Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2007, published 97th ILC session (2008)

Articles 3 and 4 of the Convention. The Committee notes the Law of 2006 on Ensuring Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities of Women and Men. It notes with interest that the Law makes the ensuring of equal opportunities for men and women in respect of combining work and family responsibilities and the promotion of responsible maternity and paternity explicit objectives of state policy on gender equality (section 3). Under the Law, the executive authority and local self-government bodies are required to create conditions enabling men and women to combine their work and family responsibilities (section 12) and to ensure accessible social services, including child care, pre-school education and child benefits. Section 17 provides that the employer shall provide men and women with the possibility of combining work and family responsibilities. In addition, the Committee notes from the Government’s report that the draft Labour Code contains provisions prohibiting discrimination against male and female workers based on family responsibilities. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information in its next report on the measures taken by the competent bodies and authorities to ensure the full implementation of the Law of 2006 on Ensuring Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities of Women and Men with regard to issues concerning workers with family responsibilities. The Committee hopes that the future Labour Code will provide for terms and conditions of employment for men and women workers with family responsibilities that will enable them to exercise their right to free choice of employment, as envisaged under the Convention. Finally, the Committee requests the Government to indicate the measures taken to seek the participation and collaboration of workers’ and employers’ organizations in devising and applying measures designed to give effect to the provisions of the Convention.

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