Table 2Inatsisartut, January 2019

Members	Women	Women in %
31	12	39

The management of ministerial agencies and institutions, January 2019

231.There are 10 departments in Greenland’s central administration. Of the 10 department heads 5 are women, i.e. 50%.

Table 3Mayors for municipal councils, January 2019

Mayors	Women	Women in %
5	3	60

Table 4Members for municipal councils, January 2019

Commune	Total	Women	Women in %
Semersooq	19	8	42
Avannaata	17	4	23
Qeqertarlik	15	2	13
Qeqqata	15	7	46
Kujalleq	14	6	43
Total	80	27	43

Permanent public councils, committees and commissions

232.The Gender Equality Act stipulates that the appointment of government-elected women and men who sit in public councils, committees and commissions must take place so that no more than one member is appointed more of one sex than the other (§ 7).

Paragraph 8. Representing Government. Women Ambassadors

233.Women have the same right as men to represent Greenland internationally. Greenland and Denmark cooperate on international affairs of particular relevance to Greenland, based on chapter 4 of the act on Self-Government concerning foreign affairs. The Department of Foreign Affairs of the Greenland Government, which includes permanent Representations in Brussels, Washington D.C., and Reykjavik, has a staff of 18 employees composed of 11 women and 7 men. All three representations have male Heads of Representation.

234.Of 9 greenlandic ministers 2 are women and represent Greenland in international negotiations.

Paragraph 9. Citizenship

235.The right to citizenship is an area within the competence of the Kingdom of Denmark. Reference is therefore made to the content of the Danish report on this topic.

Paragraph 10. Access to education

236.Throughout the education system, boys, girls, men and women have equal rights to schooling and educational opportunities within all study areas.

Primary school

237.The legal framework for the primary school is as follows: The purpose of the primary school includes focus on intellectual freedom and promotion of tolerance through all subjects and disciplines in the primary school. The primary school works towards equality and understanding of one’s self and of the other sex. It’s ten years of compulsory schooling at primary school level. The gender distribution in primary and lower secondary school is equally distributed as shown in the table below.

Table 5Gender distribution by compulsory tests in 3rd, 7th and 10th grade in 2018

Class Level	Boys	Girls	Girls in %
3	359	380	51%
7	370	324	46%
10	300	336	53%

Source: Ministry of Education, Culture and Church, Greenland, 2019.

Secondary education, vocational training, higher education

238.At higher education levels, girls/women are over-represented in the upper secondary education, where the purpose is to prepare students for a higher education. At this level, the girls represent the majority in all fields of study, with the exception of areas centered on science.

239.The purpose of the vocational training is to qualify the students for employment/ work directly after completing the education. At this level, the gender distribution is very similar. Some types of employment are more dominated by men, while others are dominated by women.

240.Men tend to seek education in areas related to construction and areas traditionally targeted at men, while women are primarily seeking health or service education. Women are well-represented in higher education, but it covers a wider range of education directions.

Table 6Gender distribution in upper secondary education, vocational education and higher education (Number of completions)

	2017
High School	VET	Short Tertiary	Bachelor	Master	Total
Total	Men	144	201	36	41	10	432
Women	184	226	21	108	28	567
Total	328	427	57	149	38	999

Source: Ministry of Education, Culture and Church, Greenland, Data in 2017.

Paragraph 11. The situation on the job market

241.Women and men have equal rights and access to all types of employment as guaranteed in the Gender Equality Act. According to §§ 10–15, women and men must be treated equally with regard to employment. Employer must treat women and med equally in recruitment, relocation, promotion and dismissal and offer equal working conditions and equal pay for equal work. It is illegal to dismiss an employee due to pregnancy or maternity leave.

242.Legislation lives up to the ILO convention’s criteria, and January 1st 2019, Greenland joined the ILO’s C100 core convention on equal pay for work of equal value.

