Adolescent Reproductive Health, Including HIV/AIDS

Decree No. 86-91 set forth the organization, administration, and responsibilities of the Ministry of Health, including the Department for the Protection of Disadvantaged Children, which has responsibility for devising activities to assist disadvantaged children; initiating legislation to assist unfortunate children; monitoring matters within its competence relating to the application of the Convention on the Rights of the Child; and formulating and coordinating the implementation of programmes to protect children and adolescents.

Girl’s Education

Subject to places being available, basic public education is. Decree No. 12-88 of December
1988 stipulates that programmes promoting women should aim at supporting the productive participation of women in development, including access to primary education so they can assume an active role in society.

Labour and Employment

The law provides that children cannot be employed before the age of 14 in the non agricultural sector unless the Minister of Labour grants an exception due to local circumstances. The Government had a functional labour inspectorate with the authority to refer violations directly to the appropriate judicial authorities; however, the Government lacked sufficient resources to enforce existing child labour laws. The law specifies that no child under the age of 13 may be employed in the agricultural sector without the permission of the Minister of Labour. The law states that employed children between the ages of 14 and 16 should receive 70 percent of the minimum wage, and that those between the ages of 17 and 18 should receive 90 percent of the minimum wage.

Gender Issues

Decree No. 12-88 of December 1988 stipulates that programmes promoting women should aim at supporting the productive participation of women in development, including access to primary education so they can assume an active role in society.

Decree No. 54-92 of 24 June 1992 stipulates that a policy for the promotion of women will be formulated , making the public aware of the rights and duties of women and the rights of
children.

International Conventions

Mauritania has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), hereby expressing reservations to articles or provisions, which may be contrary to the beliefs and values of Islam, the religion of the Mauritania People and State. Mauritania also ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) except for those parts, which are contrary to Islamic Sharia and are not in accordance with the Constitution.

Age at First Marriage

The minimum age for marriage is the nubile age.