CMNT_TITLE

The Committee takes note of the information provided by the Government in reply to its previous direct request.

1. The Committee notes with interest the activities of the Special Commission on the Rights of Women and in particular the conclusions and recommendations of the workshop-seminar on policies for the promotion of women and their rights. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on the measures that have been taken or are contemplated to give effect to the recommendations of the workshop-seminar, particularly in order to:

(i) devise a policy on services adapted to women's needs, to lighten the burden of the work traditionally assigned to women so that they can have access to employment; (ii) promote women's participation in the private sector and the public sector (the Committee asks the Government to supply information on the number of women employed in the public sector at various levels of responsibility);

(iii) to implement an education policy and promote women's technical training for work.

2. The Committee notes the statement in the Government's additional report to the effect that there has been major progress in integrating women into the labour market as a number of mechanisms have been created to provide technical assistance, credit and training for women. The report refers in particular to the Self-Employment and Micro-Enterprise Programme (PRODAME) and a special occupational training programme for young persons who are unemployed. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on the results of these efforts, stating the number of women who participated in programmes of this kind.

3. The Committee takes note of a recommendation of the workshop-seminar mentioned above that the Agrarian Reform Act should be amended to provide that women shall have equal access to landownership. It asks the Government to indicate the relevant provisions of the Agrarian Reform Act and to provide a copy of the Act with its next report.

4. In its previous direct request, the Committee noted that the Court of Constitutional Guarantees had been asked to supply information concerning the appeals submitted to it against decisions issued by the administrative labour authorities by persons who consider that they have been subjected to discriminatory decisions. The Committee notes the Government's statement that this information will be forwarded in an additional report as soon as it is received.