Ligestillingsudvalget 2012-13
LIU Alm.del Bilag 79
Offentligt
Eighth Periodic Reportby the Government of DenmarkonImplementation of the Convention on the Elimination ofAll Forms of Discrimination against Women
June 2013
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................................................3Greenland and the Faroe Islands ................................................................................................................................3CHAPTER 1: THE FRAMEWORK FOR WORKING TOWARDS EQUALITY.....................................................................4
ARTICLE1: FOUNDATION............................................................................................................................................... 4ARTICLE2: CONSTITUTION AND LEGISLATION............................................................................................................... 4ARTICLE3: BASICHUMANRIGHTS ANDFUNDAMENTALFREEDOMS............................................................................. 5ARTICLE4: EQUALITY BODIES ANDSPECIALMEASURES............................................................................................... 7The Minister for Gender Equality................................................................................................................................7The Ministry of Gender Equality .................................................................................................................................8The Board of Equal Treatment....................................................................................................................................8The Danish Institute for Human Rights .......................................................................................................................8Denmark’s Centre for Information on Women and Gender (KVINFO)........................................................................9NGOs ...........................................................................................................................................................................9Gender equality in the public sector...........................................................................................................................6
ARTICLE5: PRIORITIES. SEX ROLE STEREOTYPING ANDPARTICIPATION...................................................................... 10ARTICLE6: SPECIAL ISSUES. PROSTITUTION,TRAFFICKING ANDCODE OFCONDUCT................................................... 11Prostitution ...............................................................................................................................................................11’Exit prostitution’ 2012-2015 ....................................................................................................................................11Psychology pool ........................................................................................................................................................12Unavailable gender segregated data on prostitution ...............................................................................................12Code of Conduct .......................................................................................................................................................12Trafficking .................................................................................................................................................................13Legislation .................................................................................................................................................................14CHAPTER 2: PUBLIC LIFE...............................................................................................................................................................16
ARTICLE7: POLITICALRIGHTS ANDPARTICIPATION.................................................................................................................. 16Women in politics .....................................................................................................................................................16Women on committees, commissions and boards etc. in the state and local authorities .......................................17Women in management and on boards ...................................................................................................................17New legislation regarding women in company boards and management positions ................................................18Women in armed forces ...........................................................................................................................................18
ARTICLE8: REPRESENTINGGOVERNMENT. WOMENAMBASSADORS........................................................................... 19ARTICLE9: CITIZENSHIP/NATIONALITY....................................................................................................................... 19CHAPTER 3: EDUCATION ..............................................................................................................................................................19
ARTICLE10: THE EDUCATION SYSTEM AND GENDER IN GENERAL................................................................................ 19The education system and gender in general ...........................................................................................................19Day care ....................................................................................................................................................................20Primary and Lower Secondary Education .................................................................................................................21Gender stereotyped educational choices .................................................................................................................21General upper secondary education.........................................................................................................................22Vocational Education and Training (VET) ..................................................................................................................22Access to higher education .......................................................................................................................................23Completion of higher education ...............................................................................................................................24Women in academia .................................................................................................................................................24Research funding ......................................................................................................................................................25
ARTICLE11: THESITUATION IN THELABOURMARKET............................................................................................... 26Women in the workforce in Denmark.......................................................................................................................26Ban on discrimination ...............................................................................................................................................27The gender-segregated labour market and the pay differentials .............................................................................27Maternity, paternity and parental leave...................................................................................................................30Part-time work/reduced hours/working hours.........................................................................................................31The Convention on Migrant Workers........................................................................................................................31Women Entrepreneurs .............................................................................................................................................31
ARTICLE12: HEALTH................................................................................................................................................... 33
HPV vaccine for cervical cancer ................................................................................................................................34
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ARTICLE13: GENDEREQUALITY INOTHERAREAS OF THEFINANCIAL ANDSOCIALLIFE........................................... 40The right to family benefits.......................................................................................................................................40Family allowance.......................................................................................................................................................40Child allowance .........................................................................................................................................................40
Fertility......................................................................................................................................................................34Maternity care ..........................................................................................................................................................34Right to abortion.......................................................................................................................................................34Prevention packages .................................................................................................................................................35Life expectancy 2012.................................................................................................................................................35Tobacco smoking ......................................................................................................................................................36Health and prevention for foreign women ...............................................................................................................36HIV/AIDS ...................................................................................................................................................................36Violence against women ...........................................................................................................................................37Police filter against child pornography .....................................................................................................................40
ARTICLE14: RURALWOMEN....................................................................................................................................... 41CHAPTER 4: LEGAL CAPACITY AND MARRIAGE AND FAMILY ........................................................................................................41
ARTICLE15: LEGALCAPACITY.................................................................................................................................... 41ARTICLE16: MARRIAGE ANDFAMILYRELATIONS....................................................................................................... 41Social control among immigrant youths is widespread ............................................................................................42APPENDIX A.................................................................................................................................................................................43APPENDIX B .................................................................................................................................................................................62APPENDIX C .................................................................................................................................................................................88APPENDIX E ............................................................................................................................................................................... 108APPENDIX F ............................................................................................................................................................................... 114
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IntroductionThe Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women adopted by theUnited Nations General Assembly on December 18, 1979, entered into force in Denmark on May21, 1983. The responsibility for the implementation of the obligations expressed in the articles ofthe Convention rests with the government, but could not be accounted for without the participationof institutions, organisations, groups and individuals engaged in the field of gender equality.
Each chapter corresponds to the different parts of the Convention, and as has been the normalprocedure, Danish NGOs were invited to comment on the report. These comments are to be foundat the end of the report, as the NGOs have specifically requested that their reports be forwarded tothe commission attached to the main report.
Greenland and the Faroe IslandsAs parts of the Kingdom of Denmark Greenland and the Faroe Islands are self-governing territories.
The sections in this report pertaining to fields of responsibility assumed by Greenland and the FaroeIslands have been prepared by the Greenlandic and the Faroese authorities and are to be found inAppendix A1 and Appendix B1 respectively.
Appendix A (A2) on the Greenland Self-Government arrangement has been prepared by theGreenlandic and the Danish authorities.
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Chapter 1: The Framework for Working towards EqualityArticle 1: FoundationGender equality is a pivotal element of Denmark’s democracy and a basic principle of Danishpolitics. It is an element based on respect for human rights and on fundamental freedoms in all areasof society - in political, economic, social, cultural and civil spheres of life.
Denmark aims at securing de jure as well as de facto gender equality for women and men. Womenand men have the same rights, obligations and opportunities in all fields of society. This is clearlystated in section 1 of the Danish Act on Gender Equality, which reads that “The purpose of this Actis to promote gender equality, including equal integration, equal influence and equal opportunitiesin all functions in society on the basis of women's and men's equal status.” The purpose of the Actis also to counteract direct and indirect discrimination on the ground of gender and to counteractsexual harassment.
The national focus of the equal gender work reflects the international commitments that Denmarkhas assumed in connection with the ratification of the CEDAW Convention as well as other UNdocuments, such as the Beijing Platform for Action.
Article 2: Constitution and legislationDenmark has for the past many years adopted several laws aimed at empowering women – forinstance: Already in 1857, unmarried women beyond 25 years of age were given equal rights withregard to legal majority and inheritance. In 1908, women were given the right to vote in municipalelections and in 1915 universal suffrage. Married women had full control over their own wagesalready in 1880. Danish women have unrestricted rights to sexual and reproductive rights.Contraception was legalized in 1880. In 1966, the birth control pill was released. Abortion waslegalized in 1973. Denmark has laws which prohibit gender discrimination as well as laws thatpromote gender equality and equal opportunities. In 1976, Denmark got a low on equal pay. Thefirst law on equal treatment in employment was introduced in 1978, while legislation on genderequality outside the labour market was introduced in 2000. This law is still in force and applicableto both public authorities and private companies.
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As a result, it can be stated that today we have formal equality for all – except from conscription,which currently only applies to men. Women, however, have had access to the military since 1973.
In order to ensure full formal equality in the future, all new legislation must be screened for genderequality implications to avoid direct or indirect discrimination on grounds of sex.
