Note: One asterisk (*) indicates that the figures are national estimates. Two asterisks (**) indicate that the figures are estimates from the UNESCO Institute of Statistics. A hyphen (-) indicates that data are not available.

B.Data aggregated by region

Data (Percentage)		Net enrolment rate, Primary Total		Net enrolment rate, Primary Male		Net enrolment rate, Primary Female		Gender parity index for net enrolment rate, Primary
Year	01	02	03	04	05	01	02	03	04	05	01	02	03	04	05	01	02	03	04	05
Region
Arab States	7 9	(**)	(**)	82	-	84	(**)	(**)	85	-	75	(**)	(**)	79	-	0.90	(**)	(**)	0.92	-
		80	81				84	84				76	77				0.90	0.92
Central and Eastern Europe	(**)	91	90	91	-	(**)	92	91	92	-	(**)	90	89	90	-	(**)	0.98	0.98	0.98	-
	91					92					90					0.97
East Asia and the Pacific	(** )	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	1.00	(**)	(**)	-
	96	94	93	94		96	94	93	94		96	94	92	94		1.00		0.99	0.99
Latin America and the Caribbean	95	96	96	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)
				95		95	97	96	96		95	95	96	94		1.00	0.98	1.00	0.99
North America and Western Europe	97	96	96	95	-	97	96	96	96	-	97	96	96	94	-	1.01	1.01	1.01	0.98	-
Sub-Saharan Africa	(**)	(** )	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(** )	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(** )	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(** )	(**)	(**)	-
	59	61	64	66		62	64	67	69		56	58	60	64		0.91	0.90	0.90	0.92

Source: http://stats.uis.unesco.org/TableViewer/tableView.aspx (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Education), last accessed on 25/04/07.

Table 2Secondary education

A.Country data

Data (Percentage)		Net enrolment rate, Secondary Total		Net enrolment rate, Secondary Male		Net enrolment rate, Secondary Female		Gender parity index for net enrolment rate, Secondary
Year	01	02	03	04	05	01	02	03	04	05	01	02	03	04	05	01	02	03	04	05
Country
Belize	60	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	58	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	62	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	1.07	(**)	(**)	(**)	-
		64	69	71			63	67	70			66	70	73			1.05	1.05	1.05
Brazil	71	75	76	-	-	68	71	73	-	-	74	78	78	-	-	1.08	1.09	1.07	-	-
Cook Islands	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Estonia	84	87	88	90	-	82	85	86	89	-	85	88	90	91	-	1.04	1.03	1.04	1.03	-
Guinea	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-
	17	19	20	21		23	26	27	28		10	12	13	14		0.43	0.45	0.50	0.51
Honduras	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Hungary	88	90	92	(**)	-	88	90	92	(**)	-	88	90	92	(**)	-	1.01	1.00	1.00	(**)	-
				91					91					90					0.99
Indonesia	-	-	55	57	-	-	-	-	55	57	-	-	55	57	-	-	-	0.99	0.99	-
Jordan	-	82	82	81	-	-	81	81	80	-	-	83	83	82	-	-	1.02	1.03	1.02	-
Kenya	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)		(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-
	34	35	37	40		35	35	38	40		34	35	36	40		0.97	0.99	0.97	1.01
Liechtenstein	-	-	(*)	(*)	-	-	-	(*)	(*)	-	-	-	(*)	(*)	-	-	-	(*)	(*)	-
			88	65				91	62				85	69				0.94	1.11
New Zealand	-	91	-	-	-	-	90	-	-	-	-	93	-	-	-	-	1.04	-	-	-
Norway	95	94	95	96	-	94	94	95	96	-	95	95	96	97	-	1.01	1.01	1.01	1.01	-
Republic of Korea	91	89	87	88	90	91	89	87	88	90	91	89	87	88	91	91	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00
Singapore	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Note: One asterisk (*) indicates that the figures are national estimates. Two asterisks (**) indicate that the figures are estimates from the UNESCO Institute of Statistics. A hyphen (-) indicates that data are not available.

