sectors, putting their lives and health at great risk (arts. 7, 10, 13 and 14). 38. The Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Strengthen its national legislation prohibiting child labour and its enforcement including though enhancing labour inspections on child labour; (b) Ensure that persons who make use of child labour are prosecuted and punished; (c) Adopt all appropriate measures to facilitate the recovery of children from child labour and to ensure that they are given access to educational opportunities; (d) Undertake a national survey on the nature and extent of child labour. Violence against women and girls 39.The Committee is concerned that, despite progress in recent years, domestic violence against women remains prevalent in the State party and continues to be underreported owing to stigmatization and discrimination against victims. It is also concerned at the gaps in the legislation: the Anti-Violence against Women and Their Children Act of 2004 (Act No. 9262) has limited scope and the Anti-Rape Law of 1997 (Act No. 8353) limits statutory rape to cases where the victim is under the age of 12. Women and girls with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to such violence and are not provided with the necessary support (arts. 3 and 10). 40. The Committee recommends that the State party expedite the amendment of the Anti-Violence against Women and Their Children Act and of the Anti-Rape Law. It also recommends that the State party take effective measures to encourage the reporting of domestic violence, to ensure that all reported cases are promptly and thoroughly investigated, that the perpetrators are punished with penalties commensurate with the gravity of the offences and that victims receive adequate support, including temporary shelter, legal assistance and psychological treatment. It further recommends that the State party pay particular attention to women and girls with disabilities who experience such violence and take into account their specific needs as regards their access to justice throughout the judicial process and their use of shelters. Trafficking in human beings 41.The Committee is concerned at: (a)The persistently high incidence of trafficking in women and children, which is exacerbated by natural disasters and armed conflicts; (b)The very small number of prosecutions and convictions of traffickers; (c)The insufficient level of specialized services, including health services and long-term care provided to victims of trafficking; (d)The insufficient level of understanding of trafficking and the anti-trafficking legal framework among law enforcement officials, particularly at the local level; (e)Allegations of complicity of law enforcement officials in the cases of trafficking (art 10). 42. The Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Address the root causes of and women’s vulnerability to trafficking, in particular in the context of displacements related to natural disasters or armed conflict; (b) Ensure that all acts of trafficking are effectively investigated and sanctioned; (c) Provide shelters to victims of trafficking and ensure victims’ access to assistance, recovery and reintegration programmes; (d) Enhance law enforcement officials’ understanding of the issues relating to trafficking and the anti-trafficking legal framework; (e) Take all measures necessary to eradicate the complicity of law enforcement officials in human trafficking and the impunity afforded to those involved. Poverty 43.The Committee remains concerned at the high number of persons living in poverty and the significant regional disparities, despite the economic growth and the efforts made by the State party to eradicate poverty. While welcoming the expansion of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Programme (the conditional cash transfer programme) and its gender-sensitive dimension, the Committee is also concerned at the insufficient level of coverage of the Programme owing to the ineffective targeting mechanism and strict eligibility criteria, which cannot always be met. The Committee notes that the level of benefits remains insufficient to ensure an adequate standard of living, and that the specific needs of families with persons with disabilities are not taken into account (arts. 9 and 11). 44. The Committee recommends that the State party step up its efforts to eradicate poverty and in particular: (a) Take all steps necessary to ensure that the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Programme is rights-based, clearly inform