Source : Ministry of Education.

Obstacles encountered:

The main obstacle to education of girls is of a cultural nature. It is difficult to convince parents of the importance of educating girls, especially in the rural setting. Customary practices such as early marriage of girls and their emancipation at puberty are among the main causes of lack of schooling among girls.

Despite the results already achieved in the area of literacy, much remains to be done to improve the situation.

Access by girls to secondary and higher education:

Measures have been taken to encourage girls’ access to secondary education.

In partnership with the non-governmental organizations Pact and the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), scholarships are granted to enable girls to pursue their studies at the secondary level.

Initiatives have been taken to provide schooling to illiterate children through a specific one-year programme in order to enable them to sit for the elementary primary school certificate examination (Certificat d’Etudes Primaires et Elémentaires –CEPE). This gives them an opportunity to gain access to first-cycle secondary schools (collèges d’enseignement général).

At the start of the 2008-2009 school year, the same approach is being tried to help unschooled children, including girls, achieve their first-cycle secondary school diploma (Brevet d’Etudes du Premier Cycle –BEPC). Upon receiving this diploma, they have the possibility of going on to technical and vocational education.

In general terms and without regard to gender, the main quantitative goals to be achieved by 2012 are as follows:

Achieving 20% coverage for young children nationwide through development of community preschool education centres;

Achieving at least 20% preschool enrolment for children in the 3 to 5 age group;

Ensuring that all children aged 6 and 7 are enrolled in primary school by the year 2010;

Achieving a schooling completion rate of 100% for the first 5 years of primary school and a completion rate of 65% for the first 7 years by the year 2015;

Reducing the number of children repeating a grade in the new 7-year primary cycle to 5% by the year 2015;

Doubling the gross schooling rate in first-cycle secondary schools by the year 2015 (from 19% in 2006 to 40% in 2015);

Reaching a completion rate in first-cycle secondary schools of 34% by the year 2015 (new 3-year schools);

Bringing the illiterate proportion of the population down to 20% through functional literacy campaigns for young people and adults and reintegration into formal education of children outside the school system;

Creating best conditions for reform of secondary education as of the start of the 2008/2009 school year in pilot schools, to be followed by a generalized effort in 2013.

Achieving these goals will be ensured in institutional terms by:

Adoption of new school construction strategies based on communal and community responsibility;

Transparency of operations at all levels and in all phases, enabling the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research (MENRS) to re-focus on its pedagogical functions;

Strengthening competences at the level of schools, Pedagogical Action Zones (ZAPs) and school districts by transferring responsibilities increasingly to them;

Training the actors involved and allocating appropriate resources.

In higher education, the main challenges are:

Reforming institutions of higher education in Madagascar;

Developing the open distance education and open university models;

Promoting the extension and expansion of higher education establishments such as Higher Institutes of Technology (Instituts Supérieurs de Technologie) by developing short-term educational programmes which lead to real occupations.

Violence against women

11.The persistence of a culture of secrecy creates obstacles to effective application of the Convention. In the Malagasy mentality, it is customary not to make pubic display of domestic quarrels, including conjugal violence. Continued efforts at awareness-raising are the best way to change behaviours and attitudes in this regard.

The paucity of judicial decisions on domestic violence does not make it possible at the present time to provide specific information on how prevalent it is.

12.To inform women about their rights under the Convention and the law, the Ministry of Justice has produced and distributed an educational film focusing on combating violence against women. The film presents the various forms of violence affecting women and the rules applicable in bringing cases to court with a view to obtaining adequate redress and punishment of the perpetrator.

The film seeks to make known to women the laws applying to violence and to provide instruction for officers of the courts on the application of the laws in national courts.

Cases of violations of rights, including domestic violence, are not being resolved in isolated areas or places remote from the courts.

