Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

Ninetieth session

Summary record of the 2136th meeting

Held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, on Friday, 14 February 2025, at 10 a.m.

Chair:Ms. Mikko (Vice-Chair)

Contents

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

Sixth periodic report of Liechtenstein

In the absence of Ms. Haidar, Ms. Mikko (Vice-Chair) took the Chair.

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

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

Sixth periodic report of Liechtenstein (CEDAW/C/LIE/6; CEDAW/C/LIE/QPR/6)

At the invitation of the Chair, the delegation of Liechtenstein joined the meeting.

A representative of Liechtenstein, introducing her country’s sixth periodic report (CEDAW/C/LIE/6), said that, since the consideration of the country’s previous periodic report, a number of advances had been made in ensuring women’s rights. The proportion of women in the parliament had risen from 28 per cent to 32 per cent, and following recent elections, there was a strong likelihood that the country would soon have its first female Prime Minister, some 40 years after it had adopted universal suffrage. The Government was currently developing a national gender equality strategy in a participatory process involving numerous stakeholders. It had upgraded the status of the Equal Opportunities Unit, making it a division, and had increased staffing and financial support to strengthen its ability to ensure the implementation of international human rights conventions. It had recently established a coordinating body for the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (the Istanbul Convention). That body would work to combat domestic violence and consider establishing mandatory violence prevention counselling and setting up a national helpline, along the lines of programmes in neighbouring countries.

The Government had improved its ability to collect data and thus to establish gender quality indicators. It had adopted laws allowing for the marriage of same-sex couples and, in accordance with a European Union directive, introducing paid paternity leave and parental and caregiving leave, which would help establish a more equitable division of labour within families. It had begun consultations on pension equalization for cases of divorce or separation, which would address a type of financial hardship principally affecting women.

In its foreign policy, Liechtenstein placed priority on women’s rights. The Minister for Foreign Affairs was actively involved in the Female Foreign Ministers Initiative, which helped to elevate the role of women in diplomacy and policymaking. Liechtenstein was a member of the Commission on the Status of Women, and during its presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe it had organized events for the promotion of women’s rights.

Her Government recognized that challenges remained, such as the questions of how to ensure adequate representation of women in decision-making roles, how to address gender stereotypes and how to combat violence against women. It was committed to sustained efforts to achieve de facto gender equality.

Articles 1–6

Ms. Hacker said that she would like to know what measures were in place to collect sex-disaggregated data on care work, domestic violence, wage inequality and women’s representation in all economic sectors, especially for migrant women and women with disabilities; whether the State party intended to ensure that women would have an equal right to inherit the throne; and how the reservation filed by the State party in respect of article 1, which dealt with the definition of discrimination, was in line with its obligations under articles 2, 5, and 7 of the Convention. The Committee would like to find out whether the Government planned to adopt a general anti-discrimination law.

In light of the very small number of litigated cases, she wondered how the State party would increase the visibility of the Convention, its Optional Protocol and women’s rights, and why no civil society organizations from the State party were present at the Committee’s consideration of the periodic report. The Committee would like to find out how the anonymity of women who filed complaints or initiated litigation could be secured, considering their fears of damage to their reputation and the possibility of retaliation against them. She wished to find out what steps were taken to provide capacity-building for the judiciary and training for the police regarding the enforcement of the existing legislation protecting women’s rights.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that accession to the throne was governed by article 3 of the Constitution, which granted the Princely House itself the authority to determine the line of succession. The question was thus out of the hands of the Government. Currently, all individuals in the line of succession were male, and there were no plans to alter the existing system. Women were admittedly still less represented than men in political and economic areas, but the trend was towards greater female representation, and the proportion of women in leadership roles and participating in political and public life was on the rise.

Since 2021, the Office of Statistics had published equality indicators as a supplement to the Sustainable Development Statistics, relating to Sustainable Development Goal 5. In November 2024, the Office had published updated equality data encompassing 35 indicators in five areas – politics, economics, public service, health and education. Those data were to be updated every two years and serve as a basis for drafting policies and programmes. The indicators also covered wage disparities. The 2021 data had shown that the wage gap of 14.1 per cent had decreased, from 20 per cent in 2005. Women’s economic participation stood at 71.7 per cent.

Liechtenstein had ratified the Istanbul Convention in 2021, and the coordinating body for its implementation was addressing the issue of violence against women, drafting implementation instructions and attempting to establish a coordinated data collection system at the national level.

