UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 31) The community and the Samoa National Council of Churches can play a stronger role towards transforming negative public perceptions towards the acceptance and practice of women's human rights and ending domestic violence. The Ministry of Women, Community & Social Development and Ministry of Police continue to conduct outreach programs in the villages in collaboration with NGOs under the frame of the CEDAW Partnership Committee.

Para 86) Following the first review a significant constitutional amendment was made in 2013 where a 10% quota was introduced to reserve five (5) seats for women in parliament. This is another step towards achieving gender equality for women in the political arena as well as towards compliance with CEDAW. This constitutional guarantee will be implemented in March 2016 when Samoa enters elections.

Para 88) Recently, PSC has reviewed its policy to be in-line with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Convention Eliminating Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) to increase the maternity leave entitlement to 3 months with pay and 3 and a half months without pay. The revised maternity leave policy also recognizes for the first time, stillborn babies, miscarriages and legal adoption of newborn babies and those up to 12 months. Female employees will be entitled to 4 weeks with pay and up to 26 weeks without pay. Male employees in the public service are entitled to 5 days Paternity Leave.

UN Compilation:
Para 17) The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women was concerned that the Convention had still not been fully domesticated as part of national law, and that Samoa had yet to adopt and incorporate into the Constitution or other relevant legislation a definition of discrimination against women, including direct and indirect discrimination, in line with article 1 of the Convention.

Para 36) The country team indicated that Samoa had taken important steps to bring its labour laws into line with international standards, including standards promoted by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the core ILO Conventions. Law reform, in particular the enactment of the Labour and Employment Relations Act 2013, which had repealed the Labour and Employment Act 1972, included maternity and paternity leave entitlements and other fundamental employment rights like equal pay, prohibitions on forced labour and employment discrimination (based on gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation), and the right to collective bargaining and freedom of association.

National Report:
Para 20) The problem of delays in the submission of periodic reports by San Marino to the monitoring bodies of the United Nations is now well known and numerous recommendations were made to San Marino for the submission of outstanding national reports.
Para 21) In the period under consideration, San Marino unfortunately managed to present only one national report, i.e. the report under the ICCPR, whose discussion before the Human Rights Committee was held on 19 and 20 October 2015.

National Report:
Para 15) In accordance with the recommendations accepted in the second UPR round: … (c) on 27 September 2018, San Marino acceded to the OP-CRC-IC, done at New York on 19 December 2011;

National Report:
Para 16) The following important international human rights instruments were ratified within the framework of the Council of Europe in the last five years: … Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (ratified in 2016), …
Para 37) The already mentioned Law no. 57/2016 has introduced, in compliance with the provisions set out in the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention, new crimes relating to violence against women, gender and domestic violence. In particular, the offences of forced marriage, female genital mutilation and forced sterilisation have been introduced. Moreover, Article 235 of the Criminal Code has been amended in relation to family maltreatment, also introducing the offence of domestic violence, and Article 179 bis of the Criminal Code has been supplemented with the prohibition to discriminate based on gender identity.
Para 38) Delegated Decree no. 56 of 17 May 2018 has introduced a series of provisions to provide the Authority for Equal Opportunities with operational tools aimed at coordinating all stakeholders involved in the prevention and protection of victims of violence. In recent years, the Authority has been providing information on and raising awareness of the provisions of the Law and has signed, in collaboration with the Social Security Institute, important agreements with reception facilities outside the territory to ensure effective support for victims of violence.
Para 39) Numerous initiatives aimed at preventing and combating violence against women and gender violence have been organised in collaboration with the Authority and the Department of Human Sciences of the University of San Marino, and in synergy with public and private bodies. Among these, worth mentioning are the following: (a) training courses for police forces, educators and health and social personnel on the correct application of the legislation on violence against women and gender violence; (b) Education to Affectivity Project, developed by the Observatory on Young People (“Osservatorio Giovani”), according to the guidelines of the Council of Europe’s Pestalozzi Project; (c) training theatre workshops linked to the wider project "Theatre and Citizenship", which were developed with a view to prevention, with the aim of hindering the emergence of problematic situations and promoting forms of self-protection of the younger generations by increasing their personal and social resources; (d) multidisciplinary activities for young people developed in collaboration with the Cultural Institutes, which aim to investigate diversity, starting from gender differences, to reflect on the possibility of recognising and enhancing them, to prevent discrimination and violent behaviour; (e) seminars to "recall" the new legislation on the fight against gender violence destined to schools but accessible to all operators involved in the network of services, in collaboration with the San Marino Association of Lawyers and Notaries.
Para 55) In 2016, the Department of Human Sciences of the University of San Marino, in collaboration with the Authority for Equal Opportunities, organised an in-depth seminar aimed at all San Marino teachers of all levels to provide them with adequate training in the prevention and suppression of violence against women and gender violence, as well as violence against children. The aim of the seminar was to provide teachers with up-to-date training in the light of San Marino laws and the Istanbul Convention, and to offer them useful tools for the prevention, identification and reporting of violence. With regard to the prevention and repression of violence against women and gender violence, in addition to school staff, the University of San Marino is called to train categories such as those related to law enforcement, the judiciary, professional associations and health and social services.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 62) CHR of CoE observed that San Marino signed the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) in April 2014, but had not ratified it yet. Para 63) CHR of CoE particularly welcomed the adoption in 2008 of a Law for combatting violence against women and gender-based violence. In addition to thoroughly modifying criminal law provisions (for example by establishing injury, rape or murder committed by a partner or a member of the household as aggravating circumstances and by defining trafficking-related offences, as well as persecutory acts such as stalking or mobbing), the law also introduced several protective measures for the victims.