B.Data aggregated by region

Data (Percentage)		Net enrolment rate, Secondary Total		Net enrolment rate, Secondary Male		Net enrolment rate, Secondary Female		Gender parity index for net enrolment rate, Secondary
Year	01	02	03	04	05	01	02	03	04	05	01	02	03	04	05	01	02	03	04	05
Region
Arab States	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-
	54	54	56	56		56	57	58	58		51	52	54	54		0.91	0.91	0.93	0.93
Central and Eastern Europe	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-
	83	83	84	82		84	84	85	83		82	82	83	81		0.98	0.98	0.98	0.98
East Asia and the Pacific	-	-	(**)	(**)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
			65	69
Latin America and the Caribbean	63	65	66	(**)	-	61	63	64	(**)	-	65	67	68	(**)	-	1.07	1.06	1.06	(**)	-
				67					65					69					1.06
North America and Western Europe	(**)	89	91	91	-	(**)	89	90	90	-	(**)	90	91	92	-	(**)	1.01	1.02	1.02	-
	90					89					90					1.02
Sub-Saharan Africa	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-
	21	23	24	24		23	25	26	27		19	20	21	22		0.82	0.82	0.80	0.81

Source: http://stats.uis.unesco.org/TableViewer/tableView.aspx (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Education) (accessed on 25/04/07).

Table 3Tertiary education (ISCED 5 and 6)

A.Country data

Data (Percentage)		Gross enrolment ratio , ISCED 5 and 6 Total		Gross enrolment ratio , ISCED 5 and 6 Male		Gross enrolment ratio , ISCED 5 and 6 Female		Gender parity index for gross enrolment ratio , ISCED 5 and 6
Year	01	02	03	04	05	01	02	03	04	05	01	02	03	04	05	01	02	03	04	05
Country
Belize	-	-	2	3	-	-	-	(*)	2	-	-	-	(*)	4	-	-	-	(*)	2.43	-
								1					3					1.90
Brazil	18	20	22	-	-	15	17	19	-	-	20	23	25	-	-	1.30	1.32	1.32	-	-
Cook Islands	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Estonia	60	63	64	65	-	47	47	49	49	-	74	79	81	82	-	1.57	1.66	1.66	1.68	-
Guinea	-	-	(**)	2	-	-	-	(**)	4	-	-	-	(**)	1	-	-	-	(**)	0.20	-
			2					4					1					0.20
Honduras	(**)	(**)	16	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	13	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	20	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	1.46	(**)	-
	15	16		16		13	13		13		17	20		20		1.32	1.46		1.4 6
Hungary	40	45	52	60	-	36	39	44	50	-	45	51	60	70	-	1.27	1.29	1.37	1.40	-
Indonesia	14	15	16	17	-	16	16	18	19	-	13	14	14	15	-	0.76	0.87	0.80	0.79	-
Jordan	-	31	35	39	-	-	31	33	37	-	-	31	37	41	-	-	1.01	1.10	1.10	-
Kenya	3	(**)	-	3	-	4	(**)	-	4	-	2	(**)	-	2	-	0.54	(**)	-	0.60	-
		3					4					2					0.54
Liechtenstein	-	-	(**)	(**)	-	-	-	(**)	(**)	-	-	-	(**)	(**)	-	-	-	(**)	(**)	-
			21	25				30	36				11	14				0.38	0.37
New Zealand	70	70	72	86	-	57	57	58	70	-	83	84	86	103	-	1.45	1.47	1.47	1.47	-
Norway	71	74	80	80	-	57	59	63	64	-	86	90	98	98	-	1.51	1.54	1.55	1.54	-
Republic of Korea	78	83	87	89	90	98	104	107	109	110	58	62	65	67	69	0.59	0.60	0.61	0.61	0.62
Singapore	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Note: ISCED = International Standard Classification of Education. One asterisk (*) indicates that the figures are national estimates. Two asterisks (**) indicate that the figures are estimates from the UNESCO Institute of Statistics. A hyphen (-) indicates that data are not available.

B.Data aggregated by region

Data (Percentage)		Gross enrolment ratio , ISCED 5 and 6 Total		Gross enrolment ratio , ISCED 5 and 6 Male		Gross enrolment ratio , ISCED 5 and 6 Female		Gender parity index for gross enrolment ratio , ISCED 5 and 6
Year	01	02	03	04	05	01	02	03	04	05	01	02	03	04	05	01	02	03	04	05
Region
Arab States	(**)	(**)	(**)	21	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	(**)	(**)	-
	19	20	19			21	22	20	21		18	18	18	20		0.83	0.85	0.88	0.95
Central and Eastern Europe	(**)	(**)	51	54	-	(**)	(**)	46	48	-	(** )	(**)	57	60	-	(**)	(**)	1.24	1.25	-
	44	48				40	43				49	53				1.21	1.24
East Asia and the Pacific	17	19	21	23	-	(**)	(**)	22	24	-	(**)	(**)	19	21	-	(** )	(** )	0.89	0.89	-
						19	21				14	16				0.75	0.83
Latin America and the Caribbean	24	26	27	(**)	-	23	24	25	(**)	-	25	27	29	(**)	-	1.13	1.16	1.17	(**)	-
				28					26					30					1.17
North America and Western Europe	61	67	69	70	-	55	59	60	60	-	68	76	78	79	-	1.25	1.28	1.30	1.32	-
Sub-Saharan Africa	(**)	(**)	5	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	6	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	4	(**)	-	(**)	(**)	0.61	(**)	-
	4	4		5		5	5		6		3	3		4		0.61	0.62		0.61

