Cablegate: Status of Women in the Sadc Region-- Angola

R 211611Z JUN 96
FM AMEMBASSY LUANDA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3212
INFO AMEMBASSY MBABANE
AMEMBASSY PORT LOUIS
AMEMBASSY HARARE
AMEMBASSY MAPUTO
AMEMBASSY MASERU
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LUANDA 001811

DEPT FOR AF PDAS BUSHNELL AND AF/S

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SOCI KWMN PHUM SADC AO
SUBJECT: STATUS OF WOMEN IN THE SADC REGION-- ANGOLA

REF: A) STATE 112270 AND PREVIOUS B) LUANDA 0738

1. SUMMARY: TWO DECADES OF CIVIL WAR HAVE WRECKED
FAMILY SUPPORT STRUCTURES IN ANGOLA, SEVERELY
UNDERMINING THE STATUS OF WOMEN. WHILE ANGOLAN LAW
PROVIDES FOR THE FAIR AND EQUAL TREATMENT OF WOMEN,
DISCRIMINATION AND POOR TREATMENT PERSISTS, ESPECIALLY
IN RURAL AREAS. THE ANGOLAN GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO
IMPLEMENTING THE PRINCIPLES OF THE BEIJING WOMEN'S
CONFERENCE, BUT DOUBTS REMAIN AS TO WHETHER LEGISLATION
MODELED ON THE BEIJING FORUM WILL ENSURE CONCRETE
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STATUS OF WOMEN. POST WILL
CONTINUE TO PROMOTE WOMEN'S RIGHTS AS A CROSS-CUTTING
OBJECTIVE THROUGH THE USE OF 116(E) FUNDING, DEMOCRACY
AND GOVERNANCE PROGRAMS, REPRESENTATIONAL EVENTS AND
SUPPORT FOR LOCAL ACTIVISTS. END SUMMARY.

2. ACCORDING TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GRA'S STATE
SECRETARIAT FOR WOMEN'S AFFAIRS AND THE INDEPENDENT
ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN JURISTS, THERE ARE NO PROVISIONS
IN ANGOLAN LAW WHICH CAN BE CONSTRUED AS DISCRIMINATORY
AGAINST WOMEN. GENDER EQUALITY WAS ENSHRINED IN
ANGOLA'S 1975 POST-INDEPENDENCE CONSTITUTION AND
REMAINS IN FORCE UNDER THE LAW. WOMEN HAVE FULL
POLITICAL RIGHTS, AND THERE ARE THREE WOMEN MINISTERS:
PETROLEUM, FISHERIES AND CULTURE (THIS REPRESENTS JUST
13 PERCENT OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS). WOMEN MAY
THE RANK OF SUB-COMMISSIONER (MAJOR GENERAL) IN THE
NATIONAL POLICE. WOMEN FIGURE PROMINENTLY THROUGHOUT
THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN LUANDA AND OTHER LARGER,
EUROPEAN-INFLUENCED ANGOLAN CITIES. HOWEVER, ANGOLAN
WOMEN LEADERS, JUST LIKE THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, WANT TO SEE MORE WOMEN IN
POSITIONS OF POWER AND AUTHORITY IN THE RULING MPLA,
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.

3. BY CONTRAST, IN RURAL AREAS SIGNIFICANT DIVERGENCES
EXIST BETWEEN THE LEGAL PRINCIPLE OF EQUALITY AND
CUSTOMARY PRACTICE. ACCORDING TO GENOVEVA POLICARPO,
THE STATE SECRETARIAT FOR WOMEN'S DIRECTOR FOR
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, CUSTOMARY LAW WITH REGARD TO
WOMEN'S STATUS REMAINS IN FORCE THROUGHOUT RURAL
ANGOLA. UNDER THESE PRACTICES, SHE SAYS, WOMEN ARE
BARRED FROM INHERITING PROPERTY AND ARE OFTEN COMPELLED
BY THEIR HUSBANDS TO PERFORM STRENUOUS FARM LABOR.
ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHERN ANGOLA, FEMALE ADULTERY HAS BEEN
PUNISHED BY DEATH WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS THAT
MEN ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE MULTIPLE SEXUAL PARTNERS AFTER
MARRIAGE.

