Despite constitutional prohibitions against sex discrimination and provisions for full equality, including equal pay for equal work, discrimination continues. Women experience difficulties in obtaining certain types of employment. Although they are often paid less than men, they are making modest inroads in the professions. The Constitution prohibits discrimination against women in inheritance, family, and custody matters. However, largely because of illiteracy, most women are unaware of their rights.
Women are often reluctant to seek redress of domestic disputes in the courts.
The Organization of Cape Verdean Women alleges disparate treatment in inheritance matters despite laws calling for equal rights. Women comprise 52.7 percent of the general population, but only 36.8 percent of the employed work force. Among those considered unemployed within the labor pool actively seeking employment, government figures indicate that women make up 54.7 percent of those out of compensated employment. Despite these dire statistics, employment opportunities for women are improving, as evidenced by the increasing presence of women in the upper echelons of government and among the legal and medical professions. With the impetus gained from the preparatory work for the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, women's organizations launched new efforts to improve the plight of poor and economically disadvantaged women, holding several symposiums and conferences.