Article 3: Basic Human Rights and Fundamental FreedomsAll female and male citizens must have equal opportunities to pursue their goals in life, and neithergender nor other factors must become a barrier for this pursuit. Through a range of legal actswomen’s rights to participate in society and to decide freely over their lives and sexual andreproductive rights have been ensured. However, despite much effort, women still face challengesin life, including domestic violence, trafficking, lack of equal pay and underrepresentation indecision-making in management. Also, due to traditional gender roles and stereotypicalexpectations girls, boys, women and men still tend to make gender based choices regarding e.g.education, careers and in the home that might limit the full use of their competences.
For this reason, the Government is committed to promoting further progress on gender equality inorder to promote de facto equality for all and has initiated a range of activities, hence achievingamongst others the following results:
There has been a significant decrease in the number of female victims of domestic violence over thelast 10 years, and the public opinion concerning domestic violence has changed - it is no longerregarded as a private matter, but as a public concern (see article 12). Furthermore, the institutionalset-up for the support of and identification of victims of trafficking has been successfullyimplemented (see article 6).
Basic freedom is also a matter of having equal choices in life. Social control or traditional genderroles and perceptions of what women and men can do should not restrict women and men. For thisreason, the Government has initiated a range of activities to enhance less gender-based educationalchoices as well as campaigns and debates on gender stereotypes (see article 5).
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The government is for the 3rdtime running the so-called “Rights campaign” – targeted minoritywomen and men since the men’s acceptance of gender equality is an important prerequisite for theimprovement of gender equality of women. The aim is to inform them of their rights andpossibilities in relation to work, family, economy and health and that the women and men can usethe information to act against the barriers for gender equality they meet in their life, includingexpectations from their family on roles and values. An evaluation of the 2ndcampaign showed thatthe campaign provided the women who participated with useful information.
There has been a considerable change in the gender-based division of work between women andmen domestically. Time-use studies prove that in 1964, women used 4 hours more than men ondomestic chores each day whereas the difference in 2009 was 45 minutes. This allows women toparticipate more freely and full time on the labour market.
Denmark takes fully part in the EU’s on-going follow-up on the Beijing platform for action throughthe adoption of council conclusions including under the Danish EU presidencies; in 2012 throughcouncil conclusions on critical area K (Women and the Environment) and in 2002 on critical area D(Violence against Women). The latter resulted in seven indicators which so far have formed thescope for three nation-wide monitoring surveys on violence against women (every fourth year) inDenmark.
The Government is convinced that gender equality cannot be achieved without the inclusion of men– both as partners for the empowerment of women and as important actors for eliminating gender-based discrimination of men. For this reason, efforts have been made to establish male panels andmale networks in order to define in which way men can be included in the work.Gender equality in the public sectorSince 2000, it has been stipulated in section 4 of the Act on Gender Equality that “Public authoritiesshall within their respective areas of responsibility seek to promote gender equality and incorporategender equality in all planning and administration”. From the gender equality reports, which stateand local authorities are obliged to submit to the Minister for Gender Equality bi-annually, itappears that the authorities have obtained results. Between 2009 and 2011, the number of femaleCEO’s in state institutions (with more than 50 employees) has increased by 11 percentage points
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(14% to 25%), in the regions by five percentage points (19% to 24%), and in the municipalities bytwo percentage points (23% to 25%).
When it comes to gender mainstreaming of citizen-related services/initiatives, all ministries havedeveloped gender equality policies within their own remits as a result of the inter-ministerial actionplan on gender mainstreaming 2007 – 2011. Still, authorities in the state and especially at local levelface challenges with gender mainstreaming of citizen-related services, and the Government haslaunched a new strategy for gender mainstreaming of public authorities’ initiatives early 2013. Thestrategy contains three approaches.
Improved gender equality assessments; A more systematic approach to gender equality assessmentof bills and other citizen-related initiatives in the state and municipalities, and a better genderbalanced composition in public companies/institutions. Improved guidance and knowledgedissemination; New improved web-site (with good practices and gender mainstreaming tools),professional guidance on gender equality assessments, establishment of a new cross-ministerialnetwork and a Nordic survey on best practices. Improved monitoring; Improved and simplifiedconcept for the preparation of the gender equality reports, making the reports easier for authoritiesto use as tools for monitoring and improvement of the gender equality measures, as well asmonitoring of the authorities’ efforts to bring more women into management.
Article 4: Equality bodies and Special MeasuresThe Minister for Gender EqualityThe Minister for Gender Equality coordinates the Government’s work on gender equality betweenwomen and men. The individual ministers responsible are in charge of gender equality within theirown remits in regard to both special initiatives and general initiatives.
The tasks of the Minister for Gender Equality are among others to: Develop the Government’sgender equality policy, place focus on special action areas, coordinate the gender equality efforts inthe Government and implement the gender mainstreaming strategy, perform national tasks inrelation to the EU, the Nordic countries, the UN and the Council of Europe, perform internationaltasks in relation to the Nordic countries, the EU and the UN, draw up an annual report and aperspective and action plan for gender equality for the Folketing (Parliament), collect gender7
equality reports from state institutions and the municipalities, represent gender equality views onrelevant committees, administer the Act on Gender Equality and monitor gender composition oncouncils, boards and committees, and provide secretarial assistance for current cross-ministerialgroups and so forth.The Ministry of Gender EqualityThe Ministry of Gender Equality performs the function of secretariat to the Minister for GenderEquality servicing the Minister with the different tasks listed above. The department has a staff of16. Funding for the operation of the Department of Gender Equality is allocated in the Finance andAppropriation Act. In 2012, a total of DKK 14 million was allocated. Furthermore, the Departmentof Gender Equality administers funds allocated for the action plan to combat trafficking in women2011-2014 (DKK 85.6 million), funds for the action plan to combat violence in intimaterelationships 2009-2012 (DKK 35 million), as well as DKK 8 million allocated to promote genderequality between women and men with a non-Danish ethnic background covering the period 2009-2013. Recently, another DKK 20 million has been allocated for the period 2010-2013 to supportlocal projects promoting gender equality.The Board of Equal TreatmentThe Board of Equal Treatment deals with complaints related to discrimination on the grounds ofgender, race, colour, religion or belief, political opinion, sexual orientation, age, disability, ornational, social or ethnic origin. The Boards jurisdiction is based on the Act no. 387 of 27 May2008 on the Board of Equal Treatment. The Board makes decisions on the basis of this legislation.Any citizen can file a complaint to the Board of Equal Treatment. Decisions made by the Board arefinal and binding for both parties. In certain situations, the Board may decide that the complainant isentitled to compensation (e.g. in case of unjustified dismissal). The Board of Equal Treatment basesits decisions on written information received from the complainant, the defendant (the person/eventcomplained about) and the secretariat. The Board publishes its decisions in an anonymized form.The Board is composed of three judges who form the presidency and nine members who have a lawdegree. The Board members are all appointed by the Minister for Employment. All members holdexpert knowledge on labour market regulations and discrimination.The Danish Institute for Human RightsThe Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR) was recently appointed equality body in relation togender by the Danish Parliament. This means that from now on, DIHR is mandated to promote,
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evaluate, monitor, and support equal treatment of women and men without discrimination on thebasis of gender. Anyone who believes they have been discriminated because of their sex can contactDIHR for guidance and assistance.
The competence of DIHR to include equal treatment in relation to gender is constituted by a newfounding law — the amendment of the act governing the Establishment of the Danish Centre forInternational Studies and Human Rights. The law stipulates that: “The Danish Institute of HumanRights is to promote, evaluate, and monitor equal treatment of women and men withoutdiscrimination on the basis of gender, including the provision of assistance to victims ofdiscrimination to have their complaints dealt with, with due regard for the rights of the victims, theassociations, the organisations and other legal entities, to initiate independent analyses ondiscrimination and to publish reports and to make recommendations on issues relating todiscrimination.”Denmark’s Centre for Information on Women and Gender (KVINFO)KVINFO is a nationwide information, documentation and cultural centre which communicate thefindings of gender studies to a broad general public. KVINFO communicates knowledge of thesignificance of gender differences and strives to make women’s knowledge, experience andexpertise visible. The core of the centre’s activities is the library which has the status of a researchlibrary. Furthermore, KVINFO has set up an expert database containing the CVs of more than 1100women experts. The database is a tool to find highly qualified women in Denmark within all theknowledge areas of society.NGOsDenmark has a long history of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) taking active part in thework to promote gender equality between women and men – especially Danish Women’s Societyand Women’s Council in Denmark. The latter is an umbrella organisation for 46 women’s societiesand organisations with a total of more than one million members; they strive to ensure women’srights and influence everywhere in society.
