UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 11) … In 2017, it ratified: the ICCPR, the OP-ICCPR; … the ICESCR;

National Report:
Para 63) It cannot be said that children are completely safe from discrimination, ill-treatment, violence, abuse and sexual exploitation in Sao Tome and Principe.
Para 76) The National Child Protection Policy establishes guidelines for preventing, handling and punishing all forms of violence against and abuse and exploitation of children and sets out the division of responsibilities among the relevant public authorities in the fields of justice, health, social affairs, education, public safety and crime prevention.

UN Compilation:
Para 13) UNICEF noted … that worrying phenomena continued to be observed in the area of child protection, including … sexual violence …

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 15) … In Just Atonement Inc’s view, laws explicitly prohibiting child prostitution and sexual exploitation should also be promulgated.
Para 18) Just Atonement Inc was concerned at cases of child pornography, sexual exploitation, and child prostitution in Sao Tome and Principle, and regretted that no law existed criminalizing sexual exploitation or prostitution. In also regretted that Sao Tome and Principe had not ratified the OP-CRC-SC.

National Report:
Para 120) The Government has also adopted numerous legislative provisions in the national legal order: ... Act No. 6/2012, which approves the new Criminal Code, defines certain crimes against women and children, in order to accelerate proceedings in respect of them ...

Para 121) In respect of the participation of women in public life, in 2009, the National Assembly adopted a resolution on parity which establishes a quota of 30 per cent for female representation in the Parliament (R74/08/2009).

Para 122) Also in the context of measures to protect women and children, in February and March of 2013, the Government, in partnership with the country's Association of Women Jurists and with financing from the embassy of the United States of America, carried out a large-scale campaign to prevent human trafficking in rural areas. Its objectives were to disseminate information on the phenomenon of human trafficking, to encourage more active citizenship and to strengthen the capacity of citizens and institutions in ways of taking action in the context of human trafficking.

Para 123) Another noteworthy measure is the implementation of article 4 (on maternity leave) of the Maternity Protection Convention through Presidential Decree No. 3/2004 of 4 February, published in Official Gazette No. 3 on 6 April 2004, which provides that: "A woman to whom this Convention applies shall be entitled to a period of maternity leave of not less than 14 weeks, on production of a medical certificate or other appropriate certification, as determined by national law and practice, stating the presumed date of childbirth." This measure represents an additional achievement in advancing the rights of women and children.

Para 124) In addition to the measures mentioned above, it should be noted that the Government, in its various public policy programmes, has introduced actions to promote gender equality, and to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women.