Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2008, published 98th ILC session (2009)

Article 1(1)(a) of the Convention. Sexual harassment. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that the phenomenon of sexual harassment in the workplace has not yet been sufficiently understood in Mali. The Government also indicates that women working in the informal economy are often subject to violence, in particular sexual violence. Referring the Government to its 2002 general observation on sexual harassment, the Committee urges the Government to take appropriate measures to prevent and combat sexual harassment at work, including through public awareness raising campaigns and training programmes targeting labour inspectors to enhance their capacity to identify and address cases of sexual harassment in employment and occupation. Please indicate the number of sexual harassment cases identified by the labour inspectorate, and any sanctions imposed or remedies provided.

Articles 2 and 3. Promotion of equality of opportunity and treatment of women and men. The Committee notes that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, in its 2006 concluding observations, expressed concern at the discrimination faced by women in employment, as reflected in hiring processes, the wage gap and occupational segregation (CEDAW/C/MLI
/CO/5/3, 3 February 2006, paragraph 29). It also highlighted the extreme vulnerability of female domestic workers. According to the Government, a study entitled “Strategic evaluation of challenges in the area of gender” undertaken by the World Bank in 2005 underlined that wide inequality between men and women in Mali results, inter alia, from a range of socio-cultural factors, the non-application of relevant legislation and the absence of a national gender strategy. The Committee notes that a number of measures are envisaged to address this situation, including the elaboration of a national gender policy. The Committee also notes that the Poverty Reduction Strategy 2007–11 focuses on the creation of sustainable employment and that the Strategy is linked to the Decent Work Country Programme (2006–09) which has the creation of decent employment for young women and men, including the promotion of gender equality, as one of its priority objectives. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the progress made in the elaboration of the national gender policy. Please also indicate the measures taken or envisaged to address socio-cultural factors resulting in discrimination against women in employment and occupation, and to strengthen compliance with the relevant legislation. In this regard, please provide information on the measures taken to raise awareness of the legislation, and indicate the number of discrimination cases addressed by the competent judicial and administrative authorities, the sanctions imposed and remedies provided.

Gender-based occupational segregation. The Committee notes that women are concentrated in certain sectors of the economy, such as trade, while they are under-represented in the textile industry and construction. It also notes that 43 per cent of women’s jobs were in the informal economy, and that this percentage was increasing. The proportion of women in the public sector increased from 19.41 per cent in 2006 to 26.45 per cent in 2007. However, women are under-represented in high ranking positions. As regards the private sector, according to a study carried out by the National Centre for the Documentation and Information on Women and Children (CNDIFE), 14 per cent of management posts in large enterprises are held by women. The Committee encourages the Government to take appropriate measures to promote women’s access to a broader range of jobs and occupations, in particular those that have traditionally been reserved for men, including through broadening the choice of training opportunities for women, and taking specific action to promote their access to management positions in the private and public sectors. The Committee also requests the Government to address the causes of the concentration of women in the informal economy. Please provide detailed information on the measures taken regarding these issues and their impact on women’s equality of opportunity and treatment, including statistical information on the distribution of men and women in the different economic sectors, and categories of employment and occupation.

Women’s access to education and training. The Committee notes from the report entitled “Situation of women/girls in higher education” prepared by the CNDIFE that the majority of women enrolled in university pursued studies in law or literature (in 2005–06, 26 per cent of all students in these disciplines were women), while they less often pursued studies in areas such as engineering or science. The Committee also notes that despite the efforts made to increase girls’ access to education, parity of the enrolment rates of girls and boys has not yet been achieved. According to the Government’s report, stereotypical views on the social role of women as mothers and spouses are at the root of this problem. The Committee requests the Government to continue to take steps to increase the enrolment rates of girls and to provide information on the measures taken and progress made in this regard. The Committee also requests the Government to take proactive measures to promote the access of women to higher education and vocational training, including through measures to combat gender-based stereotypes which continue to affect women’s participation in the economic life of the country.