I.Introduction

1.At its seventy-first session, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women will examine the periodic reports of the Bahamas, the Congo, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mauritius, Nepal, Samoa, Tajikistan and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

2.As a specialized agency of the United Nations, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) contributes to the building of peace, the alleviation of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture and communication and information. In accordance with the medium-term strategy for the period 2008–2013, gender equality was designated as one of two global priorities for UNESCO, and it continues to be a global priority for the period 2014–2021. It is being pursued through a two-pronged approach: gender-specific programming and the mainstreaming of gender equality perspectives in all fields of competence of UNESCO.

3.UNESCO has a major role and responsibility within the United Nations system for the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Article 10 of the Convention provides that States parties should take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in order to ensure them equal rights with men in the field of education. The right to education is at the very heart of the mission of UNESCO and represents an integral part of its constitutional mandate.

4.Efforts by UNESCO to promote the empowerment of women, women’s rights and gender equality are guided by its medium-term strategy for the period 2014–2021, its biennial and quadrennial programme and budget documents, its organization-wide gender equality priority action plan for the period 2014–2021, which supports and guides the implementation of its global gender equality priority, the Convention, the Beijing Platform for Action and resolutions and international and regional instruments relevant to the areas of action of UNESCO.

5.The commitment of UNESCO to pursuing the realization of gender equality is facilitated by the Division for Gender Equality in the Office of the Director-General. As the UNESCO focal point for gender equality, the Division provides policy guidance and recommendations to senior management and the programme sectors for mainstreaming gender equality considerations into UNESCO policies, strategies and programmes; carries out capacity-building; monitors gender parity and work-life balance within the secretariat; and develops and establishes partnerships with other United Nations bodies, regional bodies, intergovernmental organizations, non‑governmental organizations, private foundations and private sector partners that support initiatives for the empowerment of women and gender equality.

II.Measures taken by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to implement the provisions of the Convention in the countries whose reports are to be considered at the seventy-first session of the Committee

A.Bahamas

6.The Bahamas is not a party to the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960). The country did not respond to the ninth consultation of member States on the implementation of the Convention.

7.Under article 15 of the Constitution of the Bahamas, every person in the Bahamas is entitled to the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual and thereby has the right, irrespective of race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, creed or sex, but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest, to each and all of the rights and freedoms as enumerated in the Constitution. However, when regulating the protection from discrimination on various bases, article 26 does not include sex among the prohibited bases: “In this Article, the expression ‘discriminatory’ means affording different treatment to different persons attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, place of origin, political opinions, colour or creed.”

8.The Bahamian education system is structured in what is referred to as a “6-3-3 format”. The first cycle is primary education, which is six years in duration and is designed to cater to students from 5 to 11 years of age. Secondary education is divided into two equal parts of 3 years’ duration; junior high school is designed to accommodate students from 11 to 14 years of age, while it is expected that students from 14 to 17 years of age will attend senior high school. Education in the Bahamas is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 16 and is based on the British system in many ways. Primary schools are State-owned. For the first 6 grades, children attend primary school. They must pass tests at the end of each year in order to progress further. From 11 to 17 years of age students attend secondary school. Such schools are usually functionally independent, but may be merged with primary schools on the smaller Family Islands, where it is economically more practical to do so. Following the 6 years of largely academic education, students sit an exam to obtain a certificate of general education. There are several options for tertiary education available in the Bahamas, with more options in the wider Caribbean network. The Princess Margaret Hospital has a school of nursing, the University of the West Indies Centre for Hotel and Tourism Management offers degree programmes in hotel management and tourism and the College of the Bahamas offers bachelor’s and associate degree programmes. Certain branches of American universities hold courses for their undergraduate students on weekends.

9.About three quarters of primary and secondary school students are enrolled in institutions managed by the State through its public education system, with the bulk of the remainder attending private schools. Due to the importance of the contribution of private schools to the overall provision of education, many receive some level of government funding. Although the Government provides some preschool education, nurseries and preschools are predominately run by churches and private individuals. Post-secondary and tertiary institutions are operated both by the State and the private sector. Several foreign-based tertiary education institutions operate in the country as satellite campuses, catering to an increasing number of adult students. The State currently provides funding for only two public post-secondary institutions, the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute, which is dedicated to vocational education and training, and the College of the Bahamas, which primarily provides academic education.

B.Congo

10.The Congo has been a party to the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960) since 16 September 1968. The country did not respond to the ninth consultation of member States on the implementation of the Convention.

