Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

Sixty-ninth session

Summary record of the 1586th meeting

Held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, on Thursday, 1 March 2018, at 10 a.m.

Chair:Ms. Leinarte

Contents

Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention (continued)

Combined sixth and seventh periodic reports of Luxembourg

The meeting was called to order at 10 a.m.

Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention (continued)

Combined sixth and seventh periodic reports of Luxembourg (CEDAW/C/LUX/5-7; CEDAW/C/LUX/QPR/6-7)

At the invitation of the Chair, the delegation of Luxembourg took places at the Committee table.

Ms. Mutsch (Luxembourg), introducing her country’s combined sixth and seventh periodic reports, said that the principle of equality between men and women was enshrined in the Constitution. Luxembourg was one of the few countries in the world that had a ministry exclusively dedicated to protecting women’s rights and promoting equality. Nevertheless, inequalities remained, particularly in terms of the gender wage gap, the overburdening of women with domestic activities and the underrepresentation of women in political and economic life.

The Government had adopted equality between men and women as a guiding principle for all political action. The 2015–2018 National Action Plan on Gender Equality governed equality policy and the Ministry of Equal Opportunity coordinated action in that regard. The Ministry focused on a number of areas, including integrating women into the labour market, reducing the gender wage gap, boosting the participation of women in economic decision-making, achieving equal treatment in the workplace and reconciling professional and family life.

The law of 15 December 2016 had introduced the principle of equal pay for men and women into the Labour Code, under which infringements by employers were punishable by a fine of up to €50,000. Companies that participated in the affirmative action programme for the private sector were required to use software developed by the Ministry to monitor and detect any discrepancies between the salaries of men and women. In exchange, companies that passed an assessment benefited from ministerial approval, financial assistance and an annual award scheme. The programme had been reformed in 2016 and covered equal treatment, equality in decision-making and equality in reconciling work and family life. Around 100 businesses employing 11 per cent of the country’s workforce participated. The gender pay gap had halved over the last decade, placing Luxembourg in first position in the European Union ranking.

Given the underrepresentation of women in decision-making positions, the Government aimed to increase to 40 per cent by 2019 the proportion of women on the boards of directors of public companies and private enterprises in which the State held shares. That proportion had already risen by 7 percentage points between January 2015 and the end of 2017. Following an amendment to the law, public funding would be available only for political parties that fielded 40 per cent women candidates at the national level and 50 per cent at the European level. The “Vote Equality” (votezegalite.lu) campaign launched by the Ministry of Equal Opportunities, in partnership with a number of actors on the ground, had boosted the number of female candidates running for office at the local level by 3 percentage points since 2011.

In order to provide optimum care for victims of domestic violence, the Ministry had signed cooperation agreements with a dozen NGOs, with a total budget of €13 million. The Ministry also regularly held media campaigns, demonstrations and conferences to raise awareness of domestic violence, which included a study on its causes that was presented and discussed with national and international experts in March 2015. The Ministry had taken part in international initiatives, including the “White Ribbon” campaign in November 2015 and Orange Week in November 2017, to put an end to violence against women and girls and break the taboo surrounding domestic violence. A multilingual campaign had recently been launched to raise awareness about domestic violence among migrant communities. The Domestic Violence Law had been amended in 2013 to enable all victims to benefit from domestic violence protection orders, to provide children who witnessed acts of domestic violence with care, support and counselling and to extend the length of the protection orders from 10 to 14 days. The law had also provided for restraining orders and required offenders to report to a monitoring service within seven days of the issuance of the order. A government committee oversaw the application of legislation in that area and gathered statistics published every year. Awareness-raising and prevention efforts had borne fruit; the number of orders issued had declined by over 42 per cent between 2012 and 2017, and the number of police interventions had also fallen. In October 2017, the Government had tabled a bill for the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention), which Luxembourg had signed in 2011.

The State party had launched the “Stop Trafficking” (stoptraite.lu) campaign in December 2016 to raise public awareness and help better identify victims. The Ministry of Equal Opportunities worked in close cooperation with two NGOs, the police and the Prosecutor’s Office to assist victims in rebuilding their lives. The Government had adopted a two-part national strategy concerning prostitution. The National Action Plan on Prostitution aimed at helping women to leave prostitution, reinforcing project Streetwork, aimed at young people living in cities, and improving sex education. In addition, legislation had been amended as part of the fight against prostitution, procuring and human trafficking for sexual exploitation. Clients were liable to punishment under the Criminal Code if it was proved that they used the services of a prostitute in a vulnerable situation.

