Displaying 43526 - 43550 of 58126 recommendations found
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State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:PortugalPortugalRegional groupWEOGPolitical groupEUOEIIssue:
- International human rights instruments
Type:RecommendationSession:37th Session, January 2021Status:AcceptedContents:Ratify the three OPs to the CRC. -
State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:GabonGabonRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICOIFIssue:
- Adolescent pregnancy
Type:RecommendationSession:37th Session, January 2021Status:AcceptedContents:Intensify actions to combat early pregnancies and moral abandonment of children and elaborate a programme with a view to ensure the protection of children affected by this problem. -
State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:TunisiaTunisiaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICALOIFIssue:
- Violence against women / gender-based violence
- Domestic violence
Type:RecommendationSession:37th Session, January 2021Status:AcceptedContents:Continue efforts to combat domestic, gender-based violence and child abuse and further strengthen the legislative and institutional framework for this purpose. -
State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:Cote d'IvoireCote d'IvoireRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICOIFIssue:
- Birth registration
Type:RecommendationSession:37th Session, January 2021Status:AcceptedContents:Sensitize populations on the need to register births. -
State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:National ReportIssue:
- Violence against women / gender-based violence
- Domestic violence
Type:Review DocumentationSession:10th session, February 2011Status:N/AContents:"With the same goal, the Counselling Centre for Combating Domestic Violence in November 2006 and the National Institute for the Promotion of Gender Equality and Equity (Decree-Law No. 18/2007) were created. [Para 43]" -
State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:SwedenSwedenRegional groupWEOGPolitical groupEUIssue:
- International human rights instruments
Type:RecommendationSession:10th session, February 2011Status:AcceptedContents:Immediately ratify ICCPR and its OPs, and incorporate the provisions into national legislation. -
State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:PortugalPortugalRegional groupWEOGPolitical groupEUOEIIssue:
- Sexual exploitation / slavery
- International human rights instruments
Type:RecommendationSession:23rd session, November 2015Status:AcceptedContents:Ratify following international legal instruments, respectively: (i) ICESCR and its OP; ... the three OPs to the CRC.ImplementationNational Report:
Para 11) … In 2017, it ratified: … the ICESCR; … It has also ratified the OP-CRC-SC, …
Stakeholder Summary:
Para 18) Just Atonement Inc … regretted that Sao Tome and Principe had not ratified the OP-CRC-SC.
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State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:GhanaGhanaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFCommonwealthIssue:
- Birth registration
Type:RecommendationSession:23rd session, November 2015Status:AcceptedContents:Redouble national measures aimed at ensuring that every child in the country is issued with a birth certificate promptly at birth.ImplementationNational Report:
Para 32) Regarding registration and notaries, the aims are to improve the birth registration process, simplify administrative procedures, registration and notarial practices, decentralize services and review the current fees.
Para 62) … the Government has taken a series of policy, legislative and institutional measures to ensure that children can be registered immediately after birth, free of charge, throughout the country, in accordance with the requirements set out in article 7 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. These measures include the following: • The adoption of the National Permanent Birth Registration Strategy, through Decree No. 45/2009; the strategy comprises a set of measures that include the registration or confirmation of births in all maternity hospitals and wards (in Ayres de Menezes Hospital and in Guadalupe, Neves and São João dos Angolares on the island of Sao Tome and in Manuel Quaresma Dias da Graça Hospital on the island of Principe) and in local register offices. • The issuance of Joint Order No. 04/2017, which establishes that a birth may be registered and the mother’s identity or the child’s characteristics recorded free of charge, provided that the registration takes place within one year of the birth. • The holding of free health and birth registration fairs for all children in all districts of the country on a regular basis by the Directorate General of Registers and Notaries, in collaboration with UNICEF. • The creation of a birth registration unit in the maternity ward of Ayres de Menezes Hospital; the unit is open every day, including on weekends and public holidays. • The introduction of a computerized management system that allows for electronic birth registration at the regional register office and local register offices throughout the country. The proportion of births that are registered is now around 95 per cent, according to the multiple indicator cluster survey conducted by the National Statistics Office in 2014.
