Human Rights Council 59th Session
Item 6: UPR Adoption of Angola
Thank you vice-President, Action Canada makes this statement on behalf of Ondjango Feminista and the Sexual Rights Initiative.
In Angola, there is still a prevalence of various forms of violence that women – particularly marginalised women – are subjected to on a daily basis. As such, we welcome Angola´s acceptance of recommendations on fulfilling its commitments to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls including harmful practices within the scope of the Maputo Protocol.
However, we regret the noting of recommendations pertaining to developing and implementing specific training programmes for members of the security and health sectors, who act as first responders to cases of sexual and gender-based violence.
We further regret the noting of recommendations pertaining to financing the opening and operation of women’s shelters in all regions of the country, and to strengthening and improving the implementation of existing programmes dedicated to ending violence against women by allocating sufficient funds and increasing financial support for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse.
Angola must address violence against women from a broader social justice perspective and strengthen prevention work by getting to the core of the patriarchal ideologies that sustain the violence, countering harmful narratives, and uprooting the norms that perpetuate it.
Violence against women and girls is proliferating: for example data shows the prevalence of obstetric violence in the country and the concerning increase of sexual violence against girls. Despite the official discourse, Angola is failing to meet its obligations to address violence due to this reluctance to allocate the money necessary to fund its combat and to provide services for survivors.
We, therefore, reiterate the call on Angola to :
- Allocate funds for the implementation of programs dedicated to end violence against women, commensurate with the scale of the need.
- Allocate appropriate resources to ensure full enjoyment of women's reproductive rights
Thank you