UPR Sexual Rights Database

UN Compilation:
Para 8) Several treaty bodies welcomed ... the 2010 Law authorizing awareness-raising on the use of contraceptives.

National Report:
Para 77) Sexual violence is classified as a crime and is punished by article 332 of the Congolese Criminal Code, which punishes the crime of rape. However, certain cases in which the crime has gone unpunished may be attributed to the failure of the victims to lodge a complaint or to the inertia and shortcomings of the judicial system.

Para 78) Efforts to combat the scourge are headed by NGOs, public institutions and United Nations agencies, which utilize extrajudicial means such as:
- The organization of information, education and communication sessions in order to change behaviour;
- The launch of the Zero Tolerance campaign, whose activities will last two years;
- Creation of hostels for the victims of violence;
- Establishment of an observatory for violence control;
- Revision of the legal framework to take into account legal issues affecting women (Criminal Code, Tax Code, Family Code, etc.).

National Report:
Para 52) Since 2014, the Congo has increased the participation of women in political and public life and strengthened their representation in decision-making bodies.
Para 53) The Congolese Constitution of 25 October 2015 guarantees the principle of parity and affirms that women and men have equal rights. Women’s advancement and representation in all political, elective and administrative posts are guaranteed by law. These principles have been incorporated into the Electoral Act.
Para 54) The new article 61 of the Electoral Act stipulates that “women must constitute at least 30 per cent of candidates put forward for election to the National Assembly and the Senate”.
Para 55) The representation of women in decision-making bodies currently stands at 11.5 per cent in the National Assembly, 22.9 per cent in the Senate, 22.85 per cent in the Government, 12 per cent in decision-making positions in the ministries, 18.82 per cent in departmental councils, 23.5 per cent in municipal councils and 20 per cent in the Supreme Court.
Para 56) According to the most recent civil service personnel audit, women make up 49.5 per cent of public sector workers.
Para 136) Human rights organizations expect, and indeed demand, the immediate adoption of legislation on the prohibition of torture, the abolition of the death penalty and the effective attainment of gender parity. They consider that, even within the Government itself, women are not only underrepresented but also still lack access to certain positions and privileges, such as: • Posts in the core ministries of the State • The position of cabinet minister.
Para 137) No woman has ever been promoted to the rank of general in the armed forces nor held the top position in any of the constitutional institutions. Human rights organizations consider this to be a violation of the CEDAW.

National Report:
Para 50) On 25 October 2016, the Congo and the United Nations Population Fund signed a partnership agreement on combating gender-based violence, one outcome of which was the launch of a project on preventing and combating gender-based violence. The Ministry of the Interior and Decentralization is heading the project, which involves police officers, gendarmes, lawyers, doctors, psychologists and other professionals. The project led to workshops to draft and endorse a training manual for police staff and senior officers and training guidelines on combating gender-based violence. Both documents were approved on 9 August 2018.
Para 51) … In addition, a meeting on reviving the National Observatory on Gender-based Violence was held in Brazzaville on 9 September.
Para 58) A particular cause for concern is violence against women, which is addressed in a bill currently before the parliament. Training and awareness-raising campaigns have been carried out in preparation for its adoption. In 2015, 600 police officers underwent training on gender-based violence and inequality in Pointe-Noire. In Brazzaville, training has been provided for 80 victim-support centre workers and 35 members of the police force and the social affairs, health-care and justice sectors. In Pointe-Noire, a marine patrol squad consisting of 11 women has been formed. From 25 to 27 August 2015, judges, police officers and workers in the health-care and social affairs sectors attended a seminar on the criminal nature of violence against women. They were also trained in caring for victims, counselling them and identifying cases. Police stations and hospitals have been equipped with computer tools, office supplies, digital cameras and video cameras and essential medicines.
Para 59) As part of its implementation of the National Gender Policy and the Programme to Combat Gender-based Violence, the Government has worked with the Post and Electronic Communications Regulatory Agency and mobile telephone operators (Airtel-Congo, MTNCongo, Azur and Congo-Telecom) to set up a toll-free emergency hotline, 14 44, which has been operational since 4 March 2018. This shows the commitment of the Congolese public authorities to combating gender-based violence.

UN Compilation:
Para 49) CRC remained concerned that female genital mutilation was still practised among some West African communities living in the Congo.
Para 52) [CRC] expressed its concern about the widespread violence against children, particularly girls …

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 41) JS1 indicated that many children continued to be victims of physical violence or corporal punishment. Violence, especially sexual violence against girls, remained a major problem.

National Report:
Para 52) Since 2014, the Congo has increased the participation of women in political and public life and strengthened their representation in decision-making bodies.
Para 53) The Congolese Constitution of 25 October 2015 guarantees the principle of parity and affirms that women and men have equal rights. Women’s advancement and representation in all political, elective and administrative posts are guaranteed by law. These principles have been incorporated into the Electoral Act.
Para 54) The new article 61 of the Electoral Act stipulates that “women must constitute at least 30 per cent of candidates put forward for election to the National Assembly and the Senate”.
Para 55) The representation of women in decision-making bodies currently stands at 11.5 per cent in the National Assembly, 22.9 per cent in the Senate, 22.85 per cent in the Government, 12 per cent in decision-making positions in the ministries, 18.82 per cent in departmental councils, 23.5 per cent in municipal councils and 20 per cent in the Supreme Court.
Para 56) According to the most recent civil service personnel audit, women make up 49.5 per cent of public sector workers.
Para 136) Human rights organizations expect, and indeed demand, the immediate adoption of legislation on the prohibition of torture, the abolition of the death penalty and the effective attainment of gender parity. They consider that, even within the Government itself, women are not only underrepresented but also still lack access to certain positions and privileges, such as: • Posts in the core ministries of the State • The position of cabinet minister.
Para 137) No woman has ever been promoted to the rank of general in the armed forces nor held the top position in any of the constitutional institutions. Human rights organizations consider this to be a violation of the CEDAW.