11.Article 15 of the Constitution of the Congo contains the provision that all citizens of the Congo are equal before the law and have the right to be protected by the State; no one can be favoured or disadvantaged on the basis of familial or ethnic origins, social status or political, religious or philosophical convictions. Under article 17 thereof, women have the same rights as men; the law guarantees parity and ensures the promotion and representation of women in all political, elective and administrative functions.

12.Article 29 of the Constitution guarantees the right to education and the right to equal access to education and training. According to that provision, education is compulsory until 16 years of age.

13.The organization of the education system and pedagogical control of instruction is the duty of the State. The State ensures equal access to education and professional training. Public education is free of charge and basic education is compulsory for children between 6 and 11 years of age. All children have the right, without distinction of origin, nationality, sex, creed, opinion or social status, to education for the full development of intellectual, artistic, moral and physical aptitudes and civic and professional training.

14.Primary education accommodates children between 6 and 11 years of age and is organized in three cycles. General secondary education is organized into two cycles: the college, consisting of four years of study with the award of a diploma of brevet upon completion, and the lyceum, consisting of three years of study with the award of a diploma of baccalaureate upon completion. Technical secondary education consists of professional training in two cycles, two years, with the award of a diploma of technical brevet upon completion, and three additional years for a technical baccalaureate. The instruction of teachers is a two-year programme, following the completion of the lyceum. Tertiary education is organized into programmes at institutes and faculties, for a duration of between two and eight years, to obtain such diplomas as that for a senior technician or engineer, a general university diploma, a master’s degree or a doctorate.

15.The overall goal of the project on the reinforcement of the capacities of teachers and of local community radio stations for the provision of reproductive health and sexuality education, targeting adolescents and young people, implemented in the Congo, is to equip local community radio stations with the knowledge and technical capacity necessary to improve interactions with young people, the production of programmes aimed at young people and adolescents and the production of information programmes on reproductive health and sexuality education. The second segment of the project is aimed at the development of training modules for the training of trainers in the area of reproductive health and sexuality education for adolescents, as well as in the area of human rights.

16.The project to train out-of-school girls in sewing was implemented in cooperation with the association of out-of-school girls of the Congo in Brazzaville and is aimed at supporting the socioeconomic development and independence of young girls who are not attending school.

17.The project to train teachers through transversal modules in peace, environment, climate change and reproductive health is implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund and is aimed at developing the transversal skills of teachers in their capacities as departmental trainers in the areas of human rights, culture of peace, reproductive health and sexuality education and preparing them for that work.

18.The project on information and communications technologies in service of the entrepreneurship of young people and women is aimed at developing the skills of young people and women in using mobile technologies for education, training, information and production and at empowering them and increasing their independence in the labour market.

C.Lao People’s Democratic Republic

19.The Lao People’s Democratic Republic is not a party to the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960). The country did not respond to the ninth consultation of member States on the implementation of the Convention.

20.Article 35 of the Constitution of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic guarantees the principle of equality, indicating that citizens are all equal before the law, irrespective of gender, social status, education, beliefs or ethnic group. Article 37 thereof indicates that citizens of both genders enjoy equal rights in the political, economic, cultural and social fields and in family affairs.

21.Article 38 guarantees the right to education, indicating that citizens have the right to receive education and to upgrade their skills.

22.Preschool education is not compulsory; it is offered in crèches and kindergartens. Crèches are for children from 3 months to 3 years of age, and kindergartens are for children 3 to 5 years of age. Pre-primary school classes are also established in primary schools in rural and remote areas, and are being progressively extended nationwide. Primary education is compulsory and is five years’ in duration, with pupils entering at age 6. Primary and lower-secondary education are considered part of basic education. At the end of primary education, pupils having passed the primary education achievement examination receive a certificate. Secondary education consists of four years of lower-secondary and three years of upper-secondary education. Admission to upper-secondary education (general and vocational, including primary school teacher training) is open to all students having passed the lower-secondary achievement examination. Upon completion of upper-secondary education, students having passed the upper-secondary achievement examination receive a diploma. Vocational training institutions offer either three-year programmes for lower-secondary school graduates or four-year programmes for primary school graduates. Technical education institutions at the upper-secondary level offer three- or four-year programmes. Higher education in academic, professional and technology programmes is offered in the National University of Laos, as well as at three other universities, teacher training colleges and private higher education institutions. Programmes leading to the award of a higher diploma normally take three years to complete. At the university level, programmes leading to the award of a bachelor’s degree take five to seven years to complete, including one or two years of foundational or general studies and a compulsory stage. Professional and technology programmes are also offered with a duration of between three and five years. Master’s degree programmes last a minimum of one and a half to two years, whereas a doctoral degree programme takes a minimum of three years to complete.