The Association for Human Rights had cited its own lack of capacity to attend the Committee’s meetings, but it closely followed the question of women’s rights. Many active non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Liechtenstein were engaged with women’s rights issues and maintained communication with the Government. The police did not disclose the names of victims or complainants of rights violations. However, the Criminal Code did not provide for the full anonymity of victims; their names were disclosed if their cases came to court.

Ms. Hacker said that she would like to know how data were collected on unpaid care work, which was done mostly by women. It would be of interest to know if the data were disaggregated for migrant women and women with disabilities. Were there any measures to improve knowledge of the Convention, for example among the public, individual women and certain NGOs that worked with less privileged women, so that they would be aware of the ability to invoke the law and refer their cases under the Optional Protocol to safeguard their rights?

A representative of Liechtenstein said that the Government would issue a press release following the Committee’s consideration of the periodic report and that the national press and radio would cover the dialogue, thus raising awareness of the Convention. In 2021, a video briefly explaining the importance of the Convention and the Committee’s work had been produced by the Association for Human Rights and the Government’s Office for Social Services, and it was still posted on a government website. Newspaper articles had been published on the Convention and the recommendations received by the Government with a view to improving the situation of women’s rights and gender equality, and the Government issued and publicized an annual report on human rights.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that the Office of Statistics had considered that its surveys were already extremely voluminous and that the addition of questions relating to unpaid care work would not be feasible. The Government had however analysed the results of a Swiss study that had included the subject of unpaid work in recent years, as conditions in eastern Switzerland were similar to those in Liechtenstein. It was still deciding whether a separate study was needed for Liechtenstein.

Data on intersectional issues were not yet collected in a standardized manner. However, the Government had begun compiling data on the situation of migrant women and women with disabilities. Liechtenstein had ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in December 2023.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that various forms of discrimination were prohibited and punishable under the Criminal Code. The Disability Equality Act and the Gender Equality Act addressed discrimination against specific groups.

Ms. Schläppi said that, because of the upgrading of the Equal Opportunities Unit into a division, the new entity would now have an extended mandate that might diminish the visibility of the need for gender equality. Similarly, the Association for Human Rights was under consideration for accreditation as a national human rights institution, in line with the Paris Principles, and already had a broad mandate. The Committee would like to receive information on the Association’s actions specifically related to gender equality and on the share of financial resources allocated to women’s rights and gender equality activities. It would like to find out whether the association employed experts on gender equality, and if so, what their roles were.

Various women’s rights organizations were active in Liechtenstein and received government support through project funding and service delivery agreements. However, the Committee was concerned that government funding did not fully cover the public services that they offered, such as the provision of shelters for victims of domestic violence, and that private sponsorship was required to fill the gap. She would be curious to find out the amount of public funding provided for NGOs working to promote women’s rights and to hear why public funding did not fully cover such essential services.

While a majority of the members of the Government were now women, women remained underrepresented in many of the country’s political institutions and in public life. The delegation was invited to inform the Committee whether the Government had adopted any time-bound measures aimed at achieving substantive equality between men and women in areas where women were underrepresented or disadvantaged; whether any steps were taken to establish quotas for women to ensure equal representation in the public and private sectors, in line with general recommendation No. 40 (2024) on equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems; and if such measures existed, how and when they would be implemented.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that, since 2017, a reform had been carried out, resulting not only in the upgrading of the Equal Opportunities Unit, but also in the ratification of human rights instruments, including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the founding of an independent human rights institution and greater recognition of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons. The focus of the Equal Opportunities Unit and of the Association for Human Rights had indeed been broadened, but the number of staff positions devoted to gender equality had doubled since 2018. With the transformation of the Equal Opportunities Unit into a division of the Office of Social Services, the corresponding annual budget had increased from an initial level of 60,000 Swiss francs to 236,000 Swiss francs, and the distribution of the funding had improved.

Broad consultations had been held in 2024, with the participation of the Ministry of Culture, representatives of the university, the economic sector and NGOs, to formulate a national equalities policy. A number of workshops had been organized on the related themes, and a final report was currently being drafted. Hearings on the subject were scheduled to begin in March 2025, after which the Government would adopt the policy.

The Association for Human Rights received State funding but acted independently, for example in its human rights monitoring activities. It employed specialists in various areas, including gender equality. Its annual budget had recently increased to 410,000 Swiss francs, as it had been assigned the task of establishing an independent unit to monitor the rights of persons with disabilities following the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that, in reaction to a decline in the number of women parliamentarians after elections held in 2017, there had been a movement to institute a quota system. However, public support for electoral quotas had been insufficient. A subsequent initiative to constitutionally require gender parity had resulted in a referendum, which had been rejected.