The primary function of the above-mentioned NGOs is to act as a watchdog vis-à-vis publicinitiatives and policies, as well as to participate actively in the public debate in order to promotegender equality between women and men, which also involves disseminating knowledge about theCEDAW Convention.9
NGOs and experts are often consultation parties regarding new initiatives from the Government, eg.proposals for new laws, action plans and so forth. Generally, the inclusion and cooperation betweenNGOs and Government is highly appreciated and considered very important.
Article 5: Priorities. Sex role stereotyping and ParticipationThe Government has prioritized a range of issues, including domestic violence, trafficking, socialcontrol, women’s participation in management, men and gender equality, migrant women and men,young people and gender equality, the segregated labour market and the wage gap (find the annualaction plans, priorities and concrete activities here: http://miliki.dk/english).
In recent years, increasing emphasis has been placed on the issue of the gender-based educationalchoices made by young women and men. These choices are part of a still rather traditional patternof gender-based expectations and gender roles. The Government is aware of the importance ofbreaking down these patterns hence enabling the individual to make their own choices based oncompetences not gender, in order for women to be able to fully participate in all spheres of society.Different initiatives have been launched – find below some examples of projects.
In 2011, the pilot project ‘More Girls in Natural Sciences and Technology’ was implemented. Anexternal evaluation of the pilot project concluded that the project successfully had engaged the girls,and 78 percent of the girls answered that the project had positively changed their view on seeking acareer within technical fields or natural sciences.
In 2012, ten different projects on gender equality in the education system were launched. Theprojects are to contribute to the prevention of the highly gender segregated choice in terms ofeducation and contribute with knowledge on how to maintain more boys in the educational system.
As part of the Danish presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2012, special focus wasplaced on the problem regarding the gender segregated educational choices and the increasing drop-out of boys from the educational system. The issue was presented at council level with the adoptionof a council conclusion. Also, experts from different European countries gathered in Copenhagenon 16 May 2012 for a seminar organised and hosted by the Danish Presidency of the Council of theEuropean Union. A paper including a summary of the recommendations along was presented at the
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EU Council and can be found athttp://miliki.dk/ligestilling/nyheder/nyhed-om-ligestilling/artikel/anbefalinger-om-det-koensopdelte-uddannelsesvalg/.
In 2011, the web-site ‘the future is yours.dk’ was launched as part of a campaign focusing onbreaking the gender segregated educational choice. The site is aimed at elementary school studentswho are about to make their first choices about their future education and occupation. The site usesrole models and presents young men and women who have all made an untraditional educationalchoice and are content with it. The website can be found atwww.fremtidenerdin.dk.
In 2011, the website ‘change job.dk’ was launched as part of a campaign focusing on breaking withthe gender segregated labour market. The site contains recommendations and tools for practitionersand decision-makers on how to break with the gender segregated labour market, including how toreemploy and recruit unemployed men into traditionally female dominated areas. The website canbe found atwww.skiftjob.dk.
Article 6: Special issues. Prostitution, trafficking and Code of ConductProstitutionFor a general description of the issue of prostitution, please refer to Denmark’s 7thperiodic report.As mentioned in the 7th periodic report, the Competence Centre for Prostitution was set up in 2005as part of the Government action plan ‘A new life’ initiating a holistic approach to the issue ofprostitution. In 2011, the efforts of the Competence Centre for Prostitution were included in theguide to the Law on Social Services which regulates activities within social work in Denmark.Efforts within the field of prostitution are still included in one of the following five types ofintervention: 1) Social support and health care to persons engaged in prostitution, 2) Knowledgeproduction, 3) Developing methods within social work, 4) Counselling and instructingmunicipalities, and 5) In-service training of professionals working with vulnerable young people.’Exit prostitution’ 2012-2015’Exit prostitution’ is a four-year project which is expected to be implemented in the four largestmunicipalities in Denmark. The project constitutes the first efforts to develop a comprehensivestrategy towards supporting persons in leaving prostitution. It is based on existing knowledge, andthe effects of the project are systematically measured.
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On a municipal level, the objective of the project is i) to support persons who wish to leaveprostitution in settling without prostitution and ii) to support particularly vulnerable persons inprostitution to improve their current life situation. The target group must participate in Critical TimeIntervention (CTI). CTI is an individually adapted, holistic and multi-disciplinary effort to supportpersons in prostitution. The support is divided into phases focused at treatment as well as social andemployment-related activities, including the acquisition of suitable housing, individual socialsupport, treatment as well as financial stabilization and counselling on dealing with debt etc.Each user is allocated a case manager who renders support to the CTI user throughout the process.46 million DKK has been allocated to the project.Psychology poolAs to the request from CEDAW on establishing support programmes and social rehabilitationprogrammes in 2007, 26 women were referred to a psychologist. In 2012, 37 women were referredto a psychologist for a total of 11 hours each (for further details please refer to Denmark’s 7thperiodic report).Unavailable gender segregated data on prostitutionFor a detailed description of the different types of prostitution in Denmark, please refer toDenmark’s 7thperiodic report.
In 2011, the National Research Centre for Welfare carried out a survey on prostitution in Denmark.The survey contains, among other things, an estimated number of persons engaged in prostitution.
1633 persons were engaged in massage parlour prostitution595 persons with foreign background were engaged in street prostitution903 women were engaged in escort prostitution
It has not been possible to make a reasonable estimate on all sub-groups. As the accounting methodhas changed since the previous account, these numbers cannot be compared to estimations fromprevious years.Code of ConductIn early 2004, Defence Command Denmark implemented a code of conduct. The purpose of thecode of conduct is to guide the personnel who participate in international operations on how they
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are expected to relate to and show respect for the special rules and customs in the countries they arestaying in. The code of conduct is effective both when the personnel are on duty and in particularwhen they are on leave. In the code of conduct, it is stated that sexual intercourse with prostitutes isnot advisable/permitted (depending on the legislation in the country in question). Furthermore, thepersonnel are informed that having intercourse with prostitutes contributes to establishing ormaintaining conditions which are often completely untenable for the prostitutes. This is regardlessof whether the legislation in the country in question permits or prohibits sexual intercourse withprostitutes. In addition, private dealings - including sexual intercourse - that happens in the area ofoperation with people from the locale society is forbidden. Normally, violation of this rule willcause repatriation.TraffickingFor the Danish Government, trafficking in women and girls is a highly prioritized area. TheGovernment has a holistic approach to trafficking focusing overall on prevention in Denmark andinternationally, identification and protection of victims and prosecution and punishment oftraffickers.
In 2010, an external evaluation of the second national action plan (2007-2010) was conducted. Theevaluation concluded that there have been considerable advances in the overall Danish response totrafficking since 2007. An effective institutional system has been developed and a large number ofactivities implemented. Overall, the evaluation assesses that the implementation of the Action Planhas been characterized by a common, coordinated, and dedicated input from many actors, includingsocial organisations and the police, and today the different actors are familiar with each other’sroles and responsibilities and with trafficking indicators. Together with the inter-ministerialworking group and the regional reference groups, the Centre against Human Trafficking (CMM)has contributed to effective coordination, knowledge dissemination, and empowerment ofcontributing organisations.
Based on the evaluation, the third national action plan for combating trafficking in human beingswas launched in June 2011 (2011-2014). The action plan ensures that victim identification is furtherdeveloped, especially within the group of foreign women in prostitution.
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As part of the outreach work, meeting points with health clinics have been set up in three differentparts of Denmark. Another important step taken is the guidelines to the prosecution launched inJune 2012 regarding when charges can be withdrawn for victims of trafficking for violations thathave to do with the persons in question being victims of trafficking e.g. forgery of documents inconnection with entry papers.
