CHAPTER THREE: DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL GOVERNANCE __________________________________________________________________________ 274. From another point of view, the strengthening of this willingness to promote women in Benin led to the creation of numerous institutions. These include the National Commission for the Integration of Women in Development (1993); the Department for Women’s Affairs (1996); the Women’s Department in Rural Agricultural Development (CFDAR) at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MAEP) in 1995; and a ministry responsible for the promotion of women, now called the Ministry of the Family and the Child (MFE), in 1998. In addition, two gender focal points have been designated in other ministries. 275. The government of Benin also established a National Commission for the Promotion of Women (CNPF) in 2002, followed by Departmental Commissions for the Promotion of Women (CDPF) in 2003. Other operational provisions include the creation of a department for the coordination, monitoring and evaluation of gender integration, and the Department of Statistics and Information on Women within the Department for the Promotion of Women and Gender (DPFG). 276. With regard to policies, the PNPF was adopted on 31 January 2001 and aims, inter alia, at improving the social and legal status of women, at ensuring their education and training, and at strengthening their economic capabilities. A multi-sectoral plan of action was adopted to implement this policy. 277. Effectiveness of measures taken. After considering the great efforts made, and the considerable progress on promoting women in Benin, the CRM pointed out that the situation of women is still uncertain. There are still problems, particularly with regard to the enjoyment of human and legal rights; protection against violence; access to justice; representation at the decisionmaking level; taking responsibility for the state of women; and mainstreaming gender in development policies and programmes through institutional mechanisms. 278. The CRM pointed out that the content of the Individual and Family Code is not well known by the population, which is still attached to customary practices that are unfavourable to women. In fact, though the legal status of Beninese women may have developed de jure thanks to the different laws adopted and cited above, the de facto situation is still not satisfactory. The application of new laws is still problematic. There are various levels of application, depending on whether persons concerned are educated or not, whether they live in a town or village, or whether customary and traditional customs have a strong or moderate influence in the family. 279. It is worth emphasising Article 127 of the Customary Law of Dahomey. It stipulates that “a woman has no legal power … she is part of the man’s assets”13. Thus, according to Dahomey custom, it is only in practice that the woman has some importance. She is often valued in relation to her ability to procreate. In certain localities, she is thought to be the property of the husband  Law 2002-07 of 7 June 2004, relating to the Individual and Family Code. Dr Elisabeth Fourn. 19 November 2005. Entreprenariat féminin: Étude des fondements sociologiques de la promotion des femmes au Bénin. Forum Socio-économique : Cotonou. 13 111