Mauritania

After gaining independence from France in 1960, Mauritania became embroiled in both external and internal strife before instituting democratic rule in 2005. However, ethnic tensions continue to cause concern, and there are major differences in the traditions and lifestyles of the urbanized Moorish and rural black populations. Around half of the workforce is engaged in agriculture and livestock, and 30 percent are unemployed. Mauritania has a per capita income of $2,100 and a poverty rate of 40 percent.

The majority of the population is of mixed Moor/black heritage (40 percent). The rest are evenly divided between Moors and blacks. There is no diversity in religion, as all Mauritanians are Muslim. Sharià Law continues to dictate the conditions under which many women live, but some customs have been discarded by educated, urbanized Moor women. The government and nongovernmental organizations work together to improve the status of women. Both female gender mutilation and gavage, the forced feeding of adolescent girls, have been outlawed.

Although women have legal rights to equality, property ownership, and child custody, it is only more educated, urban women who are able to take full advantage of those rights. Other major concerns include arranged marriages, violence against women, involuntary servitude, and societal discrimination of women. The Secretariat for Women's Affairs and women's rights groups work together to inform women about the dangers of female genital mutilation and educate them about their rights. Equal pay is mandated by law, and some employers offer generous family-leave policies.

According to Sharià tradition, a woman can be married or divorced without her consent. However, divorce rates (37 percent) are high among Moor women, and wives can also end marriages by repudiating their husbands. Female court testimony carries only half the weight of that of men. Female genital mutilation is generally performed on infant girls between 7 days and 6 months of age. The government has now forbidden all hospitals from performing female genital mutilation. The practice of involuntary servitude has declined to some extent. By law, adult males can leave servitude at will; however, mothers find it more difficult to leave because they may not be able to take their children if they leave.

Women have the right to vote and are active in party politics. The quota system dictates that 20 percent of candidate lists be women. In 1997, more women voted than men for the first time. By 2008, 15 women served in the National Assembly, eight sat in the Senate, and four were in the cabinet.

Mauritania has the 35th highest infant mortality rate in the world (63.42 deaths per 1,000 live births). Female infants (58.03 deaths per 1,000 live births) have a considerable advantage over male infants (68.65 deaths per 1,000 live births). That advantage [Page 912]continues throughout life, and women have a life expectancy of 62.59 years compared with 58.22 years for men. The median age for women (20 years) is somewhat higher than that of men (18.3 years). Mauritanian women have a fertility rate of 4.45 children.

Mauritanians have the 59th highest human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) adult prevalence rate (0.8 percent) in the world. They also have a high risk of contracting bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, malaria, Rift Valley fever, meningococcal meningitis, and rabies. Nearly 60 percent of men are literate, but only 43.4 percent of women are able to read and write. All Mauritanians have a school life expectancy of eight years. There is a major problem with domestic violence, but it is generally left to families and ethnic groups to deal with the matter. From an official perspective, rape is rare. However, nongovernmental organizations insist that there are high incidences of unreported rape. Wealthy men accused of rape have reportedly managed to avoid prosecution and imprisonment. Prostitution is a growing problem, and there are reports of trafficking of Chinese women for use in brothels that cater to foreigners.

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