Little explanation is needed to imagine the impact of Madagascar’s 2009 coup and resulting five-years of illegitimate rule on respect for human rights in the country. Perhaps most famously known in the west for its lemurs, vanilla export or animated films, the country plummeted into new depths of poverty as the effects of an inefficient rule of law took hold and which led to a spate of unlawful killings and many other abuses by the security forces.
Yet since the democratically elected President, Hery Rajaonarimampianina, assumed the leadership in 2014 the state’s protection of its citizens’ rights is looking more positive. In January the country abolished the death penalty for all crimes; in October it was listed as one of the “top improvers” by the Mo Ibrahim Index on Governance in Africa—with data showing positive changes made in safety, the rule of law and human rights. Just this month, steps are being taken by the National Assembly towards ending its gender discriminatory nationality law.
The necessity to reform the law was advocated by the Equal Rights Trust and partners the UNHCR, Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights and Focus Development Association during an Assembly session at the beginning of November.