In 2009, a survey showed that 82 percent of the population knows of trafficking in women toDenmark and 66 percent would contact the Police if they had suspicion of trafficking. In 2011, acampaign addressing young (18-25 year old) sex buyers and potential sex buyers was conducted.The campaign called “Ud med bagmændene” (Goodbye traffickers) was carried out via socialmedia, internet and press-related activities.
The Government is currently carrying out a mapping of the demand for prostitution in Denmarkwith a special focus on human trafficking. The mapping will be finalized during spring 2013, basedon the results new campaign activities will be launched in order to reduce the demand.
In March 2012, the maximum sentence for trafficking in the Danish Criminal Code’s specificprovision on trafficking (section 262a) was raised from 8 to 10 years’ imprisonment and thedefinition of trafficking was expanded to include trafficking for petty crimes.LegislationReflection periodAs stated in Denmark’s 7thperiodic report on the implementation of CEDAW, it appears fromsection 33 (14) in the Danish Aliens Act that a recovery and reflection period of 30 days are grantedto presumed victims of trafficking who do not have permission to stay in Denmark and thereforehave to leave. The reflection period can be prolonged up to a total of 100 days if special reasonsmake it appropriate or if the foreigner accepts an offer of a prepared return and cooperates in theefforts of planning this.
As a part of the Government’s agreement with the party Enhedslisten on the finance bill 2013, itwas agreed to expand the period of 100 days to a total of 120 days. The purpose of this expansion isto improve the planning of the victim’s return to the country of origin. On 30 January 2013, a bill
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which among other things will serve to implement this agreement was presented to the DanishParliament.
Special rules on expulsionIn general, an illegal stay in Denmark results in expulsion and entry prohibition for a specific periodof time. Often victims of trafficking are staying illegally in Denmark when identified. Aiming atsuch cases, it appears from section 26 a in the Danish Aliens Act that special attention should bepaid to whether the circumstances, which would normally result in expulsion, are related to the factthat the person is a victim of trafficking and whether this fact speaks against expulsion.
Residence permitAs stated in Denmark’s 7thperiodic report, a residence permit cannot be granted only for the reasonthat a foreigner has been exposed to trafficking according to the Danish Alien Act. Thus, atrafficked foreigner who risk persecution in his/her home country can be granted asylum, if theforeigner falls within the provisions of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (28 July1951), cf. section 7 (1) (convention status) in the Danish Aliens Act, or if the foreigner risks thedeath penalty or being subjected to torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in caseof return to his/her country of origin, cf. section 7 (2) (protected status) in the Aliens Act.
Residence permit on humanitarian grounds can be granted, if significant humanitarianconsiderations warrant it, for example if the said person suffers from a serious physical orpsychological illness. Residence permit can also be granted, if exceptional reasons make itappropriate. Besides this, temporary residence permits may be granted to trafficked foreigners, ifthe said persons’ stay in Denmark is necessary in connection with criminal investigations orproceedings. The draft bill mentioned above, which was put forward on 30 January 2013, does alsoimply an independent provision in the Aliens Act regarding this in order to clarify the rules.
With reference to the Committee’s concluding observation 33, the Ministry remarks that asylumapplications regarding gender-related abuse or violence will be assessed after section 7 in theDanish Aliens Act, cfr. above, just like any other asylum application. It is an integrated part of theasylum assessment whether a foreigner has been subject to gender-related abuse or violence of suchkind that protection is needed according to this provision. Whether there is a need for protection in
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the individual case, depends of the specific situation and circumstances of the case, and the asylumassessment is made concrete and individually on this background.
Assisted voluntary returnAn offer of a prepared return is given to the presumed victims of trafficking who have to leaveDenmark as they do not fulfil the conditions for residence permit or do not apply for such. The offeraims at providing them with a new start upon return to their country of origin. This offer isconnected with the extended reflexion period mentioned above and will include activities during thestay in Denmark and activities in the home country.
The Danish authorities have since 2008 been engaged with the International Organization forMigration (IOM) in assisting vulnerable migrants in their voluntary return. For further informationregarding the agreement with IOM, please refer to Denmark’s 7thperiodic report. As a part of theproject, IOM monitors, where possible, the reintegration process of the victim of trafficking. Withthe purpose of analysing strengths and weaknesses of the return programme, the Danish Ministry ofJustice published an evaluation of the programme in autumn 2012. One of the results of thisevaluation is that the reintegration period offered to victims of trafficking will be extended fromthree months to six months from the beginning of 2013. The reintegration period for childrenremains the same (up to six months).
Chapter 2: Public LifeArticle 7: Political Rights and ParticipationWomen in politicsIn Denmark, women and men enjoy the samepolitical rights(for further information on the Danishelectoral system see 7thperiodic report). After thegeneral electionsin 2011, women accounted forapproximately 39% of the national parliament (68 out of 175 seats). Party chairman of all threegovernment parties are women and there are 11 female ministers (48%) out of 23 ministers in all.At the local government elections in 2009, the proportion of women in the municipality councilsbecame approximately 32% (from a stable figure on 27% since the mid-eighties) and the number offemale mayors rose to 8 to 12 out of 98. In theregional councils,the number of women was 35%after the 2009 elections. At the elections for theEuropean Parliamentin 2009, 46% of the 13elected Danes were women (37.5% in 2004).
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Women on committees, commissions and boards etc. in the state and local authoritiesAs described in 7thperiodic report sections 8-9 of the Act on Gender Equality stipulate that publiccommittees, commissions and similar bodies set up by a minister should consist of an equal numberof women and men. The proportion of women on reported, newly established committees in thestate sector was 44% in 2009, 39% in 2010 and 42% in 2011.As also described in 7thperiodic report, according to section 10a of the Gender Equality Act,municipalities and regions are required to suggest an equal number of women and men for councils,boards, committees, etc. Presented below is the proportion of women (in percentages) incommittees, councils etc. since 2007.2007MunicipalitiesRegions34%28%200930%44%201134%45%
Source: Biannual Gender Equality Reports from municipalities and regions
Women in management and on boardsThe government is committed to getting more women into management as women are stillunderrepresented in top corporate jobs and corporate boards in the public and private sector. Theproportion of female CEO’s in private companies is only 6.5% and the proportion of women oncompany boards in the largest publicly listed companies just below 12%. During the last 10 years,the efforts to improve women’s access to management positions and company boards have beenbased on several voluntary initiatives.
Three corps of ambassadors for more women in management (2007-2011) have been launched bythe Minister for Gender Equality in collaboration with the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI).The corps consisted of top-managers in large well-known Danish companies. Charter for morewomen in management 2008 – January 2013: Evaluations of the charter in 2010 and 2011 showthat some of companies work very seriously in terms of developing policies and setting goals andtargets figures for more women in management. Operation Chain Reaction (OCR) 2010 – January2013 with the purpose of getting more women on boards of the largest publicly listed companies inDenmark. 55 leading companies have signed OCR. Figures in December 2011 showed that 34% ofthese companies have experienced an increase in the number of women board members. A Danish
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Committee on Corporate Governance has presented recommendations on Corporate Governance fordiversity on boards – also in relation to gender.New legislation regarding women in company boards and management positionsThe voluntary approach has influenced the development in Denmark in a positive direction, but stillthere is room for improvement and as a result of that, the Government’s bill on more women incompany boards and management positions was passed in the Parliament 14 December 2012. Themodel consists of four elements, targeting both private-sector companies and public-sectorcompanies: 1) The 1,100 or so largest companies are required to set atarget figurefor theproportion of the under-represented gender in the supreme management body (board of directors orthe like). 2) The 1,100 or so largest companies must have apolicyfor increasing the proportion ofthe under-represented gender at the management levels of the companies in general. 3) Companiesmustreport onthe status of fulfilment of the target set out in the annual report, including, if so, whythe companies failed to achieve the target set. Moreover, companies must explain the policy in theannual report, how the policy is implemented and what has been achieved. If the companies fail todo so, they may be fined. 4) Regardless of size, state-owned companies must set targets and preparea policy to increase the share of women in management. Local and regional authorities areencouraged to prepare common guidelines for how to increase the share of women in managementat regional or local level.Women in armed forcesSince 2006, young women at the age of 18 have been invited to participate in the Armed ForcesDay along with young men at the same age (for further information see 7thperiodic report). Theinitiative has proven to be a successful way of improving the recruitment of women to the militaryservice. Out of 6119 conscripts 419 women signed on for conscription in 2007 – a 100 % increasecompared to 2006. Likewise, we see a significant increase of women who sign for conscription in2012 where 879 women signed out of a total of 4901. Focus on recruitment and retention of womento and in the Armed Forces has been emphasised by the publication in April 2011 of the Ministry ofDefence’s Diversity Policy which sets out a number of initiatives to retain women in the ArmedForces, including awareness on management levels, drawing up of action plans and analyses of thepossibilities of differentiated career paths. It is to be expected that these initiatives will improve therecruitment and retention of women in the armed forces.
