UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 2) The Government remains committed and fully engaged towards the review, reform and enhancement of existing legislation, and moving towards the enactment of new laws so as to remain in the forefront of advocating for the advancement of human rights practices. Some new pieces of legislation and amendments enacted since the last review include interalia: … (l) The ‘Domestic Violence Act, 2020’ which prohibits acts of violence in the domestic context, provides for protection of aggrieved persons, provides for penalties, makes provision for services for aggrieved persons and perpetrators of domestic violence, and other related matters.
Para 30) The Government has replaced the previous Family ‘Violence (Protection of Victims) Act’ with a new ‘Domestic Violence Act’, 2020. The Act condemns domestic violence, provides for protection of victims, and covers a wide range of acts that amount to domestic violence such as physical, verbal or psychological, and economic abuse. The Act caters for the duties of the police, social services, as well as other services that provide relief to victims, and makes provision for continued training of service providers. Whilst the Act makes provisions for the punishment of perpetrators of domestic violence, it also provides for their rehabilitation.
Para 31) The CLRC has also contributed to the evaluation of Seychelles laws in the context of gender based violence and child protection by drawing from evidence on domestic practices and inputs, and equate them with international and regional norms. It found that whilst the Penal Code provides certain protection against sexual offences for both women and children, laws have to be introduced to give full effect to the protection. Subsequently, a range of new offences will be recommended in relation to rape such as sexual grooming, the use of intimate images and sexual communication with children through social media and other digital platforms. Furthermore, harassment offences such as cat calling, flashing, blackmail and more are also to become punishable by law under the proposed legislation.

UN Compilation:
Para 59) … UNHCR welcomed the approval and entry into force of the Domestic Violence Act 2020.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 14) SHRC noted that in 2020 Seychelles enacted the Domestic Violence Act and that the legislation had been developed with the participation of civil society. However, SHRC stated that the legislation had not yet become operational.

National Report:
Para 57) The Government remains fully committed to protecting the rights of all persons without subjecting them to any undue forms of discrimination. Equal protection of the law for all persons continues to be guaranteed under Article 27 of the Constitution.

Para 58) The Government remains in its consideration as to whether and to what extent legislation could be amended to better guarantee the Constitutional precept that persons of any sexual orientation are not to be discriminated against in Seychelles. It is to be noted that no one has been tried in Seychelles since its establishment as a Republic in 1976 on the basis of their sexual orientation.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 10) JS2 reported that sexual minorities such as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Intersex were experiencing stigma and discrimination, which limited their access to health and social services. It also noted that Seychelles had not yet decriminalised homosexuality, even if the Employment Act of 1995 provided for non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

National Report:
Para 34) Since 2011, Seychelles has witnessed numerous sectors appointing women in significant decision making positions for the first time. This includes Seychelles' first female Judge of the Court of the Appeal, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Governor of the Central Bank; Secretary General of the Executive Office of the President, Chair of the Seychelles Savings Bank, Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Trading Company, Chief Executive Officer of the Pension Fund and the Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Credit Union.

Para 38) The 'National Gender Policy and Plan of Action' (NGPPA) is set to be launched following Governmental approval. The objectives of the NGGPA include creating an enabling environment; raising awareness and building capacity of men and women decision-makers to become gender champions at all levels of government, agencies, parastatals and private sectors; commitments to building capacity in gender sensitive monitoring and evaluation, to ensure accurate measurement of progress made towards achievement of gender related targets; to increase women's, men's, girls' and boys' access to quality education and training programmes in order to build a productive work force, free of gender stereotypes.

Para 39) A 'Gender and Law Manual' drawing on the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and laying out a legal assessment of the laws of Seychelles regarding gender was published by the Department on Social Affairs in 2012, to guide the Judiciary to interpret the laws of Seychelles in a manner consistent with international human rights obligations and national standards.

Para 40) Training sessions on gender issues continue to be held in a consistent manner, targeting various governmental and societal segments. A training session was held on the CEDAW and its provisions for members of the Judiciary in December 2012, and community based trainings on CEDAW are ongoing. In June 2013, a group of female police officers were trained on gender issues and in August of the same year a follow-up session was organized together with male police officers. A capacity building session on GBV was held in December 2013 for Faith-based Organizations, which was the first workshop on the matter for this targeted audience ...

Para 42) Stereotypical attitudes about the roles and responsibilities of women and men in the family and in society remain, and need to be overcome in order to achieve gender equality in the public and private spheres. For instance, there is a need to increase the participation of men in child-raising and other domestic duties. Entrenched gender stereotypes can also lead to men and women specializing in specific skills and sectors, for instance in manufacturing and nursing professions.

Para 89) The review of the [Employment Act, 1995] includes the incorporation of the already practiced concept of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value. The review also aims to make the Act more progressive in its regulation of the promotion of gender equality and the elimination of gender disparities. The 'National Employment Policy' also promotes the principle of non-discrimination in the workplace, and provides that the Government shall promote equal remuneration for Seychellois and non-Seychellois for work of equal value.

Para 146) A helpline for the empowerment of women was set up by the NGO Women in Action and Solidarity. Working together with government agencies, the helpline provides information on job and entrepreneurship opportunities ...

UN Compilation:
Para 42) The CEDAW acknowledged the high level of participation of women in political and public life, with a high proportion of women Members of the Parliament (43.8 per cent) and civil servants. The Human Rights Committee expressed concern, however, that the number of women in decision-making positions still remained low in both political and public life, including in the National Assembly, the civil service and the judiciary ...

Para 48)The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women welcomed the results achieved with regard to de facto equality between girls and boys in the education sector, and noted the high level of education of girls and the high literacy rate of women ...

Para 49) The Special Rapporteur on education affirmed that policy measures and reforms had made it possible for Seychelles to meet the education-related Millennium Development Goals well before 2015; the emphasis on equality in education had significantly addressed differences in achievements based on gender and race and created a system which provided equal opportunity for all based on ability ...

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 23) JS1 affirmed that Seychellois women enjoyed a wide range of rights enshrined in national legislation and had a high level of representation in national institutions: the National Assembly was ranked second worldwide in terms of highest female members in its Parliament, without any affirmative action in place.