23.The project on gender-sensitive, flexible and alternative learning programmes in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Myanmar is aimed at developing gender-sensitive flexible learning programmes, which especially encourage enrolment among girls, young people and women, in order to encourage them to complete basic education. The project is aimed at addressing key issues for those groups, such as life skills and HIV/AIDS. Project activities are focused on subregional efforts to promote literacy and realize the universalization of high-quality basic education, especially among adolescent girls and women, through both formal and informal pathways.

24.The project on training on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and gender-fair education is aimed at building the capacities of relevant actors in the implementation of the country’s national plan and policies promoting the advancement of women, in particular for the greater political participation of women, so as to, among other things, eliminate poverty among women, promote education for women and girls, improve administration in the area of health and sanitation for women, develop a system of information and statistics disaggregated by sex and prevent violence against women and girls.

25.The project on capacity-building on gender equality for women and young people in the Ministry of Education and Sports and teachers in the provinces consists of a series of training sessions for officials and teachers in selected provinces, aimed at improving their knowledge and skills with regard to the promotion of gender equality in education and in education-related administration.

26.The project of continuing professional development workshops to train master trainers on inclusive education, gender equality in education and education of learners with disabilities is aimed at supporting the Lao People’s Democratic Republic Inclusive Education Center in upgrading training activities to improve the skills of teachers on the promotion of gender equality in the classroom and on the concept of inclusive education.

D.Mauritius

27.Mauritius has been a party to the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960) since 20 August 1970. The country did not respond to the ninth consultation of member States on the implementation of the Convention.

28.Article 3 of the Constitution of Mauritius guarantees the enjoyment of the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual without discrimination on the basis of race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, creed or sex, but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest. Article 16 thereof regulates in more detail the protection from discrimination, as follows: no law shall make any provision that is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect; no person shall be treated in a discriminatory manner by any person acting in the performance of any public function conferred by any law or otherwise in the performance of the functions of any public office or any public authority; “discriminatory” means affording different treatment to different persons attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, caste, place of origin, political opinions, colour or creed.

29.Preschool education (0–5 years of age) in Mauritius is organized into two separate systems covering two distinct phases, with infants and toddlers (0–3 years of age) taking part in the early childhood development programme, which is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Women’s Rights, Child Development and Family Welfare, and pupils from 3 to 5 years of age attending pre-primary schools, under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education. Primary education lasts six years and is divided into two cycles: lower primary (standards I–III) and upper-primary (standards IV–VI). Primary school is compulsory for children from 5 years of age. At the end of standard VI, pupils sit the certificate of primary education examination, which serves as certification of completion and determines eligibility for admission to secondary school. For those students who have failed the examination twice or who have reached the age of 12 but failed the examination, they may pursue the course of a prevocational programme in secondary schools, which is for a period of three years, with a specific, skills-based curriculum. Secondary education is divided into two cycles. The first cycle, of five years’ duration, is divided into two stages, students in forms I to III follow a more or less common general course; forms IV and V prepare students for the Cambridge school certificate or the general certificate of education, ordinary level and cover both core subjects and a wide range of other options. The second cycle, of two-years’ duration, prepares students for the higher school certificate or the general certificate of education, advanced level. Post-secondary and university education are offered by two polytechnic institutes and a number of tertiary education institutions, including the University of Mauritius and the Mauritius University of Technology, the only two institutions in the country awarding university degrees. Polytechnic institutes offer a two-year diploma course in information systems or business administration and a three-year course leading to the brevet de technicien, such as at the Lycée Polytechnique in Flacq. Universities offer certificate, diploma, undergraduate and post-graduate courses, according to the field of study. Bachelor’s degree programmes usually last three years for students enrolled full time. Master’s degree programmes usually require an additional two years of study, whereas programmes leading to a doctoral degree usually last three years for students enrolled full time.

30.The project on strengthening capacity development within the framework of the sector-wide approach and delivering and scaling up of comprehensive HIV and sexuality education was designed in collaboration with national partners in Mauritius as a response to the number of predetermined capacity gaps to be addressed by the United Nations system through a United Nations development assistance plan in Tanzania, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles. The project is aimed at strengthening the provision of effective and comprehensive life skills-based HIV and sexuality education curricula for in-school young people. It is focused on building the capacity of curriculum developers to design effective HIV and sexuality education curricula and improve the quality and contents of such programmes in schools. The project has also provided support for the training of 105 in-service tutors from teacher-training institutions and orientation sessions for about 100 school inspectors from selected districts.