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Article 8: Representing Government. Women AmbassadorsWomen have the same right and opportunity as men to represent the Danish Government at theinternational level. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a staff of 2540 employees (including allstaff categories, i.e. also part-time student assistants etc.) of which 855 persons work inCopenhagen. Without locally employed staff the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a staff of 1281employees. In January 2013, women made up 49 percent of all non-locally employed staff. 710non-locally employed staff members (excluding management level) had an academic degree. 42percent of these staff members were women.
The number of women being appointed at senior level is steadily increasing. At management level(head of department or ambassador), the share of women has increased from 19 percent in 2007 to24 percent in 2013. In the latest nomination round for ambassadors and head of department, 30percent of the positions went to women. However, only 18 percent of the applicants were female.
Article 9: Citizenship/NationalityAs stated in previous reports, the Danish Nationality Act is in full accordance with article 9 of theconvention.Thus, the Danish rules of nationality contain no provisions relating to the automatic lossof nationality upon marriage or in the situation where the spouse changes nationality. Furthermore,it makes no distinction between women and men with regard to loss of Danish nationality.
With regard to subsection 2, a child will acquire Danish nationality if born to a Danish father or aDanish mother. If the parents are not married at the time of birth and if only the father is a Danishnational, the child will only acquire Danish nationality if born in Denmark.
Chapter 3: EducationArticle 10: The education system and gender in generalThe education system and gender in generalIn the educational sector the overall precondition is equality regardless for example gender andethnic origin. All educational opportunities are open to all citizens. Women are doing better thanmen in the Danish education system (figure 1). 88 percent of women who graduated from theDanish primary school in 2011 are expected to achieve vocational qualifications. For men 81
19
percent are expected to do the same. Regardless of ethnic background women do better than men inachieving vocational qualifications.
Figure 1. Expected final education qualifications of a 9th class youth cohort by gender, 2011Men100%90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%0%Women
81%
88%66%53%28%
22%
Vocational qualification
Higher education
Vocationally orientededucation and training
Source: The Ministry of Childen and Education (Profilmodellen 2011)
Day careAll children in Denmark have equal access to day care facilities and are entitled to a day care placefrom the age of 26 weeks until they start school. The parents get a grant for the payment of day carefrom the municipality. The guaranteed full-time day care supports the parents in participating in thelabour market while having small children and thereby supports both women's and men'sopportunities on the labour market. There is an even gender distribution within the day care system.83.1 percent of the boys from 0-5 years old and 82.7 percent of the girls are enrolled in day care.1The gender distribution is based on the 96 percent of the children in day care, where we know thegender. Fewer immigrants and descendants from non-Western countries than ethnic Danish childrenin the age group 0-9 years are enrolled in the day care system (14 percentage points fewer).
All day-care facilities must prepare an educational curriculum that describes the local goals of theday-care facility in respect of children’s learning. The educational curriculum must contribute toensuring that all day-care facilities focus on each child's potential and skills independent of forinstance the gender of the child.1
The gender distribution is based on the 96 percent of the children in day care, where we know the gender.
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Primary and Lower Secondary EducationThere is an even gender distribution in the Primary and Lower Secondary Education. In the schoolyear 2011/12, 51.3 percent of the pupils were boys and 48.7 percent girls. The girls’ grades in themandatory exams for the summer 2012 for the pupils who completed the ”Folkeskole” (publicschool) are in average better than the boys’ (0.6 gradepoints difference).
The objectives of the Folkeskole are i.a. to reduce and prevent gender stereotypes. It is stated in theobjects clause of the act on the Folkeskole that the teaching and the daily life in school shall buildon intellectual freedom, equality and democracy, and the school shall prepare the students for rightsand duties in a society based on these values.
The teaching in the subjects of the Folkeskole, in particular social studies, history as well as health,sexuality and family knowledge, aim among other things at enabling the pupils to relate to anddiscuss gender roles, gender stereotyping and equality. For example women’s suffrage is one of 29mandatory events to be covered in history, building on which the instruction should cover genderequality more generally. The binding learning goals for both social studies and history includeprinciples of equality in general which is to form a starting point for discussions of equality inspecific contexts, including gender equality. In health, sexuality and family knowledge, themandatory learning goals include learning about the impact of gender stereotypes on oneself andgroups and enabling students to understand and form an informed opinion on influences on identity,gender roles and sexuality, including from cultural norms, media and peers.Gender stereotyped educational choicesIn Denmark, the proportion of girls and boys taking a long-cycle higher education is equally large,and the trend is that girls enter the educational system to a higher degree than boys. Girls’ and boys’choice of education is, however, highly gender segregated, see above. Therefore, in 2011, theMinister for Gender Equality launched the website fremtidenerdin.dk for the purpose of drawingattention to gender-based educational choices which would enable young people to focus to agreater extent on their competencies than on their gender when choosing education and job.The influence and importance to professional career and education guidance of cultural values,including gender aspects, is also part of the curriculum of the career guidance counsellor’seducation.
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The government has financed ten different projects in 2012 and 2013 on how to get more boys tocomplete an education and how to reduce gender segregated educational choices. In 2011 thegovernment completed the pilot project ’More girls in Natural Sciences and Technology’ wheregirls from the Lower Secondary Education system participated in a training fair where they madeagreements about trainee service at leading companies within technical fields or natural science. Anexternal evaluation of the pilot project concluded that it had successfully engaged girls, and 78percent of them responded that the project had changed positively their view on seeking a careerwithin technical fields or natural sciences.General upper secondary educationGeneral upper secondary education in Denmark comprises four different programmes qualifying thegraduates for higher education. The overall male-female graduate ratio of the programmes was 44-56 in 2011. However, male-female ratios that are quite different. The perspectives of the STX andthe HF programmes are quite wide and have about a 41-59 and a 38-62 male-female graduate ratiorespectively, whereas the HHX programme has a commercial perspective and a 53-47 male-femalegraduate ratio, and the HTX programme has a technical perspective and a 76-24 male-femalegraduate ratio.
As part of the structural changes in the STX programme in 2004, a compulsory basic naturalscience course was created. This course, “naturvidenskabeligt grundforløb”, has been instrumentalin changing the introduction to science for girls, hence increasing the number of girls graduatingwithin science subjects. Statistics have shown an 8% increase of students graduating with highestlevel of mathematics and physics and chemistry on at least standard level (2007-2011). This generalincrease in the science graduates has occurred without losing the girls, as the distribution betweenthe sexes are on a similar level. The main influence of women’s choice of education has been foundto be their teacher. The goal is therefore to strengthen “naturvidenskabeligt grundforløb” further tocreate the best possible environment for obtaining an equal gender distribution in scienceeducations.Vocational Education and Training (VET)In Denmark, women and men have equal access to vocational education and training (VET) whichis targeted at the individual pupil to ensure high completion rates, regardless of gender. All studentshave access to student grant, trainee pay and reimbursement of travel, and boarding schools, alsoregardless their gender. The education alters between school education and employment in a22
company. Vocational training reflects the labour market, thus some VET courses attract more pupilsof one gender than of the other. However, no pupil is prevented from choosing a specific educationdue to gender. The sex ratio is almost equal in VET. Since 2008, all VET colleges have drafted anannual action plan in order to increase the completion rate among both women and men.Access to higher educationAdmission to higher education in Denmark is based on the qualifications of the applicants. Theapplicants are admitted through two quotas: quota 1 and quota 2. In quota 1, acceptance is based onthe general point average (GPA) from upper secondary education. In quota 2, applicants areselected through an assessment based on individual relevant qualifications of the applicant. Genderdoes not constitute a specific qualification and the educational institutions are not allowed to selectapplicants based on their gender.