UN Compilation:
Para 6) UNICEF stated that, further to advocacy on birth registration conducted at the end of 2016, in early 2017, the ministries responsible for justice and for finance had signed a decree ensuring birth registration free of charge for children up to 1 year of age, replacing the previous policy, under which birth registration had been free of charge only during the first month of a child’s life. UNICEF expected that the new policy would help achieve full birth registration,12 and that the excellent achievements of the country in the area of birth registration could inspire other countries to reach related objectives.
Stakeholder Summary:
Para 8) Just Atonement Inc regretted the lack of data in Sao Tome and Principe, which highly affected the ability to remedy situations of child abuse. It noted, in particular, that data related to birth records, … was sparse.
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State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:UruguayUruguayRegional groupGRULACPolitical groupOASOEIIssue:
- Violence against women / gender-based violence
Type:RecommendationSession:23rd session, November 2015Status:AcceptedContents:Adopt a national coordination framework to combat all forms of violence against children, dealing with aspects of gender violence.ImplementationNational Report:
Para 16) In order to enforce this constitutional measure, a number of laws and decrees have been introduced containing legal provisions prohibiting all forms of discrimination against and ill-treatment of children. They include: • Act No. 11/2008 on Domestic and Family Violence, which provides for the establishment of mechanisms to prevent and punish domestic and family violence …
Para 18) Act No. 11/2008 on Domestic and Family Violence provides for the establishment of specific mechanisms for the prevention of domestic and family violence and, in article 7, lists various forms of violence, including physical, psychological and sexual violence and emotional and financial abuse.
Para 19) With specific reference to bodily harm and physical violence, article 7 (a) defines physical violence as follows: “Physical violence is understood as any behaviour that damages bodily integrity or health, such as slapping, pulling, pushing, hitting, pinching, biting, scratching, kicking and assaulting with weapons or objects”. Article 19 of the Act provides for penalties for offences of causing bodily harm, in the following terms: “Any person who, by committing abuse in a domestic or family setting, harms the body or health of another person, shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of from 3 to 8 years”. The penalties for aggravated offences of causing bodily harm are set out in article 20 of the Act. Para 20) Act No. 6/2012, the Criminal Code, also provides for the punishment of offences of bodily harm in general, in articles 141 to 151, and against minors in particular, in article 152. It cannot therefore be said that any legislation exists in Sao Tome and Principe that permits bodily harm against children or any other persons.
Para 25) The Counselling Centre against Domestic Violence has improved certain aspects of its internal conditions and acquired computer equipment to enable its offices to communicate with District Commands and the National Police Department in the Principe Autonomous Region. It has also set up a shelter for victims, produced behaviour change communication materials, conducted local outreach campaigns and a participatory baseline study on domestic violence, and evaluated the implementation of the Gender-based Violence Strategy and its respective update for the period 2019–2023.
Para 26) However, it should be noted that the Centre still faces many difficulties in ensuring its proper functioning.
Para 28) Also in the context of capacity-building for the judicial system, a process to modernize the entire justice system has been launched in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The aim of the process is to modernize the system’s organization, management, human resources and physical and information technology infrastructure, as well as the provision of equipment and materials. To this end, a series of actions are planned, including: … The establishment of a directorate general for crime prevention dedicated to tackling domestic violence …
Para 81) Recommendations 108.36, 108.37 and 108.39 essentially call for measures to counter all forms of discrimination and violence against women. Sao Tome and Principe has adopted a series of legislative and other measures to combat this evil, which is taking root in society: • Act No. 11/2008 on Domestic and Family Violence provides for the creation of mechanisms for the prevention and punishment of domestic and family violence, in line with the commitments made under the CEDAW, and for the establishment of courts specializing in cases of domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence. It also provides for measures to assist and protect victims of domestic violence. It defines the concept of domestic violence as “any act or omission occurring within the family or household that causes death, injury, physical, sexual or psychological suffering and material or non-material damage or deprivation of liberty in the following situations”. The Act also identifies and defines six forms of domestic and family violence, namely, physical, psychological and sexual violence and financial and emotional abuse. The penalties for offences that fall within these categories of violence are established in articles 13, 15, 17, 18 and 19 of the Act. • Act No. 12/2008 on Strengthening Legal Protection Mechanisms for Victims of Domestic and Family Violence Offences raises national awareness of violence of this kind, which constitutes a flagrant violation of women’s rights, and helps women themselves to break the silence on the subject and to draw attention to the problem by reporting cases of domestic and family violence, which was previously not considered an offence. • Act No. 6/2012, the Criminal Code, was adopted in order to protect against and prohibit all forms of discrimination and violence against women, ill-treatment and exploitation of minors and subordinates, domestic violence and so on. Articles 129 to 256 of the Code establish penalties for these offences.