Source: http://stats.uis.unesco.org/TableViewer/tableView.aspx (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Education) (accessed on 25/04/07).

B.Country-specific reports: UNESCO initiatives and projects

10.UNESCO has carried out the activities described below for each member State whose report will be considered at the thirty-ninth session of the Committee.

Belize

Education

11.Belize has been a party to the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960) since 1982, but it did not report to UNESCO for the Sixth Consultation of Member States on the Implementation of the Convention and Recommendation against Discrimination in Education. UNESCO will receive a comprehensive quality report for the ongoing Seventh Consultation.

12.UNESCO strongly encourages Belize to ratify the Convention on Technical and Vocational Education (1989).

13.The Constitution of 1981 includes human rights guarantees, but nothing on the right to education.

14.Education in Belize is governed by the Education Act, which is regularly amended. Under this Act, primary education is free to all students (S. 19 (1)), and education is compulsory for all children aged from 5 years up to the time they reach 14 years, with provision for the Minister of Education to raise this upper age limit to 15 years if considered “expedient” (S. 34).

Communication and information

15.The UNESCO Office, Kingston (which also covers Belize) has taken steps to empower rural women through community media centres within the framework of the project on information and communication technologies (ICTs) and indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. A good example is Radio Muye (or the Muye community multimedia centre), which began as a women’s radio station, under the UNESCO programme of a previous biennium, on women speaking to women. The radio station has gone beyond the limits of its first mandate to serve a wider, more general public of some 10,000 listeners residing several kilometres up and down the Saramacca River, and focuses on issues affecting women. The radio station is managed by women and broadcasts local programmes targeting women.

Fellowships

16.One co-sponsored fellowship (UNESCO/L’OREAL) in the field of life sciences for 12 months at the Department of Biology of Boston University, Boston, United States of America (value US$ 20,000) was awarded to a woman scientist.

Brazil

Education

17.Brazil has been a party to the Convention against Discrimination in Education since 1968 and reported to UNESCO for the Sixth Consultation in 1997. UNESCO will receive a comprehensive quality report for the ongoing Seventh Consultation.

18.Brazil is strongly encouraged to ratify the Convention on Technical and Vocational Education.

19.The Constitution of 1988 contains extensive guarantees of the right to education largo sensu. Article 205 stipulates that education, which is the right of all and the duty of the State and of the family, shall be promoted and encouraged with the cooperation of society, seeking the full development of the individual, preparation for the exercise of citizenship, and qualification for work. According to article 206, “teaching shall be provided on the basis of the following principles: (1) Equality of conditions for access to and staying in school; (2) Freedom of learning, teaching, researching, and expressing thought, art and knowledge; (3) Pluralism of ideas and pedagogical concepts and the coexistence of public and private teaching institutions; (4) Free public education in official establishments; (5) Valorization of teaching professionals, guaranteeing, as provided by law, career plans for public school teachers, with a professional minimum salary and admittance exclusively by means of public competitive examinations and professional credentials; (6) Democratic administration of public teaching, as provided by law; and (7) Guarantee of standards of quality”.

20.According to article 208, the State’s duty towards education shall be effectuated through the guarantees of free, compulsory elementary education, including assurance that it will be offered gratuitously for all who did not have access to it at the proper age; progressive universalization of gratuitous secondary school education; special educational assistance for the handicapped; assistance to children from birth to six years of age in day-care centres and preschools; access to higher levels of education, research, and artistic creation according to individual capacity; assistance to elementary school students through supplemental programmes of school books, educational supplies, transportation, food and health assistance; and access to compulsory and free education as a subjective public right.

21.According to article 210, minimum curricula shall be established for elementary school in order to ensure a common basic education and respect for national and regional cultural and artistic values; regular elementary education shall be given in the Portuguese language, the Indian communities also being ensured the use of their native languages and specific learning procedures.

