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1.  The Committee notes the statistical information provided by the Government on the increase in the number of women in the national and regional public service in 1997 and notes that, while the number of women heads of directorates in ministries and regions rose from 22.5 per cent in 1996 to 26.4 per cent in 1997, the percentage of women heads of sections remained stable from one year to another (38.4 per cent) and that there were also 33.8 per cent women heads of independent offices in 1997. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the measures taken to promote the access of women to employment in the public sector and to further their careers, as well as the results achieved in this respect.

2.  The Committee notes the two initiatives taken by the Government, one to combat unemployment, or the "ADAPT" initiative, which intervenes in the provision of training to workers, including women to adapt their qualifications to labour market requirements; and the other, the "NOW" initiative, which aims to promote equal opportunities in employment and vocational training and emphasizes the provision of training to women to upgrade their professional qualifications, enable greater numbers of them to have access to managerial positions and improve their management of the firms or cooperatives that they set up. The Committee recalls that in its previous comment it noted the high level of occupational segregation, that is the propensity of persons of a particular sex to follow studies or training leading to a type of employment or occupation in which persons of that sex are in the majority, which prejudices women despite the rise in their general educational levels. For this reason, the Committee requests the Government to provide information, including statistics, on the impact of the above initiatives and on the very marked division between sectors of employment which are traditionally considered to be male and those traditionally considered to be female.

3.  With regard to the "OLYMPIAS" programme, which has the aim of encouraging the participation of women in development and which was implemented in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, the Committee notes that the Government has omitted to indicate the results obtained and whether it envisages extending the programme to other regions. Please provide information on these points.

4.  The Committee notes the Government’s statement that, during the period under consideration, there were no decisions by the courts involving questions of principle relating to the application of the Convention. However, it notes that in its concluding observations (A/54/38, paragraphs 172-212), the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women expressed its concern that a number of recent court cases had questioned the legality of affirmative action and temporary special measures aimed at accelerating de facto equality between men and women. Noting that Article 2 of the Convention advocates the adoption of a policy designed to promote equality of opportunity and treatment in respect of employment and occupation and that the adoption of programmes of affirmative action can be one of the components of such a policy, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would keep it informed of any developments in this respect.

5.  The Committee notes that, according to the above concluding observations of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, there is a high incidence of sexual harassment in the workplace and that there are no clear legislative provisions on this matter. It also notes the reticence of women to avail themselves of available complaint mechanisms in the event of discrimination. The Committee would therefore be grateful if the Government would indicate the measures which have been taken or are envisaged to combat sexual harassment at the workplace and to encourage women to exercise their rights and appeal to the courts when they consider that they have suffered discrimination, including discrimination in employment and occupation.

6.  The Committee notes that the Greek Government established an Ombudsman’s Office in September 1997 responsible for mediating between citizens and the State in order to protect citizens’ rights, combat maladministration and ensure the observance of the law. The Ombudsman’s Office is a non-judicial institution which acts independently of the Government. The Ombudsman can receive complaints filed by any individual in the areas of human rights, quality of life, social welfare and state-citizen relations. The Ombudsman endeavours to provide non-judicial settlement of complaints. The Office of the Ombudsman may also act on its own initiative in cases which have aroused the interest of public opinion. The Ombudsman is further empowered to formulate proposals to remedy the underlying causes of violations of citizens’ rights. At the end of 1998, the Government also established a National Human Rights Committee, which reports to the Prime Minister and has the tasks of monitoring the human rights situation, raising awareness of the general public and the media on human rights’ issues and making proposals on human rights’ legislation. The Committee would therefore be grateful if the Government would provide information on the activities of these two institutions in the field of discrimination, and particularly in the areas of employment and occupation.

7.  The Committee notes the information provided by the Government to the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), established by the Council of Europe to combat racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and intolerance at the pan-European level and from the angle of the protection of human rights. In particular, it notes the adoption in 1996 of a comprehensive action plan aimed at removing the obstacles to the social integration of Roma and improving the attitude of the general public vis-à-vis the members of this minority group. This plan provides the framework for the adoption of specific programmes, which are to be carried out by the local authorities of the various regions where the Roma communities live. These programmes cover, inter alia, housing, education, health, vocational training and employment. The Committee welcomes the adoption of this comprehensive strategy for the social integration of Roma and the initiatives which have been launched in this context. In particular, it notes the training courses undertaken to raise the awareness of civil servants, the police and teachers with regard to the problems of the Roma and the implementation of a programme financed by the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs aimed at integrating Roma children in schools throughout the country. According to the authorities, these educational programmes have achieved an increase of 30 per cent in the number of Roma children attending school. The Committee however notes that the implementation of the action plan often encounters resistance at the local level and it considers that it is indispensable for the success of the plan for the general public to be educated in tolerance and made aware of the benefits of a multicultural society. The Committee accordingly requests the Government to provide information on the measures which have been taken or are envisaged to raise the awareness of the general public, including the social partners, of the discrimination suffered by the members of this group on the grounds of national extraction and social origin.

8.  The Committee notes that the Government has not replied to its questions concerning the relevance of Acts Nos. 1363/1938 and 1672/1939 concerning the functioning of minority churches since the adoption of the new Greek Constitution; the Committee requests the Government to indicate the current status of these Acts. The Government has not indicated whether belonging to the orthodox religion is a requirement for teachers of secular subjects in schools and colleges and it therefore hopes that the Government will provide information on this matter in its next report.

9.  The Committee notes the adoption of Act No. 2738/1999 on collective bargaining in the public administration, the placement of persons bound by a contract of employment without limit of time in permanent positions in the public sector and other provisions, and it requests the Government to provide copies of certain of the collective agreements applicable in the public sector. In this respect, the Committee would also be grateful to be provided with copies of collective agreements applicable in the private sector.