E/C.12/TJK/CO/2-3 significant gender discrimination in all areas of society, particularly in education and employment. The Committee is also concerned at the lack of legislative protection of women against all forms of direct and indirect discrimination and harassment, as well as at the lack of temporary special measures to address gender discrimination in employment and other areas (art. 3). The Committee recommends that the State party take all the necessary measures to promote gender equality in the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, including: (a) Raising public awareness of gender equality with a view to eradicating gender stereotypes in the family and society; (b) Adopting and implementing temporary special measures with a view to addressing gender discrimination in the areas of education and employment; (c) Ensuring that the 2005 Law on State Guarantees of Equal Rights for Men and Women and Equal Opportunities in the Exercise of Such Rights and other related laws prohibit all forms of discrimination, direct and indirect, as well as harassment, against women; (d) Increasing the participation of women in leading positions in decisionmaking bodies at all levels. In this context, the Committee draws the attention of the State party to its general comment No. 16 (2005) on the equal right of men and women to the enjoyment of all economic, social and cultural rights. Unemployment 17. The Committee is concerned that data concerning employment are largely inconsistent, which makes assessments and the development of policies in this respect highly complicated. The Committee is also concerned about the overall weak labour market in the State party, characterized by a high rate of unemployment, especially among women, young people and persons with disabilities; insufficient measures to make employment policies commensurate with the fast growth of the population of employable age; the large share of low-paid work, under subsistence level; and the lack of a skilled workforce (art. 6). The Committee urges the State party to enhance the quality of its employment data and information, by making them systemic and verifiable, and by continuously updating them. The Committee recommends that the State party reinforce its efforts to reduce unemployment, in particular unemployment among women, young people and persons with disabilities, including through: (a) Providing incentives for employers, in the public and private sectors, to create new jobs, especially for women and young people; (b) Reviewing vocational education and training programmes to meet current labour market demands; (c) Taking unemployment; measures targeted specifically at youth and women’s (d) Ensuring effective compliance by employers with more than 20 employees with the 5 per cent quota for the employment of persons with disabilities, including by providing for dissuasive sanctions for employers in case of non-compliance. 5

Select target paragraph3