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Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Cameroon (RATIFICATION: 1988)

Article 1(1)(a) of the Convention. Discrimination based on sex. Sexual harassment. In its previous comments, the Committee emphasized that the provisions of the Penal Code (section 347 concerning indecent assault on minors between 16 and 21 years of age) do not cover all situations of sexual harassment at work. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government concerning the many cases of violence suffered by women (rape, forced marriage, domestic violence, etc.). The Committee recalls that sexual harassment in employment and occupation is a serious form of sex discrimination which constitutes physical or mental abuse, undermines the dignity and well-being of workers (men and women) and damages an enterprise by weakening the foundations of the working relationship and impairing productivity, and that it can assume different forms, from the most blatant to the most subtle. The adoption of measures to prevent both quid pro quo and hostile working environment sexual harassment is essential for effectively combating such practices and putting a stop to them. The Committee requests the Government to take the necessary steps in the near future to include in the labour legislation provisions that prohibit and penalize both quid pro quo and hostile working environment sexual harassment and to provide information on any progress made in this respect. Please also provide information on any specific measures taken to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, including any information or awareness-raising campaigns for workers, employers and their organizations, or any measures taken by employers in the workplace.

Access of girls and women to education and to vocational training and guidance. The Committee notes that the Government reaffirms its focus on promoting equality in access to education and vocational training and indicates in particular the setting up of mechanisms to promote the intellectual and vocational development of women and girls in general. It also notes the concluding observations of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), according to which, despite the Government’s efforts in this sphere, the rate of female illiteracy remains high; the enrolment rate of girls remains low in all levels of education owing to economic and cultural barriers; and the school drop-out rate among girls is high, owing, inter alia, to early marriage and pregnancy (CEDAW/C/CMR/CO/4–5, 28 February 2014, paragraph 26). The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the specific measures taken and the mechanisms established to promote equality in education and vocational training, to combat illiteracy and to enable girls and women to have access to more diverse training and a broader range of jobs, including those traditionally held by men.

Discrimination against indigenous peoples. The Committee notes the Government’s indications that, since September 2013, a multilingual intercultural pilot project using the Baka language has been running in eight pilot schools in the east of the country and has made a significant contribution to improving the school enrolment rate for Baka children (in 2012, a total of 485 girls and 444 boys; in 2013, a total of 566 girls and 617 boys). The Government also indicates that it is examining ways and means to adapt school programmes to the situation of indigenous peoples. The Committee further notes that the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) emphasized in its concluding observations that some communities, such as the Baka and Mbororo communities, had been moved away from their ancestral lands, thereby forcing them to adapt to other dominant cultures in the country (E/C.12/CMR/CO/2–3, 23 January 2012, paragraph 33). Welcoming the Government’s efforts regarding education for children from the Baka community, the Committee encourages the Government to continue its efforts to enable indigenous children to access education and vocational training on an equal footing to other children. The Committee also requests the Government to take the necessary steps to enable the Baka, Bagyeli and Mbororo peoples to carry on their traditional activities and retain their means of subsistence. It further requests the Government to take measures to prevent and combat persistent stereotyping and prejudice against the members of indigenous communities, in particular through awareness-raising campaigns and the promotion of equality among all sectors of the population.

Article 3(d). Employment under the direct control of a national authority. The Committee requests the Government to provide the data on current staff numbers in the public service, including on the recent recruitment of 25,000 young persons which was not attached to the report. The Government is also requested to provide information on the measures taken to promote equality of opportunity and treatment for men and women in the public sector, including with regard to recruitment, training and promotion.

Part V of the report form. Statistics. Noting that the recently created National Labour Observatory is currently conducting surveys of the labour situation in the country, the Committee requests the Government to send the results of these surveys, in particular statistics on the situation of men and women in the labour market in the various sectors of the economy and at different levels of responsibility.