UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Pg 14) In progress: Strengthening of the legal framework; increase in the number of women in elected office; bringing laws into line with the provisions of international legal instruments concerning the rights of women and children; Quota Act of 5 November 2014;

Pg 19) -The principle of equality among citizens is enshrined in the Constitution;
- The proportion of women in public posts rose from 30.66 per cent in 2011 to 33.50 per cent in 2013.
- Labour law: the principle of equal access to public and private employment is established in the General Civil Service Regulations and the Labour Code. Any act of discrimination in this respect leads to cancellation of the appointment, without prejudice to any disciplinary, or even criminal, penalties, as the case may be.

Pg 22) Regarding appointed positions: the President of the Constitutional Court and the President of the High Court of Justice are women; as for the Government, 7 out of 31 ministers are women;
- Gender has been integrated in 52 community development plans.

Pg 24) Measures taken include:
- Adoption of the 2011-2015 Health Development Plan;
- Infrastructure development;
- Increase in nursing staff numbers;
- Resumption of mobile surgery in 2014;
- Establishment of an ad hoc committee to ensure that women's health care continues to be free of charge;
- Implementation of reforms to improve the quality and ease of access of health care and health services for women and children in rural areas:
- Mobile consultation campaigns;
- Construction of 15 Integrated Health Centres, 10 health huts and 38 maternity clinics between 2011 and 2015;
- Recruitment of 536 doctors, pharmacists, surgeons and dentists, 1874 paramedics, 10 national UNV midwives, 10 international UNV doctors and 2290 other health workers by contract from 2011 to 2015;
- 4 mobile surgery missions carried out resulting in 693 operations, 2028 surgical consultations and 970 gynaecological consultations;
- 7 Mother and Child Health Centres put into service in the country's Regions.

Para 36) Regarding the rights of specific groups, laudable efforts have been made in respect of women's participation in politics, with the modification of the Quota Act (which raised the percentage of women in elected office from 10 per cent to 15 per cent) and, in economic terms, with the implementation of several socioeconomic projects aimed at increasing women's monetary income.

UN Compilation:
Para 40) The Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights welcomed the introduction of quotas for women in elected office and in the public service. The country team nevertheless regretted that the act on quotas was only weakly implemented.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 41) CODDHD said that inequality between men and women persisted in Niger in the sphere of political and administrative decision-making. Only 14 per cent of national deputies and 2 per cent of mayors were women and there was no female governor of a region or prefect. CODDHD noted that, according to a study carried out in 2013, despite the revision of the Quota Act, the representation of women on the decision-making bodies of political parties remained low.

National Report:
Pg 12) In progress:
-Awareness campaigns on FGM and the practice of Wahaya;
- Awareness-building and training on Wahaya and other similar practices for magistrates, FDS and traditional leaders, provided by the ANLTP
- Study conducted on Wahaya and awareness-building on this practice provided to target groups;
- 2 conferences on Wahaya held in 2014.
- 11,316 messages broadcast on radio and TV regarding the ban on FGM and early and/or forced marriages;

Pg 19) - Articles 232.1-232.3 of the Criminal Code define and penalize FGM
- Appeal to traditional and religious leaders in Téra and Say (the areas most affected) on the subjects of reproductive health, FGM and human rights;
- Awareness campaigns with a view to the retraining of circumcisers;
- Training for community radio hosts in Téra and Say on the subjects of reproductive health, FGM and human rights.
- 279 prosecutions against perpetrators of abuse and other reported acts of violence in 2014;
- In 2011, a circumciser was convicted for having circumcised seven girls between the ages of 23 days and 2 years;
- Awareness-building among 222 adolescents between the ages of 10 and 14, school attenders and non-school attenders, in 17 villages in Say and 20 villages in Téra, on the issues of reproductive health, FGM and human rights;
- Awareness-building among 64 traditional and religious leaders on the issue of FGM.

Pg 24) Awareness and educational campaigns for men and women in order to eliminate FGM and harmful practices.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 17) NHRC and CODDHD noted efforts to prohibit harmful traditional practices against women and children - notably female genital mutilation (FGM) - through awareness-raising activities, which had achieved positive results in some areas. CODDHD referred in particular to the case of the Makodolindi community, which had issued a public statement announcing its decision to abandon excision. Nonetheless, CODDHD considered that further efforts were required. WV expressed regret that, despite the enactment by the Government of Act No. 2003-25 condemning harmful practices, FGM remained a widespread practice in the Gurma, Peulh and Arab communities and the regions of Tillabéry, Diffa and Niamey.