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The Committee notes the Government’s report and the observations of the Federation of Parastatal Bodies and Other Unions (FPBOU) and of the Mauritius Employers’ Federation which were attached thereto. The Committee notes that the Employment Rights Act, 2008 was adopted on 22 August 2008, replacing the Labour Act of 1975. It notes further that the Employment Relations Act was also adopted on the same date, replacing the Industrial Relations Act, 1973. However, copies of these Acts have not yet been made available to the Committee. The Committee asks the Government to supply copies of the Employment Rights Act and the Employment Relations Act.
Article 1 of the Convention. Legislative developments. The Committee notes that, according to the Government’s report, section 4 of the Employment Rights Act prohibits discrimination in employment and occupation on the ground of age, race, colour, caste, creed, sex, sexual orientation, HIV status, religion, political opinion, place of origin, national extraction or social origin. The Committee notes that section 4(2) provides for an exception to the prohibition of discrimination in the case of a distinction, exclusion or preference in respect of the inherent requirements of a certain job. It also notes that, pursuant to subsections 3 and 4, specific conditions, requirements or practices can be imposed on a person when this disadvantageous treatment is “reasonable”, taking into account circumstances set forth in subsection 4. The Committee further notes the Government’s intention to introduce the Equal Opportunities Bill in the near future. The Committee hopes that the exceptions to the prohibition of discrimination provided for in section 4 of the Employment Rights Act will be strictly limited to particular jobs based on the inherent requirements thereof. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the application of section 4, including copies of any relevant judicial decisions concerning the application of subsections 2-4. Recalling its previous comments on the shortcomings of the Equal Opportunities Bill, the Committee also reiterates its hope that the Government will take the necessary steps to amend the Equal Opportunities Bill so as to ensure that it will prohibit discrimination on the grounds of political opinion and social origin, in line with Article 1(1)(a) of the Convention. Please provide information on any developments in this regard.
Scope of application. The Committee understands from the Government’s report that public officers, workers of local authorities and workers of parastatal bodies are not covered by the Employment Rights Act, with the exception of the provisions concerning violence at work. The Committee requests the Government to indicate how it is ensured that these categories of workers enjoy the same protection against discrimination as the workers covered by the Employment Rights Act.
Sexual harassment. Further to its previous request, the Committee notes that the Government lacks information about the number of employers who are actually using the “Guidelines for an Anti-Harassment Policy”. It, however, notes that the Mauritius Federation of Employers was requested to encourage its members to adopt an anti-harassment policy. The Committee also notes the initiatives taken by the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment and the Sex Discrimination Division (SDD) with a view to raising public awareness about sexual harassment at the workplace. The Committee further notes the judgement delivered by the Industrial Court on a case of sexual harassment and it notes that during the biennium 2006–07 the SDD received approximately 30 complaints concerning sexual harassment while the labour inspection services recorded four such cases. The Committee encourages the Government to gather and submit information on the application of the anti‑harassment policy at the enterprise level and to continue its efforts to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, including through sensitization and awareness-raising campaigns, in cooperation with the social partners. The Committee also requests the Government to continue to provide information on the enforcement of the legislation on sexual harassment.
Discrimination on the basis of political opinion. Recalling its previous comments on the widespread practice of recruiting workers for middle management and clerical posts on the basis of their political opinion, the Committee notes the Government’s intention to examine the recommendations on this point set out in the study on “Discrimination practices in the Mauritian labour market” with a view to identifying the measures needed to eliminate these practices. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken or envisaged to eliminate such discriminatory recruitment practices and ensure that no discrimination on the ground of political opinion takes place in the public and private sectors.
Article 2. Equality of opportunity and treatment between men and women. The Committee recalls its previous comments on the occupational gender segregation existing in Mauritius’s labour market. It notes from the Government’s report that various workshops, career guidance and counselling on working opportunities available in the fields traditionally dominated by men, are provided to women and girls with a view to addressing the current situation. While noting the Government’s indication that some progress is being made in this regard and that women have access to posts once exclusively held by men, including in the police force, the Committee notes from the statistics provided by the Government that in 2007 women held only 35.6 per cent of the managerial positions in the government services, while holding approximately 72 per cent of the clerical posts. It also notes that women represented only 10 per cent of the ministers and 17 per cent of the Members of Parliament. From the statistics, it also emerges that in 2007 women accounted for approximately 14 per cent of the workers in the transport sector, 30 per cent of the workers in agriculture, hunting and forestry, approximately 56 per cent of the workers in the education sector and 52 per cent of the workers in the health sector. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the measures taken to promote equality of opportunity and treatment between men and women in respect of employment and occupation and address the horizontal and vertical occupational sex segregation still existing in the labour market. In this context, please provide information on measures taken under the Action Plan for the National Gender Policy (2005–15) and any other measures taken as a follow-up to the recommendations included in the abovementioned study on discriminatory practices, and their impact. Please also continue to supply statistical information on the distribution of men and women in the different economic sectors, occupational categories and positions.
