Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2019, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Cyprus (Ratification: 1968)

Articles 2 and 3 of the Convention. Equality of opportunity and treatment for men and women. The Committee previously noted the persistent horizontal and vertical gender segregation in employment, in particular in the private sector – despite the various measures implemented. The Committee notes the Government’s statement, from the report submitted in the context of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), that it will prioritize the protection and promotion of women’s rights and gender equality via the implementation of the New National Action Plan for Gender Equality 2018–2021 which focuses primarily on protecting and empowering vulnerable groups of women (A/HRC/WG.6/32/CYP/1, 13 November 2018, paragraphs 5 and 11). Concerning the measures implemented to address occupational gender segregation, the Committee notes, from the statistical information provided by the Government, that the proportion of women participating in Human Resources Development Authority (HRDA) Programmes remained stable from 2014 to 2017, reaching 41.2 per cent in 2017 (compared to 58.8 per cent of men). It observes however that the HRDA training specifically aiming at the improvement of the employability of inactive women was discontinued in 2016 while the unemployment rate of women remains higher than that of men (9.9 per cent for women compared to 7.7 per cent for men in 2019). The Committee also notes that, according to the Labour Force Survey (LFS) of the Statistical Service of Cyprus (CYSTAT), for the first quarter of 2019, the employment rate of women was still substantially lower than that of men (52.2 per cent for women compared to 63.4 per cent for men), with women being under-represented in senior and decision-making positions (women represented only 16.9 per cent of managers in 2018) and still mainly concentrated in specific sectors, such as education (74.4 per cent of women) and human health and social work activities (71.6 per cent of women). The Committee further notes that, in their concluding observations, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) expressed concern about: (i) the concentration of girls in traditionally female-dominated fields of study and career paths and their under-representation in vocational training and in certain fields of higher education, including technology and engineering; (ii) the high number of girls who suffer from discrimination and sexual harassment in schools; (iii) the large gender disparity in the labour market and more particularly the disproportionately high unemployment rate among women, including young and highly educated women and the low number of female entrepreneurs compared with their male counterparts; (iv) the continuing horizontal and vertical occupational sex segregation; (v) the under-representation of women in decision-making positions both in the public and private sectors, and the concentration of women in part-time and low-paid jobs; as well as (vi) the large and persistent gender pay gap, particularly in the private sector (CEDAW/C/CYP/CO/8, 25 July 2018, paragraphs 24, 34–37 and 42; and E/C.12/CYP/CO/6, 28 October 2016, paragraphs 17–19). The Committee notes that, in April 2019, the Human Rights Council, in the context of the UPR, also expressly recommended that there was a need to: (i) increase the level of participation of women in the labour market and enable a balanced representation of men and women at all levels, including at senior and decision-making levels; and (ii) combat gender discrimination in employment (A/HRC/41/15, 5 April 2019, paragraph 139). In light of the persistent occupational gender segregation of the labour market, the Committee asks the Government to take the necessary steps, including in collaboration with employers’ and workers’ organizations, to raise awareness of the principle of equal opportunity and treatment for men and women in employment and occupation and the relevant legislative provisions, assess the measures taken and implemented and, if necessary, take corrective measures. It asks the Government to provide information on any proactive measures implemented, including in the framework of the National Action Plan for Gender Equality for 2018–2021: (i) to effectively enhance women’s economic empowerment and access to decision-making positions; and (ii) to address vertical and horizontal occupational gender segregation and gender stereotypes by encouraging girls and women to choose non-traditional fields of study and professions and promoting women’s access to a wider range of jobs with career prospects and higher pay. The Committee asks the Government to provide updated statistical information on the participation of men and women in education and training, as well as in employment and occupation, disaggregated by occupational categories and positions.

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