31.The project to build the institutional capacity of the press in Mauritius and Seychelles for ethical and gender-sensitive journalism is aimed at helping to bridge the gaps in the current media environment by providing training on ethical reporting and gender-sensitive journalism as key areas for development. Project activities consist of delivering training workshops to a target group of 25 journalists from Mauritius and Seychelles, producing training manuals containing codes of ethics for journalists and creating a resource centre to allow for further capacity-building in the field of ethical and gender-sensitive reporting. The goal of the project is to enhance the capacities of education institutions to produce media professionals capable of reporting professionally and ethically, thereby contributing to the role of the media as a platform for democratic discourse.

E.Nepal

32.Nepal is not a party to the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960). The country did not respond to the ninth consultation of member States on the implementation of the Convention.

33.Article 18 of the Constitution of Nepal guarantees the right to equality, by the following provisions: all citizens shall be equal before law. No person shall be denied the equal protection of law. There shall be no discrimination in the application of general laws on the grounds of origin, religion, race, caste, tribe, sex, physical condition, disability, health condition, matrimonial status, pregnancy, economic condition, language or geographical region, ideology or any other such grounds. There shall not be any discrimination on the basis of gender regarding remuneration for the same work and social security or regarding the right to parental property with regard to all family members.

34.Article 38 of the Constitution regulates specifically the rights of women, as follows: every woman shall have equal right to lineage without any discrimination on the basis of gender. Every woman shall have the right relating to safe motherhood and reproductive health. There shall not be any physical, mental, sexual, psychological or any other kind of violence against women, or any kind of oppression based on religious, social and cultural tradition or other practices. Such an act shall be punishable by law and the victim shall have the right to compensation as provided for in law. Women shall have the right to participate in all State structures and bodies on the basis of the principle of proportional inclusion. Women shall have the right to special opportunities in the spheres of education, health, employment and social security on the basis of positive discrimination. Both spouses shall have equal rights in property and family affairs.

35.Article 31 of the Constitution guarantees the right to education, as follows: every citizen shall have the right to access to basic education. Every citizen shall have the right to compulsory and free basic education and free education up to the secondary level. Those who are physically impaired and citizens who are financially poor shall have the right to free higher education as provided for by law. Those who are visually impaired shall have the right to free education with the medium of brail script. Every Nepali community living in Nepal shall have the right to acquire education in its mother tongue, up to the secondary level, and the right to open and to run schools and education institutions as provided for by law.

36.Education in Nepal is organized into basic education, covering primary and lower-secondary education (grades 1–8) and secondary education (grades 9–12). At the level of basic education, there are three main types of school: foundational school, with grades 1 through 3, primary school, with grades 1 through 5, and upper-primary school, with grades 1 through 8. The transition from primary to lower-secondary school depends on the student’s results on the final examination at the end of grade 5. Secondary education is organized in three cycles: lower-secondary education (grades 6–8), secondary (grades 9–10) and higher-secondary (grades 11–12). Upon completion of grade 8, students sit the district-level examination and, upon completion of grade 10, they sit the nationwide exit examination to obtain a certificate of completion. Grade 10 graduates can enter higher-secondary education, leading to the higher-secondary certification examination upon the completion of grade 12, or enrol in two-year proficiency certification programmes offered at university campuses. Specialized programmes at the higher-secondary level include those in science, commerce, humanities and education. Technical schools and private technical training institutes are mainly for technical school graduates, consisting mainly of students who have chosen a vocational programme after the completion of grade 8 and have completed two years of vocational training. The duration of such courses is normally two years. One-year programmes and skills-oriented, short-term training courses, lasting two or more weeks, are also offered. Universities offer three-year bachelor’s degree programmes (four years in the case of agriculture, engineering, nursing and pharmacy; five years for veterinary; five and a half years for medicine), one year of study for a post-graduate diploma, two years for a master’s degree and three years for a doctoral degree.

37.The project on introducing vocational skills in agriculture in open schools for enhancing life skills among young people and women of southern Kathmandu is aimed at enhancing agricultural skills among marginalized women and young people to thereby help them to support their livelihoods, by engaging young people not only as beneficiaries but also as actors and partners in sharing best practices, through technical backstopping in their subsequent efforts to run their agricultural enterprises.

38.The objective of the project for income generation and improving the health of women in Mugu district is to improve the status of women in society through income-generating activities, with a view to reducing maternal mortality and morbidity through knowledge of reproductive health, safe motherhood and other practices. Project activities consists of educating young mothers and girl students on income-generating activities, reproductive health and social inclusion, as well as training courses with district-level officials, local leaders, civil society stakeholders, development agencies and political parties wishing to disseminate their new knowledge to women and girls and to families within their communities.