Access to vocational training and education. The Committee notes from the Government’s report that there has been a general increase in women’s participation in the technical courses offered by the Industrial and Vocational Training Board (IVTB). It also notes that women’s participation is mainly directed to the courses offered by the School of Design (in 2007, women represented approximately 49.5 per cent of the total number of participants) and the Hotel School (42.7 per cent), while enrolment rates in the other courses remain very low. With regard to the enrolment in the full-time vocational programmes provided by the High Institute of Technology, the Committee notes that while women’s rates of enrolment were almost the same as men’s in 2006–07, they dramatically decreased in 2007–08. The Committee also notes that almost no women took the final exam envisaged in these programmes. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken to promote women’s enrolment in training courses and to foster their participation in a wider range of technical courses, including courses which have so far been dominated by men. The Committee also invites the Government to analyze the underlying causes for the decrease in women’s participation in the education programmes offered by the High Institute of Technology as well as their failure to complete these studies, and to take measures accordingly to address these causes.
Equality of opportunity and treatment irrespective of race, colour and national extraction. Further to its previous request, the Committee notes that the Code of Conduct for a Conflict Free Workplace (2003) will be revised following the adoption of the Employment Relations Act. The Committee also notes the Government’s statement that the national policy of equality of treatment for all would prevent the Employment Service from “discriminating positively” against ethnic groups and, in particular, from adopting measures to promote access to employment of members of the Creole community. The Committee wishes to emphasize that by ratifying the Convention, the Government has undertaken to take measures to eliminate discrimination and promote equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation, including on the grounds of race, colour and national extraction. These may include affirmative action measures to overcome past and persisting discrimination. The Committee also stresses that in the absence of such measures, persons belonging to ethnic groups may, in practice, maintain a disadvantaged position in the labour market and thus not be able to exercise the right to equality of opportunity in respect of employment and occupation. The Committee requests the Government to:
(i) take proactive measures to address ethnic discrimination and occupational stereotyping in the labour market and to promote equality of opportunity and treatment of all ethnic groups in Mauritius, including members of the Creole community;
(ii) provide information on any inputs provided in this regard by the Labour Advisory Council according to section 65 of the Employment Rights Act mandating this body to promote the implementation of the Convention; and
(iii) provide a copy of the revised Code of Conduct for a Conflict Free Workplace, once adopted.
Article 4. Measures affecting an individual suspected of activities prejudicial to the security of the State. The Committee notes that no complaints were received concerning the application of Article 4. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information on the application of Article 4.
Article 5. Special measures. Recalling its previous comments concerning the special measures for the transport of women under the Labour Act, applied in particular in the sugar industry, the Committee hopes that any limitations affecting female workers under the newly adopted legislation will be limited to protecting maternity, and will not limit women’s equal access to employment and occupation.
Enforcement. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government on the complaints received by the Human Rights Commission concerning human rights violations by public officers or public bodies as well as the information concerning cases of gender discrimination dealt with by the Sex Discrimination Division (SDD). The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on any cases relevant to the application of the Convention handled by the Human Rights Commission and the SDD. Please also provide information on any relevant violations detected by the labour inspection services, the sanctions imposed and the remedies provided. The Committee further requests the Government to indicate the measures taken or envisaged following the findings and the recommendations included in the Study on “Discriminatory practices in the Mauritian labour market”.
The Committee notes the comments received from the Federation of Parastatal Bodies and Other Unions (FPBOU) attached to the Government’s report as well as the Government’s reply.
