Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

Eighty-fourth session

Summary record of the 1941st meeting*

Held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, on Tuesday, 7 February 2023, at 10 a.m.

Chair:Ms. Peláez Narváez

Contents

Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention (continued)

Ninth periodic report of Hungary

The meeting was called to order at 10.05 a.m.

Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention (continued)

Ninth periodic report of Hungary (CEDAW/C/HUN/9; CEDAW/C/HUN/Q/9; CEDAW/C/HUN/RQ/9)

At the invitation of the Chair, the delegation of Hungary joined the meeting.

Mr. Beneda (Hungary), introducing his country’s ninth periodic report, said that the Fundamental Law of Hungary ensured equality between men and women while emphasizing the protection of families. Gender policy was approached from a family perspective since, according to the 2016 census, over three quarters of women between 25 and 59 years of age were mothers, and women were often placed at a disadvantage by raising children.

For the Hungarian Government, it was of crucial importance to support women in making decisions freely in all areas of life, including work and family life. Accordingly, women had the opportunity to decide whether to return to the labour market six months after childbirth and receive childcare benefits, or to remain on parental leave. The Government planned to establish a network of childcare institutions throughout the country for children under 3 years of age, to respond to parents’ needs and meet European Union and other international standards. More than 200 billion forints (Ft) from the national budget and European funds had been spent to increase substantially the number of places in nursery care and reduce regional disparities in terms of access to childcare services. As a result, the number of day-care centres had quadrupled since 2010.

Over the previous decade, the employment rate of women had increased from just over 50 per cent to almost 70 per cent, which exceeded the European average by 5 percentage points. Similarly, female unemployment had fallen to a third of the 2013 rate and women’s earnings had increased, although further work was needed to reduce the gender pay gap. Recent amendments to the Labour Code, which had entered into force on 1 January 2023, contained provisions designed to promote women’s employment, help parents with small children rejoin the labour market and ensure a reasonable work–life balance. Parents who had been employed for at least one year and whose children were less than 3 years old were entitled to 44 days of paid leave. The Code also established flexible working arrangements to allow parents to reconcile family and work responsibilities, and women with children up to 10 years old had to consent to night work in writing. Parents could request to work remotely or part-time until their children reached 8 years of age.

In 2019, the proportion of female managers in Hungary was the sixth highest in the European Union. Almost two thirds of public sector workers were female, compared to one third in the for-profit private sector and over half in the non-profit sector. According to Budapest Stock Exchange data from January 2023, 20 per cent of directors on the boards of public limited companies were women.

Mothers of four or more children were granted a lifetime exemption from the payment of personal income tax and young mothers’ student debts were cancelled. In 2021, the Government had increased the infant care allowance and, from 1 January 2023, mothers were exempted from personal income tax until their thirtieth birthday. In 2022, procedures for single mothers to obtain child support from the father of their child had been streamlined and the minimum benefit entitlement for orphans had been doubled.

The Government made every effort to ensure that women with disabilities had the opportunity to lead a full life and had learning opportunities as well as career and employment support. They were provided with the necessary services to develop physically and intellectually and to maintain an independent lifestyle. With regard to the protection and support of Roma women, the Government had adopted the Hungarian National Social Inclusion Strategy in 2021 to combat poverty and social disadvantage.

