Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
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United Nations CEDAW/C/NOR/7 Convention on the Elimination Distr.: General of All Forms of Discrimination 26 March 2007 against Women Original: English Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women Seventh periodic report of States parties Norway* * The present report is being issued without formal editing. For the initial report submitted by the Government of Norway, see CEDAW/C/5/Add.7 which was considered by the Committee at its third session. For the second periodic report, see CEDAW/C/13/Add.15 which was considered by the Committee at its tenth session. For the third periodic report, see CEDAW/C/NOR/3 which was considered by the Committee at its fourteenth session. For the fourth periodic report, see CEDAW/C/NOR/4 which was considered by the Committee at its fourteenth session. For the fifth periodic report, see CEDAW/C/NOR/5 which was considered by the Committee at its twenty-eighth session. For the sixth periodic report, see CEDAW/C/NOR/7 which was considered by the Committee at its twenty-eighth session. 07-28616 (E) 280607 *0728616* CEDAW/C/NOR/7 1. Part I Legislation, gender equality machinery and basic rights .......... 5 1.1 Article 2...................................................... 5 1.1.1 Article 2a Gender equality in basic legislation ................ 5 1.1.2 Article 2b The Gender Equality Act......................... 8 1.1.3 Article 2c National gender equality machinery ............... 9 1.1.4 Article 2d Efforts of the public authorities to promote gender equality................................................ 13 1.1.5 Article 2e.............................................. 15 1.1.6 Article 2f and 2g........................................ 16 1.2 Article 3 Gender equality and human rights........................ 16 1.3 Article 4..................................................... 24 1.3.1 Article 4.1 Special measures to promote gender equality....... 24 1.3.2 Article 4.2 Protection of the reproductive role of women....... 25 1.4 Article 5..................................................... 25 1.4.1 Article 5a Gender roles................................... 25 1.4.2 Article 5b The joint responsibility of women and men for children and families.................................... 29 1.5 Article 6 Violence, trafficking in women and prostitution............. 29 2. Part II ........................................................... 48 2.1 Article 7 Political participation................................... 48 2.1.1 Article 7a Elections and elected bodies ..................... 48 2.1.2 Article 7b Public positions................................ 52 2.1.3 Article 7c Non-governmental organisations.................. 52 2.2 Article 8 Representation at the International Level.................. 53 2.3 Article 9 Nationality........................................... 54 2.4 Article 10 Education........................................... 54 2.5 Article 11 Working Life......................................... 68 2.5.1 Article 11. 1a The right to work........................... 68 2.5.2 Article 11. 1b Equal opportunities in working life ............ 72 2.5.3 Article 11. 1c Education.................................. 81 2.5.4 Article 11. 1d Equal pay.................................. 81 2 07-28616 CEDAW/C/NOR/7 2.5.5 Article 11. 1e Social security and pensions.................. 84 2.5.6 Article 11. 2a Discrimination on the basis of marital status and pregnancy.............................................. 85 2.5.7 Article 11. 2b Leave of absence in connection with pregnancy and childbirth........................................... 86 2.5.8 Article 11. 2c Day care centres, etc......................... 87 2.5.9 Article 11. 2d Rights during pregnancy..................... 90 2.6 Article 12 Health.............................................. 91 2.7 Article 13.................................................... 94 2.7.1 Article 13 a The right to family benefits..................... 94 2.7.2 Article 13 b Economic rights .............................. 94 2.7.3 Article 13 c The right to participate in leisure activities, sports and cultural life......................................... 94 2.8 Article 14 Women in rural areas.................................. 96 2.9 Article 15 Gender equality in the legal system...................... 98 2.10 Article 16 Eliminate the discrimination of women in all matters relating to marriage and family affairs............................. 99 2.10.1 Article 16 b............................................ 99 2.10.2 Article 16 d and f....................................... 103 07-28616 3 CEDAW/C/NOR/7 Introduction This is Norway’s seventh periodic report to the United Nations on Norway’s implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The report covers the period 2002 – 2005 and was completed in September 2006. In accordance with the guidelines for preparing periodic reports, we have sought to keep the report as short as possible. The report follows the structure of the Articles of the Convention. Our aim has been to describe the changes that have been made since our last report, and we have referred to previous reports wherever this is appropriate. We have also focused on responding to the comments of the CEDAW Committee in connection with its examination of Norway’s fifth and sixth periodic report, which took place in January 2003. In October 2005, the Ministry of Children and Equality asked the other ministries to contribute reports relating to their particular spheres of responsibility. The Ministry also contacted the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud to request assistance in preparing Norway’s seventh periodic report. The Ombud commented on the ministries’ contributions to the report, in addition to providing information on his own experience in this field. On the basis of the input from the ministries and the Ombud, a draft report was prepared and circulated widely for consultative comment to a number of women’s and gender equality organisations, human rights organisations, the social partners and government ministries. The Ministry of Children and Equality also invited all the consultative bodies to a meeting. The Ministry has incorporated the contributions from the consultation round and the meeting into the final version of Norway’s seventh periodic report. The final report will be distributed to all the consultative bodies. According to the CEDAW reporting guidelines, the report must describe Norway’s follow-up of the Beijing Platform for Action. Norway has submitted three reports to the United Nations on its follow-up of the Beijing Platform for Action, the latest in 2004. We further refer to the fact that a Milestones conference to monitor follow-up on the Beijing Platform for Action has been organised annually since 2000 by the Government in cooperation with the umbrella organisation Forum for Women and Development and the former Centre for Gender Equality. FOKUS organises Norwegian NGOs active in development cooperation targeting women and receives financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The CEDAW Committee’s examination of Norway’s sixth periodic report in January 2003 and Norway’s implementation of the CEDAW Convention were one of the topics at the conference in 2004. 4 07-28616 CEDAW/C/NOR/7 1. Part I. Legislation, gender equality machinery and basic rights 1.1 Article 2 1.1.1 Article 2a Gender equality in basic legislation The Gender Equality Act The Gender Equality Act prohibits discrimination based on gender in all areas of society, except for internal matters in religious communities. The Act permits positive differential treatment in order to promote gender equality, particularly with a view to advancing the position of women. The Act came into force in 1979, and has subsequently been amended several times, most recently in 2005. Further information has been provided on the Gender Equality Act in previous reports. The latest amendments are reported in the section on Article 2 b) below. Incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women into the Gender Equality Act. Norway ratified the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women without reservation on 21 May 1981, with entry into effect on 3 September of the same year. On 6 October 1999, the United Nations 54th General Assembly adopted an optional protocol to the CEDAW Convention, which was ratified by Norway on 5 March 2002. The CEDAW Convention and the Optional Protocol were incorporated into the Gender Equality Act by the Act of 10 June 2005. The Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud is charged with monitoring that Norwegian law and administrative practice are in accordance with Norway’s obligations pursuant to the Convention. It should be emphasised that this does not change the fact that it is the Government, not the Ombud, who has overall responsibility for monitoring implementation of conventions nationally and internationally and who has a duty to submit reports. Prior to the resolution passed by the Storting (the Norwegian parliament) regarding incorporation of the Convention into the Gender Equality Act, there was a lengthy public debate on the appropriate incorporation of human rights conventions into Norwegian law. The starting point for the debate was the