CEDAW/C/72/2

Distr.: General 3 December 2018

Original: English only

ADVANCE UNEDITED VERSION

Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Seventy-second session 18 February-8 March 2019 Item 6 of the provisional agenda Implementation of articles 21 and 22 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

Reports by specialized agencies on the implementation of the Convention in areas falling within the scope of their activities

Report of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Summary In accordance with article 22 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the specialized agencies of the United Nations have been invited to submit to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, at its seventy-second session, reports on the implementation of the Convention in areas falling within the scope of their activities.

CEDAW/C/72/2

I. Introduction 1. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), at its 72th session, to be held from 18 February to 8 March 2019 in the United Nations Office at Geneva, will examine the national reports of the following countries: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Botswana, Bulgaria, Colombia, Ethiopia, Serbia, and the United Kingdom of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 2. As a specialized agency of the United Nations, UNESCO contributes to the building of peace, the alleviation of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, and communication and information. In accordance with UNESCO’s Medium-Term Strategy for 2014-2021, gender equality has been designated as one of the two global priorities of the Organization and continues to be global priority for the period 2014-2021. The Priority Gender Equality is pursued through a two-pronged approach, (i) gender specific programming and (ii) mainstreaming of gender equality perspectives in all of UNESCO’s fields of competence. 3. UNESCO has a major role and responsibility within the United Nations system for the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Article 10 of the Convention provides that “the States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in order to ensure to them equal rights with men in the field of education…”. The right to education is at the very heart of UNESCO's mission and represents an integral part of its constitutional mandate. 4. UNESCO’s efforts to promote women’s empowerment, women’s rights and gender equality are guided by UNESCO’s Medium-Term Strategy for 2014-2021, UNESCO’s quadri-annual and bi-annual Programme and Budget documents, UNESCO’s organization- wide Priority Gender Equality Action Plan for 2014-2021 which supports and guides the implementation of its global “Priority Gender Equality”, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action as well as resolutions and international and regional instruments relevant to UNESCO’s areas of action. 5. UNESCO’s commitment to pursue the priority Gender Equality is facilitated by the Division for Gender Equality in the Office of the Director-General. As the UNESCO focal point for gender equality, the Division provides policy guidance and recommendations to the senior management and the Programme Sectors for mainstreaming gender equality considerations in UNESCO policies, strategies and programmes; carries out capacity- building; monitors gender parity and work-life balance within the Secretariat and develops and establishes partnerships with other UN bodies, regional bodies, IGOs, NGOs, private foundations and private sector partners that support women’s empowerment and gender equality initiatives

II. Measures taken by UNESCO to implement the provisions of CEDAW in the countries whose reports are to be considered at the 72nd session of the Committee

Angola 6. Angola is not a party of the UNESCO Convention against discrimination in Education of 1960. The country did not respond to the Ninth Consultation of Member States on the Implementation of the Convention. 7. Article 21 (h) of the Constitution of Angola promotes equals rights and opportunities between Angolans citizens without any preconception of origin, race, politic affiliation, sex, colour, age or any other form of discrimination. Moreover, paragraph (i) of the same article states as main task of the State to realize massive and permanent investments to fully develop children and the youth in education, health and primary and secondary school. Further, Article 23 of the Angolan constitution states that everyone are equal in front the Constitution and the Law. No one can be discriminated against, privileged or deprived of any right or exempted from any duty for the reason of their ancestry, sex, race, ethnic,

2 CEDAW/C/72/2 colour, deficiency, language, birth place, religion, politics convictions, ideologies or philosophical, instruction level, economic, social or professional situation. 8. Article 35 (3) states that men and women shall be equal within the family, in society and before the state, enjoying the same rights and being responsible for the same duties. Paragraph 6 of the same article states that it is an absolute priority for families, the State and society the protection of children’s rights including the right to an integral and harmonious education and proper life, health and learning conditions. 9. Article 79 of the constitution guarantees the right to education. The state shall promote access for all to literacy, education, culture and sport, encouraging various private agents to become involved in their implementation, under the terms of the law. The state shall promote science and scientific and technological research. Private and cooperative initiatives in the spheres of education, culture and sports shall be exercised under the terms prescribed by law. Article 80 states that every child has the right to special attention from family, the society and the State, which have to coordinate themselves to ensure a wide protection against all forms of abandon, discrimination, oppression, exploration and abusive exercise of authority by the family or institutions. Concerning youth, article 81 guarantees that in order to ensure effective enjoyment of their economic, social and cultural rights, young people shall receive special protection, particularly in education, vocational training and culture. 10. Angola has a 1-6-3-3 formal education structure. There is one year of pre-primary school, which has an official entry age of five and is referred to as Iniciação. Primary school, which is known as Ensino Basico Regular, has an official entry age of six and a duration of six grades. Primary school is compulsory and free of charge. At the end of the cycle, students receive the Certificat des Études Primaires. Secondary school is divided into two cycles: lower secondary and upper secondary. Lower secondary, which is known as Ensino Secundario Primeiro Ciclo, consists of grades 7-9 and culminates in the Certificat du Premier Cycle de l`Enseignement Secondaire; upper secondary, which is known as Ensino Secondario Segundo Ciclo, consists of grades 10-12 and culminates in the Diplôme du Deuxième Cycle de l`Enseignement Secondaire Général. In addition, Angola has a lower secondary vocational education track that lasts three years, and two upper secondary vocational education tracks that each last four years. The higher education is offered at universities, higher technical schools and academies. Higher education is structured in four levels: bacharelato for a duration of three years; licenciatura for a duration of four to six years; mestrado for a duration of two years after licenciatura; and doctorate for a duration of four to six years after mestrado.

