79744 2 - world bank Abidjan Country Office Gender Consultations Report Acknowledgements Mrs. Henriette DAGRI-DIABATE, Grand chancellor of the National Order, Chairperson of Gender Consultations in Côte d’Ivoire; Mrs. Anne-Désirée OULOTO, Minister of Solidarity, Family, Women and Children; Mrs. FADIKA Sarra Sako, Senior Vice-President of the National Assembly; Mrs. Fatima MA�GA, former Country Director, UN Women, Côte d’Ivoire Office; Prefects (governors) of the regions of Gbêkê, Tonkpi, Poro, Gontoungo, Sanwi, Bafing and San Pedro; Mayors of the regions of Gbêkê, Tonkpi, Poro, Gontoungo, Sanwi, Bafing and San Pedro; Women’s Organizations of regions and cities visited; The National Statistics Institute (Institut National de la Statistique (INS)); The General Confederation of Enterprises of Côte d’Ivoire (CGECI); The Ivorian Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises (FIPME); The Centre for the Promotion of Investment in Côte d’Ivoire (CEPICI); The UNESCO Chair on Water, Women and Decision Making, Abidjan The Ivorian Center for Economic and Social Research (Centre Ivoirien de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (CIRES)) This Report has been prepared under the guidance of Madani M. Tall ( WB Country Director for Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Togo and Burkina Faso). Senior Consultant and author of the report : Mrs. Agnes A. Kraidy with substantial contributions and advice from Mr. Emmanuel N. Noubissié (WB Resident Representative in Algeria); Taleb Ould Sid’Ahmed (Communications Officer, TTL). Valuabe inputs have been made by Jean Noël A. Gogoua ( Country Senior Economist, Abidjan); Fatima Maïga (former UN Women Country Director based in Abidjan). The following staff members provided valuable support to the team: Marie-Chantal Attobra; , Léontine Sidjé , Bintou Fofana , Robert Yungu, Azedine Ouerghi, Mariko Phanse, Alexis Kacou, Kouakou Kouassi, Kouamé Kouadio, Ouattara Ningou Jérôme and Dah Sié. world bank Abidjan Country Office Gender Consultations Report - 3 Executive Summary I n Africa, women are subjected to discriminatory practices that keep them in a vulnerable situation. Their limited access to land, in a continent where the majority of the population depends on agriculture, reduces their access to credit and their capacity to undertake sustainable economic activities to generate income. They hold only 18% of agricultural lands and are not better off in administrations. In Côte d’Ivoire, the woman remains marginalized, with a status that is increasingly weakened today by the socio-political situation. Data from the National Statistics Institute highlight their extreme poverty: 75% of rural women are living below the poverty line. And they are often deprived of basic social services. Some socio-cultural factors perpetuate traditions that are harmful to girls and women. Despite the establishment of organizations for the promotion and protection of women’s rights (Directorate for equality and gender promotion in 2006, National Committee to Combat Violence Against Women and Children), Côte d’Ivoire ranks 136th in the gender inequality index as per the UNDP 2011 gender-related development index (GDI). Yet the country has ratified several international and regional conventions on equal dignity and rights for all citizens. While there are almost equal rights for men and women, no interest is given to gender and women empowerment issues in the implementation of national policies. Faced with these realities that could be an obstacle to the ambition of the Ivorian authorities to make Côte d’Ivoire an emerging country by 2020, the World Bank has decided to listen to the concerns of all categories of women to take more effective action in their favor. Equality between men 4 - world bank Abidjan Country Office Gender Consultations Report and women is the cornerstone of sustainable (right to education, right to information, right development. The World Bank consultations to health, ...); on gender in Côte d’Ivoire have given the - Enforcement of laws and legislation against opportunity to women in Côte d’Ivoire, whether gender-based discrimination and violence; in urban or rural areas, to express concerns that - Full participation of women in the political, are specific to their environments. Workshops social, economic and cultural life of the were organized in eight regions and cities country; around four themes: - Establishment of an institutional framework on gender equality; - Tradition, modernity: cultural differences - Respect for and enhancement of the and the value system for African Women reproductive role of women; - Public space, political space, social space: - Enhancement of women’s image; The leadership of women - Promotion and enhancement of customs - Economic space and women entrepreneurs and traditions ... - Gender-Based Violence : When will rights This report is the culmination of the process be observed ? initiated by the World Bank as part of the establishment of its program of strengthening For seven months, a World Bank Abidjan the role of women in Ivorian society. It office