Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Commend Sao Tome and Principe on the High Birth Registration Rate, Ask Questions about Gender Stereotypes and Rural Women
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its consideration of the combined initial to fifth periodic report of Sao Tome and Principe, with Committee Experts commending the State on the high rate of birth registration, and asking questions about gender stereotypes and rural women.
A Committee Expert said it was commendable that the State party’s free registration campaigns resulted in the birth registration of around 98 per cent of children.
Hilary Gbedemah, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Sao Tome and Principe, asked how the harmful norms of masculinity and femininity, which drove gender-based violence, were being addressed? What was the scope of the domestic violence law? What were the family values taught by the violence centre? Were they a reiteration of stereotypes? Could more information be provided on the training given to members of the judiciary and police?
A Committee Expert said women often lacked access to education, land and basic services. Almost 90 per cent of women were literate and the remainder were not; most of the latter were in rural areas. How did literacy in rural areas stand now? Were projects specifically carried out in rural areas? Were rural women a focus of government initiatives? Did rural women with disabilities have access to basic education and health care?
The delegation said the activities of the centre on violence included awareness campaigns which were central to reducing domestic and gender-based violence. There was an office for addressing cases of domestic violence and a hotline where anonymous complaints could be made. There was a cultural backdrop: the social norm for many years had been that women were domestic workers who bore children. Things would not change overnight, but many awareness raising activities had been conducted about domestic violence and over time there would be a drop in the number of cases of abuse.
The delegation said the Government was very concerned about rural women. Within the Women’s Ministry, there had been a lot of requests for partnerships, and work had been done with the Gender Parity Institute for rural women. While they had basic services, there were difficulties, as the communities often did not have proper roads. Rural women did benefit from family planning, and government services moved to rural areas to educate women on these issues.
Maria Milagre, Minister of Women’s Rights of Sao Tome and Principe and head of the delegation, said women and girls had an important role to play in the inclusive and sustainable development of the country. At the legislative level, the majority of laws in Sao Tome and Principe contained provisions prohibiting and punishing discriminatory acts. The Ministry of Women’s Rights was established, highlighting the Government's commitment to gender equality and women's rights. Disparities in the enjoyment of rights between men and women persisted, and gender-based violence was still a very present reality in the society. The country had made significant progress and the Government was highly committed. With this commitment, and with the support of development partners, Ms. Milagre was confident that obstacles would be overcome.
In concluding remarks, Ms. Milagre thanked the Committee and apologised for the lack of answers to certain questions. The Ministry of Women’s Rights was a new Ministry providing new government services. The information pending would be provided in writing.
Ana Pelaez Narvaez, Committee Chairperson, commended the State party for its efforts and the dialogue, and looked forward to receiving the next report.
The delegation of Sao Tome and Principe consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Women’s Rights; the National Institute for the Promotion of Gender Equality and Equity; and the Human Rights Office.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women’s eighty-fifth session is being held from 8 to 26 May. All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage. Meeting summary releases can be found here. The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.
The Committee will next meet in public on Thursday, 11 March at 10 a.m. to consider the ninth periodic report of Germany (CEDAW/C/DEU/9).
Report
The Committee has before it the combined initial to fifth periodic report of Sao Tome and Principe (CEDAW/C/STP/1-5).
Opening Remarks
ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Committee Chairperson, said this morning, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women would today consider the combined initial to fifth periodic report of Sao Tome and Principe. On Thursday and Friday this week, the Committee on the Rights of the Child would consider the combined fifth and sixth periodic report of Sao Tome and Principe submitted under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The dialogues with both Committees would take place in the form of a pilot back-to-back review.
Presentation of Report
MARIA MILAGRE, Minister of Women’s Rights of Sao Tome and Principe and head of the delegation, said Sao Tome and Principe had ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991 and the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in 2003, and acceded to the Optional Protocol to the Convention in 2017. The country’s progress in education; the increase in average life expectancy, in the birth registration rate and in the vaccination rate; the reduction in the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate and in infant mortality; and the improvement of maternal and child health as well as sexual and reproductive health meant Sao Tome and Principe had scored above the average for sub-Saharan African countries on the United Nations Human Development Index.