Para 82) As mentioned above, in line with recommendation 107.57, access to education in Sao Tome and Principe is universal and free of charge up to the ninth year of schooling, and there is no discrimination as regards the right to education or the right to employment.
UN Compilation:
Para 12) UNICEF stated that the districts of Mé-Zóchi and Lembá were among those with the highest rates of domestic violence, according to the national police. Mé-Zóchi included some of the most populated rural communities in the country. The preliminary results of the study financed by UNICEF in 2018 on the impact of interventions against domestic violence showed that awareness of domestic violence as a crime had increased in communities in the most remote areas of the country, such as those in the districts of MéZóchi and Lembá. That knowledge resulted from awareness-raising activities supported by United Nations and other organizations. Nevertheless, existing gender dynamics affected the translation of the knowledge into new behaviours.
Para 13) UNICEF noted the critical situation of women in the country, and that worrying phenomena continued to be observed in the area of child protection, including child labour, violence against children (corporal punishment was common), sexual violence and early marriage.
Para 14) UNICEF also noted that some of the most critical barriers to eliminating violence against children and women included strong gender stereotypes and discrimination, as well as multiple-partner dynamics out of wedlock, leading to an absence of social and economic responsibility by males, and the use of corporal punishment by caregivers.
Para 49) UN-Women also referred to concerns regarding … the proportion of women aged 15–49 years who had reported that they had been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months.
Stakeholder Summary:
Para 12) The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights noted, as a step forward, the holistic efforts of Sao Tome and Principe to combat gender-based domestic violence and child abuse. The Commission noted in particular the introduction of appropriate legislation and the establishment of entities and institutions to that effect, including the Counselling Centre against Domestic and Spousal Violence. The Commission also appreciated the awareness-raising campaigns, including the “green ribbon” campaign against child abuse, domestic violence, early pregnancy, drug use and related gender-based crimes, among other violations of women’s and children’s rights.
Para 13) Despite notable advances, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights remained concerned about the high prevalence of child abuse, domestic violence, early pregnancy, drug use and related gender-based crimes.
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State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:NetherlandsNetherlandsRegional groupWEOGPolitical groupEUIssue:
- Domestic violence
- Women's and / or girls' rights
Type:QuestionSession:10th session, February 2011Status:Not Followed up with a RecommendationContents:Can the Government elaborate on the efforts it undertakes to [...] strengthen the possibilities for victims to bring cases of domestic violence to court? -
State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:SudanSudanRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICALIssue:
- International human rights instruments
Type:RecommendationSession:37th Session, January 2021Status:AcceptedContents:Accede to the OP-CRC-SC. -
State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:ChileChileRegional groupGRULACPolitical groupOASOEIIssue:
- Gender equality
- Gender perspective in policies, programmes
Type:RecommendationSession:37th Session, January 2021Status:AcceptedContents:Redouble efforts to ensure gender equality in the country's political, social, economic and cultural activities, and generate strategies that allow obtaining data for all the indicators to be used to monitor the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals from a gender perspective. -
State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:LuxembourgLuxembourgRegional groupWEOGPolitical groupEUOIFIssue:
- Domestic violence
Type:RecommendationSession:37th Session, January 2021Status:AcceptedContents:Strengthen the capacities of the domestic violence-counselling centres and the reception and support structures for victims of domestic violence. -
State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:Russian FederationRussian FederationRegional groupEEGPolitical groupCISIssue:
- Marginalized groups of women
- Women's and / or girls' rights
Type:RecommendationSession:37th Session, January 2021Status:AcceptedContents:Ensure the protection in law and in practice of the rights of vulnerable groups of the population, in particular women, children, persons with disabilities, the elderly and ethnic minorities. -
State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:GermanyGermanyRegional groupWEOGPolitical groupEUIssue:
- HIV and AIDS
Type:RecommendationSession:10th session, February 2011Status:AcceptedContents:Organize public-awareness campaigns regarding HIV/AIDS through the media, and include awareness-raising campaigns in school curricula. -
State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:FranceFranceRegional groupWEOGPolitical groupEUOIFIssue:
- Criminal laws on same-sex sexual practices
Type:RecommendationSession:10th session, February 2011Status:AcceptedContents:Repeal the provisions under its criminal legislation that punish sexual relations between consenting adults of the same sex. -
