E/C.12/BIH/CO/2 for State authorities at all levels and local self-government bodies to ensure and promote equal participation of women in administration, decision-making processes and representation. The Committee also urges the Government to undertake comprehensive reform to empower women through gender-sensitive labour policies aiming at hiring of women in non-traditional professions, enhancing their access to vocational and technical education and ensuring equal conditions of work. In this respect, the State party is encouraged to analyse determining factors of women’s entry and stay in the labour market, including in the informal economy, and sociocultural factors affecting women’s professional choices. 15. The Committee reiterates its concern about high unemployment in the State party, which disproportionately affects members of marginalized groups including minorities, Roma and persons with disabilities (art. 6). The Committee urges the State party to reduce unemployment through additional measures of active employment policy such as requalification, local employment initiatives, incentives and tax benefits to employers, including targeted programmes aimed at reducing unemployment of disadvantaged and marginalized groups. 16. The Committee is concerned that persons working in the informal sector are sanctioned by still having their registration with the employment bureaux suspended for a period of six months (art. 6). The Committee recommends that the State party take measures to repeal the sanction imposed on persons working in the informal sector, i.e. the suspension of their registration with the employment bureaux for a period of six months. 17. The Committee is concerned that, despite the guarantee of the principle of “equal pay for work of equal value” in the Law on Gender Equality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this principle is not applied in practice (art. 7). The Committee recommends that the State party put in place mechanisms to ensure effective implementation of the principle of equal pay for work of equal value provided for in the Law on Gender Equality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 18. The Committee notes with deep concern that, due to the difficult economic situation in the State party, employers fail to respect their legal obligations towards their employees, namely by arbitrarily dismissing employees or by failing to pay their salaries or social contributions on time. The Committee is also concerned that employers disregard their legal obligations towards pregnant women and women who are on maternity leave. The Committee further notes with concern the increased number of labour-related accidents and injuries in the workplace (art. 7). The Committee reiterates its recommendation that the State party take effective measures to ensure that employers abide by their legal obligations towards their employees, namely by paying their salaries or social security contributions in time and by refraining from arbitrary dismissal, in particular, in relation to pregnant women and women who are on maternity leave. The Committee also reiterates its recommendation that the State party ensure that labour inspection units are sufficiently staffed and resourced. 19. The Committee is concerned that the amount of the minimum wage is not adjusted to the cost of living, as well as at the fact that the set minimum wages differ between the Entities (art. 7). The Committee requests that the State party take measures to ensure that the minimum wage is regularly adjusted to the cost of living and that it enables employees and their families to enjoy a decent living, in accordance with article 7 (a) (ii) of the 4

Select target paragraph3