In 2007, with a view to remedying that situation, the Government partnered with UNDP to set up three rights protection houses in marginal localities in Antananarivo, Mananjary and Fort Dauphin. These rights protection houses are entrusted with providing a local response to the needs of the most disadvantaged persons who wish to assert their rights without necessarily going to court. They work primarily through conciliation, not seeking to take the place of the judicial authorities.

In serious cases, they guide or advise victims regarding steps to be followed in order to involve the competent authorities. Less serious cases of domestic violence are resolved by the rights houses known as Legal Clinics or “Trano Aro Zo”.

In 2008, two additional legal clinics will be established in Manakara and Farafangana.

By 2011, the Government plans to establish at least ten legal clinics in high-risk localities.

Exploitation of prostitution and trafficking

13.In order effectively to combat prostitution and trafficking, Madagascar has just adopted a new law, Law 2007-038 of 14 January 2008, modifying and complementing certain provisions of the Penal Code concerning trafficking in persons and sex tourism.

This law covers:

Trafficking in, sale of, abduction and exploitation of persons;

Preventing and combating trafficking in persons;

Penalties for the perpetrator(s) of trafficking;

Protection and help for victims, including their social reintegration through the establishment of reception centres.

As part of the implementation of the project known as FITIA (Fight against Trafficking and Abuse), the Government organized a national awareness-raising campaign against sex tourism affecting minors, in cooperation with the Parliament and the NGO Catholic Relief Services, with support from USAID and UNICEF.

In the judicial arena, a Swiss national was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and expelled from the country.

Two nationals of Mauritius suspected of involvement in a case of sexual exploitation of minors in Nosy Be were expelled.

Two other nationals of Mauritius and two Germans were arrested and released for lack of sufficient evidence.

In 2007, posters displaying images regarding the law, the procedures and the authorities to be alerted in cases of trafficking in children were published and disseminated in Nosy Be, Fort Dauphin, Morondava and Diego Suarez.

14.Madagascar has just adopted another legal instrument enabling it to strengthen the fight against trafficking and prostitution of women. At its first session of 2008, Parliament adopted a law authorizing ratification of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others.

The application of this convention covers internal trafficking and trafficking to foreign countries, including neighbouring islands.

Madagascar is not a country of destination receiving women or girls from foreign countries who engage in prostitution.

There does not exist an identified network exploiting the prostitution of Malagasy women or girls engaging in such activities in the neighbouring islands.

However, the Government intends to combat trafficking which affects women or girls displaced from their place of residence for prostitution in other areas.

As part of judicial cooperation with France, in cases relating to exploitation of prostitution in the island of La Réunion, the Government can seek extradition of the perpetrators and bring them before the courts.

15.With a view to social reintegration and rehabilitation of prostitutes wishing to give up prostitution, the Government has created reception centres at Antananarivo, Toamasina and Toliara. These centres have afforded assistance to some 105 victims of child labour and trafficking in persons, providing reintegration into schools or vocational training centres. The doctors who work at the centres provided medical care and counselling to victims, and labour inspectors provided help with finding employment. A similar centre is currently under construction in Nosy Be.

Other centres will be created in high-risk areas, as needed.

Fourteen networks for child protection, established by UNICEF, are active in ensuring protection of children in major cities against the worst forms of child labour. Among these networks are those established in Diego Suarez, Fort-Dauphin and Mananjary.

These networks also alert public opinion to the danger of trafficking and sexual exploitation of children for commercial motives.

Employment, rural women and access to property

16. Women’s participation in agriculture

In Madagascar, employment remains strongly concentrated in the primary sector. Over 82% of employed persons are engaged mainly in agricultural activities (farming, fishing, hunting, forestry) and activities in the extractive industries. Non-agricultural employment consists largely of commercial activities (5% of total employment) and other services for households (6% of total employment). Public sector officials and employees account for over 2%. Jobs in processing industries are in a minority and account for only 3.5% of jobs created in Madagascar. In urban areas, the share of agricultural jobs is down to 48%.