State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:UN CompilationIssue:
- Sexual abuse
Type:Review DocumentationSession:10th session, February 2011Status:NeglectedContents:"The CRC was concerned that no mechanism exists to protect children against
all forms of violence, including physical, mental and sexual abuse and neglect. It
recommended that Sao Tome and Principe: take measures to address the problem of
violence against children; ensure that there is a national system for receiving, monitoring,
and investigating complaints, and when necessary, prosecuting cases; and ensure that
perpetrators of violence against children are duly prosecuted and have access to counselling
services. [Para 9]" -
State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:Stakeholder SummaryIssue:
- Harmful practices based on cultural / traditional values
Type:QuestionSession:37th Session, January 2021Status:Not Followed up with a RecommendationContents:Just Atonement Inc recommended to adopt and implement an educational programme to prevent harmful practices of witchcraft. [Para 14]
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State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:NorwayNorwayRegional groupWEOGIssue:
- Sexual exploitation / slavery
Type:RecommendationSession:10th session, February 2011Status:AcceptedContents:Take all necessary measures to effectively protect children from sexual exploitation.ImplementationNational Report:
Para 133) It should be highlighted that these legal measures have been consolidated in the new Criminal Code, which has numerous articles aimed at protecting the rights of children, as set out in international standards, in particular the following: ...
(m) Article 175 on sexual abuse of children;
(n) Article 176 on sexual abuse of adolescents;
(o) Article 177 on sexual acts with adolescents;
(p) Article 178 on homosexual acts with adolescents;
(q) Article 179 on prostitution of minors;
(r) Article 180 on child pornography;
Para 137) The exploitation, sexual violence and prostitution of children are social phenomena which are becoming increasingly important globally and Sao Tome is not exempt. Internal measures have thus been implemented to prevent and combat the development of these phenomena. The measures involve numerous public and private organizations, such as INPG, the Support Centre for Domestic Violence, education centres, social communication and the Association of Women Jurists, in national awareness-raising campaigns to prevent and combat exploitation, sexual violence and child prostitution.
UN Compilation:
Para 13) The CRC welcomed the revision by Sao Tome and Principe of its Penal Code in 2012 to explicitly include provisions on sexual abuse, exploitation of minors and child trafficking ... -
State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:SpainSpainRegional groupWEOGPolitical groupEUOEIIssue:
- Sexual exploitation / slavery
- International human rights instruments
Type:RecommendationSession:10th session, February 2011Status:AcceptedContents:Ratify the main international human rights instruments, including ICCPR, ICESCR, ICERD, and CAT. Also sign and ratify OP-ICESCR, OPCAT, OP-CRC-AC, OP-CRC-SC, CED, CRPD and its Optional Protocol (OP-CRPD)ImplementationNational Report:
Para 7) Of the international instruments, Sao Tome and Principe has ratified ... the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (6 October 2014).
Para 139) In the case of persons with disabilities, it should be pointed out that Act No. 7/2012 was approved on 4 March 2010 and published on 12 September 2012 in Official Gazette No. 110. The State has finally ratified the CRPD, approved by Resolution No. 103/IX/2014 of the National Assembly on 31 December 2014, thus consolidating the guarantee of the fundamental rights of persons with disabilities. -
State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:FranceFranceRegional groupWEOGPolitical groupEUOIFIssue:
- International human rights instruments
Type:RecommendationSession:23rd session, November 2015Status:AcceptedContents:Finalise the accession to the international instruments on the protection of human rights signed by the country, in particular the ICCPR, ... ICESCR ...ImplementationNational Report:
Para 11) … In 2017, it ratified: the ICCPR, the OP-ICCPR; … the ICESCR;
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State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:PhilippinesPhilippinesRegional groupAsia-Pacific GroupPolitical groupASEANIssue:
- Gender equality
- Women's and / or girls' rights
Type:RecommendationSession:23rd session, November 2015Status:AcceptedContents:Provide women with equal access to education and employment opportunities, and give priority attention to women-led households in the Government's poverty-alleviation and food security programs.ImplementationNational Report:
Para 40) In September 2015, the Government adopted the National Social Protection Strategy, with the aim of contributing to the eradication of extreme poverty over the next 10 years. In all, five strategic objectives were defined: … (c) Promote employability and access to safe and decent work, especially among groups who do not participate in the labour market, such as young persons, women …
Para 59) Recommendation 107.84 refers to guaranteeing the right to education for pregnant teenagers. Under article 36 of the Disciplinary Regulations for Upper Secondary Education, pregnant teenage girls and the teenage boys involved have at times been banned from attending classes.