Ms. Schläppi said that she acknowledged that the establishment of quotas was a complex matter. In the light of the State party’s obligations, the Committee would like to hear what the Government’s position was on the question of achieving gender parity in political representation. She noted that large differences persisted in the numbers of female and male candidates presented on party electoral lists. What was the position of the Government with respect to the possible use of special temporary measures to address such problems?

The Committee would appreciate it if the delegation could inform it of the proportion of the budgets of the Association for Human Rights and of the Equal Opportunities Unit that had been devoted to gender equality.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that the fact that the Government was working on gender equality showed that it would support the adoption of special temporary measures to achieve gender parity, but achieving concrete results was a challenge. It was difficult for political parties to find women candidates in sufficient numbers, and in recent elections female candidates had fared relatively poorly.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that the Government had demonstrated an interest in drawing up a national equality strategy. There had been an initiative to ensure greater diversity in political life, and it had received some public funding and had enjoyed support at all levels of society and from numerous political parties. The Government considered that a long-term strategy would be the most productive.

Ms. Dettmeijer-Vermeulen said that the Committee would like to know more about the comprehensiveness and proactive nature of the strategy to tackle stereotypes. It would appreciate information on the way in which a sustained strategy to combat stereotypes would be integrated into the new gender equality plan; on the specific actions taken to combat hate speech, particularly against women facing intersectional discrimination; and on awareness programmes specifically addressed to men and boys, to emphasize their role in dismantling stereotypes and preventing violence. She would like to find out if there was continuous cooperation between the Violence Protection Commission and media outlets in order to promote rights-based, non-stereotypical media portrayals, as outlined in the Media Act, and whether the State party was considering updating or once again promoting a tutorial for media professionals on gender-sensitive reporting, which had initially been drawn up in 2017. It would be of interest to find out whether the State party monitored the effectiveness of its actions to combat hate speech and whether it could provide data on convictions for hate speech, based on the expanded Criminal Code, which prohibited discrimination based on gender and other characteristics.

The Committee was concerned about inconsistency in the application of definitions of gender-based violence and domestic violence. She invited the delegation to describe the responsibilities, resources and scope of the coordinating body for the implementation of the Istanbul Convention and to inform the Committee when and how the State party would amend its legal definition of domestic violence in the Criminal Code to fully align it with the definition in the Istanbul Convention. Would the Government consider establishing an overarching national strategy for protection against violence, encompassing all four pillars of the Istanbul Convention, with clear responsibilities and sufficient resources?

The Committee would like to hear whether the Government had adopted a protocol for the implementation of the recommendations issued by the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence; what steps the Government would take to address the low prosecution and conviction rates for domestic violence cases; and what plans were in place to strengthen the provision of free legal aid and counselling for victims. Would the State party expand the barrier-free emergency call system to improve accessibility for members of vulnerable groups, and what was the timeline for harmonizing data collection systems across law enforcement, the judiciary and healthcare, to bring such systems into line with the Istanbul Convention?

The delegation was invited to describe the steps taken by the Government to ensure that trafficking cases would be promptly investigated, effectively prosecuted and result in proportionate sanctions and to provide information on plans, measures or centralized policy documents that addressed all aspects of combating trafficking, including civil society involvement. The Committee would appreciate information on efforts made to strengthen the identification of trafficking victims among asylum-seekers and migrants, and specifically among children, and on the possible inclusion of specialized NGOs in the victim identification process. When would the Government implement a specific legal provision for the non-punishment of victims? What measures had it taken to ensure a legally defined recovery and reflection period of at least 30 days for presumed foreign victims of trafficking and to make sure that all presumed trafficking victims were proactively informed of their rights?

The delegation was invited to elaborate on efforts to prevent and combat trafficking for labour exploitation, for example through the provision of sufficient resources to the Labour Inspectorate and increases in inspections in at-risk sectors. The Committee would like to hear about the Government’s efforts to increase the legal protection of domestic and live-in care workers by making the labour law applicable to them, and it would like to receive information on monitoring mechanisms and plans to decriminalize all aspects of women engaged in sex work. What measures were in place to support exit programmes for women exploited in the sex industry?