On the other hand, jobs in commerce and other services for households account for 14% and 17% respectively. Jobs in industry exceed 10%.

Table 2 Urban and Rural Employment by Sector

Unit: %

	Urba n	Rural	Combined
Agriculture/ primary	48 . 4	89 . 9	82 . 0
Food industry	0 . 8	0 . 1	0 . 2
Textile	2 . 3	0 . 4	0 . 8
Contruction, Public Works/ Labour intensive	3 . 9	0 . 6	1 . 2
Other industries	4 . 1	0 . 6	1 . 3
Commerce	13 . 7	2 . 8	4 . 9
Transport	2 . 8	0 . 3	0 . 8
Private health	0 . 3	0 . 1	0 . 1
Private education	1 . 1	0 . 3	0 . 5
Public administration	5 . 8	1 . 2	2 . 1
Other private services	16 . 8	3 . 7	6 . 2
Total	100 . 0	100 . 0	100 . 0

Source :INSTAT/DSM/EPM2005.

No significant difference is observed between men and women in the structure of employment other than the fact that women are more inclined to commercial activities: 6% of jobs are female as against only 3% for men.

Women account for 64% of employed persons as against 66% for men.

In other words, women are active in all sectors of the economy, including agriculture, to almost the same extent as men.

As indicated in the answer to question No. 9, MIRALENTA also applies to employment and includes access to equal pay for equal work without regard to gender.

In order to alleviate the short supply of jobs in relation to demand from women, access by women to micro-credit loans has been facilitated to enable women to generate activities conducive to their autonomy in urban or rural settings.

Madagascar has a national micro-finance strategy for the period 2008-2010 and for a total of three million US dollars. The goal of the Madagascar Action Plan is to raise the impact of micro-finance institutions from 7.6% to 13% by the time horizon of 2012, enabling 850,000 borrowers to have access to all forms of credit, as compared with 278,000 in 2006. To reach that goal, three lines of action have been adopted:

Improving the economic and regulatory framework;

A viable and steady supply of products and services that are appropriate, innovative, diversified, and increasingly available in areas not covered;

Organizing the institutional framework in a manner which enables sound structuring and efficient management of the sector.

In the years to come, the Government intends to give high priority to developing micro-finance as a way of leveraging the productive activity of the poor, most of whom are farmers and people in the informal urban economy.

17.At present there do not yet exist modalities of flexible work with job sharing and permanent part-time positions favourable to combining work with family responsibilities.

On the other hand, work schedules in the public sector have been adjusted, with the work day starting at 9 A.M. in order to enable women and men to organize and harmonize their family schedules with their work schedules.

In order to enable women to devote more time to their children following childbirth, a maternity leave of 3 months has been instituted for women, compared with 15 days for men.

18.Madagascar has established facilities to receive unschooled children, street children, and children morally at risk.

Law 2007-023 of 20 October 2007, in article 50 (4), provides for placement with another family, a private institution or a trustworthy person for children in the aforementioned situation. Educational assistance measures are implemented to help them to overcome educational or other difficulties.

To that end, the Government has a re-education centre in Anjanamasina Antananarivo. The centre receives children in social cases or children in trouble with the law. At present, a re-education centre is under construction in Diego-Suarez.

In private sector enterprises, rooms are being provided for breast-feeding. Private sector enterprises are not yet providing child care facilities. However, there are public child care centres to help women occupying permanent jobs.

Legal situation with regard to women’s right to inherit property.

19.Law No. 68-012 of 4 July 1968 concerning succession, wills and gifts, does not contain discriminatory provisions regarding the capacity of female heirs to inherit real property. However, in practice, the heirs may agree that the female heirs will receive a sum of money representing their share of the estate. This objectionable practice derives from the false belief that women are meant to follow their spouse. Enabling women to inherit real property is falsely perceived as jeopardizing the preservation of ancestral estates. To remedy the situation, the Ministry of Justice is conducting awareness-raising campaigns with a view to introducing a culture favourable to equal rights between men and women and the effective application of the Convention.