As shown in table 1, the majority of entrants to higher education programmes in Denmark arewomen.
Table 1: New entrants into higher education by gender and origin, 2005-2011GenderMenOriginDanish originImmigrants anddescendantsTotalWomenDanish originImmigrants anddescendantsTotalShare of womenAll60.36559.94262.70061.49270.66079.59583.785Source: Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education based on data from Statistics DenmarkNote: For a small number of students origin is unknown. They are included in the total.4.62933.68055,8%4.69534.32357,3%5.45135.85057,2%5.89934.58556,2%7.16639.67056,1%7.92543.92455,2%7.69845.90254,8%3.91326.68528.5503.71325.61929.0824.32826.85029.8064.97026.90727.9715.88130.99031.6066.58535.67134.9286.55137.88336.447200522.257200621.433200722.051200821.370200924.425201028.145201129.636
Some higher education programmes have a gender imbalance. Women are overrepresented atwelfare education programmes, such as nursing and kindergarten educator programmes. Men areoverrepresented in the technical sciences. There is no national strategy or initiatives to ensure that
23
the underrepresented gender applies for admission to specific programmes. However, educationalinstitutions can choose to run targeted information campaigns.Completion of higher educationMore men than women drop out of higher education programmes. Institutions’ initiatives to ensurethat more students complete their higher education programme address both women and men.Women with other ethnic backgrounds than Danish complete higher education programmes at thesame level as other Danish women. The number of men with other ethnic backgrounds than Danishadmitted to higher education programmes is lower than the number of other Danish men andcompletion rates of men with other ethnic backgrounds than Danish are also lower than otherDanish men.
Table 2: Drop-out rates from higher education by gender and origin, 2005-2011GenderMenOriginDanish originDescendants ofimmigrantsImmigrantsTotalWomenDanish originDescendants ofimmigrantsImmigrantsTotalAll20,0%19,0%16,0%22,0%21,0%21,0%21,0%18,0%27,0%18,0%17,0%26,0%18,0%20,0%26,0%17,0%24,0%29,0%21,0%22,0%28,0%20,0%23,0%27,0%20,0%22,0%27,0%20,0%23,0%34,0%21,0%17,0%23,0%33,0%20,0%17,0%17,0%29,0%15,0%17,0%26,0%35,0%22,0%20,0%27,0%34,0%22,0%19,0%27,0%32,0%22,0%19,0%27,0%32,0%22,0%19,0%200520,0%200619,0%200714,0%200820,0%200920,0%201021,0%201121,0%
Source: Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education based on data from Statistics Denmark
Students are entitled to public financial support for his or her further education – regardless ofsocial standing. If students have a child during or shortly before their education, they can get specialfinancial support. A mother can get one year extra support, and a father can get half a year extrasupport.Women in academia
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Gender equality continues to be a high priority in the world of Danish research. To this effect, theformer Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation held a round table discussion on "womenand research" in 2009 where Danish universities and research institutions participated. Thediscussion resulted in several specific initiatives and a brochure on "best practice" that serve asencouragement and inspiration to other institutions. Today all Danish universities have similargender equality initiatives specific to the university.
Table 3: Number of professors, associate professors and assistant professors & postdocs at theuniversities in Denmark in 2000, 2006, 2009 and 2011, by gender and level of appointment20001MenProfessorAssoc. prof.Asst. prof./postdocTotal94129277684636Women748174321323W-%7,321,836,022,2Men12002708111950272006Women W-%162907738180711,925,139,726,4Men14282959164260292009Women W-%2621188983243315,528,637,428,8Men15163051178363502011Women W-%29412181216272816,228,540,530,1
Postdocs are not included in 2000.Source: Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education
Research fundingFrom 2008 to 2009, the Danish Council for Independent Research had an instrument called “FemaleResearch Leaders”. The instrument was targeted women at minimum associate professor level.After this initiative, the Council decided to focus initiatives aimed at female researchers in theSapere Aude programme. The program aims to strengthen talented researchers, to encourage morewomen to become research leaders, and also to qualify Danish researchers for European eliteresearcher grants. The programme was launched in 2010 and will continue in 2013.
In March 2013, the Danish Council for Independent Research will organise a conference for thecouncil members. The theme of the conference is Gender in research. An element in this conferenceis to follow up on the council’s initiatives for female researchers in the last decade.
Table 4: Success rates by gender, 2005-2009 (%)MainThe Danish Council for Independent ResearchSuccess rates for number of applications *applicantWomenMen20053235200632402007263320082432200916202010151920111416
25
Success rates for amounts applied for **The Danish Council for Strategic ResearchSuccess rates for number of applications *Success rates for amounts applied for *** Number of grants divided by number of applications** The amount granted divided by the amount applied forSource: Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education
WomenMenWomenMenWomenMen
151815231017
172120211817
141921302126
121611201220
914817619
11141113915
1014915914
As shown in table 4, the success rates for female applicants are lower than for male applicants at theDanish Councils for Independent and Strategic Research. Moreover, fewer women than men applyfor research grants at the councils. Less than one third of the applicants are women. Thiscorresponds roughly to the share of females in the academic staff at the Danish universities. Itshould be noted that there is a limit to the Ph.D. age in specific instruments in the Council’s callsfor proposals. However, maternity leave can be subtracted from the period with a factor 1.5. Oneyear of absence thus counts as 1.5 years of absence to take into account the difficulties of returningto research after having had children.
Article 11: The Situation in the Labour MarketWomen in the workforce in DenmarkWomen constitute 48 per cent of the entire workforce. Women’s participation rate is lower thanmen’s. The participation rate for women was 71.5 per cent in 2011. In comparison, men’sparticipation rate was 75.7 percent. The gap between women’s and men’s participation rate hascontinuously been narrowing. In 2011, it was 4 per cent. In 2006, it was 6 percent.
In 2011, the workforce, which includes all employed and unemployed persons, totalled 2.76 millionfull-time persons. Women accounted for 1.36 million of these, which corresponds to 48 percent ofthe entire workforce.Table 1Participation rate by gender, 2001-2011M ændKvinderForskel200182,976,06,9200282,776,26,5200381,675,26,4200481,375,36,0200581,075,06,0200681,275,35,9200781,876,25,6200881,876,35,5200978,973,55,4201076,572,44,1201175,771,54,2
The participation rate for immigrant and ethnic minority women is lower than for ethnic women,but increasing. In 2011, the participation rate for immigrant and ethnic minority women was 50.826
percent. Women irrespective of their ethnic background do better than men in the educationsystem. Ethnic minority women follow the success of ethnic Danish girls.Unemployment rateWomen’s unemployment rate has been lower than men’s during the economic crisis. However,during 2012, men’s and women’s unemployment rates follow the same pattern.Figure 1.Unemployment rate in per cent by gender, Jan. 2007 – Oct. 2012Procent876543210KvinderMændProcent876543210
Ban on discrimination••••Gender discrimination has been forbidden in all walks of life since 2000.On the labour market, gender discrimination has been forbidden since 1978.Both direct and indirect discrimination is forbidden. Especially discrimination duringpregnancy and maternity leave is forbidden.Harassment and sexual harassment are considered discrimination on the grounds of gender.
The enforcement of the ban on discrimination still takes place within the system set up for thesettlement of industrial disputes, the ordinary civil courts of law and the Gender Equality Board.Most of the cases dealt with concern dismissal during pregnancy and maternity, sexual harassmentand equal pay cases.The gender-segregated labour market and the pay differentials
jan-0ap 7r-07jul-0ok 7t-0ja 7n-0ap 8r-08jul-0ok 8t-0ja 8n-0ap 9r-09jul-0ok 9t-0ja 9n-1ap 0r-10jul-1ok 0t-1ja 0n-1ap 1r-11jul-1ok 1t-1ja 1n-1ap 2r-12jul-1ok 2t-12
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The gender-segregated labour market is considered the most important reason for the paydifferentials between women and men. Therefore, the two gender equality challenges are dealt withtogether.•A little more than half of all female employees and about 21 percent of men are employed inthe public sector. A larger number of men are employed in the private sector. In localgovernment, there are more than three times as many female as male employees. Bycontrast, there are slightly more men than women employed in the state sector.•
On average, men earn more than women. The naked pay differentials reflect among otherthings differences in the trades they work in, differences in the jobs they perform, anddifferences in the personal characteristics such as educational level and work experience.Today, discrimination is a minor problem.