A representative of Liechtenstein said that the Equal Opportunities Unit worked with schools to combat gender stereotypes. The Unit had analysed the way in which stereotypes were perpetuated and had identified the depiction of gender roles in the media as a major issue. There were plans to update a tutorial for media professionals, which had been developed by the Unit in 2017. The future national gender equality strategy would include measures to combat stereotypes and to promote the use of inclusive language. Initiatives to tackle hate speech included an event held by the Unit, in cooperation with several other organizations, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, in November 2024, where a panel discussion had been held and a film had been shown.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that the topic of gender equality had been incorporated into school curricula. Teachers received training on non-discrimination and the use of gender-sensitive language, and the progress made towards gender-sensitive teaching was monitored by school inspectors. Teaching materials were regularly reviewed to ensure that they reflected a gender-sensitive approach.

There was a focus on building social and emotional skills at all levels of education, including through an initiative that had recently been launched in primary schools and an evidence-based programme that would be rolled out in secondary schools during the next school year. Media and information literacy had been incorporated into school and teacher training curricula. Under the digital strategy for schools, all students received a mobile device free of charge and were taught how to make the most of digital opportunities safely. Various projects relating to child mental health had also been undertaken.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that six cases of discrimination had been prosecuted under paragraph 283 of the Criminal Code in 2024, compared with four in 2023, two in 2022 and seven in 2021. Only one of those cases had related to gender-based discrimination. Criminal offences, including cybercrime and trafficking in persons, could be reported anonymously to the police via a confidential hotline that was being piloted, or via a secure online platform. Cybercrime was monitored by a digital forensics unit.

The data on domestic violence included cases that had not resulted in prosecution because they had been dealt with through preventive action at an early stage. Domestic violence was taken very seriously, and anyone who committed an act that constituted an offence was liable to prosecution. Even threats were considered an offence.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that the coordination body for the implementation of the Istanbul Convention was composed of representatives of five agencies, including the Office of Social Services and the Migration and Passport Office. Its mandate was defined in article 10 of the Convention. There was no budget to support its work, but an application for such a budget had recently been approved by the parliament.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that, although there was no specific action plan to combat trafficking in persons, various anti-trafficking initiatives had been undertaken relating to migrants and asylum-seekers.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that awareness-raising activities had been conducted to combat trafficking in persons. Asylum-seekers were routinely asked upon arrival whether they had been subjected to trafficking or other forms of abuse. All suspected victims of trafficking were entitled to the same support, regardless of their migration status and country of origin. Cases of trafficking in persons were handled by the national police in coordination with the Migration and Passport Office and in accordance with the Foreigners Act. Victims were granted a recovery and reflection period of 30 days, during which they were legally entitled to remain in the country. The authorities cooperated with a shelter for women migrants in Zurich, Switzerland.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that there were no plans to further decriminalize prostitution.

Ms. Peláez Narváez asked why the State party had entered reservations to article 39 of the Istanbul Convention, which dealt with forced abortion and forced sterilization.

Ms. Hacker asked how the Government measured the impact and effectiveness of the programmes implemented in schools to combat gender stereotypes.

Ms. Dettmeijer-Vermeulen said that she would appreciate it if the delegation could provide information on the alignment of national legislation with the Istanbul Convention and on the situation of migrant domestic workers. She wondered why there had been so few convictions for gender-based violence if all cases of such violence were prosecuted. It would be helpful if the delegation could comment on reports that there had been no contact in recent years between the Government and the organization that ran the shelter for women migrants in Zurich.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that the country was so small and had so few schools that it was not always feasible to conduct evaluations of education programmes. For that reason, the Government made use of programmes that had already been implemented and evaluated in Switzerland and Austria. The programmes to combat gender stereotypes had been found to be effective in those countries. An example of an education initiative that had been evaluated in Liechtenstein was a project to monitor the mental health of secondary school students, which had been piloted, evaluated and deemed a success, and would be rolled out more broadly in 2026.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that the women’s shelter in Liechtenstein operated independently but was connected to a federation of women’s shelters based in Switzerland. It was in regular communication with that federation and had occasionally taken in women and children from Switzerland when there had been no space in Swiss shelters.

An online platform had been set up by the Liechtenstein Employees’ Association, the Information and Counselling Centre for Women and the Association for Human Rights to provide migrant care workers with basic information on their rights.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that proceedings had been initiated in relation to 55 cases of domestic violence in 2023. Those cases had involved various forms of violence, including psychological, physical and sexual violence. The legal proceedings had been terminated in 18 cases, 6 remained pending and others had been settled out of court or otherwise dropped.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that, prior to ratification of the Istanbul Convention, all national laws had been checked against that instrument and aligned with it where necessary.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that the relatively low number of convictions for domestic violence could partly be explained by the fact that the national police reported even initial suspicions to the public prosecutor, who could decide to discontinue the proceedings after further investigation. The police passed on initial suspicions to better protect victims of domestic violence and to keep a record of suspected perpetrators.