The Government strongly condemned all forms of domestic violence and was committed to eliminating abuse of all kinds. It had increased the number of places in the care system for victims, added new support services and raised public awareness of domestic violence. From 2020, those who committed serious violent offences against a relative were generally ineligible for parole; in the exceptional cases where probation was granted, the perpetrator was placed under mandatory supervision and a restraining order. Higher penalties for rape had been introduced in 2021 and, through the new Criminal Procedure Code adopted in 2017, criminal proceedings had been shortened and the treatment of victims by the police and other authorities had been improved. Services including crisis centres, secret shelters and transitional housing had been set up and expanded in recent years, giving all victims access to a crisis centre or shelter. In 2019 and 2020, more than 4,200 workers in the child protection system, including family support workers and police officers, had received a 40-hour training course on domestic violence. In 2020, the Government had quadrupled the budget of the National Crisis Management and Information Telephone Service and a new application had been developed to identify victims and refer them to the nearest available assistance service. A national survey was under way to determine the prevalence of domestic violence and assess public awareness and attitudes towards the issue. During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the number of calls to the National Crisis Management and Information Telephone Service had doubled but crisis centres and shelters had nonetheless been able to meet the increased demand. Leaflets had been distributed in printed form and posted on social networking websites to provide guidance during the lockdown.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the Government had redoubled its efforts to combat human trafficking. It had provided substantial assistance to 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees, with a special focus on the needs of women and girls who were already in vulnerable situations. Almost Ft 1 billion had been allocated to the National Strategy against Trafficking in Human Beings for 2020–2023, under which young women and girls who left the child protection system were identified as vulnerable and received priority support.

The concept of home-based maternity care had been developed to satisfy the needs of families, improve conditions of childbirth and make pregnancy more comfortable. Maternity and infant nutrition guidelines had been drafted, training courses on maternity care and breastfeeding had been updated and almost Ft 10 billion had been spent on upgrading maternity infrastructure. The Family-Friendly Workplace award had been introduced and 2018 had been designated as the “Year of the Family”, with awareness-raising campaigns and events organized throughout the country. The Empowering Women in the Family and Society Action Plan for 2021–2030 identified a large number of indicators to measure the achievement of a series of specific goals over the current decade. Measures under the Action Plan for 2021–2030 would boost the female employment rate; support women entrepreneurs; strengthen the work–life balance; increase the participation of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as in economics and politics; and raise awareness of healthy living among disadvantaged women.

Hungary took part in international negotiations on the topic of gender and climate change in order to empower women and ensure their equal participation in climate-related planning and policymaking. In 2019, the country had appointed a national gender and climate change focal point under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and, in 2022, the Government had appointed a woman as Deputy State Secretary for Climate Policy, the most senior position in the field, for the third consecutive time.

Articles 1–6

Ms. Ameline said that she commended the adoption by the State party of a new equality strategy in 2021 and of the recent amendments to the Labour Code, as well as the reinforcement of measures to combat violence and human trafficking. However, the State party had regressed in areas such as the organization of the justice system and the separation of powers, the right to abortion, the treatment of minorities and migration policy. The Government’s refusal to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) would also negatively impact the situation of women.

She would be interested in hearing the State party’s response to calls for it to re-establish fundamental rights and reinforce the legislative framework to ensure gender equality. She wondered whether the Government would reconsider its decision not to ratify the Istanbul Convention or whether it would introduce equivalent legislation that was comprehensive, appropriate and effective. She wished to know whether the Committee’s concluding observations would be presented to the National Assembly and what measures the State party would take to implement them. She would be interested to learn whether a parliamentary body for equality would be created and whether the plan on women and peace and security currently under consideration would be finalized before the Committee issued its concluding observations. She wondered whether the State party could assure the Committee that the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination set forth in the Fundamental Law was not exhaustive; that multiple, intersecting, direct and indirect forms of discrimination were prohibited under the applicable laws; and that all minorities, including the Roma community, women refugees and lesbian, bisexual and transgender women and intersex persons, were taken into account.

The State party should reconsider the concept of “gender”, which did not replace the idea of men and women nor diminish the concept of family. Neither the Convention nor general recommendation No. 35 (2017) promoted gender ideology; rather, they used the concept of “gender” to express the undeniable truth that women faced violence and discrimination simply because they were women. The State party’s basing of its equality policy entirely on the concept of family risked perpetuating stereotypes. She would welcome clarification of the Convention’s position in the State party’s legal framework, information on the training given to judges and the effectiveness of legal proceedings, and data on the number of cases against lawyers who had assisted migrants and undocumented persons.

