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Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Jamaica (RATIFICATION: 1975)

1. The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government on the activities of the Women's Bureau, including a dynamic Public Education Programme, the establishment of a National Advisory Council on Women's Affairs in April 1985, Parish Advisory Committees, the adoption in 1987 of a National Policy Statement on Women and a Plan of Action, the setting up of a Crisis Centre, a programme for adolescent mothers, and legal reforms. The Committee further notes the report on employment prepared by the Women's Business for the United Nations End of Decade Conference for Women, which was held in Nairobi, Kenya in 1985.

It requests the Government to communicate with its next report copies of the National Policy Statement on Women, adopted in 1987, and of the Plan of Action, and to supply information on the results obtained thereby as regards equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation. The Committee further requests the Government to include in its next report information on the legal reforms carried out in recent years on laws which overtly discriminate against women that have a bearing on equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation.

2. The Committee notes with interest the information supplied by the Government, including statistics, on educational and vocational training programmes, including the number broken down by sex, of students; enrolled in final year vocational programmes in new secondary and technical high schools in 1988-89, access to vocational training in public secondary schools, and entrance to educational and vocational training programmes during 1987-88 at the secondary level and at the university level.

The Committee further notes from the report on employment prepared by the Women's Bureau for the 1985 Nairobi Conference that at the end of 1982 most of the female labour force was employed in service occupations, self-employed and independent occupations, and clerical and sales occupations. It requests the Government to indicate any efforts being undertaken to diversify occupational choice between men and women and the results of those efforts.

In this connection the Committee notes the information supplied by the Government on the College of Agriculture and the national Industrial Vocational Training Programme for Jamaica, particularly the Modular Training Programme which covers areas such as auto mechanics, electrical installation, galvanising and welding and fabrication. The Committee requests the Government to provide statistical information, in its next report indicating participation by sex, and, where available, by colour, race, religion and national extraction of students and instructors in these institutions.

3. The Committee requests the Government to continue to supply information on the practical application of the national policy to promote equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and education, in particular with regard to (a) access to vocational training and higher education; (b) access to employment and in particular occupations; and (c) terms and conditions of employment and on the results achieved, by the various means enumerated in Article 3 of the Convention.