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The Committee takes note of the information provided in the Government’s report.

1. Discrimination on the basis of religion. Referring to its previous comments the Committee notes the indication of the Government confirming that constitutional articles referring to fundamental rights of the population, read together, guarantee protection against religious discrimination. The Committee reiterates its previous request to the Government to provide copies of all court decisions concerning these articles and to indicate any measures taken to prevent and eliminate the occurrence of religious discrimination in employment and occupation.

2. Discrimination on the basis of sex. In its previous comments the Committee recognized that Decrees on part-time work (No. 97-473 of 8 December 1997) and on home workers (No. 97-474 of 8 December 1997) contribute to improving the employment conditions of these workers, who are mainly women. However, the Committee takes note of the indication of the Government in its report that these Decrees allow women to reconcile their obligations as women with a source of supplementary income for the family budget. The Committee must draw attention to the importance of not considering women as supplementary wage earners in order to promote equal opportunity and treatment. Such a notion, while true in some cases, is not true for many women who are important providers for their own and their families’ livelihoods. In this regard the Committee refers to the indication of the Government in its previous report according to which, in practice, women are still confronted with discrimination in the field of employment resulting from stereotypes which exist regarding a woman’s place in society. It therefore encourages the Government to continue its efforts to further its national policy of promotion of equality of opportunity and of treatment in respect of employment and occupation.

The Committee is raising other points in a request addressed directly to the Government.