economic adviser with the rank of director		1	1
Technical adviser with the rank of director	1	22	23
Inspector of finance with the rank of director	1	8	9
Deputy director-general of customs with the rank of director		1	1
Inspector-general of the Treasury with the rank of director		1	1
Inspector of inland revenue with the rank of director	3	25	28
Inspector-general of the inland revenue or customs with the rank of director		1	1
Total	18	146	164

311. Since 1989, competitions for jobs in the police, navy and the army (attached to the interior and defence ministries), which were traditionally reserved for men, have been open to women.

312. In 1994 the first woman in Côte d’Ivoire was appointed to a position of authority as departmental prefect.

313. The Ministry of the Interior opened up competitive recruitment to posts in the national police to women on the same basis as men.

314. The only professional body that employs no women is the national gendarmerie, which comes under the Ministry of Defence. Although their recruitment is not forbidden by law, in practice women tend to be excluded insidiously or incidentally at the preselection stage preceding the entrance competition for posts in the gendarmerie. Fortunately, pressure is being exerted at present on the gendarmerie to change its recruitment policy in this respect.

315. The proportion of women employed in the Economic and Social Council is as follows.

316. At the managerial level, one out of five commission chairs is a woman and one deputy chair is a woman.

319. In the Supreme Court, three judges are women – one counsellor, one attorney-general and one deputy attorney-general.

321. In the modern private sector, there are few women, who account for only 11.5 per cent of all employees. This small proportion is due to the underrepresentation of women in the school system and in vocational training.

Legislature	*Total number of counsellors*	Number of women	Percentage of women
1961–1965	25	0	0%
1965–1971	36	3	1.08%
1971–1976	45	4	1.8%
1976–1982	70	7	4.9%
1982–1986	85	9	7.65%
1986–1992	120	13	15.6%
1992–1994	120	12	14.4%
1998–1999	120	14	16.8%
2001–2005	120	23	21%

Year	*Total*	Number of women	Percentage of women
2005	50	6	12%

Year	*Total*	Number of women	Percentage of women
2005	6	2	33.33%

Proportion of women from political parties in institutions exercising State power, including decentralized institutions

322. The tables below show how the proportion of women in the various institutions has changed over the years.

326. Among local authorities, 1 president of the General Council out of 58 is a woman, which is equivalent to 1.72 per cent.

327. Women are present in political parties, as shown by the data concerning the country’s main political parties:

328. In the light of the above figures it may be said, however, that as far as political activities in Côte d’Ivoire are concerned, the formal equality proclaimed in the country’s most fundamental instruments is not sufficiently evident in practice.

330. Among traditional chieftains, only 1 woman is a village chief out of a total of 159 (1.69 per cent).

Year	*Total*	Number of women	Percentage of women
2001	27	5	18.52%
2005	34	5	14.70%
2005	42	7	16.66%
2006	35	5	14.28%
2007	31	4	12.90%
2007	33	4	12.12%
2010	28	2	7.5%

Year	*Total number of deputies*	Number of women	Percentage of women
1990–1995	175	8	4.6%
1995–2000	168	14	8%
2000–2005	223	18	8.07%

Legislature	*Total*	Number of women	Percentage of women
1990–1995	136	4	3%
2000–2005	197	9	4.6%
2010	197	9	4.6%

331. There is no law in Côte d’Ivoire that stops women from participating in decision-making bodies and political activities. On the contrary, the principle of gender equality underlies all the country’s legislation.

332. The low proportion of women employed in the country’s institutions, public administration and even in the private sector is due to a number of constraints, of a structural, social and circumstantial nature, which hamper the participation of women in political and public life.

333. From the social and structural point of view, there are persistent sexist prejudices and stereotypes which tend to confine women to a domestic role. According to the dominant traditional view in Côte d’Ivoire, women have a subordinate status which confirms their exclusion from public life and especially from political activities.

334. Among circumstantial constraints, it is worth noting that women show little interest in politics and are reluctant to engage in political activities, perhaps on account of the atmosphere of violence which prevails in that sphere and which is reflected in the many crises that have erupted in the country’s political life since 1999.

335. The priority attached to family responsibilities allows women insufficient time to play a part in public life. Further negative factors include a lack of nurseries, little family support and the paucity of efforts by political parties to adapt their timetables and meeting arrangements, not to mention the general drawbacks of public life (where activities are demanding, exhausting and unrewarding).

336. Another problem is the shortage of material and financial means, due increasingly to a feminization of poverty.

337. Illiteracy and shortcomings in schooling, training and political culture are among the major obstacles facing women in terms of their participation in political and public life. Being mostly illiterate (more so than men), they have enjoyed fewer opportunities than their male counterparts to develop the qualities and charisma required for political life, so that routine acts like speaking in public, taking centre stage and showing leadership are often beyond their reach.

338. One means of encouraging the representation of women in political activities would be through Côte d’Ivoire’s Solemn Declaration on Equal Opportunities, Equity and Gender, signed by the President on 21 February 2007.

