Pre-session working group

Thirty-ninth session

23 July-10 August 2007

List of issues and questions with regard to the consideration of periodic reports

Norway

1.The pre-session working group examined the seventh periodic report of Norway (CEDAW/C/NOR/7).

General

2.Please provide information if the seventh periodic report was adopted by the Government and if it was presented to the Parliament.

Constitutional, legislative and institutional framework

3.Under article 2a, the report describes the incorporation of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women into the Gender Equality Act, as well as the significant discussion surrounding this action. It also notes that the Government declaration of the current Government included a pledge to incorporate the Convention in the Human Rights Act. Please describe the practical impact and consequences so far of the incorporation of the Convention in the Gender Equality Act, and any differences compared to the impact of the incorporation of other human rights instruments in the Human Rights Act. Please describe any further developments, in particular in relation to the pledge of the current Government to incorporate the Convention in the Human Rights Act.

4.According to the Report (under article 2c), as of 1 January 2006, the Gender Equality Act is now enforced by the new Anti-Discrimination and Equality Ombud and Anti-Discrimination Tribunal. Please provide an assessment of the effectiveness of the new machinery with the respect to gender-based discrimination, as compared to previous arrangements that focused on gender equality only, including case load on different grounds of discrimination, as well as awareness-raising activities to promote the implementation of the Convention and the enjoyment by women of their human rights across all fields.

5.According to the report (article 2d), only some of the municipal offices reported to the Ministry of Government Administration and Reform on their gender equality work, including on challenges and priorities in this regard. What has been the impact of measures taken in 2006, such as training, to improve the activity and reporting of the county governors’ offices?

Violence against women

6.According to the report (article 6) the number of formal reports of domestic violence has increased from 3,890 in 2004 to 4,348 in 2005. At the same time, the number of crisis centres has remained relatively stable since the 1980s. The report also refers to a study by the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs of women who were turned away from crisis centres. What steps have been taken to respond to the increased reporting and to ensure that all women have access to the services they may need, including the number and location of crisis centres and other support services?

7.Please provide information on the number of women murdered by their intimate partner (husbands, former husbands, cohabitants) per year in the last four years.

8.In its previous concluding comments, the Committee urged the State party to initiate research and analysis of the causes of the very low proportion of trials and convictions in reported rape cases. Please provide information on the study of judgments in rape cases carried out by the Director-General of Public Prosecutions. What are the results of the working group’s examination of the quality of investigations and prosecution of rape (article 6)?

9.The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights noted in its concluding observations of May 2005 a lack of specific legislation on domestic violence and suggested the adoption of specific legislation. Please describe the follow-up steps taken in response to that recommendation and discuss any challenges to the introduction of relevant legal provisions. Please provide more details on the content of section 219 of the Penal Code which entered into force on 1 January 2006 and on the status of the proposals contained in the report of the independent Committee on Violence against Women.

10.According to the report, the action plan to prevent violence emphasizes treatment as well as punishment for men who commit domestic violence (article 6). How has the action plan to prevent violence contributed to preventing and ending violence against women? Please provide any information that is available about the impact, and effectiveness of these treatment programmes.

11.In the light of the Committee’s previous concluding comments that noted that a predominant and growing number of women who seek refuge in shelters for battered women are migrants, what targeted measures are available aimed specifically at combating violence against migrant women and providing support services to them?

Trafficking and exploitation of prostitution

12.Please provide statistical data on the extent of trafficking in women into, through and from Norway, as may be available. This should include statistical data on the number of victims trafficked for sexual exploitation, work and other forms of exploitation as well as on perpetrators punished and sentences imposed.

13.The report notes (article 6) that little use is made of the option of a period of reflection and temporary stay (45 days) in Norway for victims of human trafficking who are not legal residents. How many victims of trafficking have taken advantage of the period of reflection? What is the status of plans to reform the programme of assistance and protection and extend the duration of the period? Is it possible for women victims of trafficking to obtain a permit to stay on humanitarian grounds?

14.Please provide information on measures taken to prevent and punish exploitation of prostitution of women and measures available for those women who seek to leave prostitution.

Participation in political and public life

15.What has been the impact of the Action Plan for Gender Equality in the Foreign Service (2002-2006), particularly in respect of senior-level positions such as Consul General or Ambassador in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?

