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The Committee notes the report sent by the Government and the detailed statistical information published by the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

1. The Committee notes that, according to the provisional statistical data provided by the INE for 2002, on average women earn 72 per cent of the wages of men in the public sector in urban areas. The same source indicates that the average monthly income for women in managerial positions in both the public and private urban sectors is 52 per cent of that of men, with this figure rising to 62 per cent for unskilled workers.

2. The Committee notes with interest that, according to the INE data, the proportion of women in managerial positions in both the public and private sectors has increased compared to the previous year (by 1.05 per cent and 0.60 per cent, respectively) and that, according to the data of the National Register of Public Servants for 2001, only 22 per cent of high-level positions (advisers, managers, directors, heads) were occupied by women, while the proportion of women employed as "auxiliary" personnel is 56 per cent.

3. The Committee notes that, according to the INE data, women’s wages are on average 53 per cent of those of men in the rural commercial sector, with this percentage falling to 26 per cent in rural social and health-care services. The Committee notes with concern that women working in the agricultural and animal husbandry and fishing sectors earn 19 per cent of the wages of men. This situation is even more serious as the participation rate of women in these sectors is higher than that of men (84 per cent and 80 per cent, respectively).

4. The Committee asks the Government to provide information in its next report on the measures adopted or envisaged to promote equal remuneration for men and women workers for work of equal value in the rural sector, as well as in managerial positions and unskilled labour in the urban sector. The Committee also asks the Government to provide information on the manner in which the integration of women is being encouraged in higher level positions with higher pay in the public sector.

5. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government indicating that the mechanisms for the promotion of public servants are established by rules and regulations. It also notes that the quality of public servants’ work and their conduct is taken into account in determining whether they retain their posts. The Committee asks the Government to provide information as to the measures that have been adopted or are envisaged to prevent gender bias directly or indirectly in the promotion processes or in the evaluation of the performance of public servants.

6. Please provide information with the next report on the manner in which the labour inspectorate or other administrative or judicial bodies are enforcing the application of the Convention in practice.