Mr. Beneda (Hungary) said that women’s ability to bear children gave them a unique position in society. The Government, based on a national consensus, addressed the demographic challenges facing Hungary by removing obstacles that suppressed the birth rate while integrating best practices from other countries. It was important to ensure that women could balance motherhood and work and that parents shared household chores equally. The Government could not accept the gender approach adopted in the Istanbul Convention. Nevertheless, the legislative tools were in place to meet the Istanbul Convention’s objectives.

A representative of Hungary said that the Fundamental Law guaranteed fundamental rights to all persons, without discrimination on any grounds, and provided for equal rights for women and men and special measures to promote equal opportunities. Act No. 125 of 2003 on Equal Treatment and the Promotion of Equal Opportunities contained detailed regulations on discrimination, including a non-exhaustive list of protected characteristics that adequately reflected vulnerable groups in Hungary. Under the Act, the requirement for equal treatment must be enforced in a range of areas, including employment, housing and education.

A representative of Hungary said that the National Social Inclusion Strategy included action to promote employment opportunities, participation and access to public services for disadvantaged women. Support was given for the establishment of civil society organizations for Roma women, and women left disadvantaged or displaced by the war in Ukraine enjoyed support and access to public services.

A representative of Hungary said that while no statistics were available on the participation of Roma women in higher education, the network of Roma vocational colleges had 370 students, including 186 women, as of late 2022.

Mr. Beneda (Hungary) said that women who sought asylum in Hungary, including women fleeing the war in Ukraine, could choose the gender of the officer handling their case and of the interpreter, if required. Women were placed in separate accommodation from men, although families were kept together.

A representative of Hungary said that the judiciary complied with the Convention and the Committee’s recommendations in the area of training for judges. There were detailed guidelines on domestic violence cases and the identification of victims, and training was obligatory for judges hearing family cases. A subcommittee on equal opportunities had been established within the National Assembly that dealt with equal treatment, including women’s rights.

Ms. Ameline said that she wished to know whether the State party planned to adopt broad, systemic legislation on gender equality and the implementation of the Convention.

Mr. Beneda (Hungary) said that men and women were equal under the Fundamental Law. It was therefore not necessary to adopt specific legislation for women or to further advance the protection of their rights; indeed, to do so would constitute discrimination. Nevertheless, the Government’s agenda for women’s policies identified key areas where women’s rights and opportunities must be strengthened, and the Empowering Women in the Family and Society Action Plan for 2021–2030 defined the steps to be taken.

Ms. Leinarte said that she would welcome clarification of the areas of responsibility of the Ministry of State for Family and Youth Affairs, the Minister without Portfolio for Families, the Gender Equality Unit, the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, the Department of Adoption and Women’s Policy and the subcommittee on equal opportunities. She wished to know what the major achievements of the National Strategy for the Promotion of Gender Equality 2010–2021 had been and why civil society had not been involved in drawing up the Action Plan for 2021–2030. Furthermore, she would like to know how the Government cooperated with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) active in areas other than the family, such as the protection of sexual and ethnic minorities.

It would be useful to have information on the value added by transferring the work of the Equal Treatment Authority to the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights and what operational and financial changes had been necessary. Noting that the Commissioner had been downgraded to B status under the Paris Principles in 2022, she asked how the State party would ensure the effectiveness and independence of its work. Lastly, she wished to know why the Government had forced the Central European University, including its Department of Gender Studies, out of the country and whether it had closed or planned to close other gender studies programmes in Hungarian universities.

Ms. de Silva de Alwis said that, in the light of the war in Ukraine, she would welcome information on the steps taken by the State party to give effect to Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security. She would also welcome statistics on women’s representation in, inter alia, the judiciary and on boards, with a particular focus on women with multiple identities and women with disabilities. She wished to know what temporary special measures had been adopted to eliminate compounded forms of discrimination against women. It would be useful to know how many women who had appeared on ethnic minority electoral lists were serving in the National Assembly and in the Government; she would also welcome statistics on the representation of women from minorities on boards and information on the steps taken to increase that representation. Similarly, she would like to know what temporary special measures had been introduced to promote the participation of women with disabilities in public institutions. She asked how many Roma, rural, migrant and refugee women with disabilities, and gender-diverse persons with disabilities, participated in national decision-making, what special measures had been adopted to encourage their leadership, and how the State party defined national decision-making and leadership.