22.Concerning financing education, article 212 states that “the Republic shall each year apply not less than 18 per cent, and the States, the Federal District, and the municipalities at least 25 per cent of the tax revenues, including revenues resulting from transfers, in the maintenance and development of education”.

23.In the framework of Education for All, the Sixth E9 Education for All meeting was organized in February 2006 in Monterrey, Mexico, on the theme of national policies and systems for the assessment of the quality of education, and adoption of the Monterrey Declaration. Organized by UNESCO in cooperation with the Government of Mexico, the meeting assessed progress towards the goal of providing quality education for all in the E9 countries, nine of the world’s high population countries. The ministers of education of Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan reviewed the challenges facing their countries with a view to increasing bilateral and collective cooperation. They made a strong commitment to accelerate progress towards Education for All by intensifying South-South cooperation, both within the E9 and with other developing countries. They identified possibilities for mutual learning in the critically important area of the assessment of the quality of education, while exploring the scope for further collaboration in other areas, including the mobilization of resources for Education for All.

Science

24.The UNESCO Chairs Network “Women, Science, Technology and Development” was launched in July 2006. Its objectives are:

(a)To establish a scientific and technological, research and training programme with a gender equality perspective;

(b)To provide women and teenage girls with scientific and technology-based training in sustainable and participative management of resources (particularly water).

The eight founding Network members are the UNESCO Chairs in Water, Women and Decision-making created recently in Brazil, Cote d’Ivoire and Morocco, and the Chairs in Women, Science and Technology established in Argentina, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Pakistan and the Sudan.

Communication and information

25.UNESCO has supported CEMINA (Communication, Education and Information on Gender), a non-governmental organization led by women and dealing with women broadcasters in community media to reach women in the Amazon region and discuss their most pressing problems (http://www.cemina.org.br/). A network of radio telecentres, the Cyberela Network, has been launched and is now facing the need to discuss sustainability issues.

26.UNESCO made a selection of films from Brazil for its project “ICT-enhanced public service broadcasting: contributing to the development of human rights, peace, tolerance and the fight against discrimination”. The selection criteria were based on the analysis of the treatment of the main themes to be addressed: human rights, peace, tolerance, the fight against discrimination, the Millennium Development Goals, gender equality and women’s empowerment, and freedom of expression etc.

Fellowships

27.One RP (regular programme)-UNESCO fellowship in support of priority programme areas in the field of promotion of cultural diversity for two months at the Université de Provence Aix-Marseille I, Aix-en-Provence, France (value US$ 5,600) was awarded to a woman scientist.

28.One co-sponsored fellowship (UNESCO/L’OREAL) in the field of life sciences for 12 months at the University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland (value US$ 21,410) was awarded to a woman scientist.

29.One co-sponsored fellowship (UNESCO/L’OREAL) in the field of life sciences for six months at the Department of Craniofacial Development at King’s College, London, United Kingdom (value US$ 20,000) and another for 12 months at the Dental Institute, at King’s College, London, United Kingdom (value US$ 20,000) were awarded to a woman scientist.

Cook Islands

Education

30.Cook Islands are not party to the Convention against Discrimination in Education and did not report to the Sixth Consultation on the Recommendation against Discrimination in Education. UNESCO will receive a comprehensive quality report for the ongoing Seventh Consultation on the Recommendation.

31.Cook Islands are encouraged to ratify the Convention against Discrimination in Education as well as the Convention on Technical and Vocational Education.

32.There is no reference to the right to education in the Constitution of 1994.

33.The legal framework for education in Cook Islands is the Education Act 1986‑87. The Act specifies criteria for suspensions, expulsions, corporal punishment, instruction times, teacher registration and compulsory attendance. Education is compulsory from 5 years of age through to the end of the year in which a student turns 15.

Communication and information

34.The UNESCO Office, Apia organized a Pacific regional workshop in 2006 to formulate a Pacific women in media action plan. The purpose of the plan is to:

(a)Decrease the negative portrayal of women in media;

(b)Increase the career development opportunities of women journalists.

Estonia

Education

35.Estonia is not party to the Convention against Discrimination in Education but reported to the Sixth Consultation on the Recommendation against Discrimination in Education in 1997. UNESCO will receive a comprehensive quality report for the ongoing Seventh Consultation, and also expects that, in response to the letter from the UNESCO Director-General, Estonia will adhere to the Convention against Discrimination in Education.

36.UNESCO also encourages this Member State to ratify the Convention on Technical and Vocational Education.

