Outcome CIV_D_1.1

By 2025, Governance systems are more inclusive, accountable, effective and have quality data and people live in an environment where the rule of law, labour rights, gender equality, peace and security are respected and effective

Côte d'Ivoire has a quota law that promotes the representation of women in elected assemblies with the institution of a 30% quota for women on the lists of candidates presented by political parties or groups of parties for the election of deputies, senators, regional councillors, district councillors and municipal councilors. During the year 2022 and as a prelude to the local elections of 2023, support was provided to the Ministry in charge of Women and to the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) to propose to the Government a draft electoral code harmonized with the law on the quota (a reformulation of 4 articles (articles 78, 117, 156 al. 4 and 187 al. 4) of the electoral code). The adoption of this electoral code is underway. Also, Cote d'Ivoire is the 1st African country to have adopted in 2018 a Nation Action Plan for the implementation of Resolution 1325. During the year 2022, precisely on July 13, the Government gave the Ministry in charge of Women during the Council of Ministers to finalize, with a contribution from the State Budget, the process of elaborating the 2nd generation of NAP of R 1325 in the light of the evolution of the national and international security contexts, notably the expansion of violent extremism. In accordance with this agreement, the NAP 2 R 1325 (2023-2027) document has been finalized. Its formal adoption by the Government is scheduled for the first quarter of 2023. In addition, the CO also support the development of the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics 2023-2027 is under preparation and the Ministry of Planning plans to launch it during the year 2023.

By 2025, Governance systems are more inclusive, accountable, effective and have quality data and people live in an environment where the rule of law, labour rights, gender equality, peace and security are respected and effective

As attested by the 2023 OECD SIGI indicator, presented in September 2024, Côte d'Ivoire has succeeded in positioning itself as the "best student of Africa" in terms of combating discrimination against women, mainly thanks to its efforts to strengthen the gender sensitivity of its legal framework and governance system, which UN Women has supported significantly since the start of its activities in the country in 2007 and particularly after its accreditation in 2013. During 2024, the country's progress towards the availability of more inclusive and gender-sensitive governance systems, with the support of UN Women, increased. Indeed, under the observations and guidance of UN Women, gender equality has been retained as a priority axis in the NDP 2026-2030 currently being drawn up to enable Côte d'Ivoire to support the significant participation of women in political life (with the effective and systematic application of the quota law) as well as their empowerment for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda's SDG 5. UN Women has also supported efforts to produce gender-sensitive statistics by the Ministry of Women, Family and Children (MFFE), which for the 4th consecutive year has published its statistical yearbook to better guide the drive to strengthen the gender-sensitivity of public and private interventions. https://www.aip.ci/90928/cote-divoire-aip-le-ministere-de-la-femme-de-la-famille-et-de-lenfant-publie-ses-statistiques-2023/ Additionally, in support of national efforts to create optimal conditions for the application of the quota law (law n°2019-870 of October 14, 2019 for the promotion of women in elected assemblies), UN Women launched during 2024 - with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) - a national survey on violence against women candidates to enable Côte d'Ivoire to have factual data and put in place appropriate strategies to address in a relevant way this violence against women during elections, which constitute major barriers to their meaningful participation in political life. Furthermore, with the significant contribution of UN Women, Côte d'Ivoire adopted - during this year 2024 in the Council of Ministers - the 2nd generation of its National Action Plan for the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution on "Women, Peace and Security (WPS)" (NAP R1325, 2024-2028). https://www.presidence.ci/communique-du-conseil-des-ministres-du-mercredi-20-novembre-2024/ This formal adoption of a NAP R1325 by the Council of Ministers, a first in Côte d'Ivoire, is the fruit of significant support from UN Women to strengthen the knowledge of key stakeholders (notably the Ministries in charge of Women (MFFE), of Economy, Planning and Development (MEPD), Budget and Finance (MBF), Foreign Affairs (MAEIAIE), Security (MIS), Defense (MEMDEF) and National Cohesion (MCNSLP), as well as the National Assembly) on the challenges of the WPS Agenda. This major role of UN Women has been recognized by the Ivorian Government, which asked UN Women, in the Communication to the Council of Ministers (CCM) adopting the NAP R1325, 2024-2028, to coordinate the contributions of Côte d'Ivoire's other partners for the successful implementation of this 2nd generation of the country's NAP. In addition, the main civil society organizations working on gender equality and women's empowerment, supported by UN Women, maintained their influence on Government-led normative, political and peace processes. During 2024, a total of 3 processes were influenced (compared with 2 in 2023). Indeed, as part of the drive to strengthen national cohesion, consolidate peace and national unity, in a sub-regional context of expanding violent extremism and in the run-up to presidential elections in 2025, the Network of Women Peace Mediators of Côte d’Ivoire (REFEM-CI) was selected by the Government as one of the members of the Permanent Framework for Consultation and Collaboration (CPCC) between the Government and civil society. The CPCC was set up on November 21, 2024, at a signing ceremony for a Strategic Partnership Agreement between the Ministry of National Cohesion, Solidarity and the Fight against Poverty (MCNSLP) and member organizations. Strengthening social cohesion: the government and civil society set up a permanent framework for consultation and collaboration. REFEM-CI is also active to strengthen women's participation in the humanitarian response coordinated by the government in the northern regions of the country to the massive influx of asylum seekers fleeing the security crisis in the Sahel. Finally, the Monitoring Committee for Gender mainstreaming in Electoral Processes (CSGPE) is continuing, through its various member organizations, its monitoring to ensure that the recommendations made by all political and electoral stakeholders in 2022 and 2024 are taken into account, to bring the electoral code into line with the quota law (law n°2019-870 of October 14, 2019 for the promotion of women in elected assemblies) before the presidential elections of 2025.

