Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, Concluding Observations/Comments

Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, Concluding Observations: COUNTRY, U.N. Doc. NUMBER (YEAR).

COUNTRY

616. The Committee commended the Government of Guyana for ratifying the Convention without reservation and presenting its report and its replies to the questions of the Committee as comprehensively as possible.

617. While the report was considered to have some shortcomings, the Committee nevertheless had the impression that the Government of Guyana was fully committed to the full and equal integration of women in all areas of society.

Positive aspects

618. The Committee noted with satisfaction that the implementation of the Convention had led to the improvement of the legal status of Guyanian women through legal reforms. It also applauded the Government for having raised the status of the national machinery for women to that of a ministry.

619. It also applauded the Government's willingness to seek assistance from international agencies for implementing its programmes for women and for assistance in reporting its reporting obligations.

Principal subjects of concern

620. The Committee expressed its concern that the provisions of the Convention were not integrated into the Constitution of Guyana and that some laws still needed to be amended in order to comply fully with the Convention.

621. It noted also with concern the lack of family planning services and the numbers of illegal abortions because of it.

622. It also noted that women were still underrepresented in many of the political, administrative and economic higher decision-making echelons, thereby depriving society of women's knowledge and experience.

Suggestions and recommendations

623. The Committee recommends that in the subsequent report the Government of Guyana include more concrete data on measures implemented on obstacles encountered and provide the Committee with more statistics to illustrate change.

624. The Committee requests more information on violence against women and measures to combat it.

625. The Committee encourages the Government of Guyana to pursue a comprehensive approach of legal reform relating to the family; it also encourages the Government to seek further assistance from international agencies or on a bilateral level to improve women's material situation in Guyana. In that context, priority should be assigned to enhancing women's economic situation.