Women
Rape and Domestic Violence: Rape, spousal rape, and domestic abuse of women and men are criminal offenses for which conviction is punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment. Sexual assault remained a problem, but there was increased reporting of sexual assault cases. Authorities in general did not prioritize domestic abuse cases, and police were undertrained in handling sexual assault cases. Many survivors did not report rape or sexual assault due to social stigma and a reluctance to start lengthy court cases.
Domestic violence against women was a widespread problem. The Social Affairs Division of the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Family and NGOs provided counseling services to survivors of domestic violence and conducted gender-based violence training sessions.
Sexual Harassment: The law prohibits sexual harassment, but enforcement was rare. The law provides no penalty for conviction of sexual harassment, although a court may order a person accused of such conduct to “keep a bond of peace” that allows a court to assess a fine if the harasser fails to cease the harassment. In the workplace, the law states that an employer may not harass a worker. The Principal Secretary for Employment, Jules Baker, was investigated for harassment during the year, but no charges were filed against him, and he resumed his duties after a suspension.
Reproductive Rights: There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities.
Health clinics and local NGOs operated freely in disseminating information on family planning under the guidance of the Ministry of Health. There were no restrictions on access to contraceptives for persons aged 18 or older, but the law prohibits access to contraceptives for individuals younger than 18 even though the legal age of consent is 15. First-time mothers from the country’s other islands were required to travel to the main island of Mahe to give birth. Midwives were used for delivery unless the services of a doctor were required due to health concerns involving either the mother or the child, or a cesarian section was required. Nurses were responsible for both prenatal and postnatal care unless the mother or child had health concerns. The government provided access to sexual and reproductive health services for survivors of sexual violence. Emergency contraception was given as part of clinical management of rape, as was antiretroviral medicine.
Men and women had access to diagnosis and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases. The country’s high adolescent birth rate of 61 births per 1,000 women between the ages of 15 and 19 was a concern. All services related to reproductive health, as well as other health matters, were free in state-operated facilities. Information on government assistance to survivors of sexual assault was not available. Menstruation did not impede girls’ access to education. Free sanitary products were made available in all schools by the state and philanthropists to minimize absenteeism in schools.
Discrimination: Although society is largely matriarchal, the law provides for the same legal status and rights for men as for women, including under family, religious, personal status, and nationality laws, as well as laws related to labor, property, inheritance, employment, access to credit, and owning or managing businesses or property. There were no reports of women experiencing discrimination in marriage, divorce, child custody, education, the judicial process, in other institutions, or in housing. The government enforced the law effectively. While unwed mothers traditionally bear the burden of supporting their children, the law requires fathers to support their children financially. The law provides fathers with 10 days of paid paternity leave upon the birth of a child; mothers are provided with 16 weeks of maternity leave after birth. Women employees can also receive an additional four weeks of unpaid leave that can be taken before or after birth. The law provides equal rights to all children, including in the sharing of inheritance. The law also addresses the sharing of property in married or unmarried intimate partner relationships.
There was no officially sanctioned economic discrimination against women in employment, access to credit, equal pay for equal work, or owning or managing a business. Women were well represented in both the public and private sectors. Inheritance laws do not discriminate against women. Women do not face any discrimination based on marital status.
Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination
The constitution specifically provides equal protection to all persons, but there are no laws that provide specific protections to racial or ethnic minorities from violence or discrimination. The country does not have an indigenous population. The entire population consists of immigrants and descendants of French and English settlers, enslaved laborers from Africa, indentured laborers from South Asia, and settlers from East Asia. This population is homogenous in its racial and ethnic culture. Local society viewed all citizens on the island as ethnically Creole. The government did not distinguish other ethnicities along with that identification (e.g., Franco-Creole, Indo-Creole, etc.). Because of generations of intermarriage between all races on the island, there was little inequality, discrimination, or violence based on race or ethnicity. During the year there were no reports of such incidents. Social media, however, has grown as an outlet for racial vitriol directed at specific communities in the country. During the year there were no reports that these messages fueled violence.
Children
Birth Registration: Citizenship is derived by birth in the country or, if born abroad, from citizen parents, and births in the country were generally registered immediately. The law for registration of births includes a two-month deadline for registration and a requirement that a newborn be examined by a doctor before registration. There is also a registry for overseas births. Under the law, local committees must make sure all births are registered, even if the child’s parents are unknown. All children whose births are registered may receive public services.
Child Abuse: Although the law prohibits physical abuse of children, child abuse was a problem. According to NGOs, physical abuse of children was prevalent. The strongest public advocate for young victims was a semiautonomous agency, the National Council for Children. The law prohibits corporal punishment in schools and at home.
Child, Early, and Forced Marriage: Child marriage was not a significant problem. The minimum age for marriage is 18 for men and women.
Sexual Exploitation of Children: The law defines a child as a person younger than age 18 and criminalizes practices related to child pornography, using children for commercial sexual exploitation, sale, grooming for commercial exploitation, and child sex trafficking. The law prohibits child pornography, but enforcement was a problem. The minimum age for consensual sex is 15, but a person younger than 18 cannot legally access contraceptives. Child sexual abuse remains a problem. In February a man from the island of Praslin was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment for sexually assaulting a girl aged nine. In December the Appeals Court reduced his sentence to 17 years.
Antisemitism
The Jewish community numbered fewer than 25 persons. There were no reports of antisemitic acts.
Trafficking in Persons
See the Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report at https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/.
Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics
Criminalization: There are no laws criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults or so-called cross dressing, including de facto discrimination, such as laws covering “debauchery.” No other laws are used to de facto criminalize, threaten, or extort lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) individuals.
Violence Against LGBTQI+ Persons:There were no reports during the year of violence against LGBTQI+ persons, nor reports that authorities condoned or tolerated violence against LGBTQI+ persons.
Discrimination: The law prohibits discrimination by state and nonstate actors based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression of sex characteristics and recognized LGBTQI+ individuals. While same-sex relationships are legal, same-sex marriage is illegal and the law does not recognize same-sex couples or their families. The country does not recognize same-sex marriages registered abroad. Adoption by same-sex couples is illegal. The government enforced these laws.
There were few reports of discrimination against LGBTQI+ persons, although activists stated discrimination and stigma were common. LGBTQI+ persons stated that the government discriminated against them when applying for public housing, applying for resident and work permits for same-sex spouses, and sometimes via unfriendly officers when engaging with police. LGBTI Sey, an NGO, met with the president during the year and highlighted several concerns, including bullying, education, and health.
Availability of Legal Gender Recognition: The law and practices do not allow for persons to change their gender identity marker on legal and identifying documents to bring them into alignment with their gender identity. The option to identify as nonbinary, intersex, or gender-nonconforming was not available. LGBTI Sey requested that the Ministry of Health provide clear guidelines for transgender individuals regarding access to hormone treatment therapy and to allow updating identity documents to reflect gender identity. In 2017 Jezebel Barbe’s appeal to have her gender of record legally registered was rejected by the Court of Appeal. In 2020 she took her case to the United Nations Human Rights Commission; the case was still pending.
Involuntary or Coercive Medical or Psychological Practices Specifically Targeting LGBTQI+ Individuals: There were no reports of such practices.
Restrictions of Freedom of Expression, Association, or Peaceful Assembly: There were no reports of restrictions to freedom of expression, association, or peaceful assembly for LGBTQI+ persons, nor were there restrictions on LGBTQI+ organizations to register or convene events.
Persons with Disabilities
Not all persons with disabilities could access education, public buildings, and transportation on an equal basis with others. The government provided universal access to health services. Although the constitution and law provide for special protections for persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, and mental disabilities, including reasonable provisions for improving quality of life, no laws address access to public buildings, transportation, or government services, and the government did not provide such services. Government information and communication on disability concerns were not provided in accessible formats such as braille or sign language. Most children with disabilities were segregated in specialized schools. The government has a department for elderly and disability matters under the Ministry of Youth, Sport, and Family.
There were no reports of violence of harassment of persons with disabilities by government officials, police, health officers or teachers, but NGOs advocated for more compassion, support, and resources for persons with disabilities.
There were no reports of discrimination in employment and occupation against persons with disabilities (see section 7.d.). The government did not have a program to assist disabled persons in finding employment. The Vocational Training Center, which had trained young persons with disabilities, remained closed for the second year, with no alternatives provided for young persons with disabilities. Government inaction to develop the potential of persons with disabilities, through education or employment, limited their participation in civic life.