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1. The Committee notes with interest the adoption of Ordinance No. 99-009/P-RM of 1 April 1999 creating a National Bureau for the Promotion of Women which is responsible for, among others: (1) developing programmes and action plans for the promotion of women; (2) carrying out research in relation to the legal, social, economic and cultural status of women; (3) initiating action aimed at reducing the disparities between men and women; and (4) coordinating, supervising and monitoring gender mainstreaming in the design and implementation of the development policies. The Committee also notes with interest Decree No. 99-156/PM-RM of 16 June 1999 establishing a consultative interministerial Committee for the Promotion of Women, Children and the Family within the Ministry for Women, Children and the Family, to study and advise on questions submitted to it by the Ministry and to monitor and evaluate the implementation by the various departments of the recommendations and measures taken in favour of women, children and the family. The Committee requests the Government to supply detailed information in future reports, including extracts from reports, studies or surveys carried out by the abovementioned bodies, to enable it to ascertain the progress achieved in promoting application of the Convention. Noting the Government's statement in its report that, in 1997, a Commission on the Promotion of Women has become the Ministry on the Promotion of Women, Children and the Family, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on its activities and mandate as well as on its relationship with the above institutions. Further, the Committee reiterates its previous request for information regarding the implementation of the National Strategies for Action for the Promotion of Women, produced by the Commission for the Promotion of Women in 1994 (and attached to the 1995 government report).

2. With regard to Article 5 of the Convention, the Committee noted, in its previous direct request, the adoption of Decree No. 96-178/P-RM of 13 June 1996 implementing various provisions of the Labour Code and sections D.189-1, D.189-37 of the above Decree protecting women and children in the workplace. It had requested detailed information on the measures protecting women and children in the workplace and on the consultations held with the workers' and employers' organizations in this regard. While noting that the Government's report contains no reply to the Committee's request for information, the Committee nevertheless notes the Government's statement that the Ministry on the Promotion of Women, Children and the Family is contemplating conducting a study on the general situation of women which will respond to the questions raised by the Committee. It therefore hopes that the Government's next report will contain detailed information regarding this matter.

3. In its previous comments the Committee noted the low school attendance rate of girls in comparison with boys and that the proportion of girls, which is already low during the first cycle, decreases with each level of education, declining from 36.53 per cent in the first cycle to 25.93 per cent at the secondary and technical levels and 13.72 per cent in higher education. The Committee notes that a 1996 report on the employment situation in Mali attached to the Government's report (Bilan de l'emploi, "Etude sur le secteur moderne, 1996") on the Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100), confirms this trend and indicates that women's participation in the labour market remains very low, constituting only 13.86 per cent in 1996. Moreover, unlike their male counterparts, women continue to face difficulties in accessing higher level posts even when they obtained a higher level of education. The Committee once again draws the Government's attention to paragraphs 166 to 169 of its 1988 General Survey on equality in employment and occupation, in which it describes the concept and content of positive measures or measures to correct de facto inequalities in training and employment and to promote the equality of opportunity and treatment of members of certain social groups subject to discrimination, particularly women. The Committee urges the Government to supply detailed information on the positive measures which have been taken, and the results obtained, to facilitate and encourage the access of women to training (particularly vocational training and university education) and to employment in all sectors and occupations (including those in which men are predominant) at all levels of responsibility.

4. The Committee notes with interest Decree No. 96-149/P-RM of 15 May 1996 establishing the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights. The Commission's functions include, among others: (1) to promote human rights in Mali; (2) to undertake the necessary action in view of incorporating international human rights standards in the national legislation; and (3) to draw the attention of the Government on all possible decisions and action to promote and protect human rights. The Committee would be grateful if the Government could provide in its next report information on the activities undertaken by the Human Rights Commission to eliminate any discrimination based on all the grounds embodied in the Convention in the fields of access to training, access to employment and particular occupations, and on terms and conditions of employment.

5. With regard to the discrimination criteria set out in Article 1, paragraph (a), of the Convention, the Committee notes that the Government remains silent on discrimination on grounds other than sex. In view of the importance of combating discrimination in employment and occupation based on those other criteria, namely race, colour, religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the practical application of the Convention, to ensure that no discrimination can take place based on these other grounds.