39.The overall goal of the project to empower adolescent girls and young women through the provision of comprehensive sexuality education and a safe learning environment is to enhance access to high-quality and relevant education for adolescent girls and young women in five districts of Nepal, in close conjunction with the appropriate government institutions, non-governmental or private sector organizations on the basis of comparative advantage and expertise.

40.The project to improve the quality and relevance of education in the post-earthquake situation for adolescent girls and young women is aimed at empowering adolescent girls and young women in disaster situations, given that they are two of the most vulnerable groups, in particular through interventions targeted to support their learning in before, during and after situations of disaster and also providing livelihood support and skills-based training programmes to affected communities. The capacity of government officials at all levels and local stakeholders to deliver high-quality education in the federal system, with consideration given to the social inclusion agenda, especially to disadvantaged girls and women, is also enhanced.

41.The project on gender sensitivity in Nepali media is aimed at addressing the inclusion of gender-related considerations in decision-making in media institutions and taking a gender-sensitive approach in news reporting, as essential components of ensuring inclusive democracy and social transformation. An in-depth study on the coverage of news items in mainstream newspapers and a review of the guidelines developed by the Government and media institutions and how they align with the UNESCO gender sensitivity indicators were conducted and a national seminar was organized to share findings and inform media institutions on gender-sensitive reporting practices.

42.The project for capacity-building and safety training for women journalists is aimed at enhancing the capacities of women journalists and sensitizing media managers and editors of local media outlets on the specific vulnerability of women journalists in Nepal to physical attacks and harassment, and in the workplace in general, and thereby at minimizing the physical and personal insecurity of women journalists.

43.The project on social transformation in Rautahat through education of girls is aimed at deconstructing the deeply ingrained systems of patriarchal traditions as sources of gender-based discrimination in Nepal and of the confinement of women to subordinate roles in society. Project activities consist of enhancing the role of the Nepalese national education system in the empowerment of girls and women through education, as an agent of basic change in the status of women, increasing access for out-of-school girls to education, informing the community on ways to advocate for out-of-school girls and improving the situation of such girls through education.

44.The project for the promotion of Mithila art and its production in Rautahat district, as an instrument to increase income among rural women, is aimed at using the folk culture of Mithila, especially its rich heritage in painting, as a new source of non-agricultural income, by encouraging women artists to produce their traditional paintings on handmade paper for commercial sale, establish women-led cooperatives and sell their paintings in order to increase their household income.

F.Samoa

45.Samoa is not a party to the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960). The country did not respond to the ninth consultation of member States on the implementation of the Convention.

46.Article 15 of the Constitution of Samoa guarantees the freedom from discrimination, as follows: all persons are equal before the law and entitled to equal protection under the law. No law and no executive or administrative action of the State shall, either expressly or in its practical application, subject any person or persons to any disability or restriction or confer on any person or persons any privilege or advantage on the grounds only of descent, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, social origin, place of birth, family status or any of them. Notwithstanding, nothing in the article shall prevent the making of any provision for the protection or advancement of women or children or of any socially or educationally retarded class of persons.

47.Early childhood education caters to children between 3 and 5 years of age and is not compulsory. Primary education covers grades 1 through 8 and is compulsory, and the entry age is 5. Although school fees are not charged, families are expected to contribute to maintenance and other school costs. Primary education literacy level tests are conducted in grades 4 and 6 and test pupils’ abilities in English, Samoan and numeracy, in an effort to establish common benchmarks across schools. Students sit a national exit examination at the end of grade 8, which also determines placement in secondary schools. Secondary school consists of grades 9 through 13 and is not compulsory. Students sit for a Samoa School Certificate at the end of grade 12 and for the Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate at the end of grade 13, the latter of which is required for enrolment in local and overseas tertiary institutions. Higher education and training encompasses tertiary-level education at universities, pre-service and in‑service teacher education, technical and vocational education and training and professional education.

G.Tajikistan

48.Tajikistan has been a party to the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960) since 28 August 1992. The country did not respond to the ninth consultation of member States on the implementation of the Convention.

49.Article 17 of the Constitution of Tajikistan prescribes that all persons are equal before the law and the courts. The Government guarantees the rights and freedoms of every person regardless of ethnicity, race, sex, language, faith, political beliefs, education or social or property status. Men and women have equal rights. Under article 33 thereof, men and women who have reached the age of marriage have the right to enter freely into marriage. In familial relations and in the event of abrogation of marriage, spouses have equal rights. Polygamy is forbidden.

50.Article 41 of the Constitution guarantees the right to education, as follows: each person has the right to education. General basic education is obligatory. The Government guarantees free high-school and trade school education and, in accordance with ability and on a competitive basis, specialized high-school and university education. Other forms of education to be provided are determined by law.