Law No. 2007-022 of 20 August 2007 on marriage and matrimonial regimes provides that the spouses have the same rights and the same responsibilities with regard to administering marital property.

Health

20 and 21. In order to facilitate women’s access to basic health centres, the Government has exerted efforts to increase the number of centres.

In general, the national health system is characterized by weakness in human resources, under-equipment and poor performance.

With regard to human resources, there is a significant shortage of paramedical personnel in the Basic Health Centres (CSBs), with a ratio of 1 paramedic to 4 CSBs. There is also a poor distribution of personnel (41% of health personnel are providing service to 21% of the total population).

With respect to geographical coverage, less than 65% of the population is located within 5 kilometres of a health care facility and the rate of utilization of basic public health services is 50%.

Moreover, in 2006, no Departmental Hospital Centre (CHD) was complying with required standards. Only 30% of CSBs and 16% of Regional Hospital Centres (CHRs) had appropriate technical equipment, personnel and buildings.

In the period 2005 – 2006 there was a decline in use of CSBs.

The rate of assisted childbirth in CSBs declined from 26.1% to 22% and the rate of outpatient consultations from 49% to 32.4% (source: report on implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper in 2006).

Financial resources allocated to the health sector are still insufficient to meet needs. Expenditure on health as a percentage of GDP diminished markedly between 2004 and 2005, from 1.7% in 2004 to 0.9% -4 in 2005.

Table 3. Budgetary appropriations for the Ministry of Health, Family Planning and Social Protection (MINSANPF/PS)

Year	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Total budgetary appropriation (nominal, billions of Ariary)	51 . 4	53 . 2	69 . 8	99	102 . 1	120 . 6	100 . 3	99 . 4	140 . 8	164 . 6

At present, Madagascar is gradually moving towards free medical care for the sick. With support from the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), nine districts are benefiting from implementation of projects aimed at provision of free care to the female patient and a companion when there are complications in childbirth.

Challenges facing the Madagascar Action Plan (MAP) to 2012

Seeking to make a significant quantitative leap, the Madagascar Action Plan (MAP) intends:

To increase life expectancy by 10 years;

To double usage of CSBs (outpatient consultations, childbirth);

To reduce the total fertility rate by 2 points;

To reduce the infant mortality rate by half;

To reduce the maternal mortality rate by half;

To eliminate the main contagious diseases, notably malaria, tuberculosis and congenital syphilis;

To reduce to 28% the rate of malnutrition among children under age 5;

To win the fight against HIV/AIDS by keeping the prevalence rate under 0.95%;

To reduce infant mortality due to unhealthy water.

In order to reduce maternal mortality due to clandestine abortions, the Government has set in motion initiatives to facilitate access to contraceptive methods.

Table 4 Sources of supply

Source of supply	Pill	IUD	Injectable	Condoms	Female sterilization	Combined
PUBLIC SECTO R	56.5	(34.0)	67.6	2.3	66.9	57.4
Government hospital	11.6	(4.6)	7.9	1.9	65.7	11.6
Government health care cantre	44.9	(29.4)	59.8	0.4	1.2	45.8
PRIVATE MEDICAL SECTOR	33.6	(66.0)	31.8	9.8	31.3	31.5
Private hospital, clinic	1.3	(16.4)	2.0	0.5	30.6	4.4
Private health care centre	3.5	(15.1)	9.1	0.5	0.0	6.6
Pharmacy	13.5	(0.0)	0.5	6.4	0.7	3.9
Private doctor	7.5	(2.8)	13.1	2.3	0.0	9.6
PF/FISA Centre	8.0	(31.8)	7.1	0.2	0.0	7.1
OTHER SOURCES	9.3	(0.0)	0.1	76.8	0.0	8.9
Community Volunteer	0.5	(0.0)	(0.0)	3.0	0.0	0.4
Shop	5.2	(0.0)	(0.0)	69.7	(0.0)	7.3
Kiosk	0.0	(0.0)	(0.0)	1.1	(0.0)	0.1
Church	1.7	(0.0)	0.1	(0.0)	(0.0)	0.4
Friend, relative	1.8	(0.0)	(0.0)	2.9	(0.0)	0.7
Other	0.3	(0.0)	0.2	2.9	0.0	0.4
ND	0.1	(0.0)	0.1	8.1	1.8	1.2
Total	100.0	(100.0)	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	227	34	598	91	57	1 028