1. Article 1 of the Convention. Legal protection against discrimination. The Committee notes that the Equal Opportunities Bill is still pending and that the Government expects that the Equal Opportunities Bill will reinforce the legal framework to prevent and combat discrimination. The Committee had, however, previously noted that the Equal Opportunities Bill did not include protection against discrimination on the basis of political opinion and that it was unclear about protection against social origin discrimination. The Committee notes that section 4(1) and (3)(a) and (b) of the draft Employment Rights Bill defines and prohibits direct and indirect discrimination in employment and occupation based on race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, HIV status, religion, political opinion, national extraction and social origin in accordance with the Convention. The Committee hopes that the Employment Rights Bill will soon be adopted and that the Government will take steps, in order to ensure consistency in its non-discrimination and equality legislation, to amend the Equal Opportunities Bill so that it also protects against discrimination based on political opinion and social origin in line with Article 1(1)(a) of the Convention. Please keep the Committee informed of any developments in the adoption of the new legislation.
2. Scope of application. The Committee notes that the Employment Rights Bill appears to exclude public officers and workers of local authorities from all but Part X of the Bill (Violence at work). Similarly, it is unclear whether the Bill applies to workers of parastatal bodies. The Committee recalls that the principle of the Convention applies to all workers and recommends the Government to take steps to ensure that these workers are not excluded from the provisions providing protection against discrimination (Part IV) and equal remuneration (Part V).
3. Sexual harassment. The Committee notes that the Employment Rights Bill defines and prohibits harassment, including sexual harassment. It also notes with interest the guidelines for an Anti-Harassment Policy and that the Action Plan for the National Gender Policy (2005–15) aims to create awareness and enforce the legislation to deal with offenders of sexual harassment at the workplace and to reduce this form of sexual discrimination. The Committee asks the Government to provide an indication in its next report on the number of employers that are using the guidelines for an Anti-Harassment Policy and the impact on reducing sexual harassment at work. The Committee would also be grateful to receive information on the measures taken, in cooperation with the social partners, under the Action Plan to raise awareness and enforce legislation on sexual harassment. Please also continue to provide information on the number of sexual harassment complaints handled by the Sex Discrimination Division, the labour inspection services and the courts, and provide a copy of the judgement of the Industrial Court when issued.
4. Discrimination on the basis of political opinion. The Committee notes the observations by the FPBOU that following the general elections in July 2005 the present Government is systematically laying off workers who are of different political opinion. The Government, in its reply, states that after inquiring into these cases of alleged discrimination based on political opinion with the FPBOU, it appeared that the statements made were based on press articles and that there were no specific complaints that could substantiate the observations made. The Committee notes that the findings of a recent study on “Discriminatory Practices in the Mauritian Labour Market” (2007) carried out in partnership with the UNDP and the ILO, indicate that recruitment practices based on political opinion are widespread especially for middle management and clerical posts and that this could lead to employment discrimination against those who have a different political opinion. The Committee notes that the ground of political opinion has been included in the provisions on discrimination of the Equal Opportunities Bill and the Employment Rights Bill. The Committee encourages the Government to examine the nature and extent of discriminatory practices based on political opinion in the private and public sectors in order to take effective measures to eliminate these practices, and provide information on the measures taken in this regard in its next reports.
Equality of opportunity and treatment between men and women
5. Access to employment and occupation. In its previous comments, the Committee had noted the wide-ranging horizontal and vertical occupational segregation of men and women in both the public and private sectors. The Committee notes that the statistics of 2005 on the economic activity rates continue to confirm this gender segregation of the labour market. Likewise, the statistics of 2005 on employment in government services show that women employees are mostly concentrated in the education and health sectors and in clerical work. Except for head teachers, they are under-represented in posts of responsibility and hardly any women are working as service workers in the police force; no women work in the fire brigade or as skilled agricultural workers and women are highly under-represented as craft and related trade workers, plant and machine operators and in elementary occupations. The Committee notes from the abovementioned study on discriminatory practices that the occupational segregation and low economic activity rates of women can partly be explained by employers’ preferences for male workers due to perceived costs relating to maternity and women’s responsibility for family and childcare, as well as the lack of part-time employment opportunities and the fact that some jobs required long working hours. The Committee notes with interest the strategies in the Action Plan for the National Gender Policy (2005–15) to address discrimination in employment and occupation, to increase the number of women in management posts and top-level positions, to assist workers to reconcile work and family responsibilities, to increase women’s participation in, and access to, resources in the agricultural, fisheries and environmental sectors and to increase their access to technical skills and services in these sectors, and to promote their participation in the media and advertising industry especially in areas where they are under-represented. The Committee asks the Government to indicate in its next report the progress made in implementing the Action Plan, and in particular the results achieved in addressing the occupational segregation of women in the labour market and their promotion in a wider range of jobs, including those with career opportunities. Please continue to provide statistics, disaggregated by sex, on the employment of men and women in the private and public sectors.