51.Preschool education in Tajikistan is not compulsory and is offered for children between 3 and 6 years of age. Preschool education follows a day-care philosophy, rather than preparing children for formal education. The education system in Tajikistan has general and professional cycles. The general education cycle comprises three levels, namely, primary education, basic education (also called incomplete secondary education) and secondary education. Children begin formal education at the age of 7, at which age school attendance is compulsory. The initial four years of primary school are followed by five years of general basic education (as a rule, until the age of 16), which is also compulsory, free and guaranteed by the State. The secondary professional education cycle offers a range of possibilities, among them general secondary, vocational and technical education. Progression to tertiary education is possible only after completion of general secondary education or specialized (technical) secondary education. A diploma of completed secondary professional education, which is in most cases vocational education, allows for further progression only if the student has also completed the general secondary education curriculum. Tajikistan law categorizes tertiary education in the professional education cycle. Professional education comprises initial, secondary and specialized and higher professional education. Higher education is provided mainly by universities and institutes and comprises three stages. At the first stage, students can graduate with a junior specialist degree, after completing a two-year programme, a bachelor’s degree, in four years, depending on the subject and the institution of study, or a specialist degree, in four to five years. The titles of master or candidate of sciences are awarded after completion of two or three years of study, respectively, beyond the bachelor’s degree. Postgraduate studies, the third stage, involve a aspirantura of three-years’ duration, after completion of the second stage of studies, that combines the writing of a dissertation, coursework and teaching, leading to the degree of doktor nauk .

52.The goal of the sewing training camp for young girls is to economically empower young girls in the Ayni district of Tajikistan by providing training in sewing and embroidery techniques, delivered by sewing and embroidery trainers from the district, for a duration of three months, which should allow them to increase their family income.

53.The project on empowering women in Tajikistan through research and in practice consists of organizing a conference to bring together scholars, practitioners and non-governmental organizations working in the areas of the empowerment of women, women’s rights and equal opportunities, allowing, among other things, various actors to correlate their work more closely, from the perspectives of research and practice. Among the expected results of the project is the elaboration of a joint action plan on research and practice on the empowerment of women and of a publication to be used as a resource in teaching courses and giving lecture relating to the subject.

H.The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

54.The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has been a party to the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960) since 30 April 1997. In its response to the ninth consultation of member States on the implementation of the Convention, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia reported on the promotion of equal educational opportunities, especially for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and inclusive education for children with disabilities under the same basic curriculum used in the general education system, with some adaptations. The country has taken measures to ensure that access to education is provided through adaptable infrastructure that meets the needs of children with disabilities and has targeted local governments and schools that are working to improve access for children with special needs. With a view to improving the multi-ethnic situation, special attention was paid to the curricula and textbooks and to incorporating the concepts of tolerance, intercultural communication and mutual understanding. It has reported that secondary education is generally accessible, available and free of charge. The country has also taken measures to improve and expand its technical and vocational training, especially by improving the link between vocational education and the demands of the job market. It provides merit-based scholarships to address the financial barriers to higher education. To ensure that standards are being respected, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has established external evaluation systems and other forms of assessment to gauge the efficiency of their education programmes and has made arrangements for regular school self-assessments. The country has made efforts to create a safe and violence-free learning environment, combat bullying and corporal punishment in school and provide remedies. A common strategy used includes promoting standards, developing guidance and raising awareness.

55.According to article 9 of the Constitution of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, citizens are equal in their freedoms and rights, regardless of sex, race, colour of skin, national or social origin, political or religious beliefs, property or social status. All citizens are equal under the Constitution and before the law.

56.Articles 44 to 46 of the Constitution guarantee the right to education, as follows: everyone has a right to education. Education is accessible to everyone under equal conditions. Primary education is compulsory and free. Citizens have a right to establish private schools at all levels of education, with the exception of primary education, under conditions determined by law. The autonomy of universities is guaranteed. The conditions of establishment, performance and termination of the activities of a university are regulated by law.

