Enhancing Protection for Women and Children: Gabonese Government’s Reforms

The Gabonese government has introduced several reforms aimed at strengthening social protection for women and children, particularly in combating violence, brutality, and despoilment against surviving spouses or orphans.

Family Council Replaced by Estate Council

The traditional family council has been replaced with an estate council composed of:

• Surviving spouses or their agents
• Parents or their agents
• Descendants or their legal representatives (if under the age of majority)

This new arrangement gives priority to legal inheritors, ensuring they have a greater say in managing the deceased’s property.

Interim Protection Measures

To prevent acts of violence against surviving spouses or orphans, the government has introduced interim protection measures that take effect from the time of death. These measures include:

• Prohibiting eviction of the surviving spouse or spouses and orphans from the family home
• Preventing anyone from preventing them from being present at and involved in the funeral of the deceased
• Affixing seals to goods and movable or immovable property

Support for Surviving Spouses and Orphans

The government has provided that:

• Surviving spouses and orphans or their legal representatives should have access to family rights defense associations or legally constituted non-governmental organizations
• These organizations will offer support and assistance to those affected by violence, brutality, and despoilment

Penal Code Reforms

Reforms to the Penal Code aim to strengthen the criminalization of:

• Rape
• Incest
• Family violence

The minimum age of marriage has also been set at 18 years old for both girls and boys, in line with international human rights standards.

Combating Corruption

The government has reaffirmed its commitment to combating corruption, with a strategy paper produced in 2012 focusing on improved governance and an improved business environment. A workshop organized by ONG Malachie and the United Nations Development Programme aimed to educate women leaders on combating corruption and money-laundering.

Budget Allocation

Despite some fluctuations, the government has allocated funds to the Department for the Advancement of Women, with a total budget allocation of 53.3 million CFA francs from 2014 to 2017. The government acknowledges that the budget allocated to the department increased from 2014 to 2015 but decreased from 2016 to 2017.

Commitment to International Obligations

The Gabonese government has reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The government acknowledges that while progress has been made, there is still more work to be done to attain the objectives set out in the Convention.