Women's Rights
By custom and law men in Djibouti have more rights and a higher status than women. Djibouti culture supports a pattern of gender roles that give men predominance in public life, business, and politics. Lets explore the positives and negatives occurring in Djibouti for the fight for womens rights:
Positives
Several policies have been adopted recently aimed to improve women’s rights. For example:
- The creation of a Ministry for the promotion of women, family and social affairs was set up. (2008)
- The establishment of a center that provides information and support to women victims of violence.(2007)
- An Action Plan has been set up to promote girls’ access to education. (2004)
- Literacy programs have been set up for adults, particularly targeting women. (2004)
- The creation of a Ministry for the promotion of women, family and social affairs was set up. (2008)
- The establishment of a center that provides information and support to women victims of violence.(2007)
- An Action Plan has been set up to promote girls’ access to education. (2004)
- Literacy programs have been set up for adults, particularly targeting women. (2004)
Negatives
Continued violations of women’s rights in Djibouti:
- persistence of discriminatory laws
- violence against women
- limited access to education
- limited access to health care
Djibouti constitution establishes equality between men and women but, discriminatory laws still exist. For example:
- Article 7 “marriage is only valid with the consent of the two spouses and the woman’s guardian”. The fixing of the dowry is a further condition for the validity of a marriage.
- Article 13 sets the minimum legal age of marriage at 18 years but article 14 says that: “Marriage of minors who have not reached the legal age of majority is subject to the consent of their guardians”.
- Article 31 says: “The wife must respect the prerogatives of the husband, as head of the family, and owes him obedience in the interest of the family. The husband and wife must fulfill their marital duties, in conformity with practice and custom.”
- Articles 42 and 43 say that “a woman cannot remarry after a divorce or the death of her husband for a period of three months. In the case of divorce (or following birth if she is pregnant) and four months and ten days in the case of death.”
- Under customary law, women do not have the right to travel outside the country without the authorization of an adult male relative.
- Djibouti Criminal Code says that rape is illegal but, if it is marital rape, it is not criminalized.
- Female genital mutilation still continues in Djibouti. Even though the Djibouti Criminal Code says that someone will get 5 years of imprisonment and a fine of one million Djibouti francs for practicing mutilation, nobody has ever been prosecuted.
- Even though schooling is free a very low percent of girls attend school. It is often too expensive to send all of their children to school so the priority is given to the boys, who are the future heads of the household.
- High fertility rates, poor provision of emergency obstetric care and the persistence of harmful traditional practices (excision including infibulations) seriously affect women’s health and explain the high maternal mortality rates.
- persistence of discriminatory laws
- violence against women
- limited access to education
- limited access to health care
Djibouti constitution establishes equality between men and women but, discriminatory laws still exist. For example:
- Article 7 “marriage is only valid with the consent of the two spouses and the woman’s guardian”. The fixing of the dowry is a further condition for the validity of a marriage.
- Article 13 sets the minimum legal age of marriage at 18 years but article 14 says that: “Marriage of minors who have not reached the legal age of majority is subject to the consent of their guardians”.
- Article 31 says: “The wife must respect the prerogatives of the husband, as head of the family, and owes him obedience in the interest of the family. The husband and wife must fulfill their marital duties, in conformity with practice and custom.”
- Articles 42 and 43 say that “a woman cannot remarry after a divorce or the death of her husband for a period of three months. In the case of divorce (or following birth if she is pregnant) and four months and ten days in the case of death.”
- Under customary law, women do not have the right to travel outside the country without the authorization of an adult male relative.
- Djibouti Criminal Code says that rape is illegal but, if it is marital rape, it is not criminalized.
- Female genital mutilation still continues in Djibouti. Even though the Djibouti Criminal Code says that someone will get 5 years of imprisonment and a fine of one million Djibouti francs for practicing mutilation, nobody has ever been prosecuted.
- Even though schooling is free a very low percent of girls attend school. It is often too expensive to send all of their children to school so the priority is given to the boys, who are the future heads of the household.
- High fertility rates, poor provision of emergency obstetric care and the persistence of harmful traditional practices (excision including infibulations) seriously affect women’s health and explain the high maternal mortality rates.