To disseminate children's rights, programmes were regularly broadcast on Radio Nacional, the media with the largest coverage. Several national laws had been harmonised to meet the requirements of the Convention, including the Statute of the National Health Service; the Judicial Police Organization Act; the Basic Law on the Education System; the Basic Health Law; the Family Code; the Organization Code for the Guardianship of Minors; and the Criminal Code. Significant progress had also been made in children’s education and social protection, and in combatting violence against children.
Ms. Milagre said women and girls had an important role to play in the inclusive and sustainable development of the country. Sao Tome and Principe had transcribed the commitments undertaken in the Convention into the national political and legal framework. Regarding the visibility of the Convention and its Optional Protocol, the Government, in partnership with other public institutions and civil society organizations, had developed training, awareness-raising and dissemination activities at the national level.
At the legislative level, the majority of laws in Sao Tome and Principe contained provisions prohibiting and punishing discriminatory acts, including the Penal Code, the Labour Code, the Family Code, the Basic Law on the Educational System, and the Federal Law on Health. To guarantee equal participation in political and public life, the Law on Politics was adopted in 2022. The Government had sought to increase the number of women heads of ministries. The President of the National Assembly was a woman. The Ministry of Women’s Rights was established, highlighting the Government's commitment to gender equality and women's rights.
In 2020, the national strategy on gender-based violence was approved. Awareness-raising campaigns on gender-based violence were conducted, including in schools. Police officers, health workers and magistrates had been trained to assist victims of domestic violence. Free legal aid was provided to victims and support services were decentralised to all districts. With the support of development partners, the construction of a shelter for victims of domestic violence was expected to begin soon. In education, Sao Tome and Principe had made significant progress in gender equality. Girls and women in urban and rural areas had adequate school support to successfully complete their education and strengthen their leadership skills.
Ms. Milagre said the main constraint faced by the State was the lack of economic and financial resources, which limited the capacity of public institutions and the operationalisation of policies and strategies. Disparities in the enjoyment of rights between men and women persisted, and gender-based violence was still a very present reality in the society. The country had made significant progress and the Government was highly committed. With this commitment, and with the support of development partners, Ms. Milagre was confident that obstacles would be overcome.
Questions by a Committee Expert
A Committee Expert said Sao Tome and Principe had developed legislative initiatives in connection with the Constitution in the field of the family, social protection, and more recently the 2022 law establishing a political quota of 40 per cent within elective bodies and ministerial positions. But at the same time, the Committee saw the seriousness of the violence that affected children, the persistent inequalities, and the situation of extreme poverty that still affected some women. It was important to strengthen international frameworks and the visibility of the Convention, using the participatory approach of civil society. Significant training needed to take place for the legal system; women in all situations needed legal capacity to defend their rights.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Sao Tome and Principe needed to focus on and review policies to better address issues relating to gender equality. The country was undergoing a reform of the public administration which would be helpful in making laws more relevant, and in guaranteeing rights contained in the Convention. The delegation looked to the support and cooperation of the Committee.
The Government was in the process of reforming the justice system and there were some laws which needed to be improved. There needed to be training to increase the visibility of the Convention. Awareness raising campaigns had been carried out with the public to disseminate certain laws and treaties. There was a law which provided that the enjoyment of rights should be equal for women and men. There were no plans to have a specific law on equality, but the Constitution specifically enshrined equal enjoyment of rights between men and women.
A law was in place which stipulated quotas of 40 per cent representation for women in decision-making posts, however, this had not yet been implemented by the Government. The Family Code had many new elements and guaranteed a set of rights specific to women. The Criminal Code and the witness protection law, among others, were also being revised. In Sao Tome and Principe, there were several mechanisms which guaranteed women access to their rights, including through the Labour Code, access to justice, and civil society organizations which provided advice. The State was working on improving implementation.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert asked whether the Constitution contained a definition of discrimination consistent with the Convention? As the laws were reviewed it was important to take on board the concept of non-discrimination.
Another Committee Expert commended the State party’s efforts to implement its Convention obligations. Noteworthy was the recent approval of the parity law, and the updating of the second national strategy for gender equality. Which was the lead agency with a statutory mandate and responsibility for coordinating gender responsive issues? How would the new Ministry on Women’s Rights bring innovation which contributed to capacity building within the State? What levels of resources were available for the gender mandate? What targets had been set? What were the outcomes of the workshop series on the subject of gender mainstreaming in public finance? Could information on the data monitoring system be provided? Could the delegation provide information on plans to better establish the national human rights institution to fulfil its obligations under the Convention?
