Luanda - The Minister of Social Action, Family and Promotion of Women, Ana Paula do Sacramento Neto, reiterated on Friday in Banjul (Gambia) the Government's continued commitment to diversifying the economy and empowering families, especially the most vulnerable.
According to a note received by ANGOP, the minister was speaking during the 81st Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, which took place on Thursday and Friday.
According to the minister, despite the difficulties that the country faces, the Angolan State has never abdicated its responsibilities and the fulfillment of its obligations, so it has adopted policy and legislative measures of relevant impact to raise the standard of living of Angolans.
Among measures to respond to the needs of the populations, he said, are the implementation of the National Human Rights Strategy and its Action Plan; the Action Plans to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings and Eradicate Child Labour (2021-2025), among other programmes.
On the occasion, the official pointed out that Angola's Human Development Index is 0.591, 0.023 points more compared to 2021, when it was at 0.586, occupying place 148 on the list.
Regarding life expectancy, he stressed that it went from 58 to 62 years in the period from 2017 to 2022.
On the occasion, the official said that Angola is fully committed to the elimination of harmful practices, such as marriage and early pregnancy, polygamy and female genital mutilation, accusation of witchcraft, among others.
'To mitigate these practices, we continue to work on raising awareness with the implementation of campaigns. These measures were reinforced by law with the Penal Code, which incorporates a section on crimes against women, criminalizing, among others, female genital mutilation, whose penalties range from 2 to 10 years in prison,' she stressed.
Regarding the Integrated Program for Local Development and Fight against Poverty, she informed that its implementation is carried out with funds from the General State Budget (OGE), and from 2018 to 2024 9,025,120 people were registered and includes the construction and rehabilitation of social infrastructures.
This program also includes projects for the reintegration of former military personnel and people with disabilities from war, school meals, productive inclusion, family farming, assistance to people with disabilities with means of transportation and technical aids, training and overcoming in demining and primary health care.
During her speech, Ana Paula do Sacramento Neto made it known that the Kwenda project, which operates in social monetary transfers, has so far benefited 1,061,798 households.
The program supports 347 associations and 395 cooperatives.
'To conclude, I would like to reaffirm the political commitment of the Angolan Government to the promotion and protection of the civil, political, economic, social, cultural and environmental rights of the peoples,' she added. MCN/DOJ
