CMNT_TITLE

The Committee notes that the Government's report generally describes the legislative and collective agreement framework for the principle of non-discrimination but contains no reply to its comments. It hopes that the next report will include full information on the matters raised in its previous direct request, which read as follows:

1. As regards access to education and vocational training, the Committee notes the statement that the national education and training systems do not incorporate any discriminatory measure, since they are open to all without distinction under the legal texts that are applicable in this respect. The same applies to apprenticeship and to vocational rehabilitation and further training, by virtue of collective agreements. Supervision of activities in this area is provided by the National Labour and Employment Office. The Committee requests the Government to continue supplying information on any developments in this respect and in particular to indicate the measures that have been taken in practice, under the above legislation, to encourage access to education and vocational training without any discrimination on the grounds set out in the Convention. The Committee hopes that the Government will also be able to supply statistics on the school attendance rates of the various groups of the population, and on participation in vocational training courses and the outcome of the supervision carried out in this area by the National Labour and Employment Office.

2. As regards access to employment and to particular occupations, and equality of treatment as regards terms and conditions of employment, the Committee notes the indications in the report and has also examined the collective agreement for geological and hydro-geological mining societies and enterprises (which came into force on 24 May 1985), a copy of which was supplied by the Government. The Committee notes with interest that under section 1 of this agreement, no distinction is made between workers of either sex and that under section 8, the parties undertake not to take account, in employment relationships within the enterprise, of social and ethnic extraction, religious belief, political and philosophical opinion, and whether or not the person concerned belongs to a trade union. The Committee also notes the statement that the National Labour Office, which is responsible for placing workers, only takes into account the vocational skills of the persons concerned. The Committee requests the Government to continue supplying information (including statistics) on the effect given in practice to the national laws and collective agreements in this connection, and on the work of the above Office. It would also be grateful to be provided with information on how effect is given to the principle set out in the Convention as regards access to non-salaried jobs.

3. With particular reference to women, the Committee notes with interest that the school attendance rate of girls increased from 6.5 per cent in 1959-60 to 20 per cent in 1983-84 and that, in order to speed up the education and vocational training of women, special training schools for women were opened by the Government. The Committee also notes that the National Union of Women of Mali has set itself the objective of increasing the awareness of women in order to raise their participation in the economic life of the country and that, for this purpose, it has organized many seminars and workshops and that it is also working to increase the literacy of rural women.

The Committee requests the Government to continue supplying information on any new positive step that is taken and on any progress that is achieved regarding the education and training of women, particularly for jobs which are not traditionally occupied by women, and on the access of women to employment. The Committee would also be grateful to be provided with recent statistics on the participation rate for women in the labour market (the number of women who are employed and their proportion in relation to men).

4. As regards women employed in the public administration, the Committee notes that they account for 20.2 per cent of all public officials, but that in the higher categories the ratio is only one woman to eight men. It also notes that data on the number of women occupying positions of responsibility will be supplied as soon as possible. The Committee hopes that the Government will continue to endeavour to intensify the education and vocational training of women and by so doing to facilitate their access to employment and to positions of responsibility on an equal footing with men. The Committee requests the Government to supply information on any progress achieved in this respect.