UPR Sexual Rights Database

"National Report:
Para 77) More and more girls are attending school. According to a study by UNFPA, 87 per cent of girls and 98 per cent of boys are enrolled in primary education. There are two reasons for these figures — free primary education which prompts parents to send their children to school and a change in mentality, particularly in rural areas, where sending a girl to school is no longer taboo.
Para 78) To consolidate these achievements further steps have been taken:
Allocation of 1,016 scholarships and school supplies to girls from communities with low enrolment rates, with the support of UNESCO (2014);
Awareness-raising among traditional and customary leaders of traditional practices harmful to girls leading to the Notsé declaration of 14 June 2013, whereby they undertake to proscribe customary practices preventing girls from attending school, including keeping them in convents (118 children removed from convents to be enrolled in school (2014 and 2016));
Setting up of school canteens in 308 pilot schools for 85,000 students (2008-2015);
Introduction of a system where classes are organized in subcycles thus preventing repetitions between cycles in order to lower the dropout rate;
Distribution of 400 school kits and granting of 500 scholarships for the best secondary school pupils (2012 and 2013)."

"National Report:
Para 79) The Personal and Family Code prohibits customary practices that constitute violence or discrimination against women, especially discriminatory practices against widows, levirate and sororate (art. 411). The age of marriage is now 18 years for both sexes (art. 43). The law does not take into account the nature or the origin of assets and does not distinguish between the sexes in the settlement of estates (art. 414). It should also be noted that the provisions of article 99 of the Family Code now give responsibility as head of household to both spouses.
Para 80) A national communication strategy targeting cultural or traditional practices that incite violence or discrimination against women, including female genital mutilation, as well as early marriage has also been implemented with the support of UNICEF. The strategy focuses on the involvement of the primary representatives of decentralized administrations and grass-roots organizations, namely prefects, traditional chiefs and religious leaders, representatives of the various religious denominations and village development committees. For example, eight regional consultations and two national consultations were organized and led to the signing of commitments by these different opinion leaders to become more involved or take initiatives to eradicate traditional practices harmful to children.
UN Compilation:
Para 86) UNESCO noted that Togo ... had neither taken additional steps towards including human rights in the curriculum nor adopted measures for the elimination of practices and customs that discriminated against women, especially female genital mutilation."