Para 60) However, in order to adhere to the conceptual framework established under the “Burden on Girls and Quality Education for All” project, this provision was repealed by article 1 of Ordinance No. 18/GMEES/2020 of 27 March, thus ensuring that pregnant teenagers can continue their studies.
UN Compilation:
Para 40) … While enrolment in primary school was high and inclusive of boys and girls, the quality of education at all levels remained an issue, with high dropout and repetition rates, especially among girls.
Para 43) UNICEF noted that, despite a slight improvement, secondary school dropout rates for both girls and boys remained high, and that the causes needed to be identified and addressed. It noted the lack of a gender-responsive education system, in which pregnant girls were only allowed to attend evening sessions.
Para 51) ILO stated that, in the economic sphere, it had been found that, although women in Sao Tome and Principe were more active than men, particularly in the informal sector, they still had little economic power, according to a poverty profile study. Accordingly, one of the country’s development challenges was to ensure equal enjoyment for men and women of favourable conditions and opportunities to achieve self-reliance.
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State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:United KingdomUnited KingdomRegional groupWEOGPolitical groupEUCommonwealthIssue:
- Violence against women / gender-based violence
- Sexual violence
- Domestic violence
- Women's and / or girls' rights
Type:RecommendationSession:23rd session, November 2015Status:AcceptedContents:Take urgent steps to reduce and eliminate domestic and sexual violence against women, including measures to raise awareness of women's legal rights in consultation with civil society groups, and ensuring fair and expeditious trials of domestic and sexual violence cases.ImplementationNational Report:
Para 16) In order to enforce this constitutional measure, a number of laws and decrees have been introduced containing legal provisions prohibiting all forms of discrimination against and ill-treatment of children. They include: • Act No. 11/2008 on Domestic and Family Violence, which provides for the establishment of mechanisms to prevent and punish domestic and family violence …
Para 18) Act No. 11/2008 on Domestic and Family Violence provides for the establishment of specific mechanisms for the prevention of domestic and family violence and, in article 7, lists various forms of violence, including physical, psychological and sexual violence and emotional and financial abuse.
Para 19) With specific reference to bodily harm and physical violence, article 7 (a) defines physical violence as follows: “Physical violence is understood as any behaviour that damages bodily integrity or health, such as slapping, pulling, pushing, hitting, pinching, biting, scratching, kicking and assaulting with weapons or objects”. Article 19 of the Act provides for penalties for offences of causing bodily harm, in the following terms: “Any person who, by committing abuse in a domestic or family setting, harms the body or health of another person, shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of from 3 to 8 years”. The penalties for aggravated offences of causing bodily harm are set out in article 20 of the Act. Para 20) Act No. 6/2012, the Criminal Code, also provides for the punishment of offences of bodily harm in general, in articles 141 to 151, and against minors in particular, in article 152. It cannot therefore be said that any legislation exists in Sao Tome and Principe that permits bodily harm against children or any other persons.
Para 25) The Counselling Centre against Domestic Violence has improved certain aspects of its internal conditions and acquired computer equipment to enable its offices to communicate with District Commands and the National Police Department in the Principe Autonomous Region. It has also set up a shelter for victims, produced behaviour change communication materials, conducted local outreach campaigns and a participatory baseline study on domestic violence, and evaluated the implementation of the Gender-based Violence Strategy and its respective update for the period 2019–2023.
Para 26) However, it should be noted that the Centre still faces many difficulties in ensuring its proper functioning.
