Ivory Coast ratified the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa ("Maputo Protocol") on 5 October 2011 (AU, 16 October 2019; see also the OECD, December 2018, p. 3). The country ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1995; in 2012, the country ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (UN Treaty Body Database, undated; see also CEDAW, 30 July 2019, p. 2).^[1] There have been no changes in domestic legislation to specifically address violence against women since the ratification of the Maputo Protocol in 2011 so the relevant legislation is broadly generic. This includes the following:

• Constitution of Ivory Coast^[2] (Law No. 2016-886), which established in Article 2, paragraph 2 the principle of equality between men and women
• 2019 Penal Code^[3] (Law No. 2019-574), which covers both men and women but it does not provide specific provisions to tackle domestic violence
• Law No. 98-757,^[4] which criminalizes female genital mutilation
• Marriage Law No. 2019-570,^[5] which includes the rights of women within marriage, including the right to live separate from the husband in case of danger

One part of the Supreme Court deals with constitutional matters, including the eligibility of candidates in elections. The upper court is the high court of justice, which can judge members of government for alleged offenses committed while in office. The lower courts include courts of appeals, courts of first instance, courts of assizes and justice of the peace courts. In rural areas in particular, traditional law also holds sway, with grand mediators adjudicating when customary laws cannot settle disputes. Violence claims are ruled in the courts of first instance of the area where the crime or arrest took place.^[6]

The victim needs to make a claim to the police, which will carry an investigation and the case may end in court. However, there have been reports that the police normally ignore domestic violence claims^[7] and domestic violence cases rarely reach the court due to the social stigma. Human Rights Watch has declared the Ivory Coast judicial system unreliable.^[8] Research shows that victims tend to keep secret about domestic violence and may not share information with family and friends due to the social stigma.^[9] If shared, domestic violence cases are shared with doctors, counselors and women's support groups, but it is suspected that the number of victims is two to 10 times higher than the numbers reported.^[10]