traveled across the regions which were reports summary proposals from the various selected at the end of the Abidjan workshop. consultations held both nationally and Nearly four hundred women and men took regionally. Designed in a participatory and part in workshops in Bouake, Korhogo, Man, decentralized approach, these consultations Aboisso, Bondoukou, Touba, San Pedro (after have made it possible to gather factual and the one held in the Ivorian economic capital). contextual data on the four (04) themes selected Cross-exchanges and shared reflections led to for the workshops, as well as proposals that, if proposals and recommendations useful for the translated into actions, would help develop an formulation of well targeted public policies to action plan. This is, and it must be stressed, reduce gender disparities. These include: a study that has the merit of giving the floor - Respect of the Constitution which enshrines directly to hundreds of Ivorian women from equality of all regardless of gender, ethnicity all socio-professional categories to develop and religion; themselves a roadmap based on their own - Recognition and respect for women’s rights daily experiences. world bank Abidjan Country Office Gender Consultations Report - 5 Why Consultations on Gender in Côte d’Ivoire ? Key Ideas In 2012, the World Bank released the World Development Report: Gender Equality and Development. In terms of recommendations, the Report identifies four areas where action needs to be taken as a priority : 1. Reducing gender gaps in human capital endowments (addressing excess female mortality and eliminating pockets of gender disadvantage in education where they persist) 2. Closing earnings and productivity gaps between women and men 3. Shrinking gender differences in voice 4. Limiting the reproduction of gender inequality over time, whether it is through endowments,economic opportunities, or agency 6 - world bank Abidjan Country Office Gender Consultations Report In July 2012, the WB CO based in Abidjan Participants asked the World Bank to organized a major debate on gender to identify adjust its procedures to better address and inequality constraints that prevent women from integrate gender issues into its programs. More accessing the same rights as men. specifically, the idea retained was to conduct In partnership with UN-Women, a meeting consultations at the national level by giving the with forty women leaders under the auspices floor to women directly (as a priority), but also of the Grand Chancellor of the National Order to men in order to establish a snapshot of the of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire identified key most compelling issues and propose a roadmap points for reflection through a nation-wide that can first be used for the operations of the consultation with other women. World Bank and then for country dialogue and advocacy. world bank Abidjan Country Office Gender Consultations Report - 7 Methodology Unlike recent studies on gender in Côte d’Ivoire, these consultations have been conducted in several regions (08) over a longer period (November 2012 – May 2013). A participatory approach in the form of workshops attended by approximately 400 participants in Abidjan, Bouaké, Korhogo, Man, Aboisso Bondoukou, Touba and San Pedro. Consideration of various geographical and cultural areas (North, South, Centre, Southwest, East, West), which gives a panoramic view of the expectations of women and a better understanding of their needs, taking as focus for reflection the 04 major themes : - Tradition, modernity : cultural differences and the value system for African Women - Public space, political space, social space: The leadership of women. - Economic space and women entrepreneurs - Gender based violence: When will rights be observed ? 8 - world bank Abidjan Country Office Gender Consultations Report Analysis of the situation of women in Côte d’Ivoire Data collected from these consultations show that the situation of Ivorian women is worrying at the end of the long sociopolitical crisis. For example, figures from the National Statistics Institute (Institut National de la Statistique) highlight extreme poverty among them, especially in rural areas where 75% of women live below the poverty line, a phenomenon also accentuated by the lack of basic social services. Without opposing tradition and modernity, it should be noted that some cultural factors perpetuate traditions that are harmful to girls and women, such as female genital mutilation, domestic violence, land access denial, etc. In terms of decision making, the situation of women in Côte d’Ivoire is marked by their under-representation in positions of authority both in the politico-economic and the administrative sphere whereas they were nearly 52% registered to vote in 2010. Despite commendable progress in gender equity and empowerment (Reform of the Marriage Law; the Gender component of the 2012-2015 National Development Plan; the Support Fund for Women of Côte d’Ivoire and the Compendium of Female Expertise), disparities remain glaring and this must concern us