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Women's Anti-Discrimination Committee urges Congo to eliminate traditional practices, customary laws unfair to Women.

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M2 PRESSWIRE-28 January 2003-UN: Women's Anti-Discrimination Committee urges Congo to eliminate traditional practices, customary laws unfair to Women(C)1994-2003 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:01272003

Commending the Congo for its frank acknowledgement of serious obstacles to gender equality, expert members of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women also stressed the need for the Government to take concrete measures to eradicate the deeply entrenched traditional practices and customary laws that continued to subject women to unfair treatment.

The Committee was considering the combined initial, second, third, fourth and fifth periodic reports of the Congo on compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

Introducing the report, Delphine Emmanuelle Adouki, Director of the Cabinet of the country's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and the Advancement of Women, said there had been a marked improvement in the situation of women in the Congo in recent years. The Department for the Advancement of Women had been set up, supported by various groups and non-governmental organizations, and it had begun to yield fruit. Women in the country had become highly mobilized.

Much remained to be done, however, for the full development of Congolese women, she said. In the context of economic constraints and recurring conflicts, Congolese women had become increasing vulnerable. And while women had recourse to justice, both de jure and de facto discrimination existed.

The man was the head of the household and, in cases of disagreement, decided the choice of the conjugal domicile.

Husbands could prohibit woman from working in the interest of the family. Inequality also persisted in the application and prevalence of customary law.

Highlighting specific areas of concern, she said that maternal mortality came to 890 per 100,000 live births. Pregnant women were given prenatal monitoring late in the pregnancy. Most deliveries took place in public hospitals, but post-natal monitoring was not a common practice. Regarding violence, there were several different forms of domestic violence in the country, and women did not dare to complain of the abuses they suffered.

The present Government's policy had been to re-establish the confidence of Congolese women, she said. The new head of State, elected last March, had contributed to the establishment of stable and democratic foundation. The 2002 Constitution, as well as the country's previous Constitutions, reaffirmed the principle of equality.

The expert from the United Republic of Tanzania noted that Congolese laws existed for gender equality, but were not implemented, which suggested benign neglect from the Government. It seemed paralysed by traditions and taboo. She asked what immediate action the Government planned to take to sensitize the community about the Convention and about the discriminatory nature of customary practices.

Several experts questioned the rationale behind placing the body responsible for the advancement of women within the country's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries.

Other concerns raised today included lack of awareness of the Convention, women's lack of access to higher education and the need to improve employment opportunities. One expert said it was regrettable that Congolese women, as the lifeline of Congolese society, did not have basic rights regarding wages and working environment.

The Committee's next open meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 29 January, at 3 p.m., when it is expected to hear replies from the Congo.

Background

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women met today to consider the combined initial, second, third, fourth and fifth periodic report of the Congo (document CEDAW/C/COG/1-5).

The Congo, which is classified as a "heavily indebted poor country" (HIPC), ratified the Convention in 1982. Women account for more than half of the country's population -- some 52 per cent -- and make a considerable contribution to the country's economy. They account for some 70 per cent of the agricultural workforce and produce between 60 and 80 per cent of the country's food. Rural women activities are limited to subsistence farming. They receive no welfare coverage and are not entitled to bank credit.

While the Convention may be invoked before the Congolese courts, judges have never ruled on the basis of the Convention and are largely ignorant of its provisions, the report states. Women are largely unaware of their rights under the Convention and generally do not appear before courts for fear of repudiation, divorce or sorcery.

Describing the evolution of the national machinery responsible for the advancement of women, the report says that until 1990, the Revolutionary Union of Congo Women (URFC) almost exclusively represented women at the national and international levels....