Session
Source of Reference
State under Review
Recommendation
On 4 September 2014, with support from the United States Embassy and in partnership with the NGO A Woman’s Cry, the Government inaugurated the Issiemunu Centre in Libreville, a
place for women to break the silence on the domestic violence, emotional and sexual abuse
and dispossession they are forced to endure. With regard to economic violence, the
Government seized the opportunity of International Women’s Day in 2014 to raise national
awareness about this scourge, as, in 2013, 192 cases of economic violence involving 142
cases of women and girls who were the victims of non-payment of alimony, 40 cases of
child abandonment and 10 cases of spousal abandonment were registered. [Para 34]
place for women to break the silence on the domestic violence, emotional and sexual abuse
and dispossession they are forced to endure. With regard to economic violence, the
Government seized the opportunity of International Women’s Day in 2014 to raise national
awareness about this scourge, as, in 2013, 192 cases of economic violence involving 142
cases of women and girls who were the victims of non-payment of alimony, 40 cases of
child abandonment and 10 cases of spousal abandonment were registered. [Para 34]
Reference type
Implementations
-
National ReportPara 104) With regard to violence against women and domestic violence, the Government set up a platform to enable the reporting of perpetrators of violence and the provision of support for victims, including via the toll-free helpline (1404). During its first eight months, over 2,500 calls, including 85 from victims of physical violence, were registered.National Report
-
National ReportPara 14) Several laws and regulations have also been adopted, the main examples being the following: • Act No. 004/2021 of 15 September 2021 amending certain provisions of Act No. 15/72 of 29 July 1972 on the Civil Code, which includes new provisions on … equality between men and women in marriage, the freedom of each spouse to exercise the profession of his or her choice, the prohibition of repudiation and the introduction of more flexible grounds and procedures for divorce … • Decree No. 183/PR/MJGSCDHEG of 5 August 2022 on the powers, organization and functioning of the Observatory for Women’s Rights Para 16) Gabon has reformed several institutions, including the following: … The National Observatory for Women’s Rights, which is responsible for monitoring indicators, handling communication and combating violence against women in Gabon Para 101) Under the revised Civil Code, a husband is no longer able to apply to the courts to have his wife barred, in the interests of the family, from working. In addition, both spouses are now able to exercise the profession of their choice. In general, the husband is no longer designated as the head of the family and the sole financial decision maker. Para 102) The following measures have also been taken: • The time limit for declaring the birth of a child has been extended, and the medical facility where the birth takes place is required to issue documents • The minimum age for marriage has been increased from 15 to 18 years for women • Women may freely perform salaried work and manage their own finances • The concept of divorce by mutual consent has been introducedNational ReportStakeholder SummaryPara 43) UPR BCU welcomed that, in 2021, Gabon revised its 1972 Civil Code to enhance legal equality for married women, including by recognising gender-based violence as legitimate grounds for divorce. Para 44) UPR BCU noted that Civil Code made reference to the changes in financial inclusion of women, prevention of economic discrimination and preventing violence against women.Stakeholder SummaryUN CompilationUN CompilationPara 7) CEDAW remained concerned about the absence of inclusion in the civil law framework of a legal definition of discrimination against women, which explicitly prohibited direct and indirect discrimination in the public and private spheres, as well as intersecting forms of discrimination. It also remained concerned about the absence of a specific legal framework addressing the rights of women. Para 44) The Committee on Enforced Disappearances emphasized the particular cruelty with which enforced disappearances affected the human rights of women and children.
Response