Pay development for women and menIn 2011, the hourly earnings (exclusive of inconvenience premium) were DKK 252.4 for menemployed in the private sector against close to DKK 215.5 for women, cf. Figure 2. Thatcorresponds to a pay differential of 17 percent.Figure 2.Pay differentials (earnings exclusive of inconvenience premium per hour performed) for employees inthelocal government, state and private sectorsby gender, 2011Kroner per time300,0MændKvinderKroner per time300,0
250,017 pct.200,0
9 pct.11 pct.
250,0
200,0
150,0
150,0
100,0
100,0
50,0
50,0
0,0Den private sektorDen statslige sektorDen kommunale sektor
0,0
28
Source: Statistics Denmark - www.statistikbanken.dk
In November 2008, the Danish National Centre for Social Research published an updated version ofa report on wage differences between men and women, first published in 2004.
The 2008 report analyses the wage differences between men and women in the period 1996-2006.The first report from 2001 concluded that men on average earn 12 to 19 percent more than women,depending on the method applied. The 2008 report finds that this wage gap has not changed duringthe 10 year period. The Danish National Centre for Social Research is updating the analysis in thespring 2013. The result is expected in September 2013.
Concrete Initiatives on the gender-segregated labour market and equal payIn relation to the Government’s gender equality strategy, the following concrete initiatives havebeen taken since the seventh report:
The Government’s effort on equal pay and the gender-segregated labour market is very complexand is conducted in dialogue with companies and the social partners in recognition of the fact thatpromoting equal pay takes place at the workplace and during the collective bargaining.
The Equal Pay Act provides protection against discrimination, and the courts of law, the Board ofEqual Treatment and industrial arbitration deal with such cases. Since the seventh report, the courtsof law have dealt with three cases and the Board of Equal Treatment has dealt with six cases.
The Social Partners are aware of their crucial role in this field, so it is thoroughly debated howcompanies and employees may change their attitudes in order to admit more women to well-paidmale dominated jobs. This approach makes it possible to deal with equal pay, the gender-segregatedlabour market, and the reconciliation of working life and family life at the same time.
The debate takes place among other things at equal pay seminars organised by the Ministry ofEmployment where researchers and experts discuss various gender equality subjects. Examples ofgender equality subjects are: the significance of the gender-segregated labour market to paydifferentials between women and men; what is the significance of taking maternity leave to theindividual woman’s pay conditions; and corporate gender-segregated pay statistics.
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As of 1 January 2007, all major enterprises are required to draw up gender-segregated pay statistics.It means that many enterprises for the first time are required to work on equal pay. Cooperation onequal pay in the enterprises becomes a top priority. Therefore, it is the enterprises that already havegathered experience from joint consultation committees that are to draw up gender-segregated paystatistics. It is only major enterprises that are required to do so. The legislation is to be revised inorder to include a bigger number of companies and to give the employees more knowledge aboutthe pay situation of women and men in their company.Maternity, paternity and parental leave•On average, women received maternity benefits in 276 days in 2010, whereas men receivedpaternity and parental benefits in 26 days on average. Men’s paternity and parental leaveconstitutes 9 percent of the entire leave.•In some cases, the person concerned gets paid by the employer in connection withconfinement. In these cases, benefits are paid to the employer.The rules on maternity, paternity and parental leave were amended in 2002 and extended in order toimprove the parents’ leave conditions in connection with childbirth. Reference was made to theregulations in the sixth and seventh report. The regulations have not been amended since 2002, butthe Government is considering earmarking some of the benefits during parental leave in order toensure that both parents are entitled to their own benefits during parental leave. The economiccompensation is full benefits for 12 months which amount to DKK 208,000 pr. year in 2013.Furthermore, a large and increasing number of employers provide pay during leave in connectionwith childbirth for a large part of the leave period.Mothers’ and fathers’ use of maternity, paternity and parental leaveIn 2006, a total of 148,073 persons received benefits in connection with the birth of a child. Out ofthese, women accounted for 68.1 per cent. On average, women received maternity benefits in 27.2weeks in the course of 2006 whereas men received paternity benefits in 3.7 weeks on average, cf.Table 1.Table 2.Total leave with benefits in connection with childbirth measured in days, etc. 2004 – 201020042006200820092010Father’s leave1822262626
30
Mother’s leaveSource: Statistics Denmark
272
275
276
277
276
When the leave period is calculated per child in the year of the birth and the following year, thefather’s share was 9 percent and the mother’s 91 percent in 2010, cf. Table 2. It is expected thatfathers will make use of parental leave to an increasing extent, as pay during parental leave for bothparents is becoming increasingly prevalent.
In 2006, a state equalisation scheme in connection with childbirth was introduced. All employersare required to contribute to the scheme even if they do not provide pay during maternity/paternityand parental leave, nor have any employees who are to take a leave period in connection with thebirth of a child. The objective of the scheme is to ensure that it is not only women-dominated tradesthat have to bear the payroll costs during the leave period. In 2013, the equalisation scheme isextended to include self-employed persons.Part-time work/reduced hours/working hours••In 2011, there were more women than men who worked less than 37 hours per week. Bycontrast, there were more men than women who worked 37 hours or more.In 2011, the average weekly working hours for women were 32.1 hours whereas menworked on average 37.7 hours a week.The Convention on Migrant WorkersThe Convention on protection of Migrant Workers and their families is not ratified in Denmark. Thenumber of people living and working outside their countries of origin is estimated to have increasedsince 1975. Denmark has not ratified the convention, adopted by the UN in 1990, due to theuncertainness of the consequences for the regulation of social protection.Women EntrepreneursSince taking office in 20011, the Danish Government has put a lot of attention on promotingentrepreneurship. It has implemented more than 50 different initiatives through five action plans.The initiatives are focused on improving entrepreneurial conditions in Denmark. The initiatives areall general as favourable conditions are conducive for everybody. It is not a political priority to haveentrepreneurial objectives targeted specific groups. Therefore Denmark does not have publicschemes for promoting or supporting women entrepreneurs.
31
In the last European Social Fund program period (2000-2006), quite a number of Danish projectssupported by the fund were directed at women. The experiences gathered from these projects arecollected and will be used for the purpose of future initiatives and programmes. In the programperiod 2007-2011 projects with a strong focus on equal opportunities were prioritized.
In Denmark, around 25 percent of the entrepreneurs are women. The share fell slightly between2001 and 2004. The figures cover all new enterprises including companies, sole proprietorship andpartnerships.200174,625,4100200274,725,3100200375,424,6100200475,924,1100
MaleFemaleAll
The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor can be used to compare Denmark with other countries. Fromtheir survey, it can be seen that 3.30% of Danish women in 2006 were engaged in early stageentrepreneurial activity – whereas the figures for Sweden and Norway was 2.43% and 5.87%,respectively. UK was 3.61% and the Netherlands was 3.60%. The Danish share is a little below theaverage for the 19 European countries that participated in the GEM analysis.
There are a number of different reasons for the lower number of female entrepreneurs. One reasonis that a large proportion of Danish women tend to take an education that leads to employment inthe public sector where entrepreneurial opportunities are limited. Denmark does not have a specificpolicy on promoting female entrepreneurs. Women have the same opportunities to take use of thegeneral promotion of businesses as men, although the Danish Government has a certain focus onpromoting female entrepreneurs in Denmark since it gives potential for growth. Thus, the DanishGovernment has financed the initiative “Women can” which contains examples on how womenhave established successful businesses.
Over the last years, 1 out of 4 entrepreneurs has been a woman. Since 2007, the share of femaleentrepreneurs is around 28 percent. Thus, Denmark is at the same level as Norway and Sweden. Thestarting point is that women are encouraged to start up a business but by using the same possibilitiesand initiatives as other entrepreneurs – this way we do not operate with two parallel systems.