Antigua and Barbuda 11. Antigua and Barbuda is not a party of the UNESCO Convention against discrimination in Education of 1960. The country did not respond to the Ninth Consultation of Member States on the Implementation of the Convention. 12. Section 14 of Chapter II of the Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda entitled Protection of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms of Individuals, guarantees the protection against discrimination on the ground of race, sex, etc, by stating that no law shall make any provision that is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect and that no person shall be treated in a discriminatory manner by any person acting by virtue of any law or in the performance of the functions of any public office or any public authority. 13. The education system in Antigua and Barbuda is influenced by the British system. It is compulsory for children to attend school between the ages of 5 and 16. There are both public and private schools available and education can begin as early as the age of three in the kindergartens. From the age of five or six a child can attend a primary school until the age of twelve, then begin secondary education for a further four or five years. Entrance into the secondary system requires successful completion of the common entrance examinations. The state provides full five-year secondary education, where the students are equipped to take either Ordinary Level (O'Level) exams used to prepare the students for college and university level courses, or the Advanced Level (A'Level) exams which gives them entrance into the regional University of the West Indies or, if they desire, to foreign

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universities. The country has three colleges, which includes the University of Health Sciences, University of the West Indies (which also has branches in other parts of the Caribbean) and the Antigua State College which provides technical and teacher training. Students who wish to study for degrees that are not available in the country opt for universities in Europe or North America.

Botswana 14. Botswana is not a party of the UNESCO Convention against discrimination in Education of 1960. The country did not respond to the Ninth Consultation of Member States on the Implementation of the Convention. 15. Article 15 of the Constitution of Botswana guarantees the protection from discrimination by stating that no law shall make any provision that is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect and that no person shall be treated in a discriminatory manner by any person acting by virtue of any written law or in the performance of the functions of any public office or any public authority. This provision defines the expression "discriminatory" as affording different treatment to different persons, attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, tribe, place of origin, political opinions, colour, creed or sex. 16. The first Botzwana National Policy on Education of 1977 endorsed the philosophy of “Education for Kagisano” meaning education for harmony. This national policy states that after completing seven years of primary school pupils should have “developed awareness of their rights and responsibilities related to health, gender, law, violence, identity, civic, and other social and moral issues”. Moreover, the senior secondary school curriculum is “designed to be gender sensitive and make efforts to positively address existing biases to help all learners fully develop their potential”. 17. Botswana has a 3-7-3-2 formal education structure. There are three years of pre- primary school, which has an official entry age of three. Primary school has an official entry age of six and a duration of seven grades. At the end of the cycle, students sit for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). Secondary school is divided into two cycles: lower secondary and upper secondary. Lower secondary, which is known as Junior Secondary, consists of grades 8-10 and culminates in the Junior Certificate. Upper secondary, which is known as Senior Secondary, consists of grades 11-12 and culminates in the General Certificate of Secondary (BGCSE) or the Internal General Certificate in Secondary Education (IGCSE) granting access to tertiary and higher education. In addition, Botswana has multiple upper secondary vocational education tracks that last one to three years. The tertiary and higher education is accessible at the University of Botswana, which offer a broad range of academic programmes – mostly at the undergraduate level. Professional and career studies leading to a certifacate normally last one year. Programmees leading to a diploma take two or three years. Bachelor’s degree normally takes four years and five years in the case of law and engineering. The University also offers master’s and doctoral degrees. 18. The UNESCO "Mosadi Khumo ICT empowerment project" in Botswana was implemented by the NGO “Mosadi Khumo Socio-Economic Empowerment Forum for Women (SEEFoW)”. The goal of the project is to enhance women's capacity to engage actively in changing both their socio-economic conditions and the wider development policy context in which they operate and to use ICT to access information that would help them invest, grow their businesses, income, wealth as well to create jobs and alleviating poverty. 19. The overall goals of the UNESCO project “Supporting Comprehensive Education Sector Responses to HIV and Sexuality Education leading to Zero HIV Infections in Botswana” are the following: (i) Stregthen the response of Teacher Training Institutions to HIV and AIDS through Sexuality and Reproductive Health Education (ii) Support Comprehensive Education Sector Responses to HIV and Sexuality Education in Botswana (iii) Advocate for the intergration of National Life Skills Framework in the school curriculum from pre-primary to Tertiary with more emphasis on pre-service, (iv) Advance

4 CEDAW/C/72/2 gender equality and protect human rights efforts towards reducing the vulnerability of young people to all forms of gender based violence in and around school.