37.Article 37 of the Constitution of 1992 is devoted to education and stipulates that “(1) Everyone shall have the right to an education. Education shall be compulsory for school-age children to the extent specified by law, and free of school fees in state and local government general education schools; (…) (3) Parents shall have the final decision in choosing education for their children; (4) Everyone shall have the right to instruction in Estonian. Educational institutions established for minorities shall choose their own language of instruction; (5) The provision of education shall be supervised by the state”. Estonia has planned measures for fighting unemployment within the higher risk groups, including long-term unemployed people, young people, disabled people and rural women.

38.In Estonia, employment rate is higher than the European average: 57.3 per cent and 54.9 per cent, respectively.

39.The main Estonian concerns in the employment sphere lie within the area of the elimination of gender discrimination. Estonia ratified the International Labour Organization Convention (No. 100) concerning Equal Remuneration for Men and Women Workers for Work of Equal Value. Also, a new draft legislation regulating gender equality matters was developed. A governmental meeting on 13 May 2003 decided to prepare the basis for a broader concept on labour market discrimination matters and to undertake measures to ratify ILO Convention (No. 111) concerning Discrimination in respect of Employment and Occupation, in accordance with a large variety of characteristics on the basis of race, sex, religion, and geographic or social origin. It will create conditions for providing equality of opportunity at work and during employment.

Guinea

Education

40.Guinea has been party to the Convention against Discrimination in Education since 1964 and reported to UNESCO for the Seventh Consultation.

41.UNESCO encourages Guinea to ratify the Convention on Technical and Vocational Education.

42.The Constitution, revised in 2004, stipulates in article 16 that marriage and the family, which are the natural basis of life in a society, are protected and encouraged by the State. It is the right and duty of parents to ensure the education and physical and moral integrity of their children. Article 21 of the Constitution stipulates that (…) the State ensures the compulsory education of the young people. Every person has the right to education and the State provides conditions and institutions for the education. The State guarantees freedom of teaching and controls private schools.

43.The law of orientation of national education, No. L/97/022/AN, adopted and promulgated by the National Assembly in 1997, is devoted to fundamental characteristics of education in Guinea and stipulates that the right to education is guaranteed to every person, in order to permit development of personality, increase of continuing education level, and getting involved in social and professional life.

Information and communication

44.In Chennai, India, a workshop was organized on using information and communication technologies (ICTs) to access and manage the latest information in the scientific developments relating to HIV/AIDS, rather than to focus on the social and medical aspects of the pandemic. Women media professionals from Guinea and their colleagues from Africa and Asia explored HIV/AIDS from a scientific perspective. This training is the second in a series of workshops that were delivered to professional women journalists and health communicators in Africa and Asia. Using ICTs enables these professionals to access scientific information and improve their understanding of the scientific implications of HIV/AIDS.

Fellowships

45.One UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi (Japan) co-sponsored research fellowship in the field of peaceful resolution of conflicts for nine months at the Cheikh Anta Diop University, in Dakar, Senegal (value US$ 9,500) was awarded to a woman researcher.

Honduras

Education

46.Honduras is not party to the Convention against Discrimination in Education.

47.UNESCO will receive a comprehensive quality report for the ongoing Seventh Consultation on the implementation of the Recommendation against Discrimination in Education, and also expects that, in response to the letter from the UNESCO Director-General, Honduras will adhere to the Convention against Discrimination in Education.

48.UNESCO also encourages this Member State to ratify the Convention on Technical and Vocational Education.

49.In compliance with article 153 of the Constitution of 1982, the State has the obligation to promote the basic education of the people, creating for that purpose the necessary administrative and technical institutions which shall be directly dependent on the Secretariat of State in the Office of Public Education. Moreover, article 171 provides that public education shall be free, and basic education shall also be compulsory and completely at the expense of the State. The State shall set up the necessary compulsory mechanisms accordingly to make these provisions effective. According to article 151 of the Constitution, education is an essential function of the State for the preservation, development and dissemination of culture, which must extend its benefits to society without discrimination of any kind. Public education shall be secular and be based on fundamental principles of democracy. The Constitution of 1982 also guarantees: the right of parents to choose the type of education they wish to give to their children (article 152); the elimination of illiteracy as a primary task for the State (article 154); freedom of education and training (article 155); the right to establish educational centres with due compliance with this Constitution and other laws (article 166); and the education of handicapped persons (article 169). Furthermore, the Constitution provides quality education. Indeed, in compliance with article 158, no educational establishment may provide education of a quality below the level established by the law. Article 165 guarantees employment stability, a standard of living and an adequate pension.