all: government, elected officials, partners, politicians, economic operators, CSOs, media, etc. world bank Abidjan Country Office Gender Consultations Report - 9 Consultation Results : Trends in short per theme and proposed actions : Shared Realities : We found that despite the diversity of locations (eight geographical areas of the country), cultures, traditions and religious practices, the proposals made at the end of the workshops highlight common essential features. In this, Ivorian women have similar expectations, with some nuances. More specifically, they want : Respect of the Constitution which enshrines the equality of all regardless of gender, ethnicity and religion; Recognition and respect for women’s rights (right to education, right to information, right to health …); Enforcement of laws and legislation against discrimination and gender-based violence; Full participation of women in political, social, economic and cultural life. Establishment of an institutional framework on gender equality; Respect for and enhancement of the reproductive role and image of women; Promotion and enhancement of customs and traditions that recognize the dignity of women. 10 - world bank Abidjan Country Office Gender Consultations Report ThEme Tradition, modernity : cultural differences and the value system 1 for African Women: Give women reference points that are worthy of their contributions to the development of society. W ithout opposing tradition and modernity, let us note the persistence of discriminatory and degrading practices towards women, often for cultural and religious reasons: non-acceptance of women in the public space; early marriage of young girls; forced marriage; lack of land access for women as landowners; non-education of the girl child; exclusion of women from family inheritance; genital mutilation; levirate, etc. Key Actions Proposed Educate the whole community on citizenship, gender and peace ; initiate constructive dialogue without giving the appearance of a clash between tradition and modernity; create a center for personality development training for women ; support legislative reforms and effectively enforce laws on equality and parity ; make adult women literate, especially in rural areas ; popularize women’s rights and fight against sexist and discriminatory stereotypes ; create one-stop shops for women’s access to land (identify all state fallows and redistribute them to women and provide support measures for the development of lands). world bank Abidjan Country Office Gender Consultations Report - 11 Theme Public space, political space, social space : 2 The leadership of women O ne of the factors to be taken into account in the non-assertion of the leadership of women in the public area is the difficulty they have expressing themselves outside the private sphere. It seems clear to participants that the level of education weighs much in whether women are self-confident or not. Many women are present in political parties but their electoral weight has not been transformed into political power. The emergency law on the quota of at least 30% of women in politics and decision-making positions in administrations has not yet been passed while the Constitution enshrines the equality of all citizens Key Actions Proposed Subject the funding of political parties to the rate of participation of women in decision-making bodies of said parties and in key positions ; enroll and keep girls in school by providing incentives (bonuses, institutional scholarships, financial support, Award of Excellence, boarding, building more high schools for girls ...) ; establish databases for competent women in political parties, administrations, private sector, international organizations and institutions, and make them public ; fight against prejudice and encourage initiative in women. 12 - world bank Abidjan Country Office Gender Consultations Report Theme Economic space and women entrepreneurs : 3 Accelerating women empowerment , especially in rural areas. F or Côte d’Ivoire, an agricultural country, the primary wealth of people is land. However, the customary land system discriminates against women, which makes it difficult or even impossible for them to own agricultural lands. Women, in most cases, particularly those in rural areas, are forced to negotiate plots of land from their families of origin or their husbands for growing food crops. Access to information and business opportunities is a puzzle; and the difficult access to credit is one of the obstacles most mentioned by women themselves, whether in rural areas or urban areas. Key Actions Proposed Educate on equal access to land ; organize training sessions and/or seminars on entrepreneurial activities of women ; establish a gender sensitive policy at the Ivorian Entrepreneurship Institute (Institut National Ivoirien de l’Entreprenariat (INIE)) ; create an advisory, information and training center for female entrepreneurs ; create a facility to support, inform, train and coach rural women ; provide financial structures with an assistance fund for female entrepreneurs ; set up a one stop