Bulgaria 20. Bulgaria is party of the UNESCO Convention against discrimination in Education of 1960 since 4 December 1962. The country responded to the Ninth Consultation of Member States on the Implementation of the Convention. Concerning the education of immigrants and refugees, Bulgaria reported to have adopted key measures to ensure their inclusion in their educational systems or to provide them with educational opportunities, including provision of language classes to newcomers. In order to successfully integrate children following enrolment, the host school takes into consideration the differences between the educational system of the country of origin and the Bulgarian educational system and provides additional support in general subjects. Concerning special-needs children Bulgaria reported providing financial benefits for them in order to ensure their access to education through establishing a system to identify the needs and individual characteristics of special needs students through, for example, the collection of data, consultations or monitoring. With regard to students with hearing impairments, Bulgaria has taken steps to improve access to information and communication for children and students by providing funding for Bulgarian sign language research, with a view to its use as a natural language. Training has also been given on the use and popular promotion of sign language in Bulgarian society. 21. Concerning pupils from poor households, Bulgaria reported providing free textbooks or school materials for each pupil in order to help address the social burden for children of poor families and to promote school attendance. Bulgaria took a step further by giving free textbooks to those not attending school, on the proviso that they must be returned. The report submitted by Bulgaria contains an interesting inclusive measure for disadvantaged students – the gradual introduction of a full-day approach to the school day. This measure covered the period from the school years 2010/2011 to 2015/2016 and concerned pupils from grades 1 to 6. Under this approach, compulsory classes are combined with forms of self-study, interest activities and organized recreation. This measure ensures that all students, including those from vulnerable groups, benefit from various development opportunities and conditions that are better suited to school life. Concerning minority groups, Bulgaria has adopted both a national strategy and an action plan for the integration of Roma people and ethnic minorities for the years 2012-2020. In addition to promoting their full integration, the measures also include working with the parents of ethnic minority children to emphasize the benefits for their children of attending school, as well as working with parents of school children to build positive attitudes towards Roma ethnicity. 22. Bulgaria also reported that recent legislative and policy developments have been made by to ensure that access to pre-primary education is largely expanded and provided on a free and mandatory basis, as recommended by the Education 2030 Framework for Action. Bulgaria also reported free secondary education. To address the financial barriers to higher education, Bulgaria offers financial assistance including grants and subsidies. Concerning religious education, Bulgaria reported that religion is taught as a subject in compulsory- elective and free-elective training and the curricula include concepts relating to Christianity and Islam. Concerning the rights of national minorities to study in their mother tongue, Bulgaria reported that according to the Public Education Act, pupils whose mother tongue is not Bulgarian have the right to study – alongside compulsory study of the Bulgarian language – their own mother tongue in municipal schools, either in mainstream schools or in minority schools under the protection and control of the State, and that aside from the language, the curriculum has also been adapted to other national minority needs. 23. Article 6 of the Constitution of Bulgaria states that all persons are born free and equal in dignity and rights, that all citizens shall be equal before the law and there shall be no privileges or restriction of rights on the grounds of race, national or social origin, ethnic self-identity, sex, religion, education, opinion, political affiliation, personal or social status or property status. 24. Article 23 of the Constitution establishes the duty the state to establish conditions conducive to the free development of science, education and the arts, and shall assist that

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development and organize the conservation of all national monuments of history and culture. Article 53 guarantees the right to education by stating that everyone shall have the right to education. School attendance up to the age of 16 shall be compulsory. Primary and secondary education in state and municipal schools shall be free. In circumstances established by law, the higher educational establishments shall provide education free of charge. Higher educational establishments shall enjoy academic autonomy. Citizens and organizations shall be free to found schools in accordance with conditions and procedures established by law. The education they provide shall fit the requirements of the State. The State shall promote education by opening and financing schools, by supporting capable school and university students, and by providing opportunities for occupational training and retraining. 25. The National Education Act of 1991 (amended in 2010) states at the article 4 (2) that “restrictions or privileges based on race, nationality, sex, ethnic and social origin, religion and social status shall not be tolerated”. 26. Primary education (basic education) in Bulgaria is compulsory and comprises two stages: primary education (grades 1 to 4) and lower secondary education (grades 5 to 8). The normal entry age is 6/7 years. Vocational or technical education courses can be attended after the completion of sixth, seventh and eighth grades. Successful pupils receive a certificate at the end of grade 4 (completion of primary education) and grade 8 (completion of basic education). Secondary education covers grades 9 to 12 and is offered in: specialized secondary schools (gymnasia) with admission after grade 8 offering four- year programmes (natural sciences and mathematical orientation, humanities, sports, etc.); specialized secondary schools offering intensive foreign language instruction (admission after grade 7 for a five-year programme); and general secondary schools (grades 9 to 11/12). 27. Secondary vocational education is offered in: technical schools with admission after grade 8 (four-year programme); technical schools with admission after grade 7 (intensive foreign language studies, five-year programmes); and secondary vocational schools with admission after grade 8 (three-year programmes). Secondary education is provided free of charge in state and municipal schools. Upon successful completion of the final year of secondary education students receive a certificate. Students passing the state matriculation examinations (matura) receive a diploma granting access to higher education. Higher education is organized as follows: (a) non-university education in colleges and institutes offering three-year programmes leading to the diploma of specialist; (b) university higher education institutes offering four- to five-year programmes leading to the award of a bachelor’s degree; an additional one to two years of study lead to the award of a master’s degree; (c) university higher education institutes offering five- to six-year programmes (long cycle programmes); and (d) postgraduate three-year (full-time) programmes leading to the doctoral degree (or a minimum of four years on a part-time basis). 28. The UNESCO project "Women in the history of academic science in Bulgaria - Encyclopedic reference book and a database" establishes a new interdisciplinary scientific database on the role and place of women in the history of the Bulgarian academic science. The overall goal of the project is popularize the professional activity of women in the field of knowledge and the various branches of science in Bulgaria. The edition includes information about the academic career of women and their growth and creates an opportunity to draw conclusions in support of gender equality in science. The reference book is compiled by using a variety of documents: autobiographical and biographical documents, documents from official and staff records, the scientists' personal funds, various collections and personal archives, etc. In achieving this this goal, the project sets the following specific objectives: (1) Studying the role of women and their contributions to science in the period of the new and recent Bulgarian history, from the end of 19th century, to year 2015; (2) Enriching the body of literature about women in science by including sets of documents of various features and origin; (3) Naming the women with pronounced contribution to the development of the academic science; (4) Reflecting the management and decision-making positions occupied by women in institutes and scientific units, scientific secretaries and other leadership positions. (5) Restoration and preservation of the documentary heritage on the subject, kept at the Scientific Archive of the Bulgarian

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Academy of Sciences; (6) Creation of electronic database for building a thematic micro website, presenting the project-related information, with an option for full text search and virtual presentation of selected project documents. The innovative nature of this project and its methodology builds a new research model, which may be applied by other scientific teams as well.