By 2025, Governance systems are more inclusive, accountable, effective and have quality data and people live in an environment where the rule of law, labour rights, gender equality, peace and security are respected and effective

During the year 2023, with the support of UN Women, notable progress was recorded by Côte d'Ivoire in establishing inclusive governance systems and creating an institutional environment whose gender sensitivity tends to improve although structural challenges persist. Indeed, the operationalization of Law No. 2019-870 of October 14, 2019 promoting the representation of women in elected Assemblies (Quota law) began during the local elections of September 2023 with an exceptional decision of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), whose awareness of gender issues was made effective with the support of UN Women, continuous press conferences of questioning and advocacy of the monitoring committee for the consideration of the gender in electoral processes (MCGEP), supported by the country office, and the mobilization of the main electoral stakeholders on the need for harmonization of the quota law and the electoral code, obtained during a national consultation supported in May 2023 by UN Women in partnership with the National Democratic Institute. The application of this law on the quota allowed Côte d'Ivoire to record for the first time in its history an average rate of more than 30% of representation of women in local elected assemblies: 32.71% in municipal councils (compared to 15.43% in 2018) and 32.40% in regional councils (compared to 12.63% in 2018). Efforts also continued to enable Côte d'Ivoire to continue to maintain its rank as the leading African country in the operationalization of Resolution 1325. The 2nd generation of National Action Plan finalized in 2022 during a inclusive process was introduced for adoption by the Council of Ministers in 2023. The signatures necessary for scheduling this adoption at the table of the Council of Ministers were obtained in 2023 for adoption planned for the 1st quarter of 2024. It should also be noted that the level of influence of civil society organizations supported by UN Women continues to expand. Indeed, the number of processes influenced increased from 1 in 2022 to 2 in 2023. At the request of the Ministry in charge of National Cohesion, the Network of Women Peace Mediators of Côte d'Ivoire (REFEM-CI ) managed, through its local awareness raising and various informal meetings, to alleviate the tensions that existed between the populations so that the resumption of local elections took place peacefully in 9 of the 10 localities affected by the protests and the cancellation of the vote, and the results accepted by the stakeholders. In terms of establishing gender-sensitive strategic documents, support was provided for the development of the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics 2023-2027. In addition, the Ministry of Women, Families and Children has accumulated its capacity to coordinate gender issues, with support from UN Women, with the production of a statistical directory in order to guide the dynamic of strengthening the gender sensitivity of public and private interventions.

By 2025, Governance systems are more inclusive, accountable, effective and have quality data and people live in an environment where the rule of law, labour rights, gender equality, peace and security are respected and effective

In line with its mission to strengthen women's leadership and participation in politics, UN Women Côte d'Ivoire works in support of the State of Côte d'Ivoire to put in place inclusive, efficient and quality data processes, notably through the capacity building of national institutions and structures as well as civil society. For the year 2021 in particular, 10 institutions, national structures, civil society organizations and women's networks have seen their capacities strengthened on the institutionalization of gender in electoral processes, the taking into account of gender equality and women's rights in political life, governance and peace processes. Thus, building up on 2020 achievements in 2019 and 2020, notably the adoption of a Gender Strategy, the establishment by decree of a Gender Thematic Commission (GTC) and the development of a repertoire of gender training modules adapted to its needs, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has adopted a budgeted action plan for its Gender Strategy and a training plan. The operationalization of these documents, with the support of UN Women, has enabled the IEC to have in its decision-making body (the Central Commission) and among its staff, 29 people in total, 38% of whom are women, with enhanced knowledge of Concepts, issues, stereotypes and gender representation"; "Gender institutionalization in an electoral management body"; "Production of sex-disaggregated and intersectional electoral data"; and "Valuation of sex-disaggregated and intersectional statistics". The changes brought about by these trainings can be seen in the IEC's commitment to contribute to the harmonization of the legal framework for elections to facilitate the application of the law on quotas, the systematization of the production of disaggregated electoral statistics, the integration of the variable "disability status" in the electoral code among the elements of identification of voters in order to facilitate the inclusion of people with disabilities in the process and the formalization of the implementation of a 30% quota in the recruitment of electoral agents and the constitution of their teams for the dissemination of electoral materials. UN Women also supported the definition of gender indicators for the early warning system as part of the implementation of the Support to the Electoral Process in Cote d'Ivoire (PACE) project, implemented in conjunction with UNDP (which was the lead agency) and UNESCO. Also, with the support of UN Women, the Ivorian Parliament has embarked on a gender institutionalization process. To this end, 32 parliamentarians (22 women and 10 men) from the Women's Caucus, the Standing Committees, the General Secretariat and the Office of the Presidents of the Senate and the National Assembly were trained on gender-sensitive legislation from 27 to 29 October 2021. A gender audit process is underway and will enable the institution to have a gender institutionalization strategy and plan. In addition, the Ministry of women has mobilized the technical and financial partners of Cote d'Ivoire around the national priorities in the field of gender and specifically women's political participation in order to relaunch the issue of a better coordination of interventions in the field of gender and political participation. In addition, the Ministry in charge of women, the National Council for Human Rights (CNDH) and the National Observatory for Gender Equity (ONEG) have been supported in promoting the quota law, setting up gender-sensitive statistics and reviewing and rewriting discriminatory laws. At the level of civil society, the network of women peace mediators, set up, trained and equipped with the support of UN Women, has played a decisive role in the functioning of the early warning mechanism developed by the United Nations System within the framework of the Support to Elections in Cote d'Ivoire project implemented at the request of the IEC. With the establishment of the Monitoring Committee for the integration of gender into electoral processes, UN Women has enabled civil society to understand and fully exercise its role in monitoring national commitments related to women's electoral participation. The Platform of Youth Organizations for the Affirmation of Women in Cote d'Ivoire (POJAFCI) was also assisted to carry out massive community awareness campaigns for youth on the importance of exercising their electoral rights and contributing to an inclusive and peaceful legislative election. A total of 4,322 people (1,500 young boys and 2,822 women and girls) were reached by this campaign in 12 localities across the country. Also, during this campaign, 379 people (101 girls, 221 boys and 57 young women) were registered as community relays for peaceful elections in Côte d'Ivoire.