57.Preschool education is provided in kindergartens and in pre-primary preparatory groups in primary schools. In September 2005, pre-primary preparatory education became compulsory. A nine-year basic education programme, consisting of three cycles (one pre-primary year, classroom teaching in grades 1–5 and subject teaching in grades 6–9) is compulsory for all children between 6 and 15 years of age. Upon completion of the programme, successful pupils receive a certificate of completed basic education. Since the 2009/10 academic year, secondary education has been compulsory and free of charge in public schools. Secondary education is provided in general education and specialized (languages and science-mathematics) gymnasia, which offer four-year programmes, four-year technical education schools and four-year art and music schools. Vocational education schools offer two-, three- and four-year programmes for graduates of the basic education programme, leading to a certificate of technician. At the end of the general secondary education programme, students sit an exit exam, and there are also final exams at the end of the three- and four-year vocational education programmes. To enter into institutions of higher education, students must pass an entrance examination. Tertiary-level professional colleges offer two-year diploma programmes. Universities adopt the two-cycle pattern, with programmes in the first three-year cycle leading to a bachelor’s degree and those in the second two-year cycle, a master’s degree, although there are also faculties that continue to offer four- and five-year undergraduate degree programmes. Some faculties have begun offering master’s degree programmes of one and a half to two years’ duration, regardless of a student’s undergraduate programme duration. Doctoral degree programmes require a minimum of three years to complete.

58.The goal of the project on women’s rights through the prism of the audiovisual arts in South-East Europe, implemented in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, is to raise awareness of unanswered questions connected to the rights of women and overcome stereotypes about women and femininity in the culture of countries of the region. Part of the project is a four-day conference, with different themes each day, for students from the host country and elsewhere in the region in the fields of audiovisual art, filmmaking, writing, activism for women’s rights, sociology and other specializations and representatives of non-governmental organizations working for women’s rights. The conference will also include screenings of documentary films on the subject and open discussions with audience members. The project is aimed at encouraging media and audiovisual organizations and institutions and as all relevant stakeholders in the region to give more attention to gender equality in the audiovisual arts, to give priority to gaining access to, creating, sharing and preserving information and knowledge on gender equality and the empowerment of women, in particular through information and communications technology, the media and culture.

59.The project on creative industries as a driver for positive social change is aimed at fostering the creative engagement of young people, with particular focus on young women, as an important resource for driving positive social changes, such as economic growth, employment, gender equality and social cohesion. The project consists of a youth conference and the dissemination of information on building the capacity of young people in creative sectors and on promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women in a separate session of the youth conference on creative industries and gender balance. To raise awareness of gender stereotypes in creative sectors in the region, the project focuses on the involvement of women as participants and professionals, who will share their experiences in the cultural sector.

Annex

Educational statistics for States parties whose reports are to be considered by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women at its seventy-first session: gross enrolment ratios and gender parity indices, by educational level