Colombia 29. Colombia is not a party of the UNESCO Convention against discrimination in Education of 1960. However, the country responded to the Ninth Consultation of Member States on the Implementation of the Convention. 30. Under Article 5 of the Constitution of Colombia, the State recognizes, without any discrimination whatsoever, the primacy of the inalienable rights of the individual and protects the family as the basic institution of society. Article 13 states that all individuals are born free and equal before the law, will receive equal protection and treatment from the authorities, and will enjoy the same rights, freedoms, and opportunities without any discrimination on account of gender, race, national or family origin, language, religion, political opinion, or philosophy. The State will promote the conditions so that equality may be real and effective and will adopt measures in favor of groups that are discriminated against or marginalized. The State will especially protect those individuals who on account of their economic, physical, or mental condition are in obviously vulnerable circumstances and will sanction the abuses or ill-treatment perpetrated against them. Article 42 paragraph 3 states that family relations are based on the equality of rights and duties of the couple and on the reciprocal respect of all its members. Any form of violence in the family is considered destructive of its harmony and unity, and will be sanctioned according to law. 31. Article 67 of the Constitution guarantees the right to education. Under this provision, education is an individual right and a public service that has a social function. Through education individuals seek access to knowledge, science, technology, and the other benefits and values of knowledge. Education will train the Colombian when it comes to respect for human rights, peace, and democracy, and in the practice of work and recreation for cultural, scientific, and technological improvement and for the protection of the environment. The State, society, and the family are responsible for education, which will be mandatory between the ages of five (5) and fifteen (15) years and which will minimally include one year of preschool instruction and nine years of basic instruction. Education will be free of charge in the State institutions, without prejudice to those who can afford to defray the costs. It is the responsibility of the State to perform the final inspection and supervision of education in order to oversee its quality, for fulfilling its purposes, and for the improved moral, intellectual, and physical training of those being educated; to guarantee an adequate supply of the service, and to guarantee for minors the conditions necessary for their access to and retention in the educational system. The nation and the territorial entities will participate in the management, financing, and administration of state educational services within the limits provided for in the Constitution and the law. 32. Under Article 68 of the constitution, individuals may create educational institutions. The law will establish the conditions for their creation and management. The educational community will participate in managing educational institutions. Education will be in the care of individuals of recognized ethical and pedagogical fitness. The law guarantees the professionalization and dignity of the teaching profession. Parents have the right to select the type of education for their minor children. In state institutions, no individual may be obliged to receive religious instruction. The members of ethnic groups will have the right to education that respects and develops their cultural identity. The eradication of illiteracy and the education of individuals with physical or mental limitations or with exceptional capabilities are special obligations of the State. 33. Article 69 guarantees the autonomy of universities. They administer and govern themselves through their own by-laws, in accordance with the law. The law will establish a special regime for state universities. The State will strengthen scientific research in the public and private universities and will offer special conditions for their development. The State will assist those financial arrangements that make possible the access of all individuals qualified for advanced education. Article 70 establishes the obligation of the

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State to promote and foster access to the culture of all Colombians equally by means of permanent education and scientific, technical, artistic, and professional instruction at all stages of the process of creating the national identity. The State recognizes the equality and dignity of all those who live together in the country. The State will promote research, science, development, and the diffusion of the nation’s cultural values. 34. Primary education (Educacion Basica) in Colombia is compulsory to attend and is of 9 years duration for all children aged 6 to 14. This level of education is split up into 2 phases- Basic primary education (educacion basica primaria) of 5 years duration and basic secondary education (educacion basica secundaria) of 4 years duration. Secondary Education (Educacion Media/Secundaria) is of 2 years duration preparing students for university-level education. Secondary education is divided into 2 tracks: academic, providing basic instruction in arts, sciences or humanities; and technical/vocational, offering specialization in agriculture, industry, commerce, and finance. Higher Education (Educacion Superior) is offered by universities, providing study programmes up to the PhD/doctorate level; university institutes or technological institutes, offering only undergraduate programmes and under some conditions can offer postgraduate courses of study; technological institutions, providing higher professional education and upper secondary vocational education programmes; and technical training institutes offering upper secondary vocational education programmes. 35. The overall goal of the UNESCO project “Re-Build Social Tissue Through Sports: A Pedagogic Tool” is to reinforce the process of socio-educational management in two municipalities in Cordoba, Colombia, using sport as an educational tool and experiential pedagogy, so as to raise awareness on and tackle the vulnerability of girls and adolescents in situations of violence. In order to achieve this goal, the project organized monthly experiential workshops with parents, teachers, partners and volunteers on sexual and reproductive health, rights of the child, preventing violence against women etc. It also included the training of trainers; as well as three-month seminars for girls and adolescents on sport, leadership, self-care and teamwork. 36. The goal of the project "International Meeting of Traditional Midwifes: Traditional Knowledge in Resistance and Resilience - The Know-How to Protect" is to build the capacities of midwifes and students of midwifery from rural and urban municipalities of the departments of Valle del Cauca, Choco and Nariño, as well as of experts from the Ministry of Culture and community members in traditional African Midwifery and thus to contribute to the safeguarding the knowledge associated with the African Midwifery from Buenaventura. To achieve this goal, the project envisages an International Meeting of Traditional Midwifes, as well as organizing spaces for dialogue, exchange of best practices, training and consultation for traditional midwifes and midwifes in formation in the city of Buenaventura, in the pacific coast of Colombia, where an important number of traditional midwives live, promoting good quality health education, HIV and comprehensive sexuality education.