339. This commitment at the highest level of the State was a decisive step, and raised great hopes among civil society and women’s organizations belonging to political parties. These then set up a network on the initiative of the Directorate of Gender Equality and Promotion in order to extend their range of action.

340. As far as civil society organizations are concerned, the Coordination Nationale des Femmes pour les Élections et la Reconstruction Post-crise (National Women’s Coordinating Committee for Elections and Post-Crisis Reconstruction), which was set up in 2007, brought together all women’s organizations, regardless of origin, ethnic group, religion or even political allegiance in order to speak with one voice on the subject of women’s issues. Apart from these activities, the Committee engages in negotiations with political parties to apply the system of mixed lists with the support of the National Democratic Institute, an international NGO.

341. Through the project “Support for gender integration in the electoral process” initiated by the Directorate of Gender Equality and Promotion as part of the implementation of section 3 of the National Action Plan for the Implementation of Security Council resolution 1325/2000, the National Women’s Coordinating Committee conducted awareness-raising and capacity-building activities in order to encourage the involvement of women in elections in both rural and urban areas.

342. Among the women’s organizations belonging to political parties, the women’s network of the eight political parties which signed the Ouagadougou Political Agreement was set up and prepared a code of conduct and a plan of action for women politicians.

343. The number of women in positions of authority and responsibility in the technical ministries has recently increased considerably.

344. The appointment and representation of civil servants at the international level are governed by current legislation, such as the Constitution, the Labour Code and the General Civil Service Regulations.

345. According to the General Civil Service Regulations and the rules of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the appointment requirements governing access to senior positions (such as career ambassadors) in the Ministry are the same for men and for women: they include having graduated in diplomacy at the National School of Administration or other school, belonging at least to Grade 4, being a member of the Corps of Foreign Affairs Counsellor Secretaries, and being of exceptional class, third echelon.

346. For some positions, such as ambassador or director, an additional requirement for appointment is relevant work experience (as foreign affairs counsellors).

347. Under the current legislation, women have the right and the opportunity to represent their Government at an international level and to participate in the work of international organizations on an equal footing with men. These requirements apply to all members of a delegation regardless of gender considerations. Women therefore enjoy the same pay and same benefits as men when they are appointed to these positions (such as ambassadors). Apart from salaries, benefits include post adjustments and cost-of-living allowances, a diplomatic passport for the spouse and State benefits for children up to the age of 21 (for up to three children).

348. The first women were appointed as ambassadors in 1994 and the first heads of mission in 1997.

349. The current data concerning the proportion of women in positions of authority and working at international level show that women are underrepresented.

351. Presence of women in Côte d’Ivoire’s consulates: one consul out of every three was a woman in 2010.

352. Presence of women in international, regional and subregional organizations and institutions and in Government services abroad, mainly within diplomatic services, including at bilateral and multilateral level:

Measures and strategies to increase women’s representation at the international level

353. Legal measures are being taken at present to improve this state of affairs, both for men and for women, in the form of the law on the regulations governing the diplomatic corps of December 2007.

354. Article 1 of the Nationality Code stipulates that the law shall determine who has Ivorian nationality at birth, in accordance with the principle of jus sanguinis, or “the right of blood”.

355. The law adds that nationality shall be granted or removed after birth by the law or by decision of the authorities on conditions set out by the law.

356. In Côte d’Ivoire, therefore, women acquire Ivorian nationality on the same terms as men, either by birth or by decision of the authorities.

357. Under articles 6 and 7 of the Nationality Code, a person is Ivorian by birth if at least one of the parents has Ivorian nationality. Consequently, Ivorian women transmit their nationality to their children, under the jus sanguinis principle.

358. Foreign women acquire Ivorian nationality by marriage to an Ivorian if they formally choose to do so at the time of the marriage. Moreover, foreign women retain their original nationality if the law of their country so permits and she does not turn down Ivorian nationality.

359. The same rules apply to a man of foreign origin who marries an Ivorian woman.

360. However, the Government has six months from the date of the marriage to object to the acquisition of Ivorian nationality by a foreign woman (Nationality Code, art. 14). Only women of foreign nationality are affected by the Government’s objection to acquisition of Ivorian nationality by marriage with an Ivorian. This is clear from paragraph 3 of the above-mentioned article 14, which states that: “If the Government lodges an objection, the individual concerned is deemed never to have acquired Ivorian nationality.” In French, “the individual concerned” is feminine and can only refer to a woman. Thus, following the amendment to article 12 of the Nationality Code by Decision No. 20055-09/PR of 29 August 2005, the Government’s right to lodge an objection does not apply in the case of a foreign man who chooses to acquire Ivorian nationality on marrying an Ivorian woman.

363. Freedom to change nationality may result in the loss of a nationality by the person concerned.

365. Loss of nationality occurs when an Ivorian adult voluntarily acquires or lays claim to a foreign nationality, although it must be authorized by the Government within 15 years of registration on the census list. The situation is the same for an Ivorian woman who marries a foreigner and who, before the marriage, abjures her nationality.