A Committee Expert asked if there were quotas for women’s representation in local and national governments? What was the main issue in implementing the quota system in Sao Tome and Principe? How many times had positive discrimination been implemented, for example, paid maternity leave?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the Ministry of Women’s Rights had been created, and was now awaiting the approval of the State budget to implement everything fully. Without the budget, the resources were not available to do the work needed to better empower women. This kind of work was a learning curve for the State. The Labour Code provided for paid maternity leave. It permitted for one month before the birth and two months after. Women had two years to breastfeed and were allowed “breast feeding breaks” at work. Women were also permitted one paid day off per month for anything related to child health.
Temporary measures had been adopted throughout the pandemic, including payments to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. Through social protection, around 15,000 families had received payments during this period. Over 50 per cent of those were female-headed households that were considered more vulnerable.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert said there was no definition of discrimination in the law, which would hold the State back. The State needed to define what discrimination was.
Another Committee Expert asked how many women were in the banking system and benefitted from the banking moratorium on tax and charges?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the practice of appointing women to decision-making posts was important. Measures had been taken to advance women and women had been nominated as inspectors-general of the police. Awareness raising campaigns had been launched in partnership with civil society. Looking at legislative measures, there had been a reform of the Family Code. The country had a young population with a female majority and a lot of households were headed by women.
Workers had joined the social security programme to receive support and be paid pensions. Work was being done to educate female domestic workers, many of whom were not paying social security contributions and not reaping the benefits.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert asked if the State party understood the term affirmative action and if this was applied in its laws?
HILARY GBEDEMAH, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Sao Tome and Principe, asked what the current national strategy was? The work of the centre which raised awareness on violence was commended. Research conducted in the State party had shown that children believed violence was acceptable in certain situations. How were the harmful norms of masculinity and femininity which drove gender-based violence being addressed? What was the scope of the domestic violence law? What were the family values taught by the violence centre? Were they a reiteration of stereotypes? Could more information be provided on the training given to members of the judiciary and police?
Another Committee Expert said Sao Tome and Principe had amended its Criminal Code in line with the Palermo Protocol, which had been in an important step in the fight against trafficking. Had the State party prosecuted a trafficking case on the basis of the new legislation? Had law enforcement personnel and the judiciary received training on this? What was being done to prevent and prosecute child sex tourism? Were there plans to criminalise buying sex from underage girls and those between 15 and 18? Due to extreme poverty, poor families sent their children to wealthy areas in the city, however, this could change to exploitative situations which could amount to trafficking? Was the State party aware of the threat in these cases? What was being done to ensure preventative measures?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the role of the centre on violence was providing advice. The centre’s activities included awareness campaigns which were central to reducing domestic and gender-based violence. There was an office for addressing cases of domestic violence and a hotline where anonymous complaints could be made. When people came to the centre, they were given advice, and psychological support and follow up were provided by the centre when needed. Some children came to the advice centre with paternity issues or abuse issues, and the centre would aim to resolve these situations.
Sao Tome and Principe had ratified the main conventions against organised crime, and there were national awareness campaigns in place to combat trafficking. Awareness campaigns had been organised in rural areas, where trafficking was more prevalent due to poverty. This was to show people how trafficking could occur and prevent them from falling into the trap of trafficking. The law punished trafficking and the State did not wish to have a proliferation of the practice.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert asked if alternative sentences would be considered for perpetrators of domestic violence? How far was the State party involving traditional and religious leaders, to enable them to talk to their audience about the behavioural change?
Another Expert noted that the law punished traffickers; had there been convictions and prosecutions?
Responses by the Delegations
The delegation said statistical data on convictions and prosecutions was not available. Almost everything was lacking in Sao Tome and Principe. The cause of psychological violence was known, but it was difficult to tackle. This required economic and psychological empowerment. There was a cultural backdrop; the social norm for many years had been that women were domestic workers who bore children. Often women received benefits and gave them to the husband, or their businesses were in the name of the husband. Things would not change overnight, but many awareness raising activities had been conducted about domestic violence and over time there would be a drop in the number of cases of abuse.