In recognition of the fact that men also faced a range of issues, the Ministry of Equal Opportunities jointly financed a consultation service for men facing difficulties such as job loss, domestic violence or illness. During its presidency of the European Union, her Government had held discussions on how best to respond to the needs of men and women in reconciling work and family life, highlighting the role of men in gender mainstreaming. In that connection, the third International Conference on Men and Equal Opportunities, organized by the Ministry, covered areas such as men in jobs traditionally associated with women and in childcare. Political reforms had also been undertaken in those areas.

The Ministry had published three children’s books in efforts to raise awareness of and combat gender stereotypes from a young age. For older children, a memory game had been introduced in 2014 where players had to match pictures of women and men doing the same work. In recognition of the importance of training in gender equality, all new civil servants at the national and regional level were required to undergo a 6-hour equality training course. Furthermore, a number of persons who had been given international protection in Luxembourg in recent years had received training in gender equality.

Articles 1 to 6

Ms. Hofmeister said that she wondered how the State party intended to accelerate the adoption of international treaties under the county’s monistic system given the current long time frames for incorporating international law into national legislation. She would appreciate an outline of the action taken to address the lack of legal provisions concerning gender mainstreaming budgeting and the results of such action. Noting the poor condition of the facilities of the Advisory Commission on Human Rights, she would like to hear what plans were in place to improve the working conditions of the Commission’s members and to enhance its legal position. Lastly, in view of the absence of gender-disaggregated data, she asked whether the State party intended to put in place an adequate data-collection system.

Ms. Bethel said that revenue shortfalls shrank Government budgets in areas that included health care, education and poverty reduction initiatives, which disproportionately affected persons with low incomes, most of whom were women. Luxembourg had the largest private banking and wealth management sector in the eurozone and offered extensive tax avoidance services. She wished to know what guidelines the Interministerial Monitoring Committee, the body responsible for hearing complaints of persons affected by companies registered in Luxembourg, had set out with regard to the gender impact of special tax laws and rates for such companies. She would like to know the status and content of the proposed national action plan on business and human rights, including whether a gender perspective had been incorporated and whether civil society organizations, in particular women’s organizations, had been involved in the drafting process. In the light of the recommendations by the Council of Europe on the cross-border effects of tax policies, and widespread public information on tax avoidance and flows of illicit funds from abroad through the State party, she asked whether the Government intended to undertake a rigorous independent study of how its laws promoted tax abuses and whether it would commit to steps to ensure that national budgets fulfilled the country’s obligations in terms of women’s rights abroad.

Ms. Mutsch (Luxembourg) said that equality of rights and obligations for women and men were enshrined in law and in the Constitution, which also required the State to promote gender equality and eliminate discrimination against women and men. That said, achieving de facto equality was less straightforward. During the Luxembourg presidency of the Council of the European Union, in 2015, a conference had been held to discuss why legislation alone was not sufficient or expeditious in combating gender inequalities. It was clear that a dual approach was needed: on the one hand, public awareness-raising campaigns must be carried out, including gender-sensitive education in schools; on the other, legislation must be introduced with penalties for non-compliance. It was in that context that the Government had introduced legislation on equal pay for equal work of equal value, which had helped decrease the gender pay gap in Luxembourg.

The Government was aware that it needed to speed up its ratification and implementation of international treaties and was exploring ways of doing so. For instance, it was introducing specific working groups and assigning responsibility to certain individuals for dealing with ratification processes, an approach it was confident would yield better results. The collection of gender-disaggregated data had begun somewhat belatedly. However, under the National Action Plan on Gender Equality for the period 2015–2018, and in view of the fact that gender equality was a cross-cutting issue, all ministries were now responsible for collecting gender-related data. One of the obstacles to data collection was, however, the rigorous data protection laws in force in Luxembourg. For example, plans to gather certain data for a bill on prostitution had proved incompatible with those laws.