366. The same applies to an Ivorian woman serving in the public service or army of a foreign State, who keeps it even if ordered by the Government to renounce it.

367. The same also applies to a foreign spouse whose marriage to an Ivorian is annulled by an Ivorian court or whose divorce is made absolute in Côte d’Ivoire, even if the marriage was entered into in good faith (new art. 16).

368. According to the same article, if a couple divorces in the first 10 years of marriage, the foreign spouse loses Ivorian nationality.

369. An Ivorian man, woman or child may be stripped of their Ivorian nationality by decree if, under a foreign law, they are entitled to dual nationality.

370. An Ivorian who effectively acts like a national of a foreign country of which he also has the nationality may be stripped of Ivorian nationality without his consent.

372. As far as nationality is concerned, there is no discrimination against women in Côte d’Ivoire. Women acquire it in the same way as men on the conditions set out by law.

373. The major reform was introduced by the presidential decision on the acquisition of nationality. The Nationality Code was amended and supplemented by Decision No. 2005 of 29 August 2005 on the acquisition of nationality by the foreign spouse of an Ivorian (new articles 12 and 16).

374. The Ivorian Constitution guarantees equal access to education for all children of either sex.

375. To satisfy national demand for education, the institutional and legal framework was revised in 1994, notably with the adoption of the national education/training development plan for 1998–2010 and the Education Act (No. 95-696) of 7 September 1995. This reaffirms the right to education and equal treatment for all at the preschool, primary and lower secondary level — in other words basic education — as well as in higher education.

376. The Ivorian education system consists of three types of education: general education (preschool, primary and secondary); technical and vocational education; and higher education. Together, these constitute the formal education system.

377. Alongside the formal education system, there is a non-formal system of basic education run by formal State institutions and non-State bodies.

378. The State gives high priority to education. In fact, a look at the State budget shows that about 22 per cent of resources are allocated to education or training (source: Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, 2009).

379. The education budget (in billions of CFA francs) from 1996 to 2009 was as follows.

380. The incipient preschool system offers three levels of classes for children between the ages of 3 and 5. Attendance rates are low in urban and rural areas.

381. The desire to develop human resources was reaffirmed when the national education/training development plan was revised (for 2007–2010).

382. In this framework, the girls’ education component of the 1999 education/training support project aims to support basic education for girls and women in disadvantaged areas. A department to promote girls’ education was set up in the Ministry of Education in 1998 for the same purpose.

383. The introduction of school canteens by the Ministry in 1997 has also promoted girls’ education.

384. Special measures have been taken to promote girls’ education and narrow the gender gap from primary school onwards (see article 4).

385. In addition, since 2001 the State has charged no school fees for primary education and has abolished school uniforms in primary and secondary schools.

386. Primary-school textbooks have been free since 2002. All these steps should boost attendance rates of both boys and girls. Scholarships are available to girls on the same conditions as boys.

387. The Ministry of Education has the know-how and technical resources to guarantee equal opportunities and rights for boys and girls.

388. Before 1995 there was a single university for men and women. It offered a number of institutional advantages; in particular, the Education Act made it possible to develop a strategic plan for the development of higher education known as the Five-Year Plan for 2004–2008, in addition to the national education/training development plan.

389. Today, 4.4 per cent of the budget is devoted to higher education and scientific research.

390. Mixed-sex education is the norm at all levels. Thus, young women and men follow the same subjects in higher education institutions and young women enjoy all the opportunities afforded by the Government. These include:

391. Such training has been introduced to ensure that the education/training sector produces students who can meet the needs of the economy, and has received considerable funding from the Government.

392. The number of pupils rose from 28,066 in 2002 to 48,624 in 2007, including 23,699 girls. Girls represented 40.86 per cent of the total in the State sector, as compared with 52.27 per cent in the private sector. In 2007, training was provided by 3,324 teachers, of whom 582 had administrative duties.

393. A formal institutional framework has been set up by the Government to improve literacy standards. It consists of:

394. All these Government measures and actions have helped narrow the gender gap in the area of functional literacy.

395. All the Government actions mentioned above have helped rectify gender inequalities in all types of education and have helped balance the numbers of girls and boys, as reflected in the educational indicators below.

396. The enrolment rate for girls is almost the same as for boys, but is only 13 per cent in urban areas and 1 per cent in rural areas.

397. The gender parity index in primary schools rose from 0.77 to 0.81 between 1977 and 2000. In 2008, the net enrolment rate for girls in primary schools was 53.07 per cent, as compared with 58.84 per cent for boys.

398. According to the multiple indicator cluster survey carried out in Côte d’Ivoire in 2006 and to UNICEF’s The State of the World’s Children 2010, the net primary-school attendance ratio was higher for boys (61 per cent) than for girls (49 per cent) in the period 2003–2008.

399. Primary-school attendance also differs according to where the child lives: in 2006, 67 per cent of children attended primary school in urban areas, as compared with only 48.2 per cent in rural areas.

400. The available statistical data for gross school admission, enrolment and completion ratios and transition rates are given below.

401. The gross primary-school admission ratio between 1998 and 2008 was as follows.