Para 28) Also in the context of capacity-building for the judicial system, a process to modernize the entire justice system has been launched in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The aim of the process is to modernize the system’s organization, management, human resources and physical and information technology infrastructure, as well as the provision of equipment and materials. To this end, a series of actions are planned, including: … The establishment of a directorate general for crime prevention dedicated to tackling domestic violence …
Para 81) Recommendations 108.36, 108.37 and 108.39 essentially call for measures to counter all forms of discrimination and violence against women. Sao Tome and Principe has adopted a series of legislative and other measures to combat this evil, which is taking root in society: • Act No. 11/2008 on Domestic and Family Violence provides for the creation of mechanisms for the prevention and punishment of domestic and family violence, in line with the commitments made under the CEDAW, and for the establishment of courts specializing in cases of domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence. It also provides for measures to assist and protect victims of domestic violence. It defines the concept of domestic violence as “any act or omission occurring within the family or household that causes death, injury, physical, sexual or psychological suffering and material or non-material damage or deprivation of liberty in the following situations”. The Act also identifies and defines six forms of domestic and family violence, namely, physical, psychological and sexual violence and financial and emotional abuse. The penalties for offences that fall within these categories of violence are established in articles 13, 15, 17, 18 and 19 of the Act. • Act No. 12/2008 on Strengthening Legal Protection Mechanisms for Victims of Domestic and Family Violence Offences raises national awareness of violence of this kind, which constitutes a flagrant violation of women’s rights, and helps women themselves to break the silence on the subject and to draw attention to the problem by reporting cases of domestic and family violence, which was previously not considered an offence. • Act No. 6/2012, the Criminal Code, was adopted in order to protect against and prohibit all forms of discrimination and violence against women, ill-treatment and exploitation of minors and subordinates, domestic violence and so on. Articles 129 to 256 of the Code establish penalties for these offences.
Para 82) As mentioned above, in line with recommendation 107.57, access to education in Sao Tome and Principe is universal and free of charge up to the ninth year of schooling, and there is no discrimination as regards the right to education or the right to employment.
UN Compilation:
Para 12) UNICEF stated that the districts of Mé-Zóchi and Lembá were among those with the highest rates of domestic violence, according to the national police. Mé-Zóchi included some of the most populated rural communities in the country. The preliminary results of the study financed by UNICEF in 2018 on the impact of interventions against domestic violence showed that awareness of domestic violence as a crime had increased in communities in the most remote areas of the country, such as those in the districts of MéZóchi and Lembá. That knowledge resulted from awareness-raising activities supported by United Nations and other organizations. Nevertheless, existing gender dynamics affected the translation of the knowledge into new behaviours.
Para 13) UNICEF noted the critical situation of women in the country, and that worrying phenomena continued to be observed in the area of child protection, including child labour, violence against children (corporal punishment was common), sexual violence and early marriage.
Para 14) UNICEF also noted that some of the most critical barriers to eliminating violence against children and women included strong gender stereotypes and discrimination, as well as multiple-partner dynamics out of wedlock, leading to an absence of social and economic responsibility by males, and the use of corporal punishment by caregivers.
Para 49) UN-Women also referred to concerns regarding … the proportion of women aged 15–49 years who had reported that they had been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months.
Stakeholder Summary:
Para 12) The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights noted, as a step forward, the holistic efforts of Sao Tome and Principe to combat gender-based domestic violence and child abuse. The Commission noted in particular the introduction of appropriate legislation and the establishment of entities and institutions to that effect, including the Counselling Centre against Domestic and Spousal Violence. The Commission also appreciated the awareness-raising campaigns, including the “green ribbon” campaign against child abuse, domestic violence, early pregnancy, drug use and related gender-based crimes, among other violations of women’s and children’s rights.
Para 13) Despite notable advances, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights remained concerned about the high prevalence of child abuse, domestic violence, early pregnancy, drug use and related gender-based crimes.
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State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:UN CompilationIssue:
- Other
Type:Review DocumentationSession:23rd session, November 2015Status:Reference AddressedContents:CRC remained concerned that, despite the measures taken, many children lived with single mothers or in an unstable family environment and that there was a high rate of child abandonment. It recommended that the State, inter alia, ensure that children born out of wedlock be registered and enjoy the same protection and services as children born in wedlock. [Para 19] -
State Under Review:Sao Tome & PrincipeSao Tome & PrincipeRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOIFSource Of Reference:UN CompilationIssue:
- Gender equality
Type:Review DocumentationSession:10th session, February 2011Status:Not Followed up with a RecommendationContents:Prohibit pay discrimination that occurs in situations where men and women perform different work that is nevertheless of equal value and to ensure that the legislation explicitly provides for the right of men and women to receive equal remuneration for work of equal value. [Para 18; ILO Committee]