		Primary education		Secondary education		Tertiary education
		Gross enrolment ratio		Gross enrolment ratio		Gross enrolment ratio
Country	Year	Female (percentage)	Male (percentage)	Gender parity  index	Female (percentage)	Male (percentage)	Gender parity  index	Female (percentage)	Male (percentage)	Gender parity  index
Bahamas	2009	108.83293	105.92866	1.02742	93.96924	92.01593	1.02123	..	..	..
	2010	108.96266	106.89827	1.01931	95.07992	90.23844	1.05365	..	..	..
	2011	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
	2012	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
	2013	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
	2014	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
	2015	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
	2016	97.91189	92.89102	1.05405	93.07078	87.85357	1.05939	..	..	..
	2017	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
Congo	2009	101.54574	109.04354	0.93124	..	..	..	2.15933	10.25316	0.2106
	2010	103.8393	109.95573	0.94437	..	..	..	..	..	..
	2011	103.69996	110.04288	0.94236	..	..	..	6.40318	10.95704	0.58439
	2012	107.79683	100.56405	1.07192	48.36348	55.84658	0.86601	7.68875	12.2459	0.62786
	2013	..	..	..	..	..	..	7.97254	10.62103	0.75064
	2014	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
	2015	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
	2016	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
	2017	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
Lao People ’ s Democratic Republic	2009	115.83606	127.04165	0.9118	40.57904	49.83192	0.81432	14.45419	18.19553	0.79438
	2010	118.69177	128.59713	0.92297	42.38504	51.13469	0.82889	14.37773	18.75529	0.7666
	2011	118.35836	126.67402	0.93435	41.87983	49.4197	0.84743	14.99185	20.4643	0.73259
	2012	117.62025	124.83212	0.94223	45.49093	52.35296	0.86893	15.87657	19.29761	0.82272
	2013	117.32681	123.75371	0.94807	49.98606	56.33331	0.88733	17.71453	20.15956	0.87872
	2014	115.97068	121.65667	0.95326	56.2539	61.68167	0.912	17.66061	18.93899	0.9325
	2015	112.46832	117.08474	0.96057	61.08777	66.04395	0.92496	17.68426	18.51433	0.95517
	2016	108.29079	112.59662	0.96176	64.03835	68.94661	0.92881	17.20399	17.20803	0.99977
	2017	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
Mauritius	2009	102.92582	102.65244	1.00266	90.68749	86.95065	1.04298	35.0134	29.37264	1.19204
	2010	103.05452	102.52745	1.00514	91.29235	87.24835	1.04635	36.91036	30.53537	1.20877
	2011	103.41563	102.58664	1.00808	93.02646	88.87929	1.04666	40.1054	30.76427	1.30364
	2012	103.39112	102.6248	1.00747	95.20745	90.83126	1.04818	44.43273	33.46529	1.32773
	2013	102.83289	101.11203	1.01702	97.4101	94.70613	1.02855	44.12455	36.02893	1.2247
	2014	103.50933	101.42498	1.02055	100.8283	99.007	1.0184	43.20239	35.1172	1.23023
	2015	103.83742	102.03851	1.01763	99.48449	95.32199	1.04367	42.51898	32.39599	1.31248
	2016	103.37964	101.56208	1.0179	96.00019	90.8291	1.05693	..	..	..
	2017	..	..	..	..	..	..	43.7949	33.97757	1.28894
Nepal	2009	140.1623	134.45391	1.04246	49.00435	56.58914	0.86597	8.4474	14.14325	0.59727
	2010	146.89445	137.62514	1.06735	57.35301	60.30228	0.95109	11.01438	17.93437	0.61415
	2011	151.01657	139.60272	1.08176	60.7451	61.73124	0.98403	11.26668	17.83654	0.63166
	2012	147.95131	136.91387	1.08062	65.60798	63.89521	1.02681	..	..	..
	2013	143.39971	133.03653	1.0779	67.48574	64.53483	1.04573	15.34112	18.60223	0.82469
	2014	140.13621	129.64262	1.08094	68.90427	64.94083	1.06103	..	..	..
	2015	140.37831	129.75676	1.08186	69.55238	64.84019	1.07267	15.10078	14.78236	1.02154
	2016	140.72206	130.28833	1.08008	72.06582	67.05399	1.07474	12.19676	11.3959	1.07028
	2017	138.35279	130.06977	1.06368	75.04002	67.58219	1.11035	..	..	..
Samoa	2009	104.72581	107.99057	0.96977	92.52097	80.30401	1.15213	..	..	..
	2010	109.93191	111.48465	0.98607	93.58584	82.25412	1.13776	..	..	..
	2011	106.54377	106.45542	1.00083	92.24248	81.01461	1.13859	..	..	..
	2012	104.9779	105.21959	0.9977	90.37016	81.4392	1.10966	..	..	..
	2013	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
	2014	106.16774	105.89428	1.00258	92.16955	81.92015	1.12511	..	..	..
	2015	106.59705	106.54031	1.00053	89.5273	80.66994	1.1098	..	..	..
	2016	108.33276	107.01309	1.01233	88.5672	80.26316	1.10346	..	..	..
	2017	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
Tajikistan	2009	96.97466	99.47867	0.97483	78.57345	88.42566	0.88858	15.7646	29.80606	0.52891
	2010	98.01631	100.3734	0.97652	78.2938	89.65254	0.8733	15.81068	29.89046	0.52895
	2011	97.43333	100.20038	0.97238	79.49958	90.21462	0.88123	15.22806	29.01226	0.52488
	2012	97.68993	99.74604	0.97939	81.51657	90.75633	0.89819	15.50476	29.58667	0.52405
	2013	97.48904	99.49815	0.97981	82.68942	91.98281	0.89897	16.31702	29.09523	0.56081
	2014	95.28971	96.468	0.98779	..	..	..	18.42397	30.43863	0.60528
	2015	94.50412	95.82221	0.98624	..	..	..	21.02947	31.46777	0.66829
	2016	94.97863	96.40174	0.98524	..	..	..	23.97293	33.55361	0.71447
	2017	98.08529	99.49302	0.98585	..	..	..	26.402	35.18651	0.75034
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia	2009	86.61894	88.28343	0.98115	79.27934	82.66164	0.95908	42.65848	36.09022	1.182
	2010	86.73582	88.00172	0.98561	80.98636	83.35086	0.97163	40.3947	34.69867	1.16416
	2011	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
	2012	86.53865	87.70083	0.98675	81.56583	83.18101	0.98058	42.5697	35.6001	1.19577
	2013	90.49068	91.39717	0.99008	79.7728	82.06888	0.97202	42.25029	33.51574	1.26061
	2014	90.79249	91.98579	0.98703	79.31927	81.75191	0.97024	42.83749	34.03693	1.25856
	2015	93.66357	94.09995	0.99536	81.18601	82.55727	0.98339	45.85842	36.66406	1.25077
	2016	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
	2017	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..

Source: UNESCO Institute of Statistics (data extracted on 16 August 2018) .