Ms. Ameline said that Luxembourg had long been a leading player in terms of its approach to sustainable development, which, under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, included gender equality as a goal. She wished to know what role was played by the Ministry of Equal Opportunity in formulating a sustainable development policy, what measures were being taken to promote gender equality in development cooperation projects abroad and whether such measures had influenced government policy at home.

Ms. Hofmeister said she was surprised that Luxembourg had yet to launch a national action plan to implement Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security. Was such a plan in the pipeline?

Ms. Fisch (Luxembourg) said that a first draft of the national action plan on business and human rights had been completed. It was shortly to be discussed by the relevant multi-stakeholder working group, which was made up of representatives of Government, civil society and business organizations, with a view to its adoption later in 2018. The Interministerial Committee on Human Rights and various human rights NGOs were also set to participate. In that connection, the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises and their impact on the human rights of women and girls were being assessed, taking into account the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Efforts were being made, in particular, to work with the financial sector and to learn from the best practices of other countries.

The Interministerial Committee for Gender Equality, which was chaired by the Ministry of Equal Opportunity, met regularly for thematic discussions, emphasized the need for gender-disaggregated data and focused on how to integrate the gender dimension into related specific and cross-cutting policies, including those related to the 2030 Agenda. The Ministry also played an active role in devising sustainable development policy and participated in a working group in charge of defining relevant indicators and overseeing follow-up. In the area of development cooperation, the Ministry had long championed the integration of the gender perspective and had made gender mainstreaming a visible and important principle. Lastly, a working group had been established to formulate a national action plan to implement Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), with a first draft expected later in 2018.

Ms. Schroeder (Luxembourg) said that a development cooperation committee met with representatives of civil society twice a year. A number of projects that incorporated a gender perspective had been financed and launched in several developing countries, including Mali and Burkina Faso. One such project had, for example, helped to eliminate the practice of female genital mutilation by working with the communities involved and helping women practitioners to find alternative livelihoods.

Ms. Mutsch (Luxembourg) said that a cross-cutting approach was taken to both equal opportunities and sustainable development, with each government ministry addressing those issues within their own sphere of competence. In line with her dual portfolio as Minister of Health and Minister for Equal Opportunities, she was particularly concerned with women’s empowerment in the context of health care and humanitarian aid. In 2017, following the reintroduction by the United States of America of the so-called Mexico City Policy — also known as the Global Gag Rule — which prohibited foreign NGOs in receipt of United States aid from offering abortion services or information about the procedure, her Government had pledged funding for the “She Decides” project, which championed the fundamental rights of girls and women to decide freely and for themselves about their sexual lives, and had stepped up its contributions to the United Nations Population Fund.

Ms. Hofmeister said she was concerned that the Ministry of Equal Opportunity had insufficient resources, that its main focus was diversity and equal opportunities as opposed to women’s rights, and that the National Action Plan on Gender Equality contained few concrete actions and lacked specific funding. Moreover, regular consultation with women’s organizations, in particular those representing women with disabilities and lesbian, bisexual and transgender women, seemed to be lacking. She wished to know what specific measures were contained in the current National Action Plan on Gender Equality, what indicators had been developed to evaluate its effectiveness and what budget had been allocated for its implementation. Noting that the mandate and functions of the Interministerial Committee for Gender Equality seemed to be under review, she wondered which entity was responsible for monitoring implementation of the Plan. Lastly, she would be interested to know what training was provided or envisaged to enable equality officers to promote gender mainstreaming.

Ms. Acar said that, regarding access to justice, she was concerned that, despite the recommendations made by the Committee in its previous concluding observations (CEDAW/C/LUX/CO/5), the Convention and its Optional Protocol were still not widely known in Luxembourg. She wished to know why the Convention was seldom invoked by the courts and why there was little in the way of case law relating to discrimination. She would also like to know what measures had been taken to improve awareness of the Convention among the public and to enhance its implementation by the judiciary.

With regard to access to justice, she would appreciate an explanation of the conditions attached to the award of legal aid to persons who could prove that they lacked sufficient resources. It was unclear whether the specific difficulties faced by women had been taken into account in that regard and how it was possible for women who experienced multiple and intersecting discrimination to enjoy equal access to justice under legislation described in the State party report as “gender-neutral”. For that reason, she would appreciate specific examples drawn from legislation and from its implementation of a gender-sensitive approach aimed at facilitating women’s access to justice, in particular the access to justice of female migrants and asylum seekers. Lastly, in the light of the fact that the Convention concerned substantive equality, or equality of outcome rather than equality of opportunity, she wondered why the Ministry of Equal Opportunity had not been named the Ministry of Equality between Men and Women.