shop for female micro-entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs. world bank Abidjan Country Office Gender Consultations Report - 13 Thème Gender based violence: When will rights 4 be observed ? W omen are victims of various forms of violence: rape, excision, and infibulations. In some families, from a young age, the girl suffers mutilations whose impacts on her life as a woman are indescribable and unspeakable. (It should be noted that fortunately, these traditions are not practiced in all regions of Côte d’Ivoire). Sometimes women are humiliated and beaten by their husbands and/or partners, most often in total indifference. Key Actions Proposed Build reception centers and legal clinics for women victims of violence ; introduce free delivery of medical certificate for women victims of violence and encourage victims to file complaints against their assaulters ; force assaulters to take care of their victims ; teach methods of contraception in schools and health centers ; educate religious and traditional leaders on the dangers and illegality of gender based violence as well as the disadvantages of amicable settlement of acts that are punishable by law. 14 - world bank Abidjan Country Office Gender Consultations Report Recommendations of the Consultant On a strategic level Government Respect of the Constitution which enshrines the equality of all citizens; Implementation of a gender sensitive planning and budgeting; Implementation of existing laws and strengthening the institutional framework; Establishment of an institutional framework on gender equality with the strategic objective to correct gender disparities at all levels; Creation of a Gender and Equity Observatory whose tasks will include the following: To undertake gender audit and gender analysis of existing policies, strategies and sectoral action plans; To ensure the inclusion of gender as an analytical, diagnostic and guidance tool to better address development equitably; ensure the enforcement of laws and conventions passed and signed for the respect of equality between women and men.  world bank Abidjan Country Office Gender Consultations Report - 15 Parliamentarians are equipped with such an instrument which Establishment of gender and equity allows them to integrate gender peculiarities committees; in their development policies. The results Perform an audit of laws passed to assess make these countries a reference in terms of their level of enforcement. gender sensitive development). World Bank On a practical level Acquire sufficient and institutional human resources to systematically mainstream gender For law enforcement. into the programs of the World Bank and of its Build the capacity of judicial staff for better national partners; mastery of national, regional and international Support capacity building for decision- instruments on women’s rights; build the makers and stakeholders in gender; capacity of members of the legislature on formalization of reflection frameworks through women’s rights. gender-based violence trainings for decision- makers and stakeholders; organizations such For the assertion of women’s leadership. as the CERAP and UNESCO Chair on Water, Enhance women’s visibility; train women in Women and Decision Making may be asked leadership; promote networking of women to assist; (in this regard, the Compendium of Female Support the creation of a Gender and Expertise is a program to develop women’s Equity Observatory (Rwanda and Senegal skills that should be supported). 16 - world bank Abidjan Country Office Gender Consultations Report For the empowerment of female The Women Lawyers Association of Côte entrepreneurs. d’Ivoire (AfjCI); the Platform of Women to Economic empowerment of women through Win (Plate-forme des femmes pour gagner) the establishment by the Government of an and the UNESCO Chair on Water, Women enabling environment and an appropriate and Decision Making have legal clinics and and effective system for better women’s prevention and assistance centers for women access to financing; establish a fund for the victims of violence. development of female entrepreneurship (This fund will help address land access issues and Monitoring of recommendations. thereby meet one of the expectations of rural Set up a monitoring committee that will women). participate in the transformation of these proposals into relevant actions and programs, For the fight against gender-based violence. and ensure the implementation of the Action Apply best practices: implement actions by Plan to be finalized. duplicating the existing best models. With support from the European Union, UN The excitement around these consultations Women had implemented a multidimensional was such that a slackening in the monitoring integrated project: legal assistance, of these recommen dations would be a blow counseling and medical assistance to victims to the reputation of the World Bank. of violence. world bank Abidjan Country Office Gender Consultations Report - 17 Recommendations of the feedback workshop Additional Proposed Actions up existing laws and legislation and