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To make use of the potential among female entrepreneurs and new female entrepreneurs, the DanishBusiness Authority has initiated “Women can”. This initiative is anchored in regional growthcentres and implemented in collaboration with a number of the players within this field.
Among the Danish initiatives are:
The publication “Woman can” containing examples on businesses established by women.The website “virksomhedskvinder.dk” containing offers to female entrepreneurs, genderspecific statistic, role models, cases and events.Regional courses on development for female entrepreneurs to clarify growth potential andstrengthen their development.Events with role models.Interventions targeted at young students focused on innovation and entrepreneurship.Yearly updates of gender specific statistics.
Statistics show that women and men differ in certain areas:
Female entrepreneurs have a longer education and less business experience than men whenthey start up their business.More women than men start up business in industries with low growth potential.Women often change industry when they start up business. Therefore they lack industryknowledge which reduces the growth potentials and survival.Every 10 female entrepreneur is a single parent compared with only 2 percent of men.There is a higher share of female entrepreneurs than men who are without job the yearbefore the start up their business.Most women are compared to men employed in the public sector. The vast majority ofentrepreneurs – regardless of gender – come from the private sector. Few take the plungefrom the public sector to entrepreneurship.
Article 12: HealthIn Denmark, women and men have equal access to health care services. The governmentcontinuously evaluates the prioritisation of gender related health issues and prevention programmes33
addressing health issues, particularly related to women’s health, e.g. a national screeningprogramme for breast cancer for woman aged 50-69 was initiated in 2007.HPV vaccine for cervical cancerSince 1 January 2009, all girls between the age of 12 and 14 are offered the HPV vaccine forcervical cancer free of charge as part of the childhood immunisation programme. In addition, catch-up programmes targeted at girls and young women born after 1984 have been carried out – also freeof charge.FertilityWomen’s fertility has increased from 1.4 children per woman in the middle of the 1980s to 1.9 in2006. During the same period, the average age for women giving birth increased from 27.7 years in1985 to 30.2 years in 2005 and to 30.9 years in 2011. The average age for first-time mothers was28.9 years in 2005 and 29.1 years in 2011. The percentage of mothers aged 35 or older was 20.3percent in 2009, 20.8 percent in 2010, and 21.4 percent in 2011. The number of live births hasdecreased from approximately 65,000 in 2008 to 59,000 in 2011. In 2010, approximately 30,000treatments (both insemination and in vitro fertilisation) were initiated which resulted in 4,200 birthsand 4,700 children. As a result, approximately 8 percent of the live births were initiated withassisted reproduction.Maternity careA new set of National Guidelines to Maternity Care were published in 2009 and updated in 2012.The guidelines form the basis of the services offered to pregnant women and their families by theDanish public health care system, including issues related to health promotion, prevention, andmedical treatment in relation to pregnancy, birth, and postnatal care. The Danish maternity care isdifferentiated. Thus, special services are available to vulnerable pregnant women and their families.Right to abortionSince 1973, women in Denmark have had a right to legally induced abortions. According to thehealth care act, women have the right to an induced abortion before the end of the 12th week ofpregnancy. The abortion rate in Denmark has been declining since 1989; from 16.5 abortions per1,000 women in 1989 to 12.2 per 1,000 women in 2006. From 2007 – 2010, the induced abortionrate was constant at approximately 16,000 a year. Of these, 96 percent were within 12 weeks. In2010, the induced abortion rate was 13 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-49. Also, the number ofwomen under the age of 20 having induced abortion is decreasing – from 17.7 induced abortions34
per 1,000 women in 2008 to 15 per 1,000 women in 2010. Among women aged 20-24 – the groupwith the highest rate of induced abortions – there has been a slight increase and in 2010 there were25.6 abortions per 1,000 women. From 1999 – 2003, an action plan was implemented to decreasethe number of induced abortions. DKK 20 million was granted to this plan. The action plan wascontinued from 2004 – 2007 where DKK 14 million was granted to continue on-going activities.These activities focused on providing information to the general public and identifying vulnerablegroups, e.g. young people and immigrants from non-westerns countries.
As a follow-up to the above-mentioned action plan, DKK 19.2 million has been allocated (from2008 – 2011) to support initiatives to reduce the number of induced abortions and sexuallytransmitted infections. From 2011, funding has been allocated to continue activities targeting youthand ethnic minorities. Furthermore, funding has been allocated to strengthen the counselling ofwomen seeking induced abortion. In 2011, “prevention packages” (see further below) weredeveloped, incl. a package on sexual health, which provides recommendations for initiatives tostrengthen sexual health education to children and young people, as well as recommendations forinitiatives targeting adult, elderly and disabled persons. Funding is planned for 2011 – 2015.Prevention packagesAs part of the Government platform 2012, the Danish government will launch national goals for thestate of health. These goals will set the frame for all participants, including the healthcare services,social and employment services departments, environmental management department, and schoolmanagement in the municipalities. The aim is to make the municipalities focus on health in allpolicies, service departments and sectors. The national goals will address the underlyingdeterminants and risk factors – tobacco, inappropriate use of alcohol, physical inactivity, obesity,and mental health. Focus will be on inequity in health where impaired social conditions and pooreducational background are important determinants. The recommendations describe in detail whichhealth promoting and preventive measures the municipalities should implement over the next 10years. The prevention packages focus on how municipalities can ensure that e.g. adolescents, ethnicminority groups and vulnerable groups receive the necessary advice, information and treatment.Life expectancy 2012In 2011, life expectancy for Danish women was 81.6 years, and, on the average, women lived 4.3years longer than men (77.3 years) in 2011. In 2000, the difference between women’s and men’s
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life span was 4.7 years. From 2000-2011, the life expectancy for women increased by 2.4 years(from 79.2 to 81.6 years), while men gained 2.8 years (from 74.5 to 77.3 years).Tobacco smokingThe number of daily smokers in Denmark is declining – from 43 percent in 1990 to 17 percent in2012 (15 year +). 5 percent reported to be occasional smokers. The number of smokers among menand women is equal. The share of heavy smokers (15 or more cigarettes a day) has also declined forboth men and women. In 2012, the level of heavy smokers was 7 percent of women and 9 percentof men. Age standardized death caused by lung cancer is slowly decreasing for men, and after asteady increase over the past 30 years for women, we now see a small decline in 2011. Deathcaused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is increasing for both genders.Health and prevention for foreign womenOver the last years, disease prevention and health promotion targeted at ethnic minorities have beena highly prioritized area in many municipalities, especially those with large cities. Severalinitiatives have been implemented. Women have been the direct target of several initiatives,including on reproductive health and family health in general. In many municipalities, peereducators of different ethnic origin have been trained with the intent to create health promotingnetworks among women living in socially disadvantaged communities by offering e.g. physicalactivities and lessons in childcare and nutrition.
In relation to antenatal care, several hospitals with a high proportion of ethnic minorities in theiruptake areas offer special group consultations for non-Danish speaking women or consultationswith midwifes especially trained in working with ethnic minority women. The National Health andMedicines Authority has initiated a pilot project across the country implementing outreach antenatalcare for socially disadvantaged women, including ethnic minorities. In 2011, the Red Cross andother partners opened the first free walk-in health clinic for undocumented migrants. The staff at theclinic is all volunteer doctors, nurses, midwifes etc.HIV/AIDSEvery citizen in Denmark has equal access to knowledge, information treatment and care, includingin the field of HIV and AIDS. Between 1990 and 2011, 1688 women were diagnosed with HIV inDenmark (27 % of all); 2/3 of which were of non-ethnic Danish background and born abroad. Mostof the HIV positive immigrants living in Denmark have been infected in their country of origin. In
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2011, 74 women were newly reported as having HIV and 19 women with AIDS. To improveinterventions targeted at ethnic minority groups, the Danish NGO, AIDS Foundation, runs an ethnicsecretariat called Cross-Over which is publically funded and works towards strengthening ethnicequality in the area of HIV/AIDS, other STI´s and unwanted pregnancies. Cross-Over offerscounselling on e.g. HIV/AIDS via telephone or in person at any location agreed upon with thecounsellor. Cross-Over's project engages in partnerships with ethnic minority associations andorganisations. . Cross-Over supports the partner organisations with both health professional aspectsand financial assistance, and the partner organisