The Republic of Vanuatu is a parliamentary democracy with a population of approximately 326.000. The Constitution of Vanuatu is supreme law and sets out the legal framework which deals with the respect of human rights.
Generally, the Government respects the human rights of its citizens however a number of issues have arisen relating to the rights of women, conditions in prisons, government corruption and access to education. In 2009 the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) carried out Vanuatu's Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The review identified a number of the above concerns and made recommendations to Vanuatu as to how to address its human rights issues.
International treaties
In 1980 Vanuatu became a member of the United Nations, the same year that independence was gained. Vanuatu has ratified five of the nine core human rights treaties, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention Against Torture (CAT). Vanuatu has also ratified a number of International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions that aim to protect and uphold the rights of its workers. Vanuatu has also ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and the Optional Protocol to CEDAW.
Women’s rights
There are a number of human rights issues relating to women. Domestic violence is a concern, although there is a lack of current statistical information. The NGO coalition reported that assault ranked as the main form of physical violence between 1988 and 2002 and according to the Office of the Public Prosecutor, in 2002, men were responsible for 62% of unlawful assaults on women. The Vanuatu Women's Centre since its establishment in 1992 in Port Vila has dealt with 2,954 cases of domestic violence. Domestic violence is not well reported to police, particularly in rural areas due to cultural norms, stereotyping, prejudices and lack of access to town centres and health facilities.
At law women have equal rights, however Vanuatu's traditional culture can at times conflict with this. The concept of the bride price in which a groom or his family gives money to the bride's family in exchange for her hand in marriage is an example of this conflict. Despite the revocation of the 800,000 minimum vatu bride price, the practice is still widespread and effectively puts a commercial value on the women and has been seen as a justification for violence against women.
Women also face discrimination in relation to land ownership. Although land ownership is not barred by law, tradition has been a preventative of this. In 2009, it was reported that women owned 28% of the total leases in Vanuatu.
In 2009 Vanuatu accepted the recommendations set out in its Universal Periodic Review in relation to human rights issues regarding women. The recommendations advocated for Vanuatu to continue to incorporate principles of CEDAW as well as the other human rights conventions that it is party to into its domestic legislation and to undertake further actions to combat discrimination, and to ensure equality for women.
Domestic violence
Vanuatu has progressed in the protection of women's rights by passing the 2008 Family Protection Act (FPA). The purpose of the act is to "provide for an offence of domestic violence and family protection orders in cases of domestic violence." Under the act, violators face five years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to 100,000 vatu. The Government established a ‘Family Protection Unit’ to deal with issues related to the FPA. A protection order allows police to issue an order where a threat of violence has occurred, proof of injury is not a requirement.
Police are also undergoing specialized training to deal with cases of domestic and sexual violence and have implemented a no drop policy in which they do not drop cases of domestic violence, if the victim wishes for the complaint to be withdrawn they must go to court and formally make a request. Women's groups such as the Vanuatu Women's Centre and NGOs are also heavily involved in promoting and protecting the rights of women in Vanuatu.