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1. Article 1(1)(a) of the Convention. Sexual harassment. The Committee notes that the Government has not responded in its report to the Committee’s general observation of 2002 on sexual harassment. The Committee urges the Government to provide information on the measures taken and the effects of such measures to address sexual harassment.

2. Article 2 of the Convention. Policy to promote equality. In the absence of adequate information in the Government’s report, the Committee repeats, in relevant parts, the matters raised in its previous direct request, which read as follows:

1. The Committee notes that according to the policy on population, promulgated on 22 July 1994, and Act No. 19/PR/95 of 4 September 1995, the ultimate objective of the promotion of women is the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, which are obstacles to their integration into the development process. The Committee also notes that the Government attributes importance to information activities to change traditional attitudes regarding the status of women and to promoting the awareness among women of their rights. The policy also promotes the better adaptation of education and training to the employment needs in the private and public sector. The Committee notes that the IDF policy contains various objectives and measures concerning training and employment of women, including the extension of women’s economic activities in non-traditional areas, the creation of vocational training centres for girls, stipends for female students in technical areas, and support for the creation of small enterprises. In respect of the latter, the Committee notes that the Government planned to repeal the provisions stipulating a right of the husband to object to commercial activities of the spouse contained in article 9 of Ordinance No. 006/PR/84. The Committee hopes that the Government will make every effort to provide information on the measures taken or envisaged to realize the objectives of the abovementioned policies, as far as they relate to the promotion of equal access of women and girls to education, vocational training and employment, including on the repeal of article 9 of Ordinance No. 006/PR/84, which is incompatible with the Convention. The Committee further reiterates its request to the Government to provide information on the activities in respect of promoting access of women to employment of the national IDF committee and IDF focal points, to which the Government has referred previously.

2. The Committee notes Ministerial Order No. 300/MEN/DG/94 of the Ministry of National Education of 30 December 1994 which establishes the technical unit to promote girls’ education (CTPSF) under the responsibility of the Director-General of the Ministry. The Committee notes that the unit’s mandate includes giving advice to the Director-General and coordinating activities of the different actors involved in the education of girls, and to develop measures to increase the participation of girls in education. According to the report, traditional attitudes that prevented girls from going to school have been changed in the areas covered. The Committee notes with interest that, while overall participation in primary school increased from 1995 to 1998, the gap between boys and girls decreased. The Committee also notes the low participation of girls at the secondary and tertiary level. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide similar information in its next report, in particular on the activities of the technical cell and measures taken to improve women’s and girls’ participation in education and training at the secondary and tertiary levels.

3. The Government is asked to continue to provide detailed information on the activities of the unit related to equality in employment and occupation, for women’s associations (Cellule de liaison et d’information des associations féminines), in particular its collaboration with women’s committees of trade unions.

4. With regard to its previous comment concerning measures against discrimination on the basis of national extraction, the Committee understands from the report that, according to the Government, there is no evidence that national extraction is used to disqualify job applicants. The Committee recalls that the mere absence of reported cases of discrimination is not to be regarded as indication as to its non-existence and hopes that the Government will take the necessary measures to ensure, in law and practice, the prohibition of non-discrimination on the ground of national extraction in public and private employment and to keep the Committee informed thereof.