A representative of Liechtenstein, noting that article 39 of the Istanbul Convention required the criminalization of forced abortion and forced sterilization, said that abortion was illegal unless the mother’s life was in danger.

Articles 7–9

The Chair, noting the progress made towards the equal representation of women in politics, diplomacy and decision-making positions, said that she would like to know what measures were being taken to achieve full gender parity in politics and whether the State party was planning to adopt measures to promote gender balance on the boards of companies managed with State participation, similar to those set out in Directive (EU) 2022/2381 of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union of 23 November 2022 on improving the gender balance among directors of listed companies and related measures. She would welcome information on any projects to promote the equal representation of women in management positions in the private sector, including information on their funding and effectiveness.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that progress had been slow in some areas because change took time, especially in the civil service, where many employees were engaged on long-term contracts.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that the Government recognized the importance of maintaining an open dialogue with the private sector to further improve the representation of women in all areas. The future national gender equality strategy had been developed in collaboration with the private sector, and the discussions had covered a range of issues, with a particular focus on the participation of women in the labour market. There were plans to draw up a declaration of intent jointly with private sector actors, with a view to improving conditions for workers at all levels and reducing the gender pay gap.

Ms. Dettmeijer-Vermeulen said that she wished to know how the State party would ensure that it applied the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees of 1951 more inclusively. She wondered whether it would introduce subsidiary protection that provided for equal rights for persons who fell outside the scope of the 1951 Convention. It would be interesting to know whether the Government would establish a naturalization procedure for refugees and stateless persons in accordance with the 1951 Convention and the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons. She would be grateful to learn whether the State party would strengthen measures to ensure that nationality was granted to otherwise stateless children who were born in Liechtenstein, in line with the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness and the best interests of the child. She would welcome an explanation as to how gender sensitivity was applied in residence permit assessments.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that to her knowledge, there were no legislative gaps in mechanisms for preventing child statelessness in the country.

The Chair said that the delegation had mentioned a lack of support for the adoption of temporary special measures for empowering women in politics. She wondered how the State party would continue making progress in women’s participation in politics and achieve parity in participation in the future.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that the measures for promoting women’s involvement in politics that the Government had supported included a course in politics for women that it had run jointly with the neighbouring Austrian state of Vorarlberg for 20 years. A disproportionately large number of women from Liechtenstein had participated in the course and feedback about it had always been very positive. More than 50 per cent of participants in the course had gone on to hold political office, and some 70 per cent had become socially and politically active. The course was under evaluation with the aim of ensuring that it met current needs. The Government was working primarily with younger representatives of political parties with the aim of determining how programmes for supporting women in achieving political office could form part of the national gender equality strategy.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that the Government did not specifically take gender into account when granting residence permits, which applicants had to fulfil various criteria to obtain. It did not have any statistics or other indicators that suggested that its practices in that area were discriminatory against women or men.

Ms. Pia-Comella said that she would be interested to know what steps, such as incentives to make use of out-of-home childcare options or the provision of financial aid for childcare, the State party was taking to encourage mothers to return to the workforce and particularly to take up full-time positions. The Committee would welcome an update on whether any legislation was pending that would provide for family members to be compensated for performing childcare or eldercare. What steps was the State party taking to ensure that childcare facilities were available, accessible and of good quality?

It would be helpful to hear more about measures taken to address the pension gap at an earlier stage and to maintain progress in bridging the wage gap. She would be grateful to learn whether the Government would establish an instrument for eliminating the wage gap and enforcing the provisions of the Employment Contracts Act and the Equal Opportunities Act. She wondered why many more cases of sexual harassment in the workplace were reported than there were convictions. She wished to know what steps were taken to address barriers to prosecution and protect victims’ confidentiality. What was done to increase the number of women in management and leadership positions and to encourage girls and young women to pursue graduate studies and careers?

