Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1997, published 86th ILC session (1998)

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Guyana (Ratification: 1975)

The Committee notes with interest the information provided by the Government in its report and attached documentation.

1. With respect to its previous direct request concerning the measures being taken to improve women's economic status, the Committee notes that the Women's Affairs Bureau conducted a small business training programme in 1996 in which 218 women received training on a range of subjects related to managing their own businesses. According to the report, courses to train women to become involved in decision-making and in domestic work have also been organized; and 2,000 young men and women will receive technical and vocational training in a programme conducted by the Social Impact Amelioration Programme (SIMAP). The Committee also notes that there has been an increase in the number of persons benefiting from public assistance, of whom the majority are women in single-headed households. The Committee requests the Government to supply information on the measures being taken to increase women's access to productive employment through these various initiatives. In this regard, the Committee has also noted from the report prepared by the Women's Affairs Bureau for the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995) that for the majority of women, gender-stereotyped training has confined job access to low-income areas and served largely to reinforce women's impoverishment. It is encouraging to note, in this connection, that the Board of Industrial Training has placed particular emphasis on bringing the maximum number of young women into the programme and, indeed, trained 17 women (along with 127 men) in traditional "male" trades in 1996. On the broader question of changing the gender-specialization in education and training, the Committee asks the Government to indicate what progress has been made in implementing the relevant future strategies outlined in the Beijing report, including those measures listed to establish women's rights on the public agenda (paragraph 2.3) and those concerning access to education (paragraph 2.6).

2. Referring to its previous comments, the Committee notes that, in 1996, 225 Amerindians received education under the Hinterland Scholarship Programme. The Committee has noted the concern expressed over the situation of the Amerindian peoples, particularly women and girls, in the reports provided by the Government. In this regard, the above-mentioned report prepared by the Women's Affairs Bureau states that "The institutionalization of special laws and provisions relating to Amerindians, including the Amerindian Act, serves to deny Amerindians the level of rights provided other citizens. Further, despite centuries of existence as an indigenous people, Amerindians do not possess inalienable rights to the lands they occupy and some communities do not possess land titles of any kind. In terms of recent developments, the impact of the Structural Adjustment Programme has been especially severe on Amerindian populations given their relatively small numbers, marginalization, poverty, and the high cost of transport to their small, scattered settlements in the hinterland." The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the action being taken to implement the specific measures set out in paragraph 2.9 of the Beijing report which concern improving access to education and increasing support for the existing Amerindian economic activities. Noting, moreover, that these measures are linked with action, as determined by the Amerindian communities, in relation to land titles, the Amerindian Act and other laws and provisions, the Committee would be grateful for information on any initiatives taken in this regard.

3. The Committee notes with interest that the National Commission of Women was established in December 1996 to advise the Government and make recommendations on matters of interest to women. The Committee also notes that the Social Sub-committee of the National Tripartite Committee, which is headed by the Minister responsible for women's affairs, constantly brings to the forefront issues pertaining to women in society. Please provide information in future reports on the work undertaken both by the National Commission of Women and the Social Sub-committee. Please also indicate the precise role taken by the Ministry of Labour's recently created Discrimination Desk in securing observance of the principles of the Convention.