Maternity, paternity and parental leave

243.Maternity, paternity and parental leave is regulated in Parliamentary Act no. 14 of 7 December 2009 on leave and per diem for pregnancy, maternity and adoption. The maternity leave is 17 weeks, the paternity leave 3 weeks and the parental leave 17 weeks, which can be shared between the parents. The law emphasizes the parents’ shared responsibility.

Social Security

244.Men and women have equal access to social services, for example early retirement and old-age pension.

Women in the workforce

Table 7Gender distribution in the workforce

Year	Total	Men	Women
2016	26 894	14 808	12 086
2017	27 272	14 917	12 355

Source: Statistics Greenland.

245.Women make up 45% of the workforce, cf. Table 7, and make up 45% of the working population, cf. Table 8.

246.In 2017, women were over-represented in the unemployment statistics, cf. Table 9.

Table 8Gender distribution among employed people

Year	Total	Men	Women
2015	25 621	14 234	11 387
2016	26 214	14 610	11 604
2017	26 543	14 636	11 907

Table 9Gender distribution in the average share of unemployed

Year	Total (%)	Men (%)	Women (%)
2016	7.7	7.8	7.7
2017	9.4	9.2	9.7

Source: Statistics Greenland 2019.

The gender segregation of the labor market and the differences in wages

247.There are differences in the employment. More than 60% of women work in the public and administration sectors, as to 25% of men. On average, men have higher salaries than women. Statistics do not take into account working hours and job functions, as women work more often part-time, and there are more men than women in the job market. In addition, men are over-represented in various types of senior positions.

Table 10The industry’s share of total employment among men and women in 2017

Source: Statistics Greenland 2019.

248.The figure shows the employment distribution in 2017 illustrates the difference between which industries in which the sexes are employed in.

Table 11Gender distribution with regard to average salary

Year	Monthly Payment (DKK)	Men (DKK)	Women (DKK)
2014	21 . 670	24 . 298	18 . 293
2015	22 . 178	24 . 646	19 . 056
2016	23 . 113	25 . 666	19 . 949
2017	24 . 075	27 . 106	20 . 363

Source: Statistics Greenland 2019.

Women in boards

249.The Gender Equality Act stipulates that men and women, where possible, must be equally represented on boards where the members are elected by the government. Public committees, councils, commissions and the like set up by Naalakkersuisut must be composed so that at most one member is more of one sex than of the other. Of 14 self-governed companies, only two companies do not meet the gender distribution in § 7. In one there is a majority of men and in the other a majority of women.

250.It is important to mention that the above-mentioned company boards constitute the majority of the boards of the largest and most important companies in Greenland.

Initiatives to promote women in boards

251.The Gender Equality Act has tightened the provisions regarding equal gender 2representation on boards, committees and similar collective board. The changes ensures equal representation in company boards, which are composed entirely of Naalakkersuisut. Boards of directors where Naalakkersuisut only chooses part of the board members, it must choose an equal number of women and men.

Initiatives to promote women in managerial positions

252.Naalakkersuisut works from “Guidelines for good corporate governance in the self-governed limited liability companies”. According to the guidelines, the board must yearly review the company’s activities to promote diversity at all levels of management. The Board of Directors must set explicit targets for promoting diversity and outline the status of the achievement of the objective.

Paragraph 12. Health

253.Women and men must have equal access to treatment of the health service. All citizens and others with legal residence have free access to the national health service.

Table 12The population (as of December 2018)

	2012	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
Men	30 041	29 838	29 730	29 555	29 543	29 493
Women	26 708	26 532	26 552	26 428	26 304	26 367
Total	56 749	56 370	56 282	55 983	55 847	55 860
Women in %	47.0	47.0	47.1	47.2	47.1	47.2

254.The expected average life expectancy has risen steadily over the last 30 years. The expected life expectancy in 1981 was 58.4 years for men and 67.5 years for women. In 2014, it rose to 69.1 years for men and 73.7 for women. The expected average life expectancy is relatively low in the Nordic perspective. A major reason for this is a high suicide rate. The suicide rate is about 7 times higher than in Denmark and many suicides are committed by young men. If this loss could be avoided, the expected average life expectancy would be higher. Suicide prevention has high priority.

Fertility

255.In 2014, the fertility rate in Greenland was barely 2.2 children per woman. The fertility rate has declined gradually over the past decades. In 1970, women gave birth to 2.7 children per woman.

Right to abortion

256.The main goal is all pregnancies must be desired pregnancies. Family planning has high priority. Family planning is part of the form in the Folkeskole.

257.Prevention is provided free of charge. But the abortion rate is high. Abortion is free of charge, but the rates are still at a high level compared to other countries. The health system is extremely attentive to the high abortion rate. Sexual health is a high priority. Naalakkersuisut works to strengthen the prevention work by including sexual health in the upcoming public health program in an interdisciplinary collaboration.

Family planning

258.A special project has been introduced to prepare adults for the role of parent. The project implies that girls and boys aged 14–15 are taught the requirements and consequences of being parents. Sex education is part of the project, and is aimed primarily at reducing the number of teenage pregnancies.

Pregnancy Counseling

259.All upcoming parents are entitled to advice and support during pregnancy. Upcoming parents are invited to family planning courses, and are offered studies during pregnancy. Almost all childbirths take place in hospitals.

Healthcare for children

260.The families are offered health care from birth and until the child starts school.

Paragraph 13. Equality in other areas of economic and social life “The right to family benefits”

261.Women and men have equal social and economic rights, and have the same access to sports and leisure activities as well as to cultural activities, and have access to social (family-based) services.

Paragraph 14. Women in rural areas

262.Women and men living in rural areas have the same rights as other citizens. Due to the unique geographical and demographic conditions, there is a significant difference in living conditions in small communities in rural areas and larger cities.

Paragraph 15. Legal capacity

263.Women and men are equal before the law and have the same rights to own property. They have the same right of access to the legal system and to receive the same treatment in court.

Paragraph 16. Marriage and family relations

264.Women and men have the same right to marry, to choose a spouse, to seek divorce, to enter into a registered partnership, and to choose a surname and employment.

265.In 2016, the Arrangement on the entry into force of Greenland entered into force by the Act on the amendment of marriage’s conclusion and dissolution, the law on the effects of marriage and the Administration of Justice Act and on the repeal of the Act on registered partnership (marriage between two persons of the same sex).

Faroe Islands

Introduction

266.The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was ratified by Denmark and entered into force on May 21, 1983. The Convention was ratified without reservation, therefore also extending to the Faroe Islands. Pursuant to a parliamentary resolution dated March 31, 1987, the Parliament of the Faroe Islands endorsed the entry into force of the Convention in the Faroe Islands.

267.This is the fourth report documenting the efforts of the Government of the Faroe Islands to ensure gender equality in all areas of society.

Developments since the last report

268.Since the last report, the Minister for Gender Equality has presented a Gender Equality Policy, which contains an action plan with 27 different initiatives. The action plan has five focus areas:

(a)To raise awareness about gender and equality from a young age – in child care, in primary and secondary school, in high school, in the public sphere and in media, as well as advocating for more women in politics;

(b)Gender equality in working life – to urge girls to choose STEM subjects at school; to discuss the high number of women in part-time jobs and increase their possibilities to work full-time; investigate the difference in pension savings between men and women and raise awareness hereof: to examine the situation of migrant women in the Faroes and whether there are conditions that should be changed, and examine how to improve their opportunities and legal status;

(c)Men and gender equality – focus on encouraging men to take a greater responsibility with regards to parental leave, child care and domestic work;

(d)Violence and hate speech – combatting these, as well as collecting statistics on domestic violence;

(e)Law and international agreements – raising awareness of CEDAW, making the Gender Equality Commission more professional as well as implementing gender mainstreaming into policy-making and legislative work.

269.The Gender Equality Policy and the action plan were presented to Parliament (Løgting) in 2018 and were the subject of a thorough debate. Being an important part of the Gender Equality Action Plan, CEDAW was part of the debated. The action plan will extend over five years and then evaluated; the intention is to make a new plan at the end of this period. The responsible actors, both political, public and private, are implementing the initiatives.

270.In order to enhance the Gender Policy and to make the administration of the Gender Equality Commission and Demokratia (an independent committee whose explicit task is to encourage more women to participate in politics) more visible and effective, the Minister has decided to establish an office to promote Gender Equality as well as more women in decision-making positions.

Statistical Material

271.The final results of the 2011 nationwide census were not published when the last report was submitted to CEDAW in 2013. One interesting finding in relation to women’s work situation was that more than 20% of the women working part-time would like to work more hours; this was not possible, however, because the job only allowed part-time work. A large number of women in the Faroe Islands have jobs in the care sector where many jobs are ¾ time.

272.Currently a wage statistics analysis of the Faroese labour market is being conducted, which examines how many hours Faroese wage earners work, what the cost of one working hour is, as well as overtime and additional supplements. The analysis will presumably clarify whether there are wage differentials based on factors such as business sector, gender, geographic location, age, citizenship, and the public and private sector.

273.In 2019 the Faroe Islands will conduct a survey on domestic violence which is part of the work on combatting violence in close relationships. The survey will contribute to the compilation of more statistical material.

274.Every fifth year the Faroese Board of National Health conducts a survey on the health status of the population. All citizens are asked about various topics, such as general health and well-being, drinking/smoking habits etc. From 2019, the questionnaire will also contain questions about domestic violence, disaggregated by age, ethnicity, nationality and relationship between the victim and the perpetrator. Hence, by 2019–2020 statistical material on these issues will be available.

CEDAW

Article 1

275.Faroese legislation contains no impediment to gender equality. Faroese legislation does not distinguish between women and men; it guarantees the same rights for all citizens of the Faroes without according any positive rights to either gender. As such, women and men have the same rights and the same responsibilities in all areas of society.

Article 2

276.On 3 May 1994 the Faroese Parliament passed the Parliamentary Act No. 52, on Gender Equality. The principal purpose of the act was to eliminate all forms of gender-based discrimination. The legislation provides, inter alia, that the Gender Equality Commission, may 1) invoke its prosecutorial powers to investigate a case of alleged violation of protected rights; 2) may recommend that those whose rights have been violated seek legal redress for compensation; and 3) may bring a civil action alleging activities or practices inconsistent with the intent of the law (§ 12).

Article 3

277.Current legislation regarding gender equality encompasses the following areas: Employment practices, parental leave, educational material, commissions and boards and the Gender Equality Commission.

278.All draft legislation is scrutinized by the Department of Legal Affairs (DLA) at the Faroese Prime Minister’s Office in order to determine whether it complies with the Danish Constitution, The Faroese Home Rule Act and any applicable international conventions (including CEDAW), regulations, standard or principles.

279.The DLA has published a new handbook for drafting legislation, which includes a check-list (template) for the bill’s potential financial, administrative, environmental, social and human rights impact at the governmental, regional and municipal level. It is mandatory for the central administration to use this template. The handbook also emphasises that the language used in all new bills must be gender neutral.

280.Explicitly addressing the effects a proposed bill has on human rights ensures that new legislation is not in conflict with existing instruments. Moreover, it increases awareness of the various human rights instruments in the legislative process, which will ultimately further improve the standing of such rights.

281.The DLA is planning a number of courses aimed at law-makers and law enforcement officers in the central administration in order to raise awareness of the potential impact a bill can have. The courses will also specifically address the gender equality perspective and human rights in general including the CEDAW Convention.

282.Prosecution, police and the court system is under Danish jurisdiction; therefore, education of judges, prosecutors and police officers are the responsibility of the Danish State.