Ethiopia 37. Ethiopia is not a party of the UNESCO Convention against discrimination in Education of 1960. The country did not respond to the Ninth Consultation of Member States on the Implementation of the Convention. 38. Article 25 of the Constitution of Ethiopia guarantees the right to equality by stating that all persons are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to the equal protection of the law. In this respect, the law shall guarantee to all persons equal and effective protection without discrimination on the grounds of race, nation, nationality, or other social origin, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, property, birth or other status. 39. Article 35 of the constitution guarantees the rights of women. Under this provision, in the enjoyment of rights and protections provided for by the Constitution, women shall have equal right with men. This constitutional provision also states that the historical legacy of inequality and discrimination suffered by women in Ethiopia has to be taken into account and in order to remedy this legacy, women are entitled to affirmative measures. The

8 CEDAW/C/72/2 purpose of such measures shall be to provide special attention to women so as to enable them to compete and participate on the basis of equality with men in political, social and economic life as well as in public and private institutions. The State shall enforce the right of women to eliminate the influences of harmful customs. Laws, customs and practices that oppress or cause bodily or mental harm to women are prohibited. Women have the right to maternity leave with full pay. The duration of maternity leave shall be determined by law taking into account the nature of the work, the health of the mother and the well-being of the child and family. Maternity leave may, in accordance with the provisions of law, include prenatal leave with full pay. Women have the right to full consultation in the formulation of national development policies, the designing and execution of projects, and particularly in the case of projects affecting the interests of women. Women have the right to acquire, administer, control, use and transfer property. In particular, they have equal rights with men with respect to use, transfer, administration and control of land. They shall also enjoy equal treatment in the inheritance of property. Women shall have a right to equality in employment, promotion, pay, and the transfer of pension entitlements. To prevent harm arising from pregnancy and childbirth and in order to safeguard their health, women have the right of access to family planning education, information and capacity. 40. Article 41 paragraph 4 of the Constitution establishes the obligation of the State to allocate an ever-increasing resources to provide to the public health, education and other social services. 41. The education system in Ethiopia includes primary education with the duration of eight years (age group 7-14) and it is divided into two cycles: basic education (Grades I-IV) and general education (Grades V-VIII). The first cycle of primary education is expected to achieve functional literacy, while the second cycle prepares students for further education. The use of local languages as medium of instruction has been introduced in the first years of primary education. The first cycle of secondary education (Grades IX and X) is intended to enable students to identify areas of interest for further training. The second cycle (Grades XI and XII) prepare students for continuing their studies at the higher education level or selecting their own vocations. Technical and vocational education and training is institutionally separate from the regular education system and runs in parallel with it. Training is offered at the exit points of the academic system (Grades IV, VIII and X). Higher education institutions include eight universities, thirteen colleges (including teacher- training colleges), three institutes (polytechnic, mass media and water technology), and a number of private institutions (mainly colleges). Teacher-training institutes offer one-year courses qualifying for teaching in the first cycle of primary education. Diploma programmes generally last two to three years. First-degree courses leading to a bachelor's degree take four to five years (six years in the case of medicine and veterinary). Post- graduate courses requires one to three years of study. 42. The UNESCO project “Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment” implemented in Ethiopia is a joint programme which articulates the support of UN Agencies to the Government of Ethiopia in its efforts to further improve the lives of Ethiopian women and support the realization of their rights, in line with its international commitments. The project is aligned with the Ethiopia’s Growth and Transformation Plan, the overarching national development strategy as well as sector-based plans, strategies and policies. The project is grounded in the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for Ethiopia, jointly agreed on between the Government of Ethiopia and the UN Country Team in Ethiopia. Among the specific objectives of the project are the following: Increased participation of girls and women in secondary and tertiary education in targeted areas; Increased number of teachers who have knowledge and skills to provide a gender responsive pedagogy; and Increased number of women and girls obtain basic functional literacy skills. 43. The main goal of the project “Crowd-sourcing Girls' Education: A Community- Based Approach to Lowering Drop-Out Rates in Secondary Schools in Ethiopia” is to improve the quality of life and social well-being of adolescent girls in poor rural communities in Tanzania and Ethiopia. It is built on the premise that gender responsive and inclusive education cannot be achieved without the direct involvement of the adolescent girls themselves, and the local communities including families, community leaders,

