All Equals Before the Law, by Locos por Cultura

Despite having a Constitution that explicitly determines in its article 13. 1 c) that citizens will have the right “to equality before the Law” and that “women, whatever their marital status, have equal rights and opportunities as men in all areas of public, private and family life, in the civil, political, economic, social and cultural spheres”, the daily reality shows that this is not the case, and in certain cases, it is even the contrary. For this reason, this Project aims to create spaces for debate, exchange and awareness of the existing mechanisms that support of gender equality in the laws in force in Equatorial Guinea, using as a starting point, the national Constitution.

With the support of APROFORT, the project Todos Iguales Ante la Ley (TIAL) (All Equals Before the Law) has been implemented by Locos por Cultura mainly in Malabo and Rebola, with the collaboration and support of students and youth groups.

The implementation of this project means the beginning of a series of activities that Locos por Cultura wants to continue to help building a solid and sustainable citizen awareness, based on the knowledge of their duties and rights as citizen as well as the existing legal, structural and cultural mechanisms can ensure the equality that leads to the full development of every individual.

During the three days of activities – in Rebola and in Banapá, in the Locos por Cultura headquarters –, TIAL analysed the problem of fundamental rights, the discrepancies about gender equality in different contexts in the communities and in the family.

TIAL managed to reach more than 250 people – among children, students and young adults –, where most belong to associations and youth groups that promote Human Rights and equal rights, creating safe spaces for dialogue, analysis, and exchange of ideas.

In addition, more than a dozen young people have pledged to keep advocating to defend human rights and equality.

The Constitution grants equality between men and women at all levels of life. This project confirmed that there is an extreme lack of awareness of what it implies, as well as an institutional inaction before the violence suffered by those discriminated against. At the social level, adults do not think about the importance of knowing their rights or demanding them, since they do not educate their children in these rights or on how to claim them.

With Todos Iguales Ante la Ley TIAL, Locos Por Cultura has managed to instill a powerful message of equality before the law regardless of the gender, the result has been encouraging and hopeful.

With co-funding from the European Union, APROFORT is an initiative that advocates for the abolition of the death penalty in Equatorial Guinea, offers protection to activists and supports civil society in promoting good governance and human rights.