Article 4

283.There have not been any changes or substantial developments since the last CEDAW report.

Article 5

284.There have not been any changes or substantial developments since the last CEDAW report.

Article 6

Trafficking

285.In 2013 the Parliament adopted the UN Optional Protocol on the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography. Subsequently, the territorial exclusion in regard to the Faroe Islands was withdrawn on 10 October 2016.

Minority Women

286.Matters relating to the Danish Aliens Act are not assumed by Faroese authorities. However, integration affairs are under Faroese legislative and administrative authority. The Faroese authorities are aware that immigrants, of whom a majority are women, are often in a vulnerable position because of their lack of social networks and knowledge about Faroese society.

287.The number of foreign women seeking assistance from the Crisis Centre in Tórshavn remains relatively high. As part of the action plan against domestic violence a booklet aimed especially at foreigners was produced. It contains information in several languages on basic rights and obligations/duties in Faroese society. Particular focus is on providing information about where foreigners can seek assistance if they have been victims of violence. The booklet was well received and has been reprinted twice since.

Article 7

Political Rights

288.Demokratia remains active on many fronts, including education. Prior to the general election in September 2015, Demokratia organized official meetings throughout the islands with the purpose of encouraging women to participate actively in the political debate and to increase the number of women running for parliament. At the general election in 2015, 11 women (of 33 total seats) were elected compared to 10 in the 2011 election. The number of women in Parliament today (2019), however, is 10, as one of the elected women later became Mayor in Tórshavn and therefore decided to leave the Parliament in order to be a full-time Mayor.

289.Demokratia also participates in municipal election campaigning. By organizing campaigns, meetings and using social media for short interviews with women previously elected in municipals across the country, Demokratia managed to increase the total number of women running for municipal elections in 2016.

The Faroese Government

290.Following the general elections in 2015, the representation of women in the Faroese Government, increased from 1 to 4 out of a total of 8 possible ministerial seats. Thus, the representation increased from 12.5% to 50% for the first time in the history of the Faroe Islands.

Municipal Councils

291.The gender distribution in municipal councils tends to show an underrepresentation of women. However, in the Municipal Council of the capital Tórshavn a majority of women (8 of 13) now hold seats in the Council, compared to 2012 when the proportion was 6 women and 7 men. Furthermore, both the mayor and the deputy mayor are women. In the second largest municipality, Klaksvík, the female representation suffered a slight set-back at the 2016 elections, with 4 women and 7 men being elected compared to 5 women and 6 men in the 2012 elections.

292.Nationwide, 136 men and 73 women were elected at the 2016 municipal elections compared to 149 men and 57 women at the 2012 elections, an increase in women’s representation from 27% to 34%.

Management of the Central Government Executive Administration

293.There are currently eight government ministries in the Faroe Islands. Six of the permanent secretaries are men and two are women. The Ombudsman to the Faroese Parliament is a woman while the new Permanent Secretary to the Faroese Parliament is a man.

Government-Appointed Commissions and Boards

294.The Gender Equality Act stipulates that the number of women and men serving in public commissions and boards must be equal; an overview from 2016 showed that the overall equality in government-appointed commission and boards had improved by 9% since year 2000, with the distribution in 2016 being 39% women and 61% men.

Article 8

295.The Faroe Islands have diplomatic missions in Copenhagen, Brussels, Reykjavik, London and Moscow. Only the mission in Brussels is headed by a woman.

Article 9

296.Citizenship is the area of competence of Denmark. Please refer to the contents of the Danish report on this issue.

Article 10

297.In the Faroe Islands, girls, boys, women and men continue to enjoy the same rights and equal access to all schools and educational opportunities in all subject areas.

Primary and Secondary Education

298.New teaching material in political and social studies is underway and will contain updated material on equality, including about CEDAW.

Academic Professionals

299.The number of academic professionals at the University of the Faroe Islands is 52 men and 60 women.

