Demande directe (CEACR) - adoptée 2025, publiée 113ème session CIT (2025)

Convention (n° 111) concernant la discrimination (emploi et profession), 1958 - Bahamas (Ratification: 2001)

Article 1(1)(b) of the Convention. Additional discrimination grounds. Disability. In its report, the Government reports on measures to promote equality of opportunity and treatment for persons with disabilities. These include targeted job fairs conducted with the Ministry of Education and partnerships with employers such as ALIV (a Bahamian telecommunication brand) and NAD (Nassau Airport Development Company). The Government also reports the provision of assistive and adaptive devices and the development of an Access Ability App, which is to be linked to the Department of Labour’s skills bank by end-2025. The Government further indicates that: (1) 66 registrants with disabilities received entrepreneurship training and mentorship through the Small Business Development Centre (SBDC); (2) a 52-week public service placement programme placed 20 persons with disabilities in a telecommunications company and 30 in Government departments; (3) 10 blind students were trained using Job Access With Speech (JAWS) software; (4) 16 persons were trained as receptionists with subsequent placements; and (5) 10 persons with disabilities were included in the National Apprenticeship Programme and the adoption of reasonable accommodation measures within the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities. Finally, the Government reports the launch of a pilot Adult Day Programme by the Disability Affairs Division and the Community Affairs Division of the Ministry of Social Affairs on September 17, 2024, operating two days per week, to support skills development and community-based employment. The Committee welcomes these initiatives. Itrequests the Government to continue providing information on its efforts to ensure equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation for persons with disability. In this regard, the Committee asks the Government to indicate the measures adopted by the National Commission on Persons with Disability and labour inspection services to ensure equality in access to employment and conditions of work for persons with disabilities, and the results achieved.Please provide consolidated and sex-disaggregated information on allegations of discrimination based on disability received and handled by the National Commission (including via the App), the subjects concerned, actions taken, outcomes and any sanctions or remedies.

Article 2. National policy and measures to promote equality of opportunity and treatment between men and women. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that a National Gender Equality Policy and Strategic Implementation Plan is under development. It also notes the report of awareness initiatives undertaken during the period under review, including the February 2025 National Women’s Symposium (“Let’s Move”), as well as community-based outreach with civil society and faith-based partners and messaging during National Family Week in 2024 and 2025. It recalls its previous request and concerns regarding institutional capacity, resourcing and monitoring. TheCommittee asks the Government to provide information on: (i) the status of the National Gender Equality Policy and Strategic Implementation Plan; and (ii) any interim measures with a view to eliminating discrimination in accordance with Article 2 of the Convention.

Application in practice. Enforcement. The Government states that no dedicated programme is yet in place to address discrimination in employment. It also indicates that no recent complaints alleging discrimination in employment have been filed and acknowledges that fear of stigma or retaliation may deter reporting. The Committee wishes to recall that the absence of complaints is not an indicator of the absence of discrimination on the grounds prohibited by the Convention in practice. An absence of complaints may also reflect the lack of an appropriate legal framework, the lack of awareness, understanding and recognition of discrimination among government officials, and workers and employers and their organizations, as well as the lack of access to or the inadequacy of complaints mechanisms and means of redress, or fear of reprisals (2012 General Survey on fundamental Conventions, para. 790). The Committee thus encourages the Government to: (i) improve awareness and training for labour inspectors, public officials, judges, employers and workers’ organizations, equality bodies and the general public to improve understanding and detection; (ii) ensure accessible, confidential and safe mechanisms for filing complaints; (iii) address fear of stigma and reprisals; (iv) promote social partners engagement; and (v) develop systems for gathering sex and other relevant disaggregated data.