WRITTEN QUESTION E-0523/03 by Miet Smet (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Women's rights in Zambia.
Date: 2003-02-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: AIDS, Cotonou Agreement, EU aid, Zambia, economic sanctions, health aid, sexual violence, women's rights

C 33 E/48

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2004

In this context, some positive steps were achieved in Kenya in recent years. FGM was formally banned for
girls under 17 when the Children’s Act was adopted by the Parliament (2001), while civil society has raised
country-wide public awareness on this specific aspect of gender violence.

The Commission also welcomes the Government’s recent initiative to promote free primary schooling for
all, as it believes that repressive measures will have to be complemented by education to confront the
complex and culturally entrenched belief that underlie FGM practices and discrimination against women.

The Cotonou Agreement provides in article 8 for comprehensive political dialogue with all African,
Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States, including a regular assessment of developments concerning the respect
for human rights.

Where there are failures to respect the essential elements, set out in article 9 of the partnership, any Party
to the Agreement can invite the other Party to hold consultations in conformity with article 96 of the
Cotonou Agreement. Respect for human rights is one of the essential elements of the Agreement and
applies to all signatories. Article 96 provides that if the consultations do not lead to a solution acceptable
to both parties, appropriate measures may be taken. The suspension of the Agreement would be a measure
of last resort.

(2004/C 33 E/045)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0523/03

by Miet Smet (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(24 February 2003)

Subject: Women’s rights in Zambia

Cooperation between the EU and Zambia takes place on the basis of ACP-EU partnership. In the Cotonou
Agreement, which outlines the general framework for ACP-EU relations for the next 20 years, respect for
human rights and the equality of women and men are stressed repeatedly by both parties.

In spite of the fact that Zambia subscribes to these principles, the rights of women in Zambia are not
always respected. According to a report of 28 January 2003 by Human Rights Watch, girls in Zambia are
five times more likely to be infected with the HIV virus than boys, because they are the victims of
widespread sexual abuse.

Has the EU yet reacted to these grave infringements of women’s rights? If not, does it intend to do so?

Is there any provision for a mechanism to systematically monitor and enforce respect for women’s rights
in Zambia? Is there provision for the possibility of suspending cooperation between Zambia and the EU if
women’s rights, and human rights in general, are continually violated in Zambia?

If not, will the EU make provision in future for such possibilities?

If there is provision for the monitoring and enforcement of respect for human rights and for the possible
suspension of cooperation between Zambia and the EU, does this apply to all the countries which have
signed the Cotonou Agreement?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(3 April 2003)

The higher rate of human immundeficiency virus (HIV) infection in girls rather than boys in Zambia and
in the Southern African region is due to a number of factors of which sexual abuse is one, but there are
others including earlier age of sexual intercourse and greater susceptibility of females to infection.

6.2.2004

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 33 E/49

The Commission, in the framework of the Budget line B7-6211, announced in September 2002 a call for
proposals aimed at combating poverty-related diseases, including HIV/acquired immundeficiency syndrome
(AIDS), in all developing countries. The activities funded by these grants would improve care and treatment
for persons already infected but would also cover projects addressing the needs of young women
vulnerable to infection. The Human Rights Watch Report on Women’s Rights in Zambia, mentioned by
the Honourable Member refers to this European Community Programme (1).

Zambia has received a grant of USD 19 858 000 from the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, to which the
Community has contributed EUR 120 million.

Gender and HIV/AIDS are also the main crosscutting issues in the current Zambia National Indicative
Programme (NIP).

The Human Rights Watch Report notes that among the key problems in the state response are both the
weakness and the failure of the criminal justice system to deal appropriately with complaints of sexual
abuse and the need for special training in gender violence and child abuse for the police. During the visit
of the Member of the Commission responsible for Development to Zambia in January 2003, violence
against women and the need for special training for judges were discussed with President Mwanawasa.
Following that dialogue, the Commission is working with the Ministry of Legal Affairs to prepare special
training programmes for judges and police officers within the framework of an Institutional Development
and Capacity Building programme foreseen in the 9th European Development Fund NIP mentioned above.

The Cotonou Agreement provides in article 8 for comprehensive political dialogue with all African,
Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States, including a regular assessment of developments concerning the respect
for human rights.

The Community and the Member States are monitoring very closely and discussing with the government
the impact of HIV/AIDS and violence against women in the framework of the continuous political dialogue
established under article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement.

Where there are failures to respect the essential elements, set out in article 9 of the partnership, any Party
to the Agreement can invite the other Party to hold consultations in conformity with article 96 of the
Cotonou Agreement. Respect for human rights is one of the essential elements of the Agreement and
applies to all signatories. Article 96 provides that if the consultations do not lead to a solution acceptable
to both parties, appropriate measures may be taken. The suspension of the Agreement would be a measure
of last resort.

(1) Page 74.

(2004/C 33 E/046)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0526/03

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(24 February 2003)

Subject: Cooperation with Macao

The Commission has stated that it will ‘use all the instruments at its disposal to help underscore Macao’s
autonomy within China and its particular way of life’ (1), for it is convinced that a ‘European presence in
the territory and strong personal ties between Europe and Macao are … some of the main features which
help to make Macao a natural springboard for the EU in the region’ (2). Parliament has endorsed and
reaffirmed that commitment (3) by calling on ‘the European Union to make active use of the instruments
available to it, in particular the political dialogue, joint actions, the adoption of positions and, in particular,
cooperation measures’ (4).

However, in only two years, cooperation between the EU and Macao has declined to an extremely low
level. Indeed, according to Mr Patten’s answer to my recent question, it is currently confined to just one
project (5).