Source : EDSMD – III Madagascar 2003-2004. Distribution ( %).

Regarding the question whether care is available for women who have undergone an incomplete abortion, it should be noted that doctors are obliged to provide appropriate care to save the life of the woman, without regard to any other concern, failing which they may be held accountable for failure to assist a person in danger.

22.The programme referred to in paragraph 378 of the report aims at remedying the lack of a social security system. Implementation of the programme will make it possible to improve conditions for women, particularly for those living in extreme poverty. The table below presents the follow-up evaluation of implementation of the programme emerging from the Madagascar Action Plan (MAP).

Table 5Adoption and implementation of an institutional framework for social protection

Challenge 4: IMPROVING SUPPORT FOR THE VERY POOR AND VULNERABLE

Results Effects/ Outputs	Indicators	B ase line	Target 2012	Sources	Responsible entity	Frequency of collection
Effect 1-Imrpoved support for the very poor and vulnerable	Percentage of families with over 3 indicators of poverty	90%	49%	EPM	INSTAT	ANNUAL
Output 1 : Basic social services (health, education nutrition) available to vulnerable and very poor groups	Proportion of the very poor and vulnerable population with access to health care	38%	53%	Report of RMA CSB	Ministry of Health	Annual
Output 2 : Improved security systems for the vulnerable and very poor	Number of newly created jobs per year	225	450	Report of the General Directorate for Social Protection	Ministry for Social Protection	Annual
Output 3 : State coordination and oversight of interventions for the vulnerable and very poor	Percentage of social protection interventions coordinated and monitored	0%	100%	Survey of NGO activity reports	General Directorate for Social Protection	Annual

Table 6 Improving women’s participation in social, economic and civic affairs

Challenge 5: PROMOTING GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN’S AUTONOMY

Results Effects/ Outputs	Indicators	Base line	Target 2012	Sources	Responsible entity	Frequency of collection
	Effect 1: Gender equality and women’s autonomy promoted	Private sector wage gap between men and women (MAP)	36%	18%	Private sector survey	Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs	Annu al
	Output 1 : Women active in political life	Percentage of women in Parliament (MAP)	12%	30%	Survey of parliamentarians	National Assembly	Every 5 years
	Output 2 : Women’s access to economic and social opportunities improved	Percentage of director and senior executive positions held by women	29%	40%	Social road map	INSTAT	Annual
	Output 3 : Status of women improved	Percentage of women with power to decide the use of their income	47%	57%	EDS III	INSTAT	Every 5 years

23.A high rate of sexually transmitted diseases has been observed. The rate of syphilis among pregnant women stands at 8% despite a low prevalence of HIV/AIDS.

To address the problem, the public authorities organized a response in three stages, as follows:

An initial phase, termed the medical phase, focused on the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and ISTs among high-risk groups from 1988 to 1995;

The second phase was characterized by strategies geared essentially towards enhanced prevention of HIV/AIDS and ISTs and social mobilization, integrating the campaign against HIV/AIDS into the Primary Health Care Centres, and operational coordination;

The third phase, as from the year 2000, involved civil society in the campaign. Thus, NGOs, community groups, associations, etc. were involved in implementing the national plan.

From 1998 to 2000, the Ministry of Health assumed responsibility for designing the National Plan to Combat AIDS (PLNS), its implementation and the mobilization of resources.

