CMNT_TITLE

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Russian Federation (RATIFICATION: 1961)

Articles 2 and 3 of the Convention. Equality of opportunity and treatment of men and women. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s statement, in its report, according to which it is implementing job creation programmes in order to raise women’s employment rate. The Government further indicates that it is expanding vocational training during maternity leave to promote women’s competitiveness on the labour market. The Committee notes the 2015 statistical information provided by the Government on women and men’s economic participation as well as the 2016 figures published on the website of the Federal State Statistics Services of the Russian Federation. From this data, the Committee notes that, although there has been an increase for both sexes, the employment rate of men (71.1 per cent in 2015 and 71.6 per cent in 2016) is significantly higher than women’s (60.1 per cent in 2015 and 60.4 per cent in 2016). It further notes the number of persons employed by sex and occupation in 2016 and the high gender segregation by economic activity: women represent 83 per cent of professionals in the teaching sector and 91 per cent of associate professionals in the health sector, while they represent only 17 per cent of workers in the craft, building, machinery and related trades, and 11 per cent of the operators in the stationary plant and machine, assemblers and drivers. Further, the Committee notes, from the 2018 concluding observations of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), that the Government has adopted a National Strategy for Women 2017–22 which focuses, among others, on improving the economic status and prosperity of women, increasing participation of women in public and political life, and improving the quality of national statistics relating to the situation of women in society. In this regard, the Committee notes that the strategy will be implemented in two phases: during the first phase (2017–18), an action plan will be adopted to implement the strategy, and during the second phase (2019–22), measures will be taken to improve the situation of women in the political, economic, social and cultural spheres (CEDAW/C/RUS/CO/8/Add.1, 20 November 2015, page 2). While it takes due note of this new National Strategy for Women, the Committee recalls that stereotyped assumptions regarding women’s aspirations and capabilities, their suitability for certain jobs or their interest or availability for full-time jobs continue to lead to the segregation of men and women in education and training, and consequently in the labour market (see General Survey on the fundamental Conventions, 2012, paragraph 783). Consequently, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken, in the framework of the National Strategy for Women 2017–22 to promote equal opportunities for men and women in employment and occupation, including on the steps taken to ensure that men and women have equal access to training and employment in the broadest possible range of sectors and industries, as well as at all levels of responsibility. The Committee asks the Government to provide updated statistics on the participation of men and women at different levels of responsibility, particularly decision-making levels, and in the different sectors of the economy, including the public and private sectors. Noting the lack of information provided in relation to its previous comments, the Committee requests, once again, the Government to provide information on the following:

• (i) the progress made in the adoption of the draft Federal Law on State Guarantees of Equal Rights and Freedoms and Equal Opportunities for Men and Women previously mentioned by the Government; and
• (ii) the work and outcome of the Special Task Force on gender equality set up in 2010 in the Ministry of Public Health and Social Development in relation to employment and occupation.

Equality of opportunity and treatment of national and ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples. The Committee notes with regret that the Government’s report does not provide information with respect to the measures taken to promote equality of opportunity and treatment of national and ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples. It notes, from the concluding observations of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), the creation, in 2015, of the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs (CERD/C/RUS/CO/23-24, 20 September 2017, paragraph 3). The CERD expressed concern over the limited number of complaints of racial discrimination submitted to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation (paragraph 13). With regard to the Roma community, the CERD noted that Roma continue to be discriminated against and was concerned by: (i) the persistence of de facto segregation in education faced by Roma children, combined with very low education outcomes and school completion rates, especially at the secondary school level; and (ii) the lack of genuine solutions to address the deficit of adequate housing for Roma, as they remain concentrated in informal settlements lacking access to basic services, and exposed to the risk of eviction at any time due to the lack of secure tenure (paragraph 21). With regard to indigenous peoples, the CERD was concerned that the legal definition of indigenous peoples imposes a numerical ceiling of 50,000 individuals, beyond which a self-identified indigenous group may not be classified as indigenous and is thus prevented from enjoying legal protection of their lands, resources and livelihoods (paragraph 23). The Committee reiterates its request to the Government that it take specific measures to strengthen the enforcement of the Labour Code’s provision on non-discrimination, with particular emphasis on discrimination on racial or ethnic grounds and national origin, and to promote equality of opportunity and treatment of indigenous peoples in education, training, employment and occupation, including their right to engage without discrimination in their traditional occupations and livelihoods as well as in non-traditional activities. It further requests the Government to indicate the measures taken, or envisaged, to specifically address the segregation faced by Roma people, including with regard to their access to education without discrimination. The Committee once again requests the Government to provide information on the current position in the labour market of the different national and ethnic minorities.

Equality of opportunity and treatment of persons with disabilities. The Committee notes the concluding observations of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on the initial report of the Russian Federation. In these observations, the CRPD expressed its concern over the fact that “segregated education is still in practice, despite the increase in the number of children with disabilities in mainstream education” and about the regional disparities due to the varied conditions and availability of financial resources in different regions. The CRPD was further concerned that denial of reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities is still not defined as a ground for discrimination under a current legislation, that there is insufficient information available on the “special posts” and the labour market programmes for persons with disabilities and that there is a lack of transparent and formalized training and assistance in providing reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities in the workplace (CRPD/C/RUS/CO/1, 9 April 2018, paragraphs 48 and 53). Recalling that access to education is of paramount importance for achieving equality in the labour market, the Committee requests the Government to indicate the steps taken to ensure that children with disabilities are not discriminated against with regard to access to primary and secondary education. It further requests the Government to provide information on the specific measures taken to promote the principle of equality of opportunity and treatment of persons with disabilities in employment and occupation.