UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 77) Sexual violence is classified as a crime and is punished by article 332 of the Congolese Criminal Code, which punishes the crime of rape. However, certain cases in which the crime has gone unpunished may be attributed to the failure of the victims to lodge a complaint or to the inertia and shortcomings of the judicial system.

Para 78) Efforts to combat the scourge are headed by NGOs, public institutions and United Nations agencies, which utilize extrajudicial means such as:
- The organization of information, education and communication sessions in order to change behaviour;
- The launch of the Zero Tolerance campaign, whose activities will last two years;
- Creation of hostels for the victims of violence;
- Establishment of an observatory for violence control;
- Revision of the legal framework to take into account legal issues affecting women (Criminal Code, Tax Code, Family Code, etc.).

Para 82) Female genital mutilation is prohibited in the Congo by article 62 of Act No. 4-2010 of 14 June 2010 on the protection of children in the Republic of the Congo. Campaigns to raise awareness about such practices are organized as part of the effort to combat sexual violence.

National Report:
Para 22) The national system for protecting and promoting human rights is not limited to the National Human Rights Commission but also includes other national bodies, for example … bodies newly established under the Constitution of 25 October 2015, such as: … • The Women’s Advisory Council, tasked with issuing advice on the situation of women and offering the Government suggestions for promoting women’s participation in the country’s development.
Para 23) The following institutional acts have been adopted to supplement this legal framework: … Organic Act No. 14-2018 of 15 March 2018 on the organization, membership and functioning of the Women’s Advisory Council.
Para 49) The Congo has signed a United Nations Development Assistance Framework for the period 2014–2018. On 4 March 2016, the Ministry for the Advancement of Women and the Integration of Women in Development entered into an agreement with UNDP on an annual workplan for a project to support gender, female leadership and HIV/AIDS prevention.
Para 51) Overall, many activities have been conducted to promote and protect women’s rights. They include an information, education and communication campaign on the growth of the teenage pregnancy rate, which took place on 22 July 2015 in Pool department and from 5 to 8 August 2015 in Sangha department. In addition, a meeting on reviving the National Observatory on Gender-based Violence was held in Brazzaville on 9 September.
Para 52) Since 2014, the Congo has increased the participation of women in political and public life and strengthened their representation in decision-making bodies.
Para 53) The Congolese Constitution of 25 October 2015 guarantees the principle of parity and affirms that women and men have equal rights. Women’s advancement and representation in all political, elective and administrative posts are guaranteed by law. These principles have been incorporated into the Electoral Act.
Para 54) The new article 61 of the Electoral Act stipulates that “women must constitute at least 30 per cent of candidates put forward for election to the National Assembly and the Senate”.
Para 55) The representation of women in decision-making bodies currently stands at 11.5 per cent in the National Assembly, 22.9 per cent in the Senate, 22.85 per cent in the Government, 12 per cent in decision-making positions in the ministries, 18.82 per cent in departmental councils, 23.5 per cent in municipal councils and 20 per cent in the Supreme Court.
Para 56) According to the most recent civil service personnel audit, women make up 49.5 per cent of public sector workers.
Para 57) Under the 2012–2016 National Development Plan, activities have been conducted throughout the Congo to support farming and market gardening partnerships and hairdressing and sewing training centres for women. Many measures have been introduced across the country to support income-generating activities, which serve to empower women. They include the distribution of hairdressing and sewing kits, agricultural processing equipment, mechanical equipment and motor vehicles. Between 2012 and 2017, 3,186 such items were distributed, including 1,692 sewing kits, 780 hairdressing kits, 40 units of agricultural processing equipment, 152 market gardening kits, 40 units of household equipment, 23 units of mechanical and motorized equipment and 459 Kavaki motor vehicles.
Para 64) This legislative framework and regular activities to support women are the tools with which the Congo is working to improve women’s lives, allow them to thrive and guarantee respect for their fundamental rights.
Para 105) According to the second Congolese National Household Survey on Poverty, the unemployment rate in the Congo is 6.9 per cent, with some disparities between men and women. … Among persons with disabilities, the rate is 19.85 per cent for men and 9.54 per cent for women, according to the 2017 General Population and Housing Census.
Para 136) Human rights organizations expect, and indeed demand, the immediate adoption of legislation on the prohibition of torture, the abolition of the death penalty and the effective attainment of gender parity. They consider that, even within the Government itself, women are not only underrepresented but also still lack access to certain positions and privileges, such as: • Posts in the core ministries of the State • The position of cabinet minister.
Para 137) No woman has ever been promoted to the rank of general in the armed forces nor held the top position in any of the constitutional institutions. Human rights organizations consider this to be a violation of the CEDAW.

UN Compilation:
Para 10) The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) noted that a new Constitution had been promulgated on 6 November 2015. It had been adopted by referendum on 25 October 2015. This text … establishes the equality of men and women before the law.

National Report:
Para 17) The draft code also protects fundamental rights and freedoms by punishing outrages on human freedom and dignity. … As for offences against the peace and honour of individuals, the acts that fall within its scope include … sexual harassment.

UN Compilation:
Para 52) [CRC] expressed its concern about the widespread violence against children, particularly girls …

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 41) JS1 indicated that many children continued to be victims of physical violence or corporal punishment. Violence, especially sexual violence against girls, remained a major problem.

National Report:
Para 75) Currently, there is no provision under domestic legislation to define discrimination against women. However, the lack of a legal definition notwithstanding, efforts are being made to ensure that women are equal as regards ownership of property, access to employment and political activity. Women may own land through matrilineal or patrilineal filiation, through inheritance or by marriage.

