Programme "Combating gender-based violence through independence for women in Equatorial Guinea"

Brief Description

The multisectoral programme entitled “Combating gender-based violence through independence for women in Equatorial Guinea”, aimed to encourage the participation of cooperation agencies, civil society, women's organizations and the various ministries in an effort to organize a national response to the problem. This Programme comprises various strategies and activities, with varying results, and it includes courses to raise awareness about violence against women for members of Parliament, officials from the justice system, the civil service and law enforcement, and health-care providers. The details and dates of the specific initiatives carried out to raise awareness among and provide information to the legislative, executive and judicial branches and civil society, and the various radio and television publicity campaigns held in recent years to increase public awareness are described in the section on article 5 of the Convention. Other activties include;

(a) Awareness-raising and information on violence against women provided by female MINASPROM (The Ministry of Social Affairs and the Advancement of Women) district-level representatives trained in Bata during the seminar held at the preparatory stage of the campaign. They were supported by provincial and regional female representatives in collaboration with civil society in each district;
(b) Publicity spots about violence against women broadcast on Radio and TV Asonga in Bata and Malabo;
(c) Publicity spots about violence against women broadcast on Radio Television of Equatorial Guinea (RTVGE); 
(d) Awareness-raising and information forum on violence against women, with representatives from NGOs, women’s groups and associations, and female MINASPROM advisers to the neighbourhood communities of Malabo district; 
(e) Awareness-raising and information session on violence against women for members of the executive branch during the Inter-Ministerial Council in Malabo; 
(f) Discussion and reflection forum on violence against women, held in the nation’s capital and attended by women committed to combating gender-based violence: women members of the executive branch, wives of members of the executive branch, wives of members of the judicial branch, wives of members of the legislative branch, women members of the legislative branch, women leaders of political parties, and women educational leaders in Malabo; 
(g) Start of an opinion poll on violence against women in Equatorial Guinea, polling 500 persons from different social strata; 
(h) Round table on violence against women with professionals from the judicial branch, national security, health and social welfare, education and MINASPROM, moderated by the President of the Association to Support African Women (ASAMA) on Radio Asonga in Bata; 
(i) Round table on violence against women with professionals from MINASPROM and the Ministries of National Security, Health and Social Welfare, and Education, moderated by the Ministry of Information, Tourism and Culture on RTVGE in Malabo; 
(j) Production and distribution of 400 posters and placards about violence against women, in both the mainland and island regions; 
(k) Production and distribution of 2,000 T-shirts pointing up violence against women, in both the mainland and island regions; 
(l) Production and distribution of 5,000 pamphlets and leaflets about violence against women, in both the mainland and island regions; 
(m) A play entitled Lagrimas (Tears) about violence against women, in Bata and Malabo; 
(n) Production of 20 protest banners with real photos of women victims of violence for the mass demonstration on 25 November and for continuous awareness-raising in the 18 MINASPROM provincial and district offices; 
(o) Production and distribution of 2,000 women’s uniforms for the peaceful mass demonstration against gender-based violence, held in Malabo on 25 November 2008, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women; 
(p) Production of 500 men’s uniforms for the peaceful mass demonstration against gender-based violence, held in Malabo on 25 November 2008, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women; 

(q) Tour by the Minister of Social Affairs and the Advancement of Women to the mainland districts of Niefang, Añisok, Mongomo, Ebibeyín, Micomiseng, Evinayong and Bata, in support of awareness-raising activities on violence against women as part of the celebrations for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November; 

(r) Peaceful mass demonstrations against gender-based violence in the provincial and district capitals throughout the country on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and the final day of the campaign; 
(s) Coordination meetings with the various national and international stakeholders: women’s groups and associations, MINASPROM advisers in neighbourhood communities, the Spanish cooperation agencies Agrupación Ayuda en Acción and InteRed, UNFPA, and other collaborators.