E/C.12/GAB/CO/1 The Committee urges the State party to ensure that the minimum wage is revised regularly, taking strict account of the cost of living for workers and their families so that it allows all workers and members of their families a decent standard of living. It also urges the State party to enforce the minimum wage in the public and private sectors, including the informal economy. The Committee also invites the State party to provide in its next periodic report information on the coverage of the minimum wage and enforcement mechanisms and their effectiveness. 19. The Committee notes with concern the lack of equality of opportunity and treatment between women and men with regard to access to employment and an occupation, and with regard to wages (art. 7). The Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Conduct a review of all the impediments to women’s employment and working life; (b) Adopt temporary special measures to promote their access to all jobs and all occupations; (c) Explicitly include in the Labour Code the principle of equal pay for work of equal value for men and women, and ensure its effective implementation; (d) Take account of general comment No. 16 (2005) on the equal right of men and women to the enjoyment of all economic, social and cultural rights. 20. The Committee is concerned about the lack of regulation of the informal sector and the fact that people working in the informal economy are deprived of the enjoyment of their economic, social and cultural rights (art. 7). The Committee urges the State party to strengthen its efforts to regulate the informal economy. In this regard, the Committee recommends that the State party redouble its efforts to progressively reduce the level of employment in the informal sector, including by affording all workers the right to register and join social security schemes, regardless of whether or not their employer is registered. It also recommends that the State party systematically include the informal sector in the operations of the labour inspection services, deal with regulatory obstacles to job creation in the formal economy, and raise public awareness of the fact that labour rights, particularly the right to just and favourable working conditions, apply to the informal economy. 21. The Committee is concerned about reports that union leaders and members are discriminated against and dismissed from their jobs because of their trade union activities (art. 8). The Committee recommends that the State party respect the right of all workers to take part in union activities, in accordance with article 8 of the Covenant. It also calls upon the State party to protect unionized workers and their leaders from acts of intimidation, including by ensuring that such acts are investigated and those responsible are tried and punished. 22. The Committee notes with concern that, despite the entry into force of Order No. 0022/PR/2007 establishing a mandatory health insurance and social security scheme, and Order No. 0726/PR/2007 on a family allowance scheme for Gabonese of limited means, a large portion of the State party’s population is still not covered by any health insurance or social security scheme (art. 9). GE.13-49980 5