6. Access to vocational training and education. Further to its previous comments, the Committee notes from the statistics of 2005 provided by the Industrial and Vocational Training Board (IVTB) that in more than 40 per cent of the full-time courses offered, no women had been enrolled. Figures for 2005 on female enrolment in part-time vocational training courses show a similar trend. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that currently there are no measures taken to encourage women to choose from a wider variety of courses. However, it also notes that the strategies in the Action Plan for the National Gender Policy (2005–15) include measures to provide career guidance and counselling to female students, to provide for alternative skills training for men and women laid off in the EPZ sector, to improve the participation of women in technical skills training, and to address gender stereotypes in education and training. The Committee asks the Government to indicate in its next report the results achieved by the measures taken under the Action Plan, including by the IVTB, to increase women’s participation in a wider variety of technical courses, especially those in which no women have been enrolled so far, and also to indicate the number of women that have actually found employment after having followed these courses. Please also continue to provide statistical information on the enrolment of men and women in vocational training.
Equality of opportunity and treatment with to respect race, colour, national extraction
7. National policy to promote equality. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that five enterprises have been identified to implement the guidelines of the Code of Practice for a Conflict Free Workplace in 2003 but that so far the guidelines have not been much used. The Committee notes from the study on discriminatory practices that ethnic occupational stereotypes still persist in the Mauritian labour market reflecting the belief that members of a certain ethnic community are more suitable for certain jobs than others. Occupational stereotyping appears to be particularly prevalent in the EPZ, the construction industry and in education. Furthermore, the study suggests that ethnic stereotyping particularly affects the members of the Malaise Creole community who have been socially disadvantaged and who suffer from unequal access in education. This has an impact on their opportunities in the labour market where the recruitment system is based on educational attainment. The Committee asks the Government to indicate in its next report the measures taken or envisaged: (a) to encourage utilization of the guidelines by the five enterprises; (b) to address ethnic discrimination and occupational stereotyping in the labour market; (c) to promote equality of opportunity and treatment of all ethnic groups in Mauritius, and particularly to improve access to employment of members of the Creole community; and (d) to report on the results achieved in respect of all the measures.
8. Article 4. Measures affecting persons justifiably suspected of, or engaged in, activities prejudicial to the security of the State. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government concerning the procedures, including appeal procedures, applying to persons suspected of, or engaged in, activities prejudicial to the State. The Committee notes that if the appeal court quashes the sentence of the lower court of law, the party so charged will regain his or her job and other financial benefits. The Committee asks the Government to keep it informed in future reports on the implementation of Article 4, including any complaints of this nature and their outcome.
9. Article 5. Special measures of protection or assistance. With reference to its previous comments concerning provisions in the Labour Act prohibiting the transportation of women in certain vehicles (section 18(1)), the Committee notes the Government’s explanation that lorries are mainly used in the sugar industry and that employers in this industry readily comply with the legal requirements pertaining to the specifications of transport means put at the disposal of female workers. The Committee recalls that special protective measures should be regularly reviewed in order to avoid limitations to women’s equal access to employment and occupation contrary to the principle of equality of opportunity and treatment, as set out in the Convention. The Committee therefore asks the Government to review regularly, in cooperation with the social partners, the measures pertaining to the transport of women in the light of improvements in working conditions, technological changes and taking into account the principle of gender equality, and report on the measures taken in this regard. Please also provide specific statistics, disaggregated by sex, on the number of men and women working in the sugar industries as well as in other industries where the law requires transport to be made available to women workers.