Through the national institute to promote gender equality, there was a training programme and conferences for women which awakened their conscience and allowed them to realise their value. There were two training courses on the economic empowerment of women. It took a long time to change mentality, but this was on the agenda.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert commended Sao Tome and Principe on the adoption of the resolution which stipulated the 30 per cent quota of women in Parliament. However, women’s political participation remained limited. Could data on women in the justice system be provided? How did the State party plan to ensure implementation and compliance with the quota system? What was the role of the electoral umpire? Could evidence be provided on how the quota laws were implemented by corporations and the private sector? Could a breakdown of women’s participation at the national level be provided? How many women were included in the State party’s representative group?
Another Committee Expert said it was commendable that women and men enjoyed the same rights in terms of nationality, and that the State party’s free registration campaigns resulted in the birth registration of around 98 per cent of children. What measures was the State party taking to ensure free of charge birth registration for children who would otherwise be stateless? Could the State party advise the Committee on the timeframe to ratify the two conventions on statelessness?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said that unfortunately, they had been unable to achieve the 30 per cent quota of women in Parliament in Sao Tome and Principe. However, efforts had been made, including awareness raising campaigns and advocacy with political parties. There had been a female President of the Assembly elected, which was a major step for the country. There were currently some female members of Parliament but not enough to meet the quota. The National Institute for Equality was working hard on advocacy with partners so that the parity law could be truly implemented. Awareness work needed to be conducted with women so they felt needed in decision-making posts and political life. There were eight female members of the Assembly, and more work needed to be done to increase women’s interests in entering political life.
A campaign had been carried out in rural areas, ensuring 98 per cent of children were registered, meaning there were only 2 per cent remained unregistered. Children with Sao Tome and Principe parents born outside of the territory had the right to the nationality. This could be done through the consular services. There were no immediate plans to ratify the two conventions on statelessness.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert said that Sao Tome and Principe attached high value to education and considered this as a basic right. Could further information be provided on the progress of literacy campaigns, especially those targeting women in rural and remote areas? Could data on all levels of education be provided, including enrolment and dropout rates of boys and girls? It was mentioned in the report that girls accounted for the majority of students in education institutions but were under-represented in vocational training. Why was this? Had this impacted women’s entry into the labour force?
Another Committee Expert said that according to World Bank data, in 2020, the unemployment rate increased to 20 per cent in Sao Tome and Principe. Marginalised households were more impacted due to COVID-19. The report noted that women constituted the bulk of those working in the informal economy and were more likely to be in low paid precarious jobs. Was there a plan in place to counteract the high unemployment rates of women? What was being put in place to prevent discrimination against women in the workplace and counter stereotypes? What measures were being planned to provide entrepreneurship training for young women, including access to credit? What social protection plans were available for domestic workers?
HILARY GBEDEMAH, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Sao Tome and Principe, asked about the opportunistic relationship which occurred between teachers and students for sexual favours in exchange for grades, which was a known phenomenon. What measures or policies were in place to prevent this phenomenon? This sometimes resulted in early pregnancy and was not looked at as sexual abuse within the State party.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said basic education was free and the State was working to provide quality education for all. Where teachers had improperly influenced children and exchanged good grades for sexual favours, the process was condemned and the teachers involved were punished. They were subjected to disciplinary proceedings if they were involved in an inappropriate relationship with a minor, and the prosecution service could be involved. In secondary education, the Ministry was applying criteria to young people and giving preference to boys over girls. The Ministry was addressing this to ensure that pupils from rural areas could be given priority. When disrespectful behaviour was prevalent, the churches were involved to show students what constituted good behaviour in schools. The delegation said the remainder of the questions would be responded to in writing.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert commended Sao Tome and Principe for progress made on women’s equal access to health. Fertility rates were higher among poorer households. Despite the progress made, family planning, including contraception, was not widely used. Were there strategies and plans for curbing high rates of adolescent pregnancy? How were services ensured for adolescents specifically? Would a comprehensive health policy be developed for adolescents? Would the root causes of early adolescent pregnancies be addressed? What would be done to ensure that menstruation was not seen as a cause of stigma? What programmes were in place for cervical cancer screening and testing? Was HPV vaccination available for all women?
Another Committee Expert commended the State party for its response to the pandemic, and the fund which was in place to prevent mass layoffs of private workers. What current measures were in place to facilitate women returning to their work in the informal sector? What steps were being taken to redistribute unpaid care? Did the post-COVID recovery programme contain a gender component? What was being done to ensure social security benefits were available for women in the informal sector?
