Gabon-28th Session November 2017-Forced marriage

Para 30) BCN and European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) noted that the most common forms of trafficking in Gabon for young girls was for domestic work, servitude, and forced early marriage, and for boys auto mechanics and hard labour. Para 46) ECLJ and UPR BCU noted that Article 203 of the Civil Code established the minimum age for marriage of boys at eighteen, and fifteen for girls, violating the principles enshrined in international treaties to which Gabon is a party, particularly the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Para 47) UPR BCU underlined that marriage below those ages was allowed subject to the authorisation of the President of the Republic, or the President of the Supreme Court and that Article 205 provided that “even if the conditions required by article 203 are met, the young man or the young woman who has not reached the age of 21 may not contract marriage without the consent of his father and mother”. Para 48) UPR BCU indicated that Child marriage was prevalent in Gabon, with girls disproportionately affected. UPR BCU and ECLJ noted that national data indicated that 22% of girls were married before the age of 18 and 6% before the age of 15, whilst 5% of boys were married before the age of 18. Para 49) Despite still permitting underage marriage for girls, ECLJ recognized that Gabon has been taking action on this issue and was among the countries experiencing the greatest decline in child marriages within the region. ECLJ and UPR BCU noted that Gabon drafted a Children’s Code to raise the minimum age for marriage of girls to 18 in 2019, which is pending adoption by the Gabonese Parliament. Para 52) UPR BCU indicated the lack of a National Action Plan to deal with Child, Early and Forced Marriage providing an integrated vision and clear direction to all sectors, at various levels, involved in addressing CEFM in Gabon and identifying clear national goals, objectives, strategies and key interventions across different sectors in order to help Gabon adopt an incremental approach to the elimination of the practice.