For a time (1993-2003) and inline with the principles supporting equal opportunity in Education for All, children of Tuvalu advocated by the Education For Life program which was adopted by the Tuvalu government in 1989, entry to secondary education was compulsory. The programs mandated that all children who completed primary education progress to Motufoua secondary school after completing their primary education. By 2003 the government realized that providing secondary education fro all primary school leavers was beyond its means and decided to reintroduce an entrance examination to allow only the academic capable students to proceed to secondary level.

Table 6: Secondary School Enrolment

Year	Motufoua Secondary School	Fetuvalu Secondary School
	Students	Teachers	TPR	Students	Teachers	TPR
1996	425	25	17.0	193	9	21.4
1997	485	24	20.2	135	10	13.5
1998	497	25	19.9	265	11	24.1
1999	525	29	18.1	-	-	-
2000	513	30	17.1	-	-	-
2001	558	32	17.4	-	-	-
2002	458	37	12.4	-	-	-
2003	480	41	11.7	99	8	12.4
2004	432	41	10.5	168	11	15.3
2005	453	40	11.3	???	???	???
2006 2007 2008	456 453 462	38 40 40	12.0 11.3 11.5	178	16	11.1

Since 2003 admittance to Motufoua Secodary school is restricted to students who pass the National Year Eight Examination, with no restriction on sex, religion or any other consideration. Fetuvalu Secondary on the other hand continues to admit students who have completed primary education of all ages, with no discrimination on any grounds which are inconsistence with provisions of the constitution of the country. Those students who failed the exam are allowed to repeat and re-sit the exam on their island until they reached the compulsory education age of 15.

Article 11

Employment

19. The report states that vertical segregation of women and men is prevalent in the labour market, with women dominating in clerical and related work (para s . 11.6 and 11.8). Please provide information on any measures taken or envisaged to address vertical segregation in the labour market, both in the public and private employment sectors, and to facilitate the access of women with higher education to work and salary levels corresponding to their qualifications.

So far there are no special measures taken to address the vertical segregation of women and men in the labour market. This is noted and government will consider addressing this matter in the future. However, employment opportunities are equally available to men and women and the selection process is based on merit only.

In term of higher education, scholarships are also selected on merit only and so far there are more women offered scholarships to study at the tertiary level.

Employment salaries do correspond to qualifications irrespective of whether a man or woman is employed.

20. The report notes that the opportunity offered to women through the Women ’ s Home Benefit Scheme may, in reality, push women to resign from their work and use their pension savings to meet the ir family ’ s immediate financial needs, at the expense of their work and pension benefits in the long run (para. 11.14). Please provide information on any measures aimed at discouraging such practice. Kindly also indicate whether any pension or retirement benefits are available for women working in the informal sector.

An amendment had been made in the Provident Fund Policy to allow women to withdraw their provident fund when they resign at the age of 35 and above. During consultations with all communities on the CEDAW Convention, the majority prefer the Women ’ s Home Benefit Scheme to be as it is and allow more flexibility to women when they can withdraw their provident fund if and when they resign in order to migrate or to look after their family.

Article 12

Health

21. The report indicates a decrease in the use of contraceptives and an increase in the overall number of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. Furthermore, the report notes that young people living in the Outer Islands have less access to sexual health information than those living in the capital. Please elaborate on measures taken or envisaged to ensure access by women and adolescent girls to reproductive and sexual health education programmes and services , as well as to safe and reliable contraceptive methods (paras . 12.10, 12.11, 12 17 and 12.18). Please also indicate whether any cultural attitudes in regard to gender prevent women and adolescent girls from refusing sex or from insisting on safe and responsible sex practices and what measures have been taken to promote changes in th o se attitudes.

Outer Island nurses organize training workshop on Adolescent Reproductive Health to youth group on a weekly basis. This workshop is held once a week when they have time. Apart from that weekly activities Tuvalu Family Health Association (TuFHA) and the Tuvalu Red Cross organise outreach programmes at an interval of 2 s– 3 programs in a year targeting youth on Life Skill Training.