She wished to know how the State party addressed gender stereotypes in its policies and how it reconciled its culture of traditional family values with the progressive goals set out in the Fundamental Law and with the Convention. She would like to know how the financial incentives granted to the technology sector affected women working in technology and innovation.

Mr. Beneda (Hungary) said that the State Secretariat for Family Affairs had been brought under the Ministry of Culture and Innovation and addressed a wide range of issues. A total of 26 NGOs, including some that opposed the Government, participated in a high-level working group on women’s rights that met twice a year. Furthermore, 15 organizations participated in the deliberations of the working group that, as part of the Action Plan for 2021–2030, was responsible for implementing recommendations made by United Nations bodies.

Owing to distorted reports in the media, there appeared to be some misunderstanding with regard to the Central European University. The English-speaking departments and programmes had moved out of Hungary, but the Hungarian-speaking departments and programmes were still there. The Government of Hungary had a different opinion on gender issues to the university. It believed that the biological sex of a person could not and should not be challenged, and it was not planning to change its position on that matter, which was aligned with the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

Consultations had already started with a view to drawing up a comprehensive action plan for the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security. Unfortunately, the war in Ukraine was not improving the situation and made it difficult to focus on that issue.

A representative of Hungary said that the content of master’s degree programmes in higher education was dictated by the requirements of the labour market. The master’s programmes on gender studies in State universities had not been attuned to those requirements and there had been little demand for them. Two private institutions were, however, offering such courses, but the number of students on them was falling. The provision of gender studies courses was not prohibited. Non-State higher education institutions could therefore decide whether they wished to provide specialized training in that area.

A representative of Hungary said that women’s unemployment rate had fallen from 10 per cent to 3 per cent and their employment rate had risen from 53 per cent to 68 per cent over the previous 10 years. In the judiciary service, 77.6 per cent of the staff were women and they accounted for 54 per cent of the staff of universities and scientific research institutions.

A representative of Hungary said that one of the objectives of the Action Plan for 2021–2030 was to analyse the position of women on the labour market and with regard to their health status and their exposure to domestic violence, among other things. The underlying idea was that women’s financial situation could be improved by ensuring their participation in the labour market. That would also help to enhance their situation in the family, as well as their work–life balance. Women needed sufficient skills and qualifications to join the labour market. Provision also had to be made for childcare during working hours. Specific measures were, of course, needed to boost the number of women in managerial positions, to improve their health and to combat domestic violence.

An attempt was being made to formulate measures to mitigate inequality in job opportunities, to reduce the amount of invisible or unpaid work done by women, to improve the situation of disadvantaged women, including those from the Roma community, and to prevent girls from dropping out of school at an early age. It was important to stress that when the Action Plan for 2021–2030 had been established, an attempt had been made to incorporate a quality assurance and monitoring mechanism to evaluate and report on progress towards the various goals every three months. Annual reports were written and the Action Plan for 2021–2030 was reviewed every second year to see if any additional measures were required.

A representative of Hungary said that every year the Government provided the financial resources for the Women’s Public Leadership Training Programme and invited lecturers from the public and private sectors to provide training for the students.

A representative of Hungary said that the rehabilitation of women with disabilities in the labour force was supported by a three-tiered system. There was a national disability programme that dealt with their rights and there was an action plan to implement it.

The Chair said that the Committee wished to know what special temporary measures existed to address the needs of vulnerable women in general. Did the State party’s policy on disability provide for the possibility of taking special temporary measures for vulnerable women?

A representative of Hungary said that there were currently no specific programmes for groups of vulnerable women.

A representative of Hungary said that there were nonetheless two umbrella strategies for persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups, both of which had sectoral action plans covering health and education, among other things.

A representative of Hungary said that the governing party, Fidesz, was the only political party that included representatives of the Roma community. It also sent a Roma member to the European Parliament.

Ms. Manalo said that she wished to know whether there were women in the armed forces, what role they played there and, if they were not members of the military, the reasons for that. She was also curious to learn why undergraduates had not been encouraged to study gender equality. What was being done to promote knowledge of the Convention in the educational sector?

Ms. Hacker said that she would appreciate information on the training given to people responsible for promoting equality on the labour market and in political bodies and for combating sexual harassment.

A representative of Hungary said that that women were members of the armed forces, including at the officer level. The strategic goal was to increase their participation. The Government took the view that it was better to improve women’s rights than to focus on gender issues. It did not intend to depart from the contents of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

Ms. Rana said that she would appreciate information about the steps being taken to put in place a comprehensive strategy to eliminate stereotypes concerning the roles of women and men in the family and society. The Committee would like to hear about any measures to counteract the detrimental effect of public speech that reinforced the stereotypes of women and men and of women from sexual minorities. She also wished to know what measures were in place to ensure a conducive environment for victims of domestic violence to access care services, shelters and free legal aid. What was done to ensure a victim-centric approach in those centres? The Committee would be grateful for a description of the training given to their staff and the procedure for appointing them.

She wondered what justification there was for not enacting a broader definition of domestic violence, and what efforts were being made by the State party to ensure that all forms of domestic violence were punished in law and in practice. She wished to know what steps were being taken to increase the possibility of prosecuting domestic violence and protecting women in couples without children or who were not cohabiting. Lastly, she would like to find out what safeguard measures were planned to address the problems in the administration of justice for victims of violence, such as potential penalties if couples who received loans for the purchase of a home for an unborn child did not have offspring within a given time frame (since those penalties might force a woman to remain in an abusive relationship); the 60-day limit to civil restraining orders; the lengthy period during which a victim might be left without the protection of a criminal restraining order; and the fact that shared child custody ordered by a court against the wishes of one of the parents could expose women and children to the risk of violence.

A representative of Hungary said that, since 2010, all family support measures had been available to both men and women. The fact that fathers were also entitled to family benefits gave women a wider choice when it came to deciding whether to go back to work. That helped to eliminate stereotypes. Women were entitled to a tax benefit when they gave birth. Children should, as a matter of priority, be the beneficiaries of any measures to support families. To that end, family allowances had been increased, because a family was the best environment for ensuring a child’s healthy physical and mental development.

Criminal courts severely punished domestic violence, including that between couples who were not married. Victims could access a hotline round the clock every day of the week. Women could be extracted from a violent situation.

A representative of Hungary said that victims of domestic violence could contact a hotline, a crisis centre a secret shelter or a “crisis management ambulance”. Currently, there were 304 places in accommodation for women fleeing violence. Victims received assistance from the outset of the whole process of seeking protection and were offered follow-up measures after an acute crisis. Over 8,500 women had availed themselves of that assistance during the previous three years. The Ministry of Culture and Innovation ran awareness-raising campaigns about its activities to help victims of domestic violence and it was urging the media to provide information about the hotline and other support services. The home page of the crisis management centre also provided a great deal of information about the typical characteristics of an abusive relationship. The staff of the support system were recruited on the basis of their skills and qualifications and received refresher training every three to six months.

A representative of Hungary said that a provision of the Criminal Code dealt with incitement of hatred against a long list of groups of society. Criminal law therefore afforded protection against all forms of hate speech. Legislation criminalized and provided for the severe punishment of violence in a broad range of relationships. Repetition was of relevance only for the punishment of less serious acts of violence such as humiliating treatment.

There were several types of restraining orders, ranging from 72 hours, which could be ordered by the police, to a civil order covering 60 days, and ultimately to criminal coercive measures lasting for 4 months and renewable until a court reached a final decision or charges were dropped.

A representative of Hungary said that police officers were empowered to issue restraining orders on the spot when called out to reported cases of domestic violence: around 1,800 orders had been issued by police officers in 2022 and some 2,000 in 2021. Police officers could offer additional immediate support to victims, including by providing information on the next steps that victims might take and the social and health care support available.

A representative of Hungary, responding to a question on visitation rights, said that parents normally took a decision jointly. Where parents were unable to reach an agreement, a decision could be taken by the courts or guardianship offices, both of which operated under a strict regulatory framework prioritizing the best interest of the child and defining the options available, such as supervised visits.

Ms. Rana said that she would welcome more information about the national representative survey on exposure and attitudes to domestic violence, including the methodology used, its planned completion date and the involvement of NGOs in its design and execution.

A representative of Hungary said that the survey comprised three major phases. The first phase had involved interviews with 50 women between 18 and 25 years of age who had been victims of domestic violence. The second phase would consist of a representative survey of 1,000 respondents to determine the level of awareness of domestic violence among the general public in Hungary.

Ms. Hacker Dror asked the delegation whether there were any new rehabilitation centres for violent male partners or hotlines for male partners seeking support in order to avoid becoming violent.

Mr. Safarov said that, despite the State party’s admirable efforts in adopting a national strategy and national legislation and acceding to international conventions to combat trafficking in human beings, reports of the situation on the ground suggested that implementation was an issue. In that connection, he would be grateful if the delegation could provide information on the effective implementation of Government Regulation No. 354/2012 of 13 December 2012 on the identification system of victims of trafficking in human beings. Likewise, he would be interested to learn how the State party was implementing the provisions of the Convention on Cybercrime, particularly in relation to tackling pornography, including child pornography.

He would be grateful to know what measures had been taken by the State party, first, to provide awareness training to the police, the judiciary, prosecutors, immigration officials and border security officials in order to prevent trafficking in persons, particularly migrants and refugees; and second, to eliminate stigma and discrimination against women and girls in prostitution in order to ensure their access to health services and other support and protection services. The delegation might also provide recent statistical data, if available, on the number of cases of victims of trafficking, in particular women and girls, registered via the hotline. He would be grateful if the delegation would confirm his understanding that shelters combating trafficking in human beings had received limited support over the previous seven years. In addition, he would be interested to know whether the State party had empowered criminal courts to issue harsher sanctions for the crime of sexual exploitation of children under 18 years of age and whether the exploitation of children specifically constituted aggravating circumstances.

Mr. Beneda (Hungary) said that the Government was committed to the elimination of child prostitution. Health care and other social services were accessible to all persons within the territory of Hungary, regardless of nationality, in an emergency. The Government had firm views on managing its borders but had made tremendous efforts to accommodate migrants fleeing war in Ukraine, ensuring that they had full access to health care, social services and victim support during their stay in Hungary. The Government was taking all necessary measures to tackle trafficking in persons and abuse of migrants. However, the influx of migrants into Hungary following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine had attracted criminal groups. The Government needed to take further steps to eliminate those groups.

A representative of Hungary said that the number of safe shelters for victims of trafficking in persons had increased. There were three State-funded shelters maintained by NGOs, a further six facilities also maintained by NGOs, and a crisis centre providing short-term accommodation for asylum-seekers and victims. In 2020, several vehicles had been purchased for such NGOs to allow victims to attend court hearings and other important administrative appointments and, in 2022 and 2023, the Government had committed to providing more shelters. In addition, in response to reports of male victims of sexual assault and trafficking in persons following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the Government had produced an information leaflet and printed 250,000 copies to raise awareness about the risks among men and to publicize the contact information of NGOs offering support for victims. Under the national strategy on preventing trafficking in persons, participating NGOs must submit a quarterly report to the Ministry of Interior on their progress in the four areas of the strategy, namely prevention, protection, prosecution and partnership.

A representative of Hungary said that her Government’s commitment to the task of protecting children from trafficking and sexual exploitation was reflected in the significant number of legislative measures introduced to that end. Such measures included the reform and prolongation of the statute of limitations; the introduction of provision in Criminal Procedure Code for special treatment of victims and witnesses of such crimes; an amendment to the Code updating sanctions for trafficking in persons, forced labour, and child prostitution; and an amendment to national legislation allowing the State party to exchange information with other European Union member States on the exclusion of convicted child sex offenders from certain professions. Following a review, a lifelong ban on certain professions for convicted child sex offenders was in force.

A representative of Hungary said that the protection of migrant women from Ukraine from sexual exploitation and trafficking in persons had been a primary focus of the police force in Hungary. As part of its prevention and protection efforts, the police force had been cooperating with the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation since May 2022 and had delivered European Union-funded training to police officers that included awareness-raising and the involvement of NGOs. In addition, the police force had drafted internal guidance to help officers to identify and support victims.

A representative of Hungary said that the National Crime Prevention Council focused on public education. The Council had delivered programmes aimed at helping children to improve their social skills and strengthen their ability to identify risk and settle conflict peacefully. All migrant children were integrated into the public education system, and additional language support was provided to those children who did not speak Hungarian. However, in line with existing practice whereby national minorities in Hungary had the option to receive education in their mother tongue, the Government was in the process of developing an educational programme for Ukrainian speakers.

A representative of Hungary said that the Government was currently drafting a national action plan based on the European Child Guarantee that would focus on children under 18 years of age at risk of poverty or social exclusion, and therefore at greater risk of trafficking in persons. Roma children, children with disabilities, children in difficult family circumstances and migrant children were included within the scope of that plan, which would likely be ready for publication by the end of 2023.

Mr. Safarov said that the delegation might still provide information on whether there was provision in the Criminal Code for aggravating circumstances for perpetrators of trafficking in children and sexual exploitation of children. In addition, noting that the amount of compensation provided for under national legislation for victims of trafficking had increased consistently over time, he would welcome information on the number of persons – both nationals and non-nationals on Hungarian territory – who had actually received that compensation. He would also appreciate receiving information about measures to address cybercrimes in relation to trafficking, particularly regarding the potential for children, including girls, to easily gain unrestricted access through smartphones to websites connected to pornography, sexual exploitation and prostitution.

The Chair said that the Committee would be glad to receive written responses to any questions that the delegation was unable to answer during the dialogue, particularly on provision for aggravating circumstances in the Criminal Code.

Articles 7–9

Ms. Stott Despoja said that the delegation might comment on discrepancies observed between official State party statistics on the participation of women in political and public life and those in the Gender Equality Index for 2022. In that connection, she would welcome information on whether the State party had established benchmarks for the participation of women in politics and, if so, whether the State party had established timelines for the achievement of such benchmarks. She would be grateful if the delegation could provide more information on the implementation of the Women’s Public Leadership Training Programme and the results achieved, and comment on concerns raised that the Programme and others like it were available only to a narrow group of women. She wondered whether the State party might consider increasing the funding of such programmes. Likewise, she wondered whether the State party might consider taking temporary special measures, including quotas, to encourage women, including those belonging to minority groups, such as Roma women, lesbian, bisexual and transgender women and intersex persons, and women with disabilities, to stand as candidates in elections. In addition, she would be grateful if the delegation could clarify the statistics provided by the State party on the representation of women in executive roles. Were there any programmes in place to improve the gender balance on company boards and in senior executive positions in Hungary? She would be particularly grateful for information on programmes or other measures to combat rhetoric that reinforced stereotypical gender roles and to empower women to exercise their right to participate in public and political life.

Ms. Rana said that her understanding was that refugees from Ukraine who had Hungarian citizenship were struggling to gain access to support intended for refugees. She would be interested to know more about how the State party might be addressing the issue, if that was the case.

The meeting rose at 12.55 p.m.