Hungary

Education

50.Hungary has been party to the Convention against Discrimination in Education since 1964 and reported to UNESCO for the Sixth Consultation on the implementation of the Convention in January 1997. UNESCO has also received the State report for the ongoing Seventh Consultation.

51.Hungary is encouraged to ratify the Convention on Technical and Vocational Education.

52.The right to education is provided in the Constitution of 1989. Article 70F states that “the Republic of Hungary guarantees the right of education to its citizens”. It adds that the Republic of Hungary has the obligation to implement this right through “the dissemination and general access to culture, free compulsory primary schooling, through secondary and higher education available to all persons on the basis of their ability, and furthermore through financial support for students”.

Communication and information

53.Within the Framework of the Eurovision News Exchange Project for South East Europe, a regional TV news exchange network was started in November 2000 with financial backing from the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE, as administrator of the project) and UNESCO. UNESCO supported the production of a 25-minute DVD documentary film, Women trafficking, which investigates the social and cultural contexts of women trafficking in South-East Europe and contains information about the cases of women trafficking, victim profiles and trafficking routes; the results of international and regional counter-trafficking initiatives, the results of government involvement and national plans of action; as well as good practices and gaps in the work of specialized non-governmental organizations and international organizations; and present repatriation and reintegration approaches. This documentary was screened at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2007. Hungary is a part of the public broadcaster’s network in South-East Europe and thus a member in the Eurovision News Exchange Project.

Science

54.Women scientists greatly influenced the World Conference on Science, organized in 1999 in Budapest, Hungary and its follow-up. The final Declaration denounces the historical inequality between women and men in the field of science and calls for “sustainable development, equal access for girls and boys, for women and men, to scientific and technological education and training, to environmental science and to decision-making positions”.

Indonesia

Education

55.Indonesia has been party to the Convention against Discrimination in Education since 1967 but did not report to the Sixth Consultation on the implementation of the Convention. UNESCO will receive a comprehensive quality report for the ongoing Seventh Consultation.

56.Indonesia is encouraged to ratify the Convention on Technical and Vocational Education.

57.The Constitution of 1945 stipulates that every citizen has the right to education (article 31). Guided by the mission of education and educational strategies, Indonesia enacted the Law on National Education System, adopted in July 2003. This Law has its foundations in the Constitution and creates a legal framework for the major educational goal, policies and plans. An outstanding feature of the Law is the implementation of compulsory basic education, free of cost, for all Indonesian citizens. It is provided that every seven- to fifteen-year-old citizen shall have the right to basic education (article 6).

58.Development policies in Indonesia are based on the principle of equality between men and women, as stated in article 27 of the 1945 Indonesian Constitution. This equality principle is reflected in the inclusion of a special chapter on the role of women in nation-building in the Broad Guidelines of the State Policy (Garis- G aris Be s ar Haluan Negara/GBHN) of 1978, which is revised and adopted every five years by the People’s Consultative Assembly. The 1998 Guidelines stated that “women as citizens as well as human resources for national development have equal rights, duties and opportunities like men in all fields of life of the nation and in all development activities. Therefore, women’s positions in the community and their role in development should be improved and directed towards enabling them to give the greatest possible contribution to the nation’s development, in accordance with their destiny, dignity and their status”. Democratic reforms after 1998 brought about an increase in women’s activism, particularly at the grass-roots level. Women’s opportunities and political representation have since increased. Although the participation of women in the employed labour force has increased in different industrial sectors, a majority of the women are employed in traditional agriculture and services. Moreover, many of the employment opportunities for women are concentrated in low-skilled occupations with low pay, and only a few women are in high-level positions in the public and private sectors. Having reached quasi-equal status in educational attainment with boys, Indonesian girls and young women still have to struggle against persisting gender gaps in employment, and in the social and political arenas.

59.The First South-East Asia Forum gender and energy conference on gender mainstreaming in energy policy and technology was organized by the UNESCO Office, Jakarta in close collaboration with the University of Indonesia and the International Society for Expertise, Education and Development (I-SEED). The Forum brought together universities from five South-East Asian island nations (sponsored by Japanese Funds-in-Trust).

Fellowships

60.One co-sponsored fellowship (UNESCO/L’OREAL) in the field of life sciences for 12 months at the Department of Plant Sciences of the Research Centre for Biotechnology, Indonesia (value US$ 21,990) was awarded to a woman researcher.

61.One UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi (Japan) co-sponsored research fellowship in the field of environment for five months at the Faculty of Environmental and Resources Studies at Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand (value US$ 7,500) was awarded to a woman researcher.