Ms. Nadaraia said that, while it had been promising to discover that temporary special measures had been proposed to accelerate the achievement of de facto equality in business and politics, she wished to know whether time-limited projects had been proposed for other fields, for example health care and budgeting.

Ms. Mutsch (Luxembourg) said that, although she agreed that her Ministry’s budget could be larger, it was likely that other ministers would make the same assessment of their respective ministries. The Ministry of Equal Opportunity was the smallest ministry in the country and had the smallest budget of any ministry, but many other countries did not have a ministry for equal opportunity at all. Some years previously, the name of the Ministry had been changed from the Ministry for the Advancement of Women to the Ministry of Equal Opportunity with a view to reflecting its aim of achieving equality for all. The Ministry of Equal Opportunity coordinated the efforts made by other ministries to promote equal opportunity. Indeed, nearly all other ministries had incorporated equality of opportunity into their action programmes.

The Ministry of Family and Social Integration was responsible for the prevention of discrimination and the promotion of diversity. That Ministry supported persons seeking international protection, and the tools available to protect such persons included specific laws, shelters, culturally sensitive support services, dedicated action plans and specialized care packages. The Ministry of Family and Social Integration and the Ministry of Equal Opportunity worked together to raise awareness of the country’s values and principles and organize orientation and language classes and other events.

One of the other responsibilities entrusted to the Ministry of Family and Social Integration was the improvement of work-life balance, and, with that responsibility in mind, it had completely overhauled the parental leave system. In the previous two years, the number of men who had taken parental leave had tripled. Since 2015, the same Ministry had been responsible for coordinating policy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons. In 2017, it had signed a declaration in support of the rights of those groups at an event held in celebration of the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, and various action plans had been formulated and awareness-raising campaigns conducted to promote their rights. The Ministry of Education, Children and Youth was responsible for combating discrimination in the education sector.

Ms. Schroeder (Luxembourg) said that the Convention and the Optional Protocol were covered in mandatory training programmes at the National Institute of Public Administration. Similar training courses were mandatory for equality officers, who were responsible for promoting equality between men and women in the public and the private sectors and supporting victims of gender-based discrimination. The Ministry of Equal Opportunity organized regular training courses for the nine NGOs with which it had entered into special agreements. Those NGOs worked with vulnerable groups of women, including victims of domestic violence and victims of trafficking, and informed them of their rights. All public officials took a training course on trafficking in persons, and a more detailed training course on victim identification was also available.

The Ministry of Equal Opportunity had prepared an information sheet on the rights of victims of violence and the avenues of redress available to them. The Prosecutor’s Office had a specialized service that supported and offered advice to women victims of violence and discrimination. In the public sector, there was a psychosocial centre to support victims of discrimination and victims of workplace violence, including women who had experienced gender-based violence. The assistance available for persons seeking international protection included a special mechanism to identify and assist vulnerable persons.

Ms. Fisch (Luxembourg) said that the Interministerial Committee for Gender Equality had been formed to replace the previous system of gender units in the ministries. The Committee was composed of high-level officials who worked to mainstream gender in their respective ministries and reported back to raise questions and share best practices. It was difficult to calculate the budget for the National Action Plan on Gender Equality separately, as the gender equality policies provided for under the Plan had been incorporated throughout the government and the costs incurred were borne by a number of ministries.

Ms. Gabr said that the Committee would appreciate an update on the outcomes of the 2013 study of the representation of women in the media. It would be useful to learn what measures were being taken to combat harmful traditions and customs among newly arrived migrants and asylum seekers in the State party and, in that connection, what plans were in place to implement the Committee’s general recommendation No. 31 on harmful practices. In particular, she wished to know what measures could be taken to overcome the obstacle to integration that the national language represented, whether officials tasked with the administration of justice received training on the impact that harmful practices had on women’s rights, whether the victims of such practices could be placed in shelters for victims of violence and whether the State party planned to conduct campaigns to raise awareness of such practices in the media and in schools. She would appreciate information on the prevalence and geographical distribution of such practices, in particular female genital mutilation and early marriage.