Research and Gender Equality

300.From 2001 to 2018, Research Council Faroe Islands awarded funds (DKK 120 millions) to around 220 research projects of which women were project coordinators on 93 (DKK 58 millions), i.e. 48%.

Article 11

Employment

301.There have not been any changes or substantial developments since the last CEDAW report.

Unemployment

302.The unemployment rate in the Faroe Islands is at a record low at only 1.2% with more than half (54%) being unemployed for a period of less than three months, regardless of gender. There is also very little difference between the genders when it comes to unemployment from 3–12 months, with men making up a slight majority. However, when it comes to unemployment for longer than 12 months the number of women is slightly higher. One reason for this could be that more women than men choose to stay at home with their toddlers after the end of parental leave.

Income and Wages

303.There is large wage gap in total wages paid to women and men; men earn 2/3 of total wages. One factor explaining the wage gap is the traditional gender roles, i.e. to a large degree men are still the main breadwinners, while women have the main responsibility for the home and family.

304.Women in the Faroe Islands have the highest employment rate in the world with 83% of all women between the age of 15 and 74 being active on the labour market. However, at the same time, more than half of all women in employment work part-time. In addition, the labour force is highly gender-segregated and women are overrepresented in low paid jobs, mainly in the care sector.

305.The Gender Equality Policy plan focuses on a wide range of areas in order to eradicate this by achieving a less gender-segregated labour market, an equal divide of parental leave and a higher degree of equal division of unpaid domestic work.

Parental Leave Grant Scheme

306.Parents are entitled to parental leave for a total of 52 weeks, for which 46 weeks are paid from the Parental Leave Grant Scheme. Many labour market agreements entitle the parent to have paid leave from the employer for 24 weeks and the rest paid by the Parental Leave Grant Scheme. Since the last report, the shared parental leave has been extended from 16 to 28 weeks in order to facilitate the combination of family and work life, as well as to promote equality on the labour market. The first 14 weeks after childbirth are reserved for the mother; mothers are also given four weeks before childbirth. Four weeks are reserved for the father. The shared parental leave may be further extended as a new bill is in Parliament to further increase the parental leave by two weeks, whereof one is explicit for the father.

307.Statistics show that while mothers take 92%, fathers take only 8% of the total parental leave, which means that fathers only take the weeks to which they are entitled. In reality, this has a negative effect on women’s wage development and their carrier options. For each child most women leave the labour market for almost a year and often start working part-time after the end of the parental leave. Having children seems to solidify the division of labour between the parents and the traditional gender roles. In order to address this issue the gender policy plan emphasises the importance of fathers taking a larger share of the leave, which has a positive effect on the shared responsibility for domestic work in the future, as well as diminishing the gender wage gap.

Article 12

Population Statistics

308.On 1 January 2018, the total population of the Faroe Islands was 50,498, of whom 24,480 were women. Hence, in 2018 the population of the Faroe Islands exceeded 50,000 for the first time in history. The increase is due to targeted campaigns following the action plan from 2013 to increase the population in the Faroe Islands, a wider choice of university degrees and record low unemployment rates.

Health

309.In 2017 the average life expectancy of Faroese men was 80.4 years while that of women was 84.5 years. Since 2009 the Faroese Government has been offering all women between the ages of 14 and 28 free HPV-vaccination as a cervical cancer prevention measure. From Summer 2019 boys too will be offered free HPV-vaccination. The Faroese Government will soon decide which age group will receive the offer.

Violence against women

310.All acts of violence against women are prohibited under the Faroese Criminal Code.

311.In 2018 the Crisis Centre in Tórshavn (Kvinnuhúsið) processed 580 requests for assistance, which is a slight decrease since 2012 (624); 12 women and 9 children stayed at the Crisis Centre for periods ranging from 1 day to more than 90 days. The reasons for referral included domestic violence, divorce, financial difficulties, incest and rape.

