E/C.12/BDI/CO/1
children may be refused schooling on the grounds of their sexual orientation (art. 2,
para. 2).
18. The Committee recommends that the State party repeal all provisions that
could lead to the discrimination, prosecution or punishment of individuals on the
basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity and that it take all appropriate
steps to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals may
exercise all the rights enshrined in the Covenant.
Gender equality
19. The Committee notes with concern that gender stereotypes are deeply ingrained
in the family and in society in the State party. It is concerned as well by inequality in
the employment sphere and by the wide salary gaps (art. 3).
20. Recalling its general comment No. 16 (2005) on the equal right of men and
women to the enjoyment of all economic, social and cultural rights, the
Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Take steps to dispel gender stereotypes, in particular through
information campaigns to promote the sharing of family responsibilities by men
and women and to make people aware of equal job opportunities to which they
can gain access by completing their studies and by seeking training in areas other
than those traditionally associated with one sex or the other;
(b) Take steps to close the gap between men’s and women’s salaries by
breaking up the vertical and horizontal segregation that exists in the labour
market, as this has led to women occupying lower paid jobs and has created
obstacles that deprive them from enjoying the same career opportunities as men,
in both the formal and the informal economies.
Inequality in inheritance and marital regimes
21. The Committee is concerned by the application of customary law in matters of
inheritance, marital regimes and voluntary dispositions insofar as that reinforces the
unequal treatment of men and women (art. 3).
22. The Committee recommends that the State party enact, without delay, a law
on inheritance, marital regimes and voluntary dispositions in line with
international standards. The Committee also recommends that the State party
conduct awareness campaigns to reshape traditional attitudes that impede women
from exercising their economic, social and cultural rights.
Right to work
23. The Committee notes with concern that, despite the State party ’s efforts, the
unemployment rate continues to be high, especially among young people, and that
many people are still working in the informal sector and are thus not covered by
labour legislation and have no social protection (arts. 6 and 9).
24. Recalling its general comment No. 18 (2005) on the right to work, the
Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Strengthen implementation of its National Employment Policy by
introducing specific targets, focusing on young people and women, and improving
the quality of education and of technical and vocational training;
(b) Take action, along the lines of International Labour Organization
(ILO) recommendation 204 (2015) on the transition from the informal to the
formal economy, to regularize the situation of individuals working in the informal
4/10
GE.15-18000