One Committee Expert asked if extractive industries impacted women? Women were key stakeholders in the development of the African economy. How could women expand their market as small and medium enterprises, and gain access to credit?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said abortion was legal within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and with the consent of the pregnant mother. Since 2021, there had been a budget line for public investment in reproductive health. When it came to the coverage of family planning, there may be a shortfall in the training of health partners. In this case, training was requested and provided on sexual and reproductive health. The delegation said they were lacking some answers and would do their best to provide these in writing. The Ministry was young and was still working out its working methods.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert said women often lacked access to education, land and basic services. Almost 90 per cent of women were literate and the remainder were not; most of the latter were in rural areas. How did literacy in rural areas stand now? Were projects specifically carried out in rural areas? Were rural women a focus of government initiatives? Did rural women with disabilities have access to basic education and health care?
HILARY GBEDEMAH, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Sao Tome and Principe, asked about elderly women and the witchcraft allegations made against some of them. Was there a provision criminalising this? How was it dealt with? How many people were investigated for making these allegations against elderly women?
A Committee Expert asked if women were prohibited from working in certain jobs because of their different biological set up? If so, in what ways? What measures were taken to ensure women’s rights within mediation? Were citizens with disabilities excluded from exercising the right to vote?
Another Committee Expert commended Sao Tome and Principe for the Family Code and asked what mechanisms were in place to implement it? Were there obligations on spouses to share the burdens of family life? Were there plans to sensitise men and boys to prepare them for shared family responsibilities? Were there plans to establish family courts? The Committee was also concerned about the issue of child marriage and early unions, which had implications on girls’ education. What steps were being taken to prevent child marriage? Was there legislation which prohibited de facto unions where girls were under the age of 18? It was understood that these unions were common.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the Government was very concerned about rural women. Within the Women’s Ministry, there had been a lot of requests for partnerships, and work had been done with the Gender Parity Institute for rural women. These women were a focus of the Government and had not been forgotten. A lot of work was underway to support rural women. While they had basic services, there were difficulties, as the communities often did not have proper roads. Rural women did benefit from family planning and government services moved to rural areas to educate women on these issues. Currently, rural women did not have access to credit, but this was on the Government’s agenda.
The gender sensitive budget was part of the State budget. Many women worked in cooperatives, and the Government had worked to support this activity. Mobile training institutes had trained around 80 women in one rural region. It was planned that the training institutes would move around all of the rural districts nationally, and many rural women would be trained in this way. The Government was sparing no effort to help women in rural communities. The Head of Government was very attached to this issue.
The Government was also concerned about cases of witchcraft and was taking steps to address it. There was some abuse of older women. When a complaint on this topic was made, authorities acted rapidly to help these women. The value of child support paid by a father was based on his earnings. However, it was not always easy to make fathers pay. Now that women were working more, instead of seeing equal input from men and women, the work was often not being done by both parents. There was a section of the court dedicated to the family and children.
The State was concerned about de facto and early marriages. This issue needed to be addressed. The law did not allow child marriage. Marriage was allowed from the age of 18. If a minor under 18 entered a de facto marriage, the legal side of it had no value as the marriage was not recognised. There had been cases where priests had carried out marriages of children. There was a need to have discussions with all religious bodies on this matter and focus on the adverse affects of these early unions.
The issue of abandoned land needed to be reviewed, with priority given to rural areas. There was no obstacle to pregnant women working. There were no restrictions on persons with disabilities voting.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert asked about efforts to develop equal responsibility for family and care work, including workshops and training. This would show that the division of care could be changed. It was worth the investment in developing these kinds of supportive relationships between parents.
HILARY GBEDEMAH, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Sao Tome and Principe, said the best international practice was the flat maternity leave, leaving it to the women to choose when to take it. This should be changed as a matter of urgency.
Closing Remarks
MARIA MILAGRE, Minister of Women’s Rights of Sao Tome and Principe and head of the delegation, thanked the Committee and apologised for the lack of answers to certain questions. The Ministry of Women’s Rights was a new Ministry providing new services. The information pending would be provided in writing. Ms. Milagre thanked the Committee warmly and said they would continue to work together towards their shared goals.
ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Committee Chairperson, commended the State party for its efforts and the dialogue, and looked forward to receiving the next report.
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CEDAW23.017E