US embassy cable - 96LUANDA1811

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