Angola ratified the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (The Maputo Protocol) on the 30th of August 2007. After its independence, Angola was devastated by 27 years of civil war between the popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the National Union for the total Independence (UNITA). It is estimated that 1.5 million people died and 4 million were displaced. The country is still in recovery. Women are under-represented in the Angolan political institutions and violence against women is widespread in the country with a high level of domestic violence.
2015
General Labour Law (No. 7/15 of 15 June 2015)
- Right to work – principle of no discrimination based on sex
- Nullity of discriminatory clauses
- Equal pay principle and principle of equal treatment
2017
General Advertising Act, Act No. 9/17 of 13 March: Article 15 prohibits all forms of advertising which stereotypes or depicts women in a discriminatory and humiliating way contrary to public morals and decency.
2018
National Development Plan (2018-2022) prepared in accordance with the 2030 Agenda, whose programs and projects are interlinked in actions linked to the fight against poverty; promotion of female entrepreneurship, encouraging women’s associations and conducting studies on the professional role of women in the economic sector.
2019
The new Criminal Code instituted in January 2019 prohibits discrimination on the grounds of race, sexual orientation, and religion, and increased sanctions for crimes committed against women.
2020
Covid-19 Gender Sensitive Measures included the launch of two helplines on May 21, 2020 to support victims/survivors of Domestic Violence. These helplines are also used to advise and support other vulnerable groups.
References
General Labour Law (Law n° 7/15 of 15 June 2015) (Lei geral do trabalho, Lei n.° 7/15 de 15 de Junho de 2015), available at: https://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/ELECTRONIC/99347/118526/F831720958/leigeral do Trabalho 7-15.pdf-page=44
Republic of Angola, Lei Geral da Publicidade, Lei n.º 9/17, de 13 de Março.
Relatório sobre a Implementação do Plano de Acção da Plataforma de Beijing, 2014 – 2019, junho/2019, pg 6, https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/csw/64/national-reviews/angola.pdf?la=en&vs=5608
United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) (2019) Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women considers Angola’s report, available at: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24225&LangID=E
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Covid-19 Global Gender Response Tracker, available at: https://data.undp.org/gendertracker/