The National Plan to Combat AIDS, which has been in operation since 1988, comprises four entities:

The National Council to Combat ISTs/AIDS (CNLS) brings together different ministerial departments and is entrusted with framing policy decisions. It is assisted by a joint coordinating committee which comprises governmental institutions and their technical and financial partners;

A Technical Coordinating Committee comprising three commissions: the “clinical and biological commission,” the information, education and communication (IEC) commission, and the commission on ethics and human rights;

A Joint Committee for Follow-up and Coordination;

The PLNS Secretariat is provided by the ISTs/AIDS Service of the Ministry of Health.

Implementation of the national plan aims at a rate of 0.95% among pregnant women by the year 2012, and aims in the medium term to maintain that rate in order not to exceed 1%.

The table below shows the HIV/AIDS situation in Madagascar:

Table 7 HIV positive results in Madagascar

Provinces	Number	VIH+	%	IC 95%	Valeur of p
Antananarivo	1 660	5	0,30	(0,11-0,74)	0,007
Antsiranana	1 723	26	1,51	(1,01-2,24)	0,007
Fianarantsoa	1 510	20	1,32	(0,83-2,08)	0,007
Mahajanga	1 680	25	1,49	(0,98-2,22)	0,007
Toamasina	1 516	12	0,79	(0,43-1,42)	0,007
Toliary	1 534	18	1,17	(0,72-1,89)	0,007
Madagascar	9 623	106	1,10	(0,91-1,34)	0,007

Source : Ministry of Health, Family Planning and Social Protection.

With regard to measures taken to inform the population, especially women and girls, regarding the risks and effects of sexually transmitted diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS, the tables below show the results achieved based on a survey and an awareness-raising campaign:

Table 8 Indicators of perceptions of risk of HIV/AIDS

Characteristics		Women		Men
Percent who have heard about AIDS	Percent who believe there is a way to avoid HIV/AIDS	Number	Percent who have heard about AIDS	Percent who believe there is a way to avoid HIV/AIDS	Number
AGE
15-19	69.7	55.2	1.528	76.0	64.5	416
20-24	80.9	65.4	1391	89.4	76.1	416
25-29	80.7	64.8	1347	$88.9	78.2	400
30-39	82.1	69.1	2095	92.7	81.9	543
40-49	80.9	65.8	1587	90.0	79.7	832
MARITAL STATUS	77.5	65.2	1694	82.9	73.7	757
Single
Had sexual relations	77.6	64.9	840	86.1	78.5	456
Never had sexual relations	77.4	65.5	854	78.0	66.6	301
In couple	80.3	65.3	5139	90.9	79.1	1331
Separating	75.7	59.1	1116	83.5	64.3	127
Place of residence	99.2	96.2	466	100.0	99.1	139
Capital
Other cities	91.6	82.3	1509	95.7	91.0	382
Urban area	93.4	85.6	1975	96.8	93.2	521
Rural	74.3	57.4	5974	84.9	71.3	1695
Provinces	91.4	82.6	2671	97.2	93.2	701
Antananarivo
Fianarantsoa	67.5	47.5	1599	87.1	68.4	416
Toamasina	72.8	62.2	1196	81.0	73.8	380
Mahajanga	74.9	57.8	987	92.8	73.3	276
Toliara	75.2	49.8	957	65.1	48.7	261
Antsiranana	80.3	67.3	539	91.4	80.3	183
Level of education	50.2	27.5	1741	66.8	40.5	363
None
Primary/literate	79.6	61.5	3757	86.4	73.3	1088
Secondary or above	98.7	95.0	2451	99.6	98.0	765
COMBINED	79.0	64.4	7949	87.7	76.4	2216

Source : Ministry of Health, Family Planning and Social Protection. Population and Health Survey, 2003-2004 .

Participation in political and public life and decision-making

24.In order to inform women about their rights to participation in public affairs, the Government has organized a series of workshops with a view to training women for leadership, including women mayors and neighbourhood leaders.