62.One RP-UNESCO fellowship in support of priority programme areas in the field of social sciences for six months at the Université de Rouen, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France (value US$ 14,117) was awarded to a woman scientist.

63.One co-sponsored fellowship (UNESCO/CHINA, The Great Wall) in the field of organic chemistry for one academic year at the Zhejiang University, International College, Hangzhou, China (value US$ 22,235) was awarded to a woman scientist.

64.One co-sponsored fellowship (UNESCO/L’OREAL) in the field of life sciences for 12 months at the University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia (value US$ 20,000) was awarded to a woman scientist.

Jordan

Education

65.Jordan has been party to the Convention against Discrimination in Education since 1976 and reported to UNESCO for the Sixth Consultation. UNESCO will receive a comprehensive quality report for the ongoing Seventh Consultation.

66.Jordan ratified the Convention on Technical and Vocational Education in 1992.

67.According to article 6 of the Constitution adopted in 1952, Jordanians are equal before the law; there is no discrimination between them as regards their rights and duties on the grounds of race, language or religion. The Government ensures work and education within the limits of its possibilities, as well as a state of tranquillity and equal opportunity to all Jordanians. Elementary education is compulsory for Jordanians and free of charge in Government schools (article 20).

68.The Education Act No. 3 of 1994 regulates kindergarten, basic and secondary education. It enunciates the philosophy and objectives of education, the educational policy, the functions of the Ministry of Education and the tasks of the Boards of Education. It also contains elements regulating curricula and textbooks, general examinations, the structure of the Ministry, as well as the functioning of private and foreign educational institutions. In 1964, the Education Act expanded compulsory education to nine years (six years of primary and three years of preparatory education) and introduced the diversification of secondary education to provide general academic and vocational programmes. The 1994 Education Act expanded basic compulsory education to 10 years and introduced comprehensive and applied secondary education streams of education for a period of two years.

Social and human sciences

69.A panel discussion on promoting women in the judiciary and the reform of family laws during the Second World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies was organized in Amman, Jordan. The first drafts of commissioned studies from Algeria, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Jordan, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, Turkey and Yemen were presented on this theme. The final drafts of these research papers will be presented and discussed at a workshop being organized in collaboration with the United Nations University for 2007. The workshop will try to assess the similarities and differences in family laws and women’s access to the judiciary in the above-mentioned countries and propose recommendations for improving women’s access to justice. A publication of the final research papers is envisaged.

Fellowships

70.One co-sponsored fellowship (UNESCO/L’OREAL) in the field of life sciences for six months at the University of Arizona, Tucson, United States (value US$ 20,936) was awarded to a woman scientist.

71.One RP-UNESCO fellowship in support of priority programme areas in the field of higher education (educational administration) for one month at the Zayed University, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (value US$ 4,500) was awarded to a woman scientist.

72.One UNESCO/Suzanne Mubarak/Japan-Egypt Friendship Research Fellowship for the empowerment of women in the field of the role of women in society and research on gender issues for three months at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt (value US$ 7,500) was awarded to a woman researcher.

Kenya

Education

73.Kenya is not party to the Convention against Discrimination in Education and did not submit a report to UNESCO within the Sixth Consultation on the implementation of the Recommendation against Discrimination in Education. UNESCO will receive a comprehensive quality report for the ongoing Seventh Consultation, and also expects that, in response to the letter from the UNESCO Director-General, Kenya will adhere to the Convention against Discrimination in Education.

74.UNESCO also encourages Kenya to ratify the Convention on Technical and Vocational Education.

75.The right to education is not provided in the country’s Constitution of 1969. The Constitution only protects freedom of conscience. Nevertheless, the Constitution has been in the process of revision towards integrating provisions on the right to education since 2002. The new Constitution project was rejected by referendum in 2006. A new review commission has been created to establish another project.

76.The Education Act (1968, revised in 1980) assigned responsibility for education to the Ministry of Education and instituted various organs for the organization and management of education at all levels.

Social and human sciences

77.Kenya is one of the participating countries in the Great Lakes Region project in Africa. Under this project, a project proposal and a feasibility study were prepared for the establishment of a research and documentation centre and the strengthening of women’s studies programmes in the Great Lakes Region in Africa. These documents were prepared in follow-up to a UNESCO-organized consultation entitled “Empowering women in the Great Lakes Region: violence, peace and women’s leadership”, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in June 2005. A meeting was organized by the UNESCO Office Harare in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo in April 2006 to discuss the feasibility study.