Clinic or hospital in outer island provided contraceptives advice and safe sex equipments free of charge to women at the outer islands. If cases become more complicated, they are normally referred as soon as possible to the main island where the main hospital is located, at the expense of government.

Presently in Tuvalu, most young people and women have developed their understanding of their rights and are more capable these days to refuse forceful intercourse and even aware of the use of safe sex methods compare to women over the past 10 years.

Training and advocacy programmes set forth by the Department of Women Affairs and NGO such as TUFHA (Tuvalu Family Health Association ) and TUNAC (Tuvalu National Aids Committee) and even Churches, had played a role in changing the attitude of parents in forcing their daughters to marry without their consents and more importantly, developing women ’ s confidence in standing against sexual violence.

On the whole, changing of attitude and positive outlook is a challenge, but given time, they will fully acknowledge the commitment and participation of young people and parents i n Health development programmes and allow them to be effective partners in health development issues.

However, a lot more could have been achieved, if there were sufficient funds under the Life Skill Training Project and a full time staff in the Health Department who is fully responsible for Adolescent Reproductive Health (ARH) programme. Continuation of ARH program was not possible due to staff shortage. In February this year a new staff has been recruited as a Health Development Coordinator who will be dealing with ARH programme.

22. According to the report, abortion is a criminal offence in Tuvalu , but there are some situation in which the court would accept an adequate defen ce for a charge of abortion, for example , if it wa s necessary to preserve the health of the mother (para. 12.12) . Please provide information on how many women ha ve had recourse to abortion in the last four years, any court proceedings initiated against women or health care personnel on the basis of charges of illegal abortion and their outcome. Please also elaborate on any plans to amend legislation to remove punitive provisions imposed on women who undergo abortion, in line with the Committee ’ s general recommendation No. 24.

In the last four years there were no reported case of abortion to either to the Police or to the hospital and no court proceeding initiated against women or healthcare personnel procuring abortion.

The Government will consider a review of the Penal Code in the near future.

Article 13

The statistics attached to the report show that a great majority of loans approved by the Development Bank of Tuvalu were granted to men and that the loans granted to women were generally smaller that those granted to men (para. 13.8). Please provide information on any strategies aimed at promoting de facto access by women to the financial assistance through th at bank.

Government in its commitment to women and gender development, promote gender equity and to expand the role of women in development as Key Policy Objectives on Gender in the National Strategic Plans “Te Kakeega II 2005 – 2015”. In terms of priorities and strategies, Government also identified the need to:

Provide women with small business and entrepreneurial training

Bank Agents stationed on all outer-island for easy access to bank services

Continuous Business Awareness Program through Radio Tuvalu

Lending policy of the Bank does not discriminate against women. Recently the bank has provided more flexibility for women to access loans by making it easier for women to secure their loans through other assets other than lands.

According to the report, there is concern that women are more vulnerable to poverty owing to their traditional roles in t he society (para. 13.11). Please provide information on strategies the Government may be contemplating to address this problem.

Poverty alleviation is a major policy of Government. In terms of women the following areas are being implemented at the grassroots level:

Gender Awareness Training on all the islands and continuous radio program on Gender issues

Small Credit Schemes (Island Councils–Kaupule, Tuvalu Nation al Council of Wom en)

Provident Fund Loan scheme

Free medical services and public health awareness

Free education for Primary School pupils (class 1 – form 2)

Price control on imported basic food (flour, rice and biscuits)

Water tank project (per household)

Elderly scheme benefit for men and women of 70 years and over

Working schemes in New Zealand - Fruit pickers

Physical i nfrastructure development

Agriculture and f isheries development

Article 14

Rural women

The report states that women lack knowledge about the Falekaupule Trust Fund and about how it could be used for their development (para . 14.11). Please provide information on Government strategies to enhance women ’ s participation in the elaboration and implementation of island development planning, in particular through the Fund.