25.Discrimination is not noticeable in women’s access to the public sector. The results of several competitive recruitment processes to enter the civil service reveal a high rate of success among female candidates. Consequently, the absence of a quota for women in this area is justified.

The number of women attaining positions of responsibility has been increasing for at least a decade: heads of regions, chief executive officers, ministers, etc.

At present, two ministries of sovereignty, the ministries of justice and defence, are headed by women.

26.In the last presidential election, there were two women candidates, which bears witness to women’s aspiration to attain the highest elective office.

The decline in the number of women parliamentarians results from voting by universal suffrage. On the other hand, at the communal level, many women have been elected.

27.Madagascar ratified the Convention against Torture and Other Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 2005. The law transposing said Convention was recently adopted at the parliamentary session of May, 2008. In any case, there have been no allegations of torture or other cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment or ill-treatment from women prisoners. The application of the new law against torture and other inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment and the establishment of an oversight commission for correctional institutions, introduced by Decree-Law No. 2006.015 of 17 January 2006, are measures that have been taken to prevent and punish acts of torture or other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment.

28.In light of the paucity of case-law pertaining to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Government of Madagascar intends initially to implement a programme falling within the framework of the project “Support for Promotion and Protection of Human Rights” with funding from UNDP, whose period of implementation will be from 2008 to 2011. This project aims, inter alia, to disseminate human rights treaties, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The aim is to ensure that female citizens are aware of their rights and are able to invoke them before the courts. At the same time, they should be able to apply provisions of the Convention in cases of violation of rights protected under the Convention.

Since bringing a case before the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women under the optional protocol requires the prior exhaustion of domestic remedies, it is important at the national level to first take appropriate measures for an effective application of the Convention.

Accordingly, Madagascar intends to ratify the optional protocol to CEDAW and will initiate the process to that end after a broad dissemination of the Convention and assimilation of its application at the level of national courts based on an increasing number of judicial decisions relating to the Convention.

ACRONYMS

Agent VBC	Agent Volontaire de Base en milieu Communautaire[Community volunteer]
BEPC	Brevet d'Etudes du premier Cycle de l'enseignement secondaire[First-cycle secondary diploma]
BTP/HIMO	Bâtiment et Travaux Publics/Haute Intensité de Main d'Œuvre[Construction and public works/Labour-intensive]
Centre de PF/FISA	Centre de de Planning Familial/ Fianakaviana Sambatra[Family planning centre/Fianakaviana Sambatra]
CEPE	Certificat d'Etudes Primaires et Elémentaires[Elementary primary school diploma]
CHR	Centre Hospitalier Régional[Regional hospital centre]
CISCO	Circonscription Scolaire[School district]
CNLS	Comité National de Lutte contre le Sida[National committee to combat AIDS]
CSB	Centre de Santé de Base[Basic health centre]
CSSP	Centre de Soins de Santé Primaire[Primary health care centre]
DSRP	Document Stratégique pour la Réduction de la Pauvreté[Poverty reduction strategy paper – PRSP]
EDS	Enquête Démographique et de Santé[Population and health survey]
EPPM	Enquête Permanente et Périodique des Ménages[Permanent and periodic households survey]
FITIA	Fight Against Trafficking and Abuse
IMF	Institutions de Micro Finances[Micro-finance institutions]
INSTAT	Institut National de la Statistique[National Institute of Statistics]
MAP	Madagascar Action Plan
MENRS	Ministère de l'Education Nationale et de la Recherche Scientifique[Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research]
MINSANPF/PS	Ministère de la Santé, du Planning Familial et de la Protection Sociale[Ministry of Health, Family Planning and Social Protection]
MIRALENTA	Egalité de genre[Gender equality]
PANAGED	Plan d’action nationale pour la promotion de la femme [National action plan for the advancement of women]
PANEF	Plan National pour l'Education des Filles[National plan for education of girls]