78.Kenya is also one of the countries participating in a programme of research on women’s rights for peace and security in post-conflict democracies in Africa, which is being organized in collaboration with partners from the University of Hull, United Kingdom and the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, South Africa. As part of this project, a meeting of researchers will be organized in South Africa, in August 2007, to present and discuss the draft research work being undertaken. The project is organized within the framework of UNESCO actions in favour of women living in post-conflict situations. Its aim is to develop policy recommendations on women’s rights that would promote women’s full participation in and contribution to peace and security in post-conflict countries in Africa, as is called for in international and regional documents including Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), the Dar-es-Salaam Declaration on Peace, Security, Democracy and Development in the Great Lakes Region, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Member State beneficiaries of this project are countries in the Great Lakes Region, as well as Liberia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and South Africa.

Information and communication

79.The UNESCO Office, Nairobi (which also covers Kenya) supports media women on an annual basis through media women scholarships. It also gives women priority in training workshops.

Liechtenstein

80.Liechtenstein is not a member State of UNESCO.

New Zealand

Education

81.New Zealand has been party to the Convention against Discrimination in Education since 1963 and reported to UNESCO for the Sixth Consultation in November 1996. UNESCO will receive a comprehensive quality report for the ongoing Seventh Consultation.

82.New Zealand is encouraged to ratify the Convention on Technical and Vocational Education.

83.The Constitution of New Zealand, a series of legal documents, court decisions and practices called conventions, contains no references to education. The legal framework for education in New Zealand is the Education Act of 1989 and its subsequent amendments. Schooling is compulsory for New Zealand children between their sixth and sixteenth birthdays, though most begin at the age of five. The Education Act of 1989 provides for free education in State primary and secondary schools between the ages of 5 and 19 years (or to the age of 21 for special education students).

Fellowships

84.One co-sponsored fellowship (UNESCO/L’OREAL) in the field of life sciences for six months at the Arizona Biodesign Institute at the Arizona State University, United States (value US$ 21,935) was awarded to a woman scientist.

Norway

Education

85.Norway has been party to the Convention against Discrimination in Education since 1963 and reported to UNESCO for the Sixth Consultation on the implementation of the Convention in 1997. UNESCO has also received the State report for the ongoing Seventh Consultation.

86.Norway is encouraged to ratify the Convention on Technical and Vocational Education.

87.There is no reference to the right to education in the Constitution of Norway. Disability is an important dimension along which discrimination occurs, and this may be particularly marked in the case of the education of girls having some form of disability. Norway has established specific strategies (addressing the right to education, equal right to participate in society and gender equality) along three separate dimensions (education, disability and gender) in its work towards the goal of education for all, regardless of ability and gender. Norway has come a long way towards gender equality in education and has to a great extent combated discrimination against girls with disabilities.

Republic of Korea

Education

88.The Republic of Korea is not party to the Convention against Discrimination in Education but reported to UNESCO for the Sixth Consultation on the implementation of the Recommendation against Discrimination in Education in 1997. UNESCO will receive a comprehensive quality report for the ongoing Seventh Consultation.

89.The Republic of Korea is encouraged to ratify the Convention against Discrimination in Education as well as the Convention on Technical and Vocational Education.

90.The Constitution (1948), article 31 stipulates that: (1) All citizens have an equal right to receive an education corresponding to their abilities; (2) All citizens who have children to support are responsible at least for their elementary education and other education as provided by law; (3) Compulsory education is free of charge; (4) Independence, professionalism, and political impartiality of education and the autonomy of institutions of higher learning are guaranteed under the conditions as prescribed by law; (5) The State promotes lifelong education; (6) Fundamental matters pertaining to the educational system, including schools and lifelong education, administration, finance, and the status of teachers are determined by law.

Information and communication

91.A hub for cyber-learning, entitled “Online Learning Centre for Women (OLC)” was established in Seoul and supported by UNESCO. The purpose of the Centre is to promote gender equality through computer use in the knowledge-based information society. The Centre is composed of autonomous groups (publishing teams, project collaborators, trainers and trainees etc.) and is considered to be the first step towards developing gender-sensitive ICT contents and enhancing the development of women and ICT communities in the region.

Fellowships

92.One co-sponsored fellowship (UNESCO/CHINA, The Great Wall) in the field of management information systems for one year at the Xi’an Jiaotong University, China (value US$ 19,763) was awarded to a woman scientist.

Singapore

93.Singapore is not a member State of UNESCO.