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The Committee notes with interest the information supplied by the Government in reply to its previous direct request, in particular the detailed description of the results achieved by the first and second Four-Year Plan of Action, the increased participation of women in various public posts and bodies, the measures taken to promote workforce equality through, inter alia, the Act concerning day care for children, No. 47/1991, and proposals for flexible working time for workers with family responsibilities, proposals concerning non-discriminatory job advertising, and the supervision of the equality legislation through the complaints procedure of the Equal Status Council.

1. The Committee notes from the Equal Status Council's interim report (September 1991) on public sector equal opportunity programmes that employment equality between the sexes has been prevented to a large extent by circumstances claimed to be beyond the control of government ministries and state institutions such as traditional education and occupational choices. It also notes the Government's view that personnel policies within these institutions might also be a factor. Noting that the Nordic Equal Pay Project (1991-94) is also examining gender-based differences in opportunity from the equal pay aspect and that many studies were undertaken in this connection during the first Four-Year Plan of Action, the Committee requests the Government to indicate the measures taken by the various equality bodies to overcome occupational segregation of women and men, using, for example, tripartite cooperation and educational programmes in accordance with Article 3(a) and (b) of the Convention. For example, what was the outcome of the report sponsored by the Equal Status Council on the education choices of men and women?

2. As regards equal employment opportunities for women in rural areas, the Committee notes that, according to statistics in the Government's report, unemployment of rural women is more than double than that of men in rural areas and that, in response to this, the Government is allocating grants specifically for the promotion of women's employment in these areas, took part in a 1990 conference on their situation and held two conferences on employment initiatives for such women in 1992. It requests the Government to continue to inform it of measures taken for the promotion of equality of opportunity and treatment between the sexes in rural areas.

3. The Committee notes the adoption of Act No. 19/1992 relating to vocational education. It requests the Government, in its next report, to supply information on the implementation of the Act in practice. It also asks for information on the impact of the NORDLILA project designed to address the different needs of the sexes in teacher training.

4. The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government regarding the implementation in practice of section 3 of the Equal Status Act No. 28/1991, concerning affirmative action to improve the status of women, in particular the inclusion of this concept in the promotional material and reports associated with the introduction, in government ministries and state institutions, of four-yearly equal opportunity programmes. The Committee requests the Government to provide further information in its next report on the practical application of this section of the Act, for example by supplying the impact studies to be carried out on the equal opportunity programmes in force in 42 state institutions, and by reporting on the use of such programmes by local governments. In the private sector, the Committee notes that, as far as the Equal Status Council is aware, no private enterprises have such equal opportunity programmes; it accordingly asks to be informed, in future reports, of any developments in this connection.