4. IN THE FEW AREAS OF RURAL ANGOLA WITH FUNCTIONING
COURTS OF LAW, WOMEN ARE GENERALLY DENIED ACCESS TO THE
JUDICIAL PROCESS TO REDRESS GRIEVANCES AGAINST MEN.
ALTHOUGH THE GRA PLANS A SEPTEMBER SEMINAR TO ADDRESS
DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN CUSTOMARY PRACTICE AND THE LEGAL
CODE, TRADITION GENERALLY WINS OVER LAW BY DEFAULT--
THE ANGOLAN JUDICIAL SYSTEM IS EXTREMELY WEAK, AND
TRADITIONAL AUTHORITIES (AND NORMS) HAVE FILLED THE GAP
LEFT BY THE ABSENCE OF CIVIL AND CRIMINAL COURTS. THE
DEVELOPMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE EXTENSION OF THE
REACH OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM TO EVERY CORNER OF THE
COUNTRY WILL BE AN IMPORTANT CHALLENGE TO THE GRA, WITH
THE HELP OF THE USG AND THE REST OF THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY, AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE PEACE PROCESS.

5. BOTH POLICARPO AND WOMEN'S JURISTS ASSOCIATION
PRESIDENT GRACA LOPES NOTE THAT TWO DECADES OF CIVIL
WAR HAVE ALSO PLACED CONSIDERABLE STRAIN ON THE STATUS
OF URBAN WOMEN, PARTICULARLY IN THE OVERCROWDED LUANDA
SHANTYTOWNS. LOPES REPORTS THAT RAPE AND SPOUSAL ABUSE
ARE REACHING EPIDEMIC PROPORTIONS AS MEN VENT THEIR
FRUSTRATIONS OVER DETERIORATING ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
CONDITIONS AT WOMEN. PROSTITUTION IS RAMPANT IN THE
SHANTYTOWNS AND THE USE OF CHILD PROSTITUTES APPEARS
WIDESPREAD AMONG UPPER-CLASS ANGOLANS AND SOME
EXPATRIATES.

6. THE STATE SECRETARIAT FOR WOMEN HAS PREPARED A
PROPOSAL FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE THEMES RAISED AT
THE BEIJING WOMEN'S CONFERENCE. ACCORDING TO STATE
SECRETARY JOANA LINA, THE PROPOSAL IS "EXTREMELY
FAITHFUL" TO THE TEXT OF THE RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED IN
BEIJING. THE MEASURE IS AWAITING APPROVAL BY THE
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS, WHICH HAS NOT MET IN OVER SIX
WEEKS AND WHOSE WORK MAY BE FURTHER SLOWED BY LAST
WEEK'S PARTIAL CABINET SHAKEUP. WE ARE RAISING WITH
SENIOR CABINET OFFICIALS THE NEED TO PUSH THIS AGENDA.

7. OUR EMBASSY TAKES AN ACTIVE ROLE IN PROMOTION OF
WOMEN'S ISSUES IN ANGOLA. WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
OUR AID MISSION EARLIER THIS YEAR AND OUR ACCESS FOR
THE FIRST TIME TO DFA FUNDING, WE ARE WORKING WITH
AID PROJECT DESIGN TEAMS TO ENSURE THAT PROMOTION OF
WOMEN IS A CROSS-CUTTING TOP PRIORITY OF ALL OUR
DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE, RURAL REHABILITATION, AND
PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. SPECIFIC
GRANTS UNDER THE DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS FUND AND
THE SELF-HELP PROGRAM HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR
ENHANCING THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN SOCIETY. TWO OF OUR
THREE GRANTEES FOR OUR INTERNATIONAL VISITORS
PROGRAM TO PROMOTE CIVIL SOCIETY ARE WOMEN, AND WE
HAVE ESTABLISHED A FULL PARITY POLICY FOR ALL FUTURE
USIA IV AND SPEAKERS PROGRAMS. WE HAVE ALSO
HIGHLIGHTED WOMEN'S ISSUES THROUGH OUR PUBLIC
DIPLOMACY. AMBASSADOR AND OTHER SENIOR OFFICERS
HAVE SPOKEN OUT AT HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCES ON THE
CONTINUING PHYSICAL ABUSE OF WOMEN AND THEIR
EXCLUSION FROM FULL PARTICIPATION IN THE ECONOMIC
AND POLITICAL LIFE OF ANGOLA. OUR HUMAN RIGHTS
REPORT, WHICH HIGHLIGHTS THIS AREA, HAS BEEN
FREQUENTLY QUOTED BY LOCAL WOMEN'S RIGHTS ACTIVISTS.
WE HAVE SPONSORED REPRESENTATIONAL FUNCTIONS
STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN IN SOCIETY, SUCH
AS A HIGHLY PUBLICIZED ROUNDTABLE ON INTERNATIONAL
WOMEN'S DAY AT WHICH WOMEN FROM POLITICS, BUSINESS,
MEDIA, AND OTHER SECTORS MET TO DISCUSS WOMEN'S
ISSUES.

STEINBERG

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