harmonize national and regional instruments; leverage On June 18, 2013, the national workshop public media for the information, training and to present the results and recommendations education of people on citizenship. of the consultations was attended by over a hundred women and men in the presence of Theme 3 : Economic space and women Mrs. Minister of Solidarity, Family, Women entrepreneurs and Children, representing the Prime Minister; Establish a support fund for women; support Mrs. Senior Vice-President of the National rural women in agricultural modernization Assembly; the representative of the Grand (equipment, then storage and transformation Chancellor of the National Order. After the of produce). presentation, the report was enriched by inputs. Theme 4 : Gender based violence: When will rights be observed ? Theme 1 : Tradition, modernity : cultural Involve forensic experts in rape and other differences and the value system for African sexual violence investigations; build the Women capacity of state officials (judges, doctors Highlight the tradition-modernity dynamic; and police) for a better mastery of the gender enhance the visibility of women living in rural approach and national and international areas. instruments on women’s rights; organize activities of information, education and Theme 2 : Public space, political space, social popularization of practices that are harmful to space: The leadership of women. women’s health. Respect the Constitution by passing a law on Move from words to action and enforce all parity; build the House of the Woman; clean laws in the name of women’s right to life. 18 - world bank Abidjan Country Office Gender Consultations Report For equitable development in Côte d’Ivoire, themselves. They have also undertaken to play women require involvement at all levels of their part in achieving the recommendations political power. of the consultations. Women call for more solidarity among Brief Overview of Gender Issue in Côte d’Ivoire The Solemn Declaration of Côte d’Ivoire account by law-makers. The willingness of on Equal Opportunities, Equity and Gender the Government of Côte d’Ivoire to set up made in 2007 by the Ivorian authorities, organizations in charge of the promotion who undertook to cause to be developed and protection of women’s rights is affirmed. a national policy on equal opportunities, Hence the creation of a Directorate for equity and gender applicable in development Gender Equality and Promotion on December policies, programs and projects in all areas 28, 2006 and a National Committee to of public life has for now remained a dead Combat Violence against Women and letter. The national policy document on Children. But in practice, sufficient attention equal opportunities, equity and gender is not paid to the issue of gender and written in 2009 by the Directorate of Equality women’s empowerment. Statistics continue and Gender Promotion, Ministry of Family, to show the huge gap between laws and Women and Children reminds the need to the actual situation of women. Economic take into account the gender dimension and social inequalities still exist between at all levels of the development process in men and women. In administrations and Côte d’Ivoire. According to statistics of the decision-making bodies (Government, Ministry of Family, Women and Children, National Assembly), women are largely 36% of women in Côte d’Ivoire are victims underrepresented. Despite its constitutional, of physical and psychological violence, legal and political commitments, Côte including female genital mutilation, with d’Ivoire fails to be consistent with the particularly high levels in the northern requirements of equal opportunities. Much part of the country. Yet Law No. 98/757 remains to be done for equality between of December 23, 1988 criminalizes some men and women to become a reality, says forms of violence against women. The fight the Association of Women Lawyers of Côte against gender-based violence is taken into d’Ivoire. world bank Abidjan Country Office Gender Consultations Report - 19 References - Constitution of August 1, 2000. - Ministry of State, Ministry of Planning, le Plan National de Développement (PND, 2012-2015). - Ministry of Family, Women, Children and Social Welfare, La Stratégie nationale contre les violences basées sur le genre (2012). - Directorate of Equality and Gender Promotion, Ministry of Family, Women, Children and Social Welfare, Plan national d’action pour la mise en œuvre de la résolution 1325 du Conseil de Sécurité (2008 – 2012). - Directorate of Equality and Gender Promotion, Ministry of Family, Women, Children and Social Welfare, Le Document de politique nationale sur l’égalité des chances, l’équité et le genre, 2009. - Ministry of Family, Women, Children and Social Welfare, Le Livre blanc, mars 2012. - President of the Republic, Solemn Declaration of Côte d’Ivoire on Equal Opportunities, Equity and Gender, 2007. - World Development Report: Gender Equality and Development, World Bank, 2012. - Françoise Kaudjhis-Offoumou: Femme, genre et pouvoir en Afrique. Ed. NEI-CEDA, 2011.