16.The report acknowledges that almost one in three political committees fails to comply with the requirement set out in the Local Government Act that each sex be represented by at least 40 per cent of the members of the political committees. The report also notes the difficulty in changing established gender power structures, most notably illustrated by the fact that men top 77 per cent of the lists of candidates put forth by political parties for elections (see sect. 2.1.1). What efforts is the State party contemplating to respond to this situation so as to achieve equal representation of women and men in public bodies in all areas and at all levels?

17.Under what circumstances (see sect. 1.1.2) may entities be granted exemption from the Gender Equality Act’s requirement that each sex be represented by approximately 40 per cent of members appointed or elected to councils, committees, governing boards and the like?

18.The report notes the low representation of women in management and decision-making positions in both the private and public sectors. According to the report, 29 per cent of all managers were women in 2004, a small increase from 2001. Please indicate the measures that are being taken to increase women’s opportunities to achieve key management and policymaking positions and the impact of such measures.

Education and stereotypes

19.Please describe the results (article 5a) of the study conducted under the auspices of the Nordic Council of Ministers to examine the effect of new media on young people’s understanding of gender equality, gender and sexuality, and any steps or measures taken in response to the study’s findings.

20.According to the report (article 10), gender roles in the educational system are largely reflected in the labour market, which is also segregated by gender. Please provide information on the impact of measures to encourage young women and men to consider a wider range of educational and occupational options.

Employment and reconciliation of work and family life

21.According to the report, the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud received 113 complaints regarding discrimination against pregnant women in 2004, a significant increase over the previous year (articles 4.2 and 11). The report also notes that in job interviews many women are asked if they are pregnant or plan to become pregnant in the next few years. What steps has the Government taken to increase protection for pregnant women against direct or indirect discrimination and to enforce the Working Environment Act and the Gender Equality Act? Please provide an update on the scope of data collection and analysis on the nature and extent of discrimination against pregnant women during and after parental leave.

22.In its previous concluding comments (see para. 430), the Committee urged the State party to adopt policies and concrete measures to accelerate the eradication of pay discrimination against women, to further study the underlying causes of the wage gap and to work towards ensuring de facto equal opportunities for women and men in the labour market. The report refers to the creation of the Equal Pay Commission, which also focuses on gender equality, equal pay and other aspects. Please describe the work of the Commission so far, and any impact of its recommendations.

23.According to the report, in 2004 women accounted for only 16 per cent of the appointments to professorships (article 10). It also refers to a judgement, of January 2003, by the EFTA Court on the practice of earmarking funding for female professorships as being in contravention to the EEA Agreement. Please describe how the Government uses article 4, paragraph 1 of the Convention and the Committee’s general recommendation 25 on temporary special measures to increase the proportion of women in senior academic posts.

24.In 2004 the rate of underemployment for women part-time workers was 73.5 per cent compared to 26.5 per cent of men. The Committee, in its previous concluding comments (see para. 429),2 and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights have expressed concern about women’s disproportionate representation in part-time jobs. The phenomenon primarily affects female-dominated sectors such as retail, education and the health and social sectors. What concrete measures, in addition to legislative changes discussed in the report under article 11, paragraph 1, has the Government taken to reduce underemployment among women, targeting those sectors, and what has been the impact of those measures?

25.What measures have been undertaken to create further economic opportunities for immigrant women, and what has been the impact of those measures? In addition to language classes, what training opportunities are available to non-citizen women, in different sectors of the economy?

Health

26.The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in its concluding observations of May 2005, has expressed concern about the high incidence of eating disorders among adolescents. What measures are being taken to address this challenge, and to provide psycho-social support for young women suffering from such disorders? Please also indicate what public awareness raising efforts are in place to strengthen a positive image of young women in the media and advertising.

27.Please provide further information and, in particular, statistical data on the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, among Norwegian women and on trends over the past four years, highlighting in particular the situation among vulnerable groups.

Situation of particular groups of women

28.Please provide information about the results of the study conducted by the Centre for Women’s Studies and Gender Research at the University of Oslo on the cases of forced marriage. Please also include information, including statistics, if available, on the incidence of forced marriage in Norway, measures taken to address the phenomenon and the impact of such measures.

29.Please provide an update on the situation of refugee and asylum-seeking women in Norway, including statistical data on the number of such women and trends over the past four years, their economic opportunities and protection from domestic violence.

Optional Protocol

30.Please provide information about the measures taken in order to make widely known the Optional Protocol to the Convention, which Norway ratified on 5 March 2002.