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community level school inspectors and education officers. Adolescent girls enrolled in lower secondary schools are provided with opportunities to develop leadership skills as part of the project's aim to empower the girls to be their own agents for change through the creation of safe spaces within their schools or communities where the girls will have the chance to freely voice and offer solutions to their concerns and needs. In close consultation with teachers, head teachers, and local education officers as well as the involvement of the adolescent girls themselves, the project mobilizes the local communities in support of girls' education using community radios as a medium. In this regard gender sensitive programmes and public information messages are developed with the adolescent girls as key actors in the development process. 44. The project “Retaining Girls in Lower Secondary Schools and increasing their learning outcomes in Ethiopia” aims to reduce the dropout rate of girls in lower secondary level (grades 9 and 10) in six pilot schools (three from each) in Gambella and Somali Regional States by 20% from the average of the previous five years from the start of the project. It also aims to increase their learning achievement by 15 percentage point as measured by the Ethiopian General Education Completion Examination. The project also aims at developing of the capacity of teacher educators and school teachers in the use of gender responsive pedagogy, as well as to establish income-generating schemes to assist girls with school materials and related expenses. 45. The project “Enhancing ICT skills and open solutions in Ethiopian education systems through the ICT Competency Framework for Teachers and "Women in African History: An E-Learning Tool" consists of introduction of "Women in African History: An E-Learning Tool" into curricula in Ethiopia and expansion of its content and further translation into African languages. The objective of the project is to develop and diffuse an internet platform consisting of multimedia content (comic strips, interactive pedagogical units, audio modules, tests, etc.) in order to highlight the role of women in African History. Within the project a promotional video of the use of the ICT-CFT and "Women in African History: An E-Learning Tool" was produced to raise the visibility of the activity, specifically as it relates to the Gender Equality Action Plan and the Operational Strategy for Priority Africa. 46. The goal of the project “Conference and community mobilization on the issues of gender mainstreaming by youth federation structure” is to create movements at a national level by all members of Ethiopian youth federation to put and implement the issue of gender equalities as their main future plans. To achieve this goal, the project organizes trainings and street shows focusing on gender equality issues. Among the specific objectives of the project are the following: raising the awareness among the youth on issues of gender equality; transfer of knowledge and skills from youth leaders to members of youth organizations; and mainstreaming gender equality related dimensions into day-to-day work of youth activists.

Serbia 47. Serbia is party of the UNESCO Convention against discrimination in Education of 1960 since 11 September 2001. The country responded to the Ninth Consultation of Member States on the Implementation of the Convention. Concerning the approaches taken to special education, Serbia reported on designing a curriculum that is adapted to students’ individual needs, as well as in order to improve learning outcomes, adequate materials and technological innovations have been made. Concerning students from poor households, Serbia reported to have devised policies to seek to eliminate other education-related costs, as well as giving free textbooks to those not attending school, on the proviso that they must be returned. With regards to secondary education, Serbia encourages the enrolment of students belonging to certain groups, in particular persons with disabilities and/or ethnic or national minority groups, allowing them to complete their higher education studies. Similarly, students in higher education are provided with dormitories either for free or at discounted prices. 48. Article 15 of the constitution of Serbia guarantees gender equality by stating that the State shall guarantee the equality of women and men and develop equal opportunities policy. Article 21 guarantees the prohibition of discrimination, stating that all are equal

10 CEDAW/C/72/2 before the Constitution and law. Everyone shall have the right to equal legal protection, without discrimination. All direct or indirect discrimination based on any grounds, particularly on race, sex, national origin, social origin, birth, religion, political or other opinion, property status, culture, language, age, mental or physical disability shall be prohibited. Special measures which the Republic of Serbia may introduce to achieve full equality of individuals or group of individuals in a substantially unequal position compared to other citizens shall not be deemed discrimination. 49. Article 71 of the constitution guarantees the right to education. Primary education is mandatory and free, whereas secondary education is free but not compulsory. All citizens shall have access under equal conditions to higher education. The state shall provide for free tertiary education to successful and talented students of lower property status in accordance with the law. Establishment of schools and universities shall be regulated by law. Article 72 guarantees the autonomy of universities faculties and scientific institutions, which decide freely on their organization and work in accordance with the law. Article 73 of the constitution guarantees the freedom of scientific and artistic creativity. Authors of scientific and artistic works shall be guaranteed moral and material rights in accordance with the law. The state shall assist and promote development of science, culture and art. 50. According to the Law on the Foundations of the Education System (2009) the education system must provide to all children, students and adults equality and accessibility of education without any discrimination and segregation based on gender, social, cultural, ethnic, religious or other affiliation, place of residence, economic status or health conditions, development imparities and impairments. 51. Education in Serbia is organized into following levels: preschool education, primary education, secondary education and higher education. Preschool education takes 6 months and is compulsory as the first preparatory part of compulsory studies. The preschool education is offered by kindergartens for children at the age of 5 or 6. Primary education is compulsory for children of the age of 6 or 7 and lasts for 8 years. The primary education is split up into two levels: lower grades comprising grades 1 to 4 and higher grades comprising grades 5 to 8. 52. Secondary education is not compulsory and generally last for 4 years. Secondary schools are of following types: gymnasiums, secondary vocational schools and art schools. Gymnasiums provide general and professional education. Studies at gymnasiums last for 4 years. Upon successful completion of the gymnasium studies, students are awarded a high school diploma. Secondary vocational education is offered by vocational schools. These schools provide education in specific fields and upon successful completion of the course, a vocational qualification is awarded. There are two kinds of professional secondary school courses: 4-year course providing broad education and allows students to go for further studies and 3-year courses for students who are not eligible for further studies. Higher education comprises of two types of studies: academic studies conducted at the universities and applied profession-oriented studies conducted at the colleges of vocational/applied studies. The higher education provides the following degrees: first degree (undergraduate academics studies leading to a bachelor degree and undergraduate vocational/applied studies); second degree (graduate academic studies leading to a master’s degree and specialist academic studies leading to a degree of specialist) and third degree (doctoral academic studies leading to doctoral degree). 53. The overall goal of the UNESCO project "Training for Women in IT" is to promote the ICT opportunities and options for retraining and learning for unemployed women from all over Serbia and to give them the opportunity to gain relevant knowledge that would help them enter the ICT sector and find employment. Among the activities to achieve this goal are: preparation of online and offline courses; Conducting basic online course for the participants; organization and holding lectures and gatherings in selected cities; and conducting a course for JavaScript programming platform for selected participants. This project clearly addresses the need to integrate employable skills in national education systems so that governments can lay the basis for a stronger society and a more resilient economy through online training and accessible training materials, with a focus on women as the primary beneficiaries.

