Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1997, published 86th ILC session (1998)

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Togo (Ratification: 1983)

The Committee regrets that the Government's very brief report merely states that the statistics requested by the Committee in its previous comment will be sent as soon as available, and does not reply fully to the outstanding comment beyond referring to the attached copy of the National Report submitted in Beijing, 1995.

1. With reference to the participation of women in employment, in particular in the public sector, the Committee notes that, according to the National Report, a high proportion of female employment in the public service relates to office workers, teachers and public health officials, and that despite their abilities and enthusiasm, Togolese women still do not occupy their rightful place in the country's political and management authorities. From an analysis of the tables submitted, the Report concludes that great efforts are still required if women are to be truly integrated into the country's development process at the level of decision-making. The Committee asks the Government to provide, in its future reports, information on the programmes in force or envisaged to compensate for the insufficient participation of women in the country's decision-making authorities.

2. As regards the employment of women in the private sector, the National Report includes an analysis of the employment structures by sex and branch of activity and, on the basis of the statistics for 1981 projected for 1993 (the only reliable source available), indicates the following: in 1981, 29.2 per cent of all workers in the primary sector were women compared to 27 per cent in 1993; in 1981, 2.9 per cent of all workers in the secondary sector were women compared to 3 per cent in 1993; and in 1981, 11.6 per cent of all workers in the tertiary sector were women compared to 14 per cent in 1993. Furthermore, the Report indicates that a 1996-2005 action plan for the promotion of women has been drawn up. The plan is based on the following objectives: the strengthening of the capacity of participation structures for the integration of women in development (IFD), in particular the Directorate General for the Promotion of Women; the improvement of legal status for women and the effective application of all their rights; improved access for girls to education; improved sanitary and nutritional conditions for women; and the promotion of appropriate technologies and income-generating activities for women. According to the Government, if the plan is to be implemented, considerable financial and human resources will be necessary together with a great deal of commitment and political will. However, it is still difficult to provide systematic details of all the activities which need to be conducted, something which will only be possible in the light of the initial activities implemented and certain additional studies which will be considered useful.

3. As regards training for women and girls, the Report submitted in Beijing indicates that in relation to access to education for girls and literacy for women, problems exist which are linked, in particular, to the low rate of school attendance for girls compared with boys, the large number of girls who repeat school years or abandon their studies, the absence or low level of representation of girls in certain educational disciplines such as the industrial (1 per cent), accounting (19 per cent), commerce (23 per cent) and management (16 per cent) sectors, and the high rate of illiteracy among women. The report explains these problems, which persist despite the State education policy based on equitable access for both sexes to training, in terms of the following factors: early motherhood for girls; reluctance of parents to send their daughters to school, particularly in rural areas; insufficient investment by the State and by families in education especially for girls; an excessive number of daily activities for women; and the reluctance of men to accept that women are able to read and write.

4. The Committee asks the Government to send, in its next report, information on the measures currently implemented or envisaged as part of the above-mentioned action plan for the promotion of women. In particular, it would like to receive information on the progress already made under this plan for the purposes of applying the Convention in the areas of training and access to employment not deemed to be "typically female".