UN Authority Figures

UN Commission on the Status of Women: Togo

"Instruments used in female genital mutilation." Source: (Middle-East-Info.org)

Mission of the Commission on the Status of Women: "The Commission on the Status of Women...is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women. It is the principal global policy-making body. Every year, representatives of Member States gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and advancement of women worldwide." (Commission on the Status of Women web-site, "Overview")

Term of office: 2006-2010

Togo's Record on Women's rights:
"[S]erious human rights problems continued, including...rape,...female genital mutilation (FGM) and violence against women [and] discrimination against women...The law does not specifically outlaw spousal rape...Rape was thought to be a widespread problem throughout the country. The law does not specifically prohibit domestic violence, and domestic violence against women continued to be a widespread problem...Police generally did not intervene in abusive situations, and women were not made aware of the formal judicial mechanisms designed to protect them...A husband legally can restrict his wife's freedom to work or control her earnings...Under traditional law a wife has no maintenance or child support rights in the event of divorce or separation and no inheritance rights upon the death of her husband." (US State Department's Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2008, Togo)

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