UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 144) Efforts to give effect to women’s rights have focused on women’s health and empowerment, the school enrolment of girls and the combating of gender-based violence.
Para 145) The issue of gender-based violence is addressed by the booklet on gender and human rights, which also covers the school environment, and by the presence in schools of gender offices responsible for combating such violence. Standard operating procedures have been disseminated in 14 regions to individuals and entities engaged in combating gender-based violence and regional action plans carried out to provide special care for victims at the community level. An action plan for the period 2017–2021 for the eradication of gender-based violence and the promotion of human rights guarantees the right to free legal assistance for rape victims and psychological and social assistance for underage victims.
Para 146) The establishment of gender units in ministries has made it possible to foster a culture of women’s rights within the Administration, although impediments are still posed by entrenched cultural, religious and economic attitudes.

UN Compilation:
Para 14) The Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice commended Senegal on the efforts it had made to strengthen its legal framework for the promotion and protection of women’s rights and gender equality. Nonetheless, the Working Group noted that the Family Code remained one of the chief sources of discrimination against women in Senegal and contained many discriminatory provisions.
Para 16) CEDAW noted that the Constitution and ordinary legislation lacked an explicit definition of discrimination covering direct and indirect discrimination and discrimination in the public and private spheres, as well as provisions guaranteeing equal rights of women and men.
Para 18) The country team noted that the legislation on parity had enabled a considerable number of women to enter the parliament, but that, as the proportion of women in decision-making bodies remained very low, such legislation should also be applied to appointed positions. The team also pointed out discriminatory provisions that remained in the national legislation, including in connection with paternal and marital authority, which interfered with women’s enjoyment of other rights.
Para 19) The country team also noted that the 2013 Nationality Act had put an end to the discrimination women had faced in passing their nationality to a foreign spouse or to their children. However, the country team drew attention to continued discrimination faced by children born or found on Senegalese territory in acquiring nationality.
Para 59) [CEDAW] was concerned about the long delays in revising the discriminatory provisions contained in national law, particularly those of the Family Code, including provisions relating to the different minimum age of marriage for girls and boys, polygamy, discrimination in the consequences of breach of marriage and discrimination against Muslim women regarding inheritance.
Para 60) CEDAW was concerned at the high number of unregistered marriages, recommending protecting the rights of women in such marriages.
Para 63) [The Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law] noted that the incorporation into domestic law and enforcement of the instruments to which it was a party remained inadequate and the new constitution of 2001 that promoted gender equality had yet to be implemented in practice.
Para 67) Concerned about the persisting barriers faced by women in effectively gaining access to justice, …
Para 68) [CEDAW] remained concerned about rural women’s limited access to land, owing to legal and sociocultural barriers regarding their right to inheritance, health care, education, public transportation, food, water and sanitation, income-generating opportunities and social protection.
Para 81) The country team nevertheless noted the progress made in amending the Nationality Act to allow Senegalese women to pass their nationality to their children and foreign spouses.
Para 82) CRC welcomed the revised Nationality Code (2013), eliminating gender-discriminatory provisions on the transmission of nationality through marriage, childbirth and adoption, as well as distinctions between children born in or out of wedlock in the attribution of nationality. Nevertheless to grant nationality, the revised Code required that a child be born to a parent also born in Senegal or to a parent who was a national. The Committee on Migrant Workers was concerned that children born in Senegal to foreign nationals had difficulty obtaining Senegalese nationality.

National Report:
Para 119) The need for universal access to health services and to uphold the right of women and children to health has been duly taken into account. … The provision of … free caesarean sections in public health facilities in all regions is contributing to improvement of the health of these target groups and helping to reduce household outlays on health.
Para 121) Since the launch of the health assistance scheme, in January 2014, … 45,548 caesarean births have been covered;
Para 122) … The pilot phase of the human papillomavirus vaccination programme for girls is continuing, with a view to combating cervical cancer.

UN Compilation:
Para 48) CEDAW remained concerned about the persistent high rates of maternal mortality, …
Para 63) The Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice was concerned that voluntary termination of pregnancy was prohibited under both the Criminal Code and Act No. 2005-18 on Reproductive Health and carried a penalty of up to five years’ imprisonment.