Para 77) Sexual violence is classified as a crime and is punished by article 332 of the Congolese Criminal Code, which punishes the crime of rape. However, certain cases in which the crime has gone unpunished may be attributed to the failure of the victims to lodge a complaint or to the inertia and shortcomings of the judicial system.

Para 78) Efforts to combat the scourge are headed by NGOs, public institutions and United Nations agencies, which utilize extrajudicial means such as:
- The organization of information, education and communication sessions in order to change behaviour;
- The launch of the Zero Tolerance campaign, whose activities will last two years;
- Creation of hostels for the victims of violence;
- Establishment of an observatory for violence control;
- Revision of the legal framework to take into account legal issues affecting women (Criminal Code, Tax Code, Family Code, etc.).

National Report:
Para 22) The national system for protecting and promoting human rights is not limited to the National Human Rights Commission but also includes other national bodies, for example … bodies newly established under the Constitution of 25 October 2015, such as: … • The Women’s Advisory Council, tasked with issuing advice on the situation of women and offering the Government suggestions for promoting women’s participation in the country’s development.
Para 23) The following institutional acts have been adopted to supplement this legal framework: … Organic Act No. 14-2018 of 15 March 2018 on the organization, membership and functioning of the Women’s Advisory Council.
Para 49) The Congo has signed a United Nations Development Assistance Framework for the period 2014–2018. On 4 March 2016, the Ministry for the Advancement of Women and the Integration of Women in Development entered into an agreement with UNDP on an annual workplan for a project to support gender, female leadership and HIV/AIDS prevention.
Para 51) Overall, many activities have been conducted to promote and protect women’s rights. They include an information, education and communication campaign on the growth of the teenage pregnancy rate, which took place on 22 July 2015 in Pool department and from 5 to 8 August 2015 in Sangha department. In addition, a meeting on reviving the National Observatory on Gender-based Violence was held in Brazzaville on 9 September.
Para 52) Since 2014, the Congo has increased the participation of women in political and public life and strengthened their representation in decision-making bodies.
Para 53) The Congolese Constitution of 25 October 2015 guarantees the principle of parity and affirms that women and men have equal rights. Women’s advancement and representation in all political, elective and administrative posts are guaranteed by law. These principles have been incorporated into the Electoral Act.
Para 54) The new article 61 of the Electoral Act stipulates that “women must constitute at least 30 per cent of candidates put forward for election to the National Assembly and the Senate”.
Para 55) The representation of women in decision-making bodies currently stands at 11.5 per cent in the National Assembly, 22.9 per cent in the Senate, 22.85 per cent in the Government, 12 per cent in decision-making positions in the ministries, 18.82 per cent in departmental councils, 23.5 per cent in municipal councils and 20 per cent in the Supreme Court.
Para 56) According to the most recent civil service personnel audit, women make up 49.5 per cent of public sector workers.
Para 57) Under the 2012–2016 National Development Plan, activities have been conducted throughout the Congo to support farming and market gardening partnerships and hairdressing and sewing training centres for women. Many measures have been introduced across the country to support income-generating activities, which serve to empower women. They include the distribution of hairdressing and sewing kits, agricultural processing equipment, mechanical equipment and motor vehicles. Between 2012 and 2017, 3,186 such items were distributed, including 1,692 sewing kits, 780 hairdressing kits, 40 units of agricultural processing equipment, 152 market gardening kits, 40 units of household equipment, 23 units of mechanical and motorized equipment and 459 Kavaki motor vehicles.
Para 64) This legislative framework and regular activities to support women are the tools with which the Congo is working to improve women’s lives, allow them to thrive and guarantee respect for their fundamental rights.
Para 105) According to the second Congolese National Household Survey on Poverty, the unemployment rate in the Congo is 6.9 per cent, with some disparities between men and women. … Among persons with disabilities, the rate is 19.85 per cent for men and 9.54 per cent for women, according to the 2017 General Population and Housing Census.
Para 136) Human rights organizations expect, and indeed demand, the immediate adoption of legislation on the prohibition of torture, the abolition of the death penalty and the effective attainment of gender parity. They consider that, even within the Government itself, women are not only underrepresented but also still lack access to certain positions and privileges, such as: • Posts in the core ministries of the State • The position of cabinet minister.
Para 137) No woman has ever been promoted to the rank of general in the armed forces nor held the top position in any of the constitutional institutions. Human rights organizations consider this to be a violation of the CEDAW.

UN Compilation:
Para 10) The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) noted that a new Constitution had been promulgated on 6 November 2015. It had been adopted by referendum on 25 October 2015. This text … establishes the equality of men and women before the law.

National Report:
Para 57) Under the 2012–2016 National Development Plan, activities have been conducted throughout the Congo to support farming and market gardening partnerships and hairdressing and sewing training centres for women. Many measures have been introduced across the country to support income-generating activities, which serve to empower women. They include the distribution of hairdressing and sewing kits, agricultural processing equipment, mechanical equipment and motor vehicles. Between 2012 and 2017, 3,186 such items were distributed, including 1,692 sewing kits, 780 hairdressing kits, 40 units of agricultural processing equipment, 152 market gardening kits, 40 units of household equipment, 23 units of mechanical and motorized equipment and 459 Kavaki motor vehicles.
Para 64) This legislative framework and regular activities to support women are the tools with which the Congo is working to improve women’s lives, allow them to thrive and guarantee respect for their fundamental rights.