10. Enforcement. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government on the complaints handled by the Human Rights Commission (HRC). It notes that the HRC only intervenes in cases where the perpetrator is a public officer or a public body and where the discrimination pertains to a violation of human rights. The Commission has no jurisdiction to investigate discrimination in the private sector. The Committee further notes the very general information on how the labour inspection services handle grievances of workers. The Committee notes from the study on discriminatory practices that more effective monitoring is needed with regard to discriminatory practices in recruitment based on sex and ethnic origin. The study also recommends that the mandate of the HRC to investigate complaints be extended to the private sector. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on the measures taken to effectively monitor compliance with the national legislation on equality and cases of discrimination in the private sector, especially in recruitment. Please also continue to provide information on the number, nature and outcome of cases of discrimination dealt with by the HRC and by the courts of law.
The Committee notes the information in the Government’s first report. The Government is requested to provide information on the following points.
1. Article 1 of the Convention. Legal protection against discrimination. The Committee notes the Sex Discrimination Act of 2002, which prohibits discrimination based on sex, marital status, pregnancy or potential pregnancy in employment and education. It also notes that an Equal Opportunities Bill (No. XIX of 2005) is currently before the National Assembly and is intended to replace the existing Sex Discrimination Act. The Bill will prohibit, among others, direct and indirect discrimination in the fields of employment, education and the provision of goods, services and facilities on the basis of sex, marital status, race, origin (including geographical origin), religion and disability. It also includes provisions on sexual harassment, victimization and offensive behaviour and establish an Equal Opportunities Commission and an Equal Opportunities Tribunal. The Committee notes, however, that while race, as defined by the Bill, means "any group of persons of common ethnical origin, colour or of mixed race", it is not clear whether "origin" also encompasses "social origin" as a prohibited ground. It also notes that the draft legislation does not include the ground of political opinion although the Constitution of Mauritius and the Government’s Code of Conduct for a Conflict Free Workplace (2003) prohibit discrimination based on this ground. Recalling that, where provisions are adopted in order to give effect to the principle contained in the Convention, they should include all the grounds of discrimination laid down in Article 1, paragraph 1(a), of the Convention (General Survey of 1988, paragraph 58), the Committee hopes the future Equal Opportunities Bill will contain all the prohibited grounds set forth in the Convention and it asks the Government to keep it informed of any developments in the adoption of the Bill.
2. Sexual harassment. The Committee notes that sexual harassment in employment and occupation is prohibited in Mauritius by the Sex Discrimination Act, 2002, and the Labour (Amendment) Act, 2004. Although the term "hostile work environment" is not explicitly included in the current definition of sexual harassment, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that it is nonetheless anticipated by the language of the Sex Discrimination Act, which forbids behaviour that would make a person feel humiliated, offended or intimidated (section 20(1)). Beyond these legal measures, the Committee notes that the Sex Discrimination Division, along with the Ministry of Labour, undertake educational programmes and other sensitization activities including regular meetings with workers and employers in which issues of sexual harassment are addressed. The Government reports however that, despite the existence of machinery to deal with sexual harassment complaints, there have been no court decisions to date on the matter. The Committee requests the Government to provide further information on the activities of the Sex Discrimination Division and Ministry of Labour along with other practical measures taken to eliminate sexual harassment in employment and occupation in both the public and private sectors, as well as information on any sexual harassment complaints handled by the courts.
3. Articles 2 and 3. Equality of opportunity and treatment between men and women. Access to employment in the public and private sectors. The Committee notes the Survey on Employment and Earnings in Large Establishments in March 2005 undertaken by the Central Statistics Office. The Survey shows a highly segregated labour market with women mainly concentrated in the manufacturing industry, which represents nearly 60 per cent of women’s employment. Furthermore, between 2004 and 2005 women’s employment decreased more sharply than men’s due to substantial and continuous job losses in the manufacturing industry in the export processing zones. At the same time, however, the Government’s report indicates that an increasing number of female candidates are now following vocational training courses in fields such as catering, tourism, design, jewellery, information technology, refrigeration and mechanics, which has contributed to the access of women in jobs formerly exclusively confined to men. With respect to access to the public sector, the 2005 Survey shows that, although female employment increased in the general government sector, women only represent 30 per cent of the total employees. Statistics provided by the Government on employment in general and local government in 2002 also show that women make up only 13.4 per cent of the employees in local government and that they are concentrated in the ministries of education and health.
