Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1999, published 88th ILC session (2000)

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Barbados (Ratification: 1974)

1. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government concerning the application of the Convention in relation to vocational training. The Government recognizes that no specific measures have been taken to ensure equal access of women to vocational training, but affirms that in practice vocational training is open to all students, irrespective of sex, race, colour, etc. In this respect, the Committee wishes to draw the Government's attention to the ILO's Digest of Caribbean Labour Statistics compiled in 1996, to which it referred in its previous comment, which shows that in Barbados women are still concentrated in a relatively small range of low-wage and dead-end jobs and occupations and that unemployment is higher among women than men. The Committee therefore requests the Government to indicate the manner in which it intends to resolve this situation and whether it envisages taking measures to enable more women to have access to non-traditional occupations and also to higher-level positions in the private and public sectors. The Committee also notes that the Government makes no comment on the progress achieved in the implementation of the recommendations contained in the report presented by the Government to the Beijing Conference, and it once again asks to be provided with information on this point.

2. The Committee welcomes the fact that the Government is planning to provide training to labour inspectors on equality between men and women in employment and occupation and hopes that it will keep the Committee informed of these activities. It draws the Government's attention to the possibility of requesting technical assistance from the ILO in this respect. However, it notes that the Government has not responded to its request for information on the specific measures taken by the labour inspectorate to ensure the effective application of provisions and policy on equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation, and it therefore repeats its request for information on this matter.

3. Noting that the Government has not provided information on the other points raised in its previous comment, the Committee is bound to repeat them.

2. Article 2. With regard to the national policy to promote equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation, the Committee notes that the National Bureau on Women's Affairs is revising the National Policy Statement on Women and that a national consultation on women was held in November 1997 to obtain input from the various organizations, agencies and ministries. The Committee asks the Government to provide a copy of the revised Policy Statement as soon as it is finalized and to continue to provide information on the activities of the National Bureau on Women's Affairs relevant to the Convention.

3. Article 3. The Committee notes with interest the re-appointment of the National Advisory Board on Women (NACW) in 1997 for a period of three years. The NACW will be responsible for researching, monitoring and advising on matters affecting women as well as investigating and reporting on complaints of discrimination against women. The Committee requests the Government, in its next report, to provide information on the specific activities undertaken or envisaged by the NACW in relation to the abovementioned responsibilities, particularly as regards the handling of any matters concerning employment and occupation. The Committee also asks the Government to indicate any other measures taken or envisaged to pursue a policy of equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation, in particular by means of legislative enactment. Please also provide information on any collective agreements containing provisions on equality in respect of training, employment or terms and conditions of employment.

4. The Committee hopes that the Government will provide the information requested in its next report.