312.In continuation of the 2011 Action Plan to Combat Violence in Close Relationships the Faroese Government adopted an action plan to Prevent Sexual Abuse in 2016. The action plan puts forward a set of initiatives in order to prevent and combat sexual abuse. These include treatment for those who suffer delayed effects caused by sexual abuse and treatment for those who commit sexual abuse; public information, including the obligation to report sexual abuse; a child protection policy in institutions/schools, and information for parents/children on how to protect children and where to turn for support and guidance. The implementation of both plans is ongoing. Information material has been produced and a series of meetings have been held throughout the islands entitled “Speak Out” targeting children, youth, migrants and the general public. The clear message is that violence is not accepted in Faroese society.

313.Treatment for the perpetrator as well as treatment for those who suffer from sexual abuse in childhood are ongoing. In both cases treatment is free of charge.

314.Furthermore, funding is allocated to the Crisis Centre under the action plan itself. This funding is in addition to the annual appropriation allocated by the Faroese Government to the operation of the Crisis Centre (approximately DKK 1.3 million). The action plan’s funding is allocated for emergency consultation with a psychologist. Such consultation is available to women who turn to the Crisis Centre, if they need it. Following these consultations women are eligible for financial support for consultations with a psychologist under the existing schemes described above. The action plan should therefore be viewed as a supplement to existing schemes rather than a stand-alone project.

315.Together with the Danish Ministry of Justice the Faroese Prime Minister’s Office is finishing work on a new Faroese Administration of Justice bill, which is expected to be presented for the Faroese and Danish parliament in the early spring of 2020. The new bill will extend the entitlement to legal assistance of victims of sexual violence and abuse to victims of domestic violence.

316.In 2017 the Faroese Parliament passed a new bill on restraining and exclusion orders. The bill also grants authority, in cases of violence in intimate relationships, to remove the perpetrator from the home for a period of time, instead of the victim leaving the home. This year an amendment to the law was passed, which under specific circumstances gives the opportunity to immediate restraining order; this is especially valuable in cases of stalking.

317.Informative meetings have been held in order to raise awareness of the law among women. Furthermore, a pamphlet has been produced, which police officers can hand out in cases of domestic violence; it can also be found in different public places e.g. at the hospital and at the GP.

Abortion

318.In July 2018 the Faroe Islands took over the responsibility for family rights (from Denmark), including the Law on Abortion. The Faroese Government has not yet discussed whether it will update the Law on Abortion; nor is it known whether there is a majority in Parliament for change on this issue. However, now that the Faroes Islands have assumed legislative powers, there is a need for a public and political debate on the issue.

319.The official number of abortions in the Faroe Islands is decreasing and was historically low in 2017, with 29 per 1000 live born children, which is the lowest number in Europe (and lower than in the USA). At the same time, the Faroe Islands have the highest birthrate of any Nordic country, with 2.5 children per woman in the age group between 15 and 49 years of age.

320.It has been argued that Faroese women travel to Denmark to have abortions. However, according to statistics this is not the case, since the number of abortions conducted in Denmark by women residing in the Faroe Islands was 22, over a twenty-year span (1997–2016).

321.In December 2013 a new counselling service, focusing on abortion, was established under the Ministry of Health and Internal Affairs. The health visitors’ association, Gigni, administers the counselling service. The service is targeted at young pregnant women and offers free and anonymous counselling as well as advice from Gigni. In addition to counselling on abortion, the women may also receive advice on health, social and psychological matters relating to abortion.

Article 13

322.There have not been any changes or substantial developments since the last CEDAW report.

Article 14

323.There have not been any changes or substantial developments since the last CEDAW report.

Article 15

324.Men and women are equal before the law. Women and men continue to have equal rights of access to the judicial system, enjoy equal rights to hold property, as well as to receive equal treatment before the courts. Reference is made to the new handbook for drafting legislation in Article 3.

Article 16

325.There have not been any changes or substantial developments since the last CEDAW report.