Gabon Adopts Reforms to Enhance Financial Inclusion for Women

Gabon has taken a significant step towards promoting gender equality by adopting reforms to its civil and penal codes. These reforms aim to give women more rights in the home and at work, resulting in an improvement of Gabon’s score on the Women, Business and the Law 2022 index.

Improving Financial Inclusion for Women

The World Bank report highlights that Gabon has reformed its laws over the past year to improve women’s equality. Prior to the reforms, data showed low financial inclusion among women in Gabon, with only 30% having a bank account compared to 38% of men.

Key Reforms

• Women are now allowed to open a bank account and work without their husband’s permission.
• Decisions regarding household property and finances are now a joint responsibility between spouses.
• Gender-based discrimination in financial services is prohibited, making it easier for women to access credit.

Support from Civil Society Organizations

The process of passing these rights was challenging, requiring lobbying, advocacy, awareness, and explanation. However, with the support of civil society organizations, including the Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Foundation, and the World Bank’s country office in Gabon, the reforms were successful.

Key Players

• Pepecy Ogouliguende, head of Malachie NGO in Gabon
• Equality, a government taskforce that played a crucial role in changing parts of the civil code
• The Women, Business and the Law team, which organized several events to support policy makers and women’s rights advocates from 14 West and Central African economies

Protecting Women from Violence

The reforms also establish legislation designed to protect women from violence. In Gabon, research indicates that 90% of victims of sexual violence are women. The new law provides criminal penalties for violent crimes committed against women and requires protection orders for victims to be delivered within two days after receipt of a complaint.

Impact of the Reforms

• More women are experiencing financial inclusion, with increased access to financing and a desire to be banked.
• The Women, Business and the Law team’s data has been instrumental in supporting these reforms, providing countries with useful information on how to design laws that give women better economic opportunities.

Conclusion

Gabon’s adoption of reforms to enhance financial inclusion for women is a significant step towards promoting gender equality. The support of civil society organizations and the World Bank’s country office in Gabon has been instrumental in making these reforms a success. As Julia Braunmiller, a Gender Specialist at the World Bank Group, notes, “It’s wonderful to see how Gabon relied on data and research to make the case for gender equality under the law.”