Government encouraged the involvement of women in rural development. The Ministry of Home Affairs had conducted awareness workshops on the Falekaupule Trust Fund on all the O uter Islands last year and women were also involved. The Secretariat of the Trust Fund also had time during the Women ’ s Leaders meeting last year in November, 2008 to brief them on the Fund and as well as radio program for public information on the Fund.

The report notes that there is a need to develop the skills and knowledge of women in the Outer Islands in order to enable them to start micro businesses. The report also notes that only a few women participated in the training projects referred to in para. 14.3, and that it was apparently owing to the fact that the needs of women had note been taken into account in the planning and implementation of the projects. Please indicate whether any other such training projects have been implemented, what steps have been taken to enhance women ’ s participation in those projects, and what their impact has been on the empowerment of rural women (para s . 14.3 and 14.10).

All Outer-island Community Workers (female) who works with the Island Councils (Kaupule) have been trained at the Community Education Training Centre in Fiji in various field such as Management, Basic Accounting with the idea that they work directly with Women communities and organisations on all islands in assisting them with their development projects.

The government will be introducing a project called Strengthening of Local Governance – Phase Two (SLG II) aimed at the improvement of the grassroot participatory project planning and budgeting geared for women and youth, within this year. This will allow women to be taken into account in the planning and implementation of projects. This project will also include a research into identification of the reasons why women are not fully participating in the decision making process at the local and the national levels.

Article 15

The report indicates that land ownership in Tuvalu is based on a communal family grouping called the Kaitasi and that , as a rule , land is inherited through the male lineage. The report further states that it has been suggested that men and women would have equal rights to Kaitasi land (paras. 9 and 10). Please provide information on what measures have been taken to implement th at suggestion.

The cultural trait of Kaitasi remains the common practice of land ownership in some parts of Tuvalu . The tradition inheritance through the male lineage establish with a purpose by our ancestors. This set up does not exclude the daughter from asking or receiving som ething from his or her parents.

Nowadays, parents ’ awareness on human rights has increased rapidly compared to a period of 10 years ago, not only in these late generation but also with the old generation. Therefore in practice, daughter still can ask or receive either a land or other property from her parents. In fact, the reality of current situation is that land is actually inherited both through the male and female lines.

No particular measures had been taken but the trend of attitudes of the people these days tend to put that suggestion into practice. Human rights advocacy and trainings over the past few years plays an important role in this shift of attitudes.

Article 16

Family relations

The report reveals some discriminatory provision in the Custody of Children Act and the Native Lands Act regarding custody of children aged two and above who are born out of wedlock, whereby the father has an automatic right to custody if he accepts paternity. Please provide information on measures envisaged by the Government to repeal or amend th o se provisions so that the same rights would be granted both women and men with regard to custody of children.

As we have stated earlier, the laws of Tuvalu are currently under review, which is the consolidation of all the new legislation and amendments made to the existing laws for the past 10 years. Once this review is finalized, the Government will then review the law for discriminatory provisions and take necessary steps to comply with its obligation under these conventions. These steps include national consultation with stakeholders.

According to the report, the dissolution of a marriage leaves women and children in a vulnerable situation , particularly if the husband ’ s earnings were the primary source of income for the family. The report also states that since 2002, no case regarding enforcement of maintenance support has been registered, although the possibility exists (paras. 16.11 and 16.12.). Please provide information on the rules regarding enforcement of maintenance and on any measures taken or envisaged to provide information to women about that possibility. Please also provide information on any gender differences in the economic consequences of dissolution of marriage and indicate whether any specific measures have been taken or envisaged to improve the situation of women in a case of dissolution of marriage.

Optional Protocol and a mendment to article 20, paragraph 1 , of the Convention

Please indicate any progress made with respect to accession to the Optional Protocol to the Convention. Please also describe progress towards acceptance of the amendment to article 20, paragraph 1, of the Convention.

Government is considering its position to the Optional Protocol .