4. Further to the above, the Committee welcomes the various measures taken by the Government to address the existing inequalities in employment and vocational training. It notes with interest the project entitled "Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women", undertaken in partnership with UNDP and the ILO, which intends, among other things, to develop strategies to address employment inequalities in compliance with Convention No. 111, and the adoption of the National Gender Policy and National Plan of Action to be implemented from 2005 to 2015. In addition, a National Action Plan on Work and Family was adopted in 2003 and assistance has been secured from the ILO to carry out a survey on working time and the impact of flexible working schedules on women’s choices to seek employment. Furthermore, a number of support services have been developed for women entrepreneurs under the responsibility of the National Women Entrepreneur Council. The Committee asks the Government to continue to provide statistics disaggregated by sex on the employment of women and men in the various industries and occupations in the private and government sector and to provide: (a) further information on how the abovementioned initiatives and programmes are helping to increase the participation of women in a wider variety of jobs in local and central government, as well as in private sector employment, including their access to decision-making and management posts and to jobs predominantly performed by men; and (b) a copy of the National Gender Policy and National Gender Action Plan, once adopted, and of the research on working time, as well as information on any follow-up measures taken under the Plan to further promote the application of the principles of the Convention.
5. Article 3(e). Equal access of women to education, vocational training and guidance. The Committee notes from the information provided by the Government that the Industrial and Vocational Training Board (IVTB) is responsible for the provision of vocational training and that the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) is responsible for the training grant system which is effected in such a way that equal access and opportunities is offered to both men and women. It also notes the Government’s indication that only age and qualification levels of applicants are considered for access to vocational training and that there is equality of opportunity and treatment for all applicants. Further to what has been noted in point 6 of this direct request, the Committee asks the Government to provide information on the measures taken to encourage women to choose from a wider variety of vocational training courses, including those traditionally confined to men, and to provide statistics disaggregated by sex on the participation of men and women in the various vocational training courses offered.
6. Articles 2 and 3. Equality of opportunity and treatment with respect to other grounds. National policy. The Committee notes with interest the Government’s publication of its Code of Conduct for a Conflict Free Workplace (2003), which it developed in consultation with workers’ and employers’ organizations. The Code offers a host of voluntary guidelines for the improvement of employment relations, including provisions dealing with non-discrimination in the workplace. Namely, article 1(vi) states that a "worker should not be discriminated, victimised or dismissed on the basis of age, sex, nationality, religion, culture, disability, pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, trade union membership/activities or political opinion". The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the extent to which the Code has been used in both the private and public sectors and its impact on the promotion of equality in employment and occupation. Please also provide further information on any other practical measures taken or envisaged, to promote equality of opportunity and treatment and to eliminate discrimination on the basis of race, colour, religion, political opinion, national extraction and social origin in employment and occupation.
7. Article 4. Measures affecting persons justifiably suspected of, or engaged in, activities prejudicial to the security of the State. The Committee notes from the Government’s report that no legislative or administrative measures exist governing the employment or occupation of persons suspected of, or engaged in, activities prejudicial to the security of the State. It further notes the Government’s explanation that section 16 of the Constitution prohibits discrimination on several grounds, including political opinion, and that any aggrieved person may bring a claim before the Supreme Court under section 17. The Committee nevertheless requests the Government to provide information on the practical application of Article 4 and to indicate whether complaints of this nature have already been examined.
8. Article 5. Special measures of protection or assistance. The Committee notes the provisions in the Labour Act prohibiting the transportation of female workers in a "goods vehicle" or in any other vehicle that does not allow for easy entry or exit without climbing (section 18(1)). The Committee is concerned that the effect of these provisions might be to unnecessarily inhibit women from accessing certain work opportunities. It therefore requests the Government to indicate, in its next report, the reasons behind these protective measures and to provide information on their application in practice and impact on women’s employment opportunities.
9. Enforcement. The Committee notes the functions of the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment, as well as the National Human Rights Commission and its Sex Discrimination Division, with respect to application of the Convention. The Committee also notes that the Equal Opportunities Bill foresees the creation of the Equal Opportunities Commission, set to replace the existing Sex Discrimination Division and assume, by and large, the same functions, and the creation of an entirely new Equal Opportunities Tribunal. The Committee requests the Government to provide further details about the activities of the National Human Rights Commission and its Sex Discrimination Division, to promote the provisions of the Convention as well as information on the nature and number of complaints relating to discrimination received by these bodies, the Supreme Court and the Industrial Court. Please also provide information on the manner in which the labour inspection services are ensuring the application of relevant national legislation and the provisions of the Convention.