In the light of the recent increase in the number of incidents of hate speech against foreign nationals, she wished to know how the State party sought to promote diversity and respect towards others. She would be grateful if the delegation could provide more information on the cooperation between the Government and NGOs on the issue of domestic violence and comment on reports that staffing levels in shelters were inadequate. In the context of the Committee’s general recommendation No. 35 (2017) on gender-based violence against women, updating general recommendation No. 19, she wished to know whether a specific action plan had been formulated, an oversight mechanism had been devised and health-care workers had been trained. Lastly, she would appreciate more information on the bill ratifying the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention), which reportedly contained unsatisfactory definitions of key terms.

Ms. Acar said that she would be grateful if the delegation could explain the reasons for the delay in the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, which the State party had signed in 2011, and set out the proposed timeline for its ratification. In the context of the Istanbul Convention and the Committee’s general recommendations Nos. 19 and 35, she wished to know why women in de facto unions, such as those who were named alongside their partner on a rental agreement, were not protected under existing legislation on domestic violence. It was unclear whether the helpline for women victims of violence operated 24 hours a day, whether it was accessible and whether it catered exclusively to women victims of violence. It would be interesting to know which institution was responsible for coordinating domestic violence policy, whether the reasons for the decline in the number of police interventions in domestic violence incidents had been studied and, if they had, what methodology had been used, and whether the shelters for victims of domestic violence were adequately funded.

Ms. Jahan said that she wished to know what measures had been taken or were planned to ensure that disaggregated data on trafficking in persons and prostitution were systematically collected and how many traffickers had been prosecuted and convicted. It would be useful to learn whether the protection afforded to women victims under the National Action Plan on Human Trafficking was sufficiently gender-sensitive, whether NGOs were involved in the planning and implementation of the anti-trafficking measures provided for under the Plan, whether the information and awareness-raising campaign on the phenomenon of human trafficking had been assessed and, if it had, what action had been taken in response.

She wondered whether there was a standardized procedure for identifying victims of trafficking and whether gender-sensitive and gender-responsive training was provided, in particular for law enforcement and judicial actors, with a focus on at-risk groups, including asylum seekers, refugees, unaccompanied children and undocumented migrants. In addition, she wished to know what preventive measures had been taken to ensure that victims of trafficking were not placed in immigration detention centres or prosecuted for offences committed as a direct result of having been trafficked, what role was played by NGOs in the identification of victims, whether NGOs had access to women belonging to at-risk groups in immigration detention centres and what measures had been taken to expand the referral system in order to ensure the recovery, empowerment and integration of women victims. It was unclear whether a formal witness protection system was in place for victims of trafficking and what safeguards were planned to ensure that convicted traffickers did not receive suspended sentences.

With regard to prostitution, she wished to know what exceptions were provided for under articles 48 and 51 of the general police regulations of the city of Luxembourg, which prohibited street prostitution, and whether street prostitution was prohibited elsewhere in the country. She wondered how the State party planned to respond to the strategy adopted by many traffickers of using non-physical coercion to control victims of prostitution, whether inspections and monitoring visits were carried out in prostitution hotspots and whether the topic would be included in the school curriculum.

Ms. Mutsch (Luxembourg) said that the Ministry of Justice was responsible for reviewing proposals for the ratification of the Istanbul Convention. It had begun work to that end in 2017 with a view to guaranteeing comprehensive protection against gender-based violence. Gender identity was included among the grounds of discrimination prohibited in the relevant draft legislation under consideration, and female genital mutilation had been incorporated as a specific offence. The bill provided for extraterritorial jurisdiction for the offences of forced abortion, forced marriage and female genital mutilation and contained a provision concerning the statutes of limitations for sexual violence offences, including sexual offences against minors. In addition, it would strengthen the role played by the Ministry of Equal Opportunity in the prevention of violence against women, improve the protection afforded to minors who were direct or indirect victims of domestic violence, improve the data-collection practices of the Committee on Cooperation Between Professionals Combating Violence and amend the Domestic Violence Act.

A committee had been established to monitor efforts to combat human trafficking. Public information campaigns were regularly implemented and training was provided to officials and relevant professionals on the identification of trafficking victims. All victims of trafficking had access to care and assistance.

A national programme had been launched to promote young people’s emotional and sexual health, and a corresponding national action plan was being drafted. The programme had had an impact in many areas, including on school textbooks, and had helped in getting information on sexual and reproductive health to vulnerable groups, such as families seeking international protection. Sexual health education was provided to all children, starting at a young age.

Ms. Schroeder (Luxembourg) said that training on human rights, including women’s rights, was provided to members of the judiciary and law enforcement services. Additional, specialized training was also provided on domestic violence. Information on human rights in general and women’s rights in particular was also disseminated in schools, including through a specially designed course programme.

Training on the identification and registration of trafficking victims was provided to all government officials and non-governmental organizations. Such organizations provided assistance and care to victims, and operated a referral mechanism for further services. For its part, the Ministry of Equal Opportunity operated two mobile services aimed at trafficking victims and adopted an inter-agency and intersectoral approach. Child trafficking victims and unaccompanied minors received appropriate care until they reached the age of majority. After an initial 90-day readjustment period, victims of trafficking were granted a six-month residence permit that could subsequently be extended. Trafficking victims had full access to justice.

Ms. Stoffel (Luxembourg) said that the Ministry of Health implemented a wide range of gender-based health programmes and collected data to help the Government to develop targeted programmes and policies. Health-care programmes aimed at women and girls covered breastfeeding, vaccination against human papilloma virus and contraceptive methods and campaigns that targeted vulnerable groups, including sex workers and drug users.

Mr. Janizzi (Luxembourg) said that training on children’s rights and non-discrimination was provided to professionals in the education sector. A course had been introduced in school in order to raise awareness among children aged between 6 and 18 years about issues such as diversity, tolerance, conflict management, dialogue, sexuality, media images, civic rights and duties and discrimination. As part of efforts to combat online abuse, a mechanism had been established under the joint governmental initiative for a safe Internet culture known as Bee Secure that provided a point of contact for flagging offensive, illegal online content. Other measures included compulsory Internet safety training for 12 to 13 year-olds, regular campaigns to prevent cyberbullying and the publication and distribution of guides, including to police stations and psychological support centres.

Ms. Schroeder (Luxembourg) said that data on trafficking were collected and analysed by a national monitoring committee on human trafficking, with the cooperation of the police and the Advisory Commission on Human Rights. Although she did not have those data to hand, she could submit them to the Committee at a later date.

Ms. Acar said the definition of domestic violence in the State party’s legislation did not cover women in de facto unions. She wished to know whether the judiciary received training on forms of violence other than domestic violence. Did the 24-hour police helpline deal exclusively with violence against women? She would be interested to know whether the Government had analysed the reasons behind the fall in police interventions and domestic violence protection orders. Were victim shelters funded and managed by the State?

Ms. Jahan asked whether the State party could indicate what exceptions had been established to the general regulations of the city of Luxembourg that prohibited persons from displaying themselves in a public thoroughfare for prostitution. She invited the delegation to elaborate on the provisions of its National Action Plan on Prostitution as it pertained to the sexual and emotional health and Streetwork programmes mentioned earlier. In the light of reports that the programme for women wishing to leave prostitution lacked adequate resources, she would like to know what steps the Government was taking to ensure adequate funding.

In February, the Government had introduced legislation to criminalize the purchase of commercial sexual services under certain circumstances, for example if the prostitute was a minor or a trafficking victim, in order to prevent exploitation. However, the issue of consent was complicated and women were forced into prostitution for a wide variety of reasons. Moreover, as the case of the Netherlands appeared to demonstrate, the legalization of prostitution did not necessarily make women any safer from trafficking. Indeed, data from that country indicated that human trafficking had increased in order to meet demand.

Ms. Gabr said that the delegation was invited to comment on reports that victim shelters, which were funded through the State budget, were unable to meet demand and lacked adequate human resources. She would also be interested in obtaining information on the results of the study conducted in 2013 on images of women in the media and gender stereotypes.

Ms. Ameline said that in spite of the desire, at international level, to make progress in combating human trafficking, the results achieved had been disappointing. Trafficking was a pressing humanitarian issue that required a greater level of advocacy and more concerted efforts.

Ms. Acar asked the delegation whether it would indicate the time frame envisaged for the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence.

Ms. Mutsch (Luxembourg) said that, in order to combat trafficking, awareness-raising measures were indeed required at the international level. In that context, the Government had participated in various high-level meetings and exchanges on trafficking, including with the European Union Anti-Trafficking Coordinator and the United States Government.

The national strategy on prostitution was tailored to the country’s specific circumstances and needs. Steps had been taken to criminalize the exploitation of the most vulnerable persons involved in prostitution and to help the law enforcement services take effective action in cases involving trafficking or pimping. The pragmatic approach adopted by the Government also focused on strengthening the psychosocial assistance and protection provided to minors, enhancing institutional coordination and ensuring adequate, budgetary resources, including for programmes for women seeking to leave prostitution. The action plan on prostitution depended on funding from several ministries, as part of a cross-cutting approach. With regard to the Streetwork programme, efforts had been made to strengthen its human resources and to enhance coordination with the authorities in Luxembourg City.

Ms. Shroeder (Luxembourg) said that training on all forms of violence was provided to the judiciary. Likewise, the police helpline was open to all victims of violence. A special centre had been established within the Laboratoire National de Santé (National Health Laboratory) to document injuries sustained by victims of violence, irrespective of whether a complaint had been filed with the authorities. After a victim’s injuries were examined and recorded, the medical notes were archived for a period of 10 years and could be used as evidence at a later date. The service was free of charge.

Available data suggested that the decrease in the number of police interventions and expulsion orders issued was, in part, correlated to the positive impact of awareness-raising campaigns on domestic violence. Training on domestic and gender-based violence was provided by non-governmental organizations to professionals, including midwives and social workers. Non-governmental organizations received State funding to cover services, training, staff and office space. Furthermore, a referral system existed between non-governmental organizations affiliated with various ministries. If a particular NGO was unable to provide assistance, the person would be referred to another organization; no one was ever left behind.

Articles 7 to 9

Ms. Song Wenyan said that women in Luxembourg were still underrepresented on decision-making bodies in the public and private sectors despite their high level of education and the Government’s gender equality agenda and good practices. She would be grateful if the delegation would indicate whether an analysis of the reasons behind that phenomenon had been conducted and provide any findings resulting from the analysis.

She asked whether the legal provisions introduced in 2016 on the funding of political parties had been implemented and what sanctions were imposed for non-compliance. In that connection, she was concerned that merely ensuring that women appeared on candidate lists would not necessarily ensure that they would then be elected. She asked whether there were quotas for the election of women to the Chamber of Deputies and penalties such as funding cuts for political parties that failed to meet gender quotas.

She would appreciate further information on the database containing profiles of women ready to assume a mandate on a board of directors, including on its funding, the number of profiles in the database and the number of women from the database who had successfully been appointed to boards of directors.

Articles 10 to 14

Ms. Narain said that there were concerns that the children of migrants might struggle in the country’s trilingual education system and even drop out of school altogether. Could the State party indicate how many girls from migrant or refugee families had dropped out of school and why they had done so, including as a result of language-related problems. In that regard, it would be helpful to know what measures were taken, such as remedial language courses, to encourage girls from migrant families to remain in the education system. In cases where girls dropped out owing to family or cultural pressures, were any awareness-raising efforts undertaken that targeted their parents? In general, further information on measures taken to enhance access to education, particularly for migrant children and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, would be appreciated. She also invited the delegation to provide gender-disaggregated statistics on pupils enrolled at all types of secondary education establishments, including technical and vocational institutions, for the period 2016–2017. Turning to the issue of leadership in the education sector, she asked whether the delegation could provide information on women in leadership positions, including as heads of secondary schools and research or tertiary education institutions.

Further information on discrimination against and bullying of lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex girls, including on the sanctions imposed on perpetrators and psychological support provided to victims, would be appreciated. The delegation was invited to provide information on measures to tackle gender stereotypes, including on programmes to encourage girls and young women to pursue non-traditional career paths. It would also be interesting to know whether pupils were taught about de facto equality. In that connection, it would be interesting to hear about the online study conducted by the National Ministry of Education, Children and Youth and the Ministry for Equal Opportunity, including the results obtained and any follow-up measures taken, and the National Reference Centre for the Promotion of Emotional and Sexual Health.

The meeting rose at 1 p.m.