A representative of Liechtenstein said that the right of women to choose to work full-time or part-time or focus on raising a family had been regarded as an important principle by successive Governments. Pension and other arrangements had been put in place to make it financially possible for women who wished to focus on raising a family to do so.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that a new policy placing the provision of day care under the school system was currently under discussion. Such a policy would place a greater focus on the child, be more inclusive and help parents achieve a better balance between work and family life. It would also enable more comprehensive provision of day care, which was not currently available to the same extent in every municipality. The Government had launched a joint study of the initiative with the Zurich University of Teacher Education. A motion related to the policy would be put forward in the parliament in 2025, and the matter would be discussed closely with the newly elected Government. The new system would make it possible to incentivize women to return to work earlier and to work longer hours.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that a survey conducted among young families in 2018 had revealed that many couples wished to have the freedom to choose how to share work and other responsibilities. While it had been found that there was still a strong preference for women to deal primarily with domestic tasks and men to earn the family’s income, a high proportion of women had returned to employment after having children and worked in part-time positions. The study had revealed that women preferred to work two days a week and care for their families the rest of the time, while men preferred to work a full week; the Government had decided on appropriate measures in response to those findings. Proposals had been made to conduct further studies under the future national gender equality strategy and to establish a committee on families, with a view to monitoring needs and taking appropriate action.

Many families wished to have access to improved out-of-home childcare options, with a view to achieving a better balance between work and family. The number of available day‑care places had increased by approximately a third in the previous 10 years and there had been 34 day-care facilities in operation by the end of 2023. A certain proportion of day-care places were subsidized by the State on a means-tested basis. Large companies also ran day-care facilities.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that the authorities had raised the matter of the low number of convictions for sexual harassment in the workplace with the judicial branch. While criminal sexual harassment cases could be settled through diversion, civil cases could end in a settlement without a judgment. The courts were unable to report on the number cases that had not been reported and had therefore not been heard.

The new system of parental and caregiving leave that would enter into force in January 2026 provided for general care for family members, including eldercare.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that the Government was currently incorporating into its national legislation Directive (EU) 2023/970 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that, in December 2024, the Government had initiated a public consultation on proposals for pensions to be equalized during divorce proceedings, with a view to benefiting women who had given up working to care for children. A domestic equalization process could also address the outcome of divorce proceedings that had taken place abroad, which could be especially disadvantageous for women. The consultation process would continue until 10 March 2025.

Ms. Hacker said that she would appreciate clarification as to whether women were currently eligible to receive half of their husband’s pension in the event of separation, and would like to receive information on the amount of entitlement of survivors’ pensions available to widows. It would be useful to hear what other measures were in place to protect the economic situation of separated or widowed women if they had performed the majority of childcare tasks during marriage. She wondered whether the Government would conduct public campaigns aimed at encouraging fathers to take advantage of their entitlement to paternity leave.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that the practice of awarding women half of their husbands’ pensions already existed in the country. People in Liechtenstein were aware of the possibility of taking paternity leave, as they had followed its introduction in other European countries. It had also been reported on extensively in the media.

A representative of Liechtenstein said that the Government had held several round tables with NGOs with a view to raising awareness about parental leave, particularly paternity leave, and a comprehensive survey on that matter had been carried out. The Government would continue to work to raise awareness about those forms of leave.

Articles 10–14

Ms. Peláez Narváez said that she would be interested to know whether the State party had considered taking steps other than a constitutional reform to uphold the right of women and girls to education and whether it would adopt provisions prohibiting discrimination in education against women and girls and other marginalized groups. She wondered what steps the State party was taking to reduce the gender gap in obtaining access to education and to address inequalities that particularly affected girls and women with disabilities who were migrants or who belonged to other marginalized groups. Had the State party considered the recommendation that the Committee had made in previous concluding observations to provide training for teachers, catch-up classes and grants and other incentives, particularly for girls who were studying, with a view to overcoming such inequalities?

She would be grateful to learn what the State party was doing to guide girls towards non-traditional careers and whether it planned to step up professional training, especially for students, in areas where girls were underrepresented. Why were women underrepresented in master’s and doctoral studies, and what would the State party do to remedy that situation? Was it true that less than 16 per cent of the staff at the University of Liechtenstein were women?

She wished to know what steps the State party was taking to ensure that sexual and reproductive health was appropriately taught to all pupils at each stage of the education system. She wondered what information was provided to girls about contraception. It would be helpful to receive up-to-date information on the number of complaints of abuse or bullying in the education system that had been received in 2023 and 2024, disaggregated by sex, and on victims of abuse or bullying who were migrants or persons with disabilities. Did the State party intend to introduce a code of conduct for combating bullying and violence in schools, and why had it not followed the recommendation issued by the Committee in its previous concluding observations to establish a mechanism for ensuring that students, particularly girls and women, could report any cases of bullying or intimidation in the education system? Why had the State party not ratified the Convention against Discrimination in Education?

The meeting rose at 1 p.m.