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 AFROL
Gender Profiles:
Equatorial
Guinea
Equatorial Guinea is located in Central Africa, inmost in the Gulf of Guinea.
The country consists of a larger continental part (Río Muni), bordering to Cameroon in the north an Gabon to the south and east. Further, the country consists of the island of Bioko (former Fernando Poo) off Douala (Cameroon), the island of Annobón in the Atlantic Ocean and some smaller islands (Corisco, Elobey, etc.) off the Río Muni coast.
The ethnic composition in Equatorial Guinea consists of Fang, Bubi, Ndowe, Annobonese,
Fernandino and Pygmy. Each people speaks its own language. The
official language is Spanish (and French).
Equatorial Guinea has the poorest human right record on the
entire African continent, making it a harsh environment to live in
for both men and women.
Social data
Life expectancy: Total population: 53,56 years
male: 51,53 years
female: 55,65 years (2000 est.)
Infant mortality: 91,2/1.000 born (1999 est.)
Alphabetization rate: Total population: 78,5%
male: 89,6%
female: 68,1% (1995 est.)
Medical services: 0,48 doctors each 1.000 inhabitants.
Sex ratio: at birth: 1,03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1,01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0,91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0,81 male(s)/female
total population: 0,95 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Religious data: The population is Roman Catholic, at least nominal. Some 86% belong to the Catholic Church. However, the church was expelled during the Macias Nguema dictatorship and traditional religion was encouraged. The Government still restricts the activities of the Catholic Church. Further, traditional religion has always been firmly rooted in the population, even when nominally Christian. This specially goes for the Río Muni population. Religion in practice therefore is a mix between traditional, African religions and Catholicism.
Family and tradition
Although the Constitution provides for equal rights, women largely are confined by custom to traditional roles, particularly in agriculture. Polygamy, which is widespread among the Fang, contributes to women's secondary status, as does limited educational opportunity. On average women receive only one-fifth as much schooling as men do.
There is no discrimination against women with regard to inheritance and family laws, but there is discrimination in traditional practice. For an estimated 90 percent of women, including virtually all ethnic groups except the Bubi, tradition dictates that if a marriage is dissolved, the wife must return the dowry given her family by the bridegroom at the time of marriage, while the husband automatically receives custody of all children born after the marriage. The mother maintains custody of all children born prior to the marriage.
Similarly, in the Fang, Ndowe, and Bubi cultures, primogeniture is practiced, and as women become members of their husband's family upon marriage, they usually are not accorded inheritance rights. According to the law, women have the right to buy and sell property and goods, but in practice the male-dominated society permits few women access to sufficient funds to engage in more than petty trading or to purchase real property beyond a garden plot or modest home.
Gender sensitivity in society
The Constitution provides for equal rights, but women in Equatorial
Guinea are confined by custom to traditional roles, particularly in
agriculture. Women also experience limited educational opportunity.
Although there are no legal restrictions on the participation of women in politics; however, women remain seriously underrepresented in government positions. There are 4 women in the 41-member Cabinet, and 5 in the 80-member legislature. However, women's participation in public and political life is increasing.
Health data
Access to potable water: 95%
Medical services: 0,48 doctors each 1.000 inhabitants.
Maternal mortality rate: 820/100.000
Infant mortality: 91,2/1.000 born (1999 est.)
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): There is no documentation of the practice
of FGM in Equatorial Guinea.
Extreme poverty, experienced by 65 per cent of the population gives little or
no access to any kind of medical services. Each woman on average gives birth to
4,94 children (2000 est.)
Teresa Efua Asangono, Minister for Women’s Integration and Social Affairs of Equatorial
Guinea stated on the 8 June this year, that the problems of women in the country
are connected with the paternal society. Equatorial Guinea does not have institutionalized discrimination, but suffers from attitudinal discrimination. Therefore, the Government has introduced a new way of socializing boys and girls and has reinforced policies of equal access for women to basic social services, education and health, equal pay for equal work, equal protection under the law, and equal rights in every area of public life. Those efforts are nonetheless insufficient and need to be accompanied by measures at the national and international level.
HIV/AIDS
Very little information on HIV prevalence is available for Equatorial Guinea. A 1992 study of antenatal clinic women in urban areas
found 2 percent of women tested positive for HIV infection. In 1996, 1 percent of antenatal clinic women tested in Malabo and Bata
were HIV positive. In the insular area of the country, 0,3 percent of antenatal clinic women tested positive for HIV infection in 1995.
On a national basis, 0,51% tested positive for HIV infection in 1999. 56%
of these were women. According to a new report published by the National Programme of Action to Combat
AIDS (2000), there are twice as many women infected by HIV as men.
Violence against women
Societal violence against women, particularly wife beating, is common. The public beating of wives is forbidden by government decree, but violence in the home generally is tolerated. The Government does not prosecute perpetrators of domestic violence.
Main sources: U.S. Department of State, CIA,
UN, Mundo negro
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