11 CEDAW/C/72/2

United Kingdom of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland 54. United Kingdom of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland is party of the UNESCO Convention against discrimination in Education of 1960 since 14 March 1962. However, the country did not responded to the Ninth Consultation of Member States on the Implementation of the Convention. 55. Article 14 of the Human Rights Act of 1998 guarantees the prohibition of discrimination, stating that the enjoyment of the rights and freedoms shall be secured without discrimination on any ground such as sex, race, colour, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, association with a national minority, property, birth or other status. 56. Article 2 of the first Protocol to the Human Rights act guarantees the right to education, stating that no person shall be denied the right to education. In the exercise of any functions which it assumes in relation to education and to teaching, the State shall respect the right of parents to ensure such education and teaching in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions. 57. Under the Equality Act of 2010, schools cannot unlawfully discriminate against pupils because of their sex, race, disability, religion or belief or sexual orientation in relation to admissions, the way it provides education for pupils, the way it provides pupils access to any benefit, facility or service, or by excluding a pupil or subjecting them to any other detriment. Schools and higher education institutions have a statutory duty to promote equality between men and women, and boys and girls, and to eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment. Schools must prepare and maintain a gender equality scheme which identifies how the school will fulfil these duties. The scheme must be monitored and assessed, and progress reported annually. 58. Across the UK, there are five stages of education: early years education, primary education, secondary education, further education and higher education. Education is compulsory for all children between the ages of 5 (4 in Northern Ireland) and 16. Further education is not compulsory and covers non-advanced education, which can be taken at further (including tertiary) education colleges and higher education institutions. The higher education takes place in universities and other higher education institutions and colleges. 59. Early years education takes place in a variety of settings including state nursery schools, nursery classes and reception classes within primary schools, as well as settings outside the state sector such as voluntary pre-schools, privately run nurseries or childminders. The primary education covers three age ranges: nursery (under 5), infant (5 to 7 or 8) and junior (up to 11 or 12). The major goals of primary education are achieving basic literacy and numeracy amongst all pupils, as well as establishing foundations in science, mathematics and other subjects. Secondary education consists of a combination of different types of schools, the pattern reflecting historical circumstance and the policy adopted by the local authorities. Comprehensive schools largely admit pupils without reference to ability or aptitude and cater for all the children in a neighbourhood, but in some areas they co-exist with other types of schools, for example grammar schools. At the end of this stage of education, pupils are normally entered for a range of external examinations. 60. Further education covers all non-advanced courses taken after the period of compulsory education. It is post-compulsory education (in addition to that received at secondary school), that is distinct from the education offered in universities (higher education). It may be at any level from basic skills training to higher vocational education. This is usually provided in distinct institutions such as universities. Further education includes education for pupils over 16, primarily taught in further education colleges, work- based learning, and adult and community learning institutions. This includes post-16 courses similar to those taught at schools and sub-degree courses similar to those taught at higher education (colleges (which also teach degree-level courses) and at some universities. Higher education includes undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Undergraduate courses include first degrees (honours and ordinary), first degrees with qualified teacher status, enhanced first degrees, first degrees obtained concurrently with a diploma, and intercalated first degrees where first degree students, usually in medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine, interrupt their studies to complete a one-year course of advanced studies in a

12 CEDAW/C/72/2 related topic). Postgraduate courses usually require a first degree as entry qualification and lead to higher degrees, diplomas and certificates, including doctorate, master’s postgraduate diplomas and certificates as well as postgraduate certificates of education and professional qualifications

13

14 CEDAW/C/72/2

Annex

Educational statistics for countries reporting to the Committee on the Elimination of

Discrimination against Women at its seventy-second session: Gross enrolment ratios of women and men and gender parity index

Gross enrolment ratio, primary Gross enrolment Gross enrolment ratio, secondary Gross enrolment Gross enrolment ratio, tertiary Gross enrolment ratio, primary, ratio, secondary, ratio, tertiary, gender parity gender parity gender parity Country Year Female (%) Male (%) index (GPI) Female (%) Male (%) index (GPI) Female (%) Male (%) index (GPI) Angola 2009 93.59256 113.52641 0.82441 19.60049 26.33589 0.74425 ...... 2010 92.80746 117.62042 0.78904 21.24508 31.91976 0.66558 ...... 2011 91.23398 146.74233 0.62173 20.68159 32.88766 0.62886 3.35383 9.26088 0.36215 2012 ...... 2013 ...... 7.89279 10.11323 0.78044 2014 ...... 2015 105.17413 121.62511 0.86474 ...... 7.41861 9.63642 0.76985 2016 ...... 39.34428 62.01602 0.63442 ...... 2017 ...... Antigua and Barbuda 2009 91.6891 95.63362 0.95875 101.69295 102.17977 0.99524 18.10537 8.30158 2.18095 2010 89.86167 98.14539 0.9156 99.97685 98.753 1.01239 20.91329 8.27088 2.52854 2011 87.62276 95.17426 0.92066 98.30626 98.91968 0.9938 17.32697 8.96226 1.93332 2012 85.74345 91.69914 0.93505 104.21126 90.41223 1.15262 29.24994 14.05849 2.08059 2013 ...... 2014 84.41111 91.0927 0.92665 94.0253 93.14692 1.00943 ...... 2015 85.06087 90.15994 0.94344 94.59332 92.65485 1.02092 ...... 2016 ...... 2017 ...... Botswana 2009 107.37629 111.3898 0.96397 ...... 2010 ...... 2011 ...... 2012 108.99917 112.02561 0.97298 ...... 2013 109.28009 112.97915 0.96726 ...... 2014 103.51677 107.17725 0.96585 ...... 28.5492 22.8966 1.24688 2015 ...... 32.61146 23.87274 1.36605 2016 ...... 28.29716 19.73646 1.43375 2017 ...... 27.30036 19.50548 1.39962 Bulgaria 2009 109.69629 109.86237 0.99849 87.18442 90.17728 0.96681 62.188 46.75649 1.33004

2010 108.34743 108.70883 0.99668 88.21218 92.08187 0.95798 66.10411 49.96029 1.32313 2011 103.68996 104.22484 0.99487 91.41754 95.93079 0.95295 66.98323 51.52378 1.30004 2012 100.48141 101.35474 0.99138 92.61321 96.57716 0.95896 68.9997 54.11734 1.275 2013 98.67022 99.56506 0.99101 99.04101 103.67783 0.95528 72.10505 56.7077 1.27152 2014 98.14267 98.91844 0.99216 102.29033 105.92919 0.96565 75.59459 60.005 1.2598 2015 96.54867 97.5624 0.98961 100.62274 103.96668 0.96784 79.13904 61.99445 1.27655 2016 94.32158 95.34568 0.98926 98.28918 101.41789 0.96915 79.28314 63.66212 1.24537 2017 ...... Colombia 2009 129.40152 129.95786 0.99572 104.20651 94.4583 1.1032 38.02074 36.16456 1.05133 2010 123.11449 125.40714 0.98172 106.9163 97.3162 1.09865 41.28762 37.58878 1.0984 2011 118.34844 122.60303 0.9653 108.43582 99.48814 1.08994 45.58421 41.48725 1.09875 2012 114.50927 118.53166 0.96606 104.20298 95.66766 1.08922 49.06778 43.45352 1.1292 2013 114.98088 118.19509 0.97281 104.36613 96.46733 1.08188 53.55956 46.75696 1.14549 2014 111.74236 115.66822 0.96606 102.60407 95.07079 1.07924 57.14538 49.53525 1.15363 2015 111.60517 115.44076 0.96677 101.53881 94.78271 1.07128 59.91359 51.5398 1.16247 2016 112.2221 115.68285 0.97008 101.2444 95.17129 1.06381 63.13714 54.44905 1.15956 2017 110.67493 114.6039 0.96572 101.28421 96.0019 1.05502 65.02284 55.98553 1.16142 Ethiopia 2009 89.88776 97.03857 0.92631 29.36321 37.51061 0.7828 3.21094 7.25701 0.44246 2010 88.09416 95.37869 0.92363 31.54788 37.96765 0.83091 4.39935 10.2208 0.43043 2011 90.54849 98.37002 0.92049 33.75725 38.24295 0.88271 4.70346 10.7583 0.43719 2012 90.98389 98.04526 0.92798 35.72125 39.55244 0.90314 5.15147 11.07862 0.46499 2013 ...... 2014 95.62404 104.1371 0.91825 ...... 5.26499 10.93351 0.48155 2015 97.02761 106.76259 0.90882 34.35563 35.82944 0.95887 ...... 2016 ...... 2017 ...... Serbia 2009 97.17106 98.17813 0.98974 92.68424 90.34432 1.0259 56.38332 43.61253 1.29282 2010 95.64695 96.13257 0.99495 92.35557 90.54485 1.02 55.62779 42.84228 1.29843 2011 101.51213 101.47578 1.00036 94.82212 92.50971 1.025 58.84335 44.68821 1.31675 2012 100.56836 100.5741 0.99994 95.55919 92.86222 1.02904 61.16691 46.19599 1.32407 2013 100.94359 100.8501 1.00093 95.72802 93.16688 1.02749 64.54011 48.61013 1.32771 2014 101.36326 100.91137 1.00448 95.40974 93.34009 1.02217 66.01105 50.50505 1.30702 2015 101.22541 101.45417 0.99775 97.38095 95.99814 1.0144 66.87789 50.16047 1.33328 2016 100.46706 100.66978 0.99799 96.88268 95.62299 1.01317 70.86127 53.91465 1.31432 2017 100.36259 100.26625 1.00096 95.87869 95.13252 1.00784 76.85531 56.72797 1.3548

CEDAW/C/72/2 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 2009 104.20816 104.51927 0.99702 100.85519 99.70727 1.01151 67.24758 49.2523 1.36537 2010 104.45593 105.02563 0.99458 103.2479 102.86276 1.00374 67.88567 50.71597 1.33855 15 2011 104.61384 104.7467 0.99873 94.32088 93.59386 1.00777 67.89299 51.20161 1.32599

2017 ......

16 CEDAW/C/72/2

2012 106.51136 106.54036 0.99973 91.99889 91.9133 1.00093 68.44495 51.50837 1.32881 2013 107.22195 107.45605 0.99782 127.35326 121.85415 1.04513 65.82407 49.68649 1.32479 2014 107.45849 107.65278 0.9982 129.87633 124.85067 1.04025 65.42513 49.4394 1.32334 2015 101.84881 101.96694 0.99884 127.48668 123.5768 1.03164 65.76176 49.18636 1.33699 2016 101.33816 101.48591 0.99854 160.48662 144.24922 1.11256 68.5325 50.67816 1.35231

2017 ......

Data extracted on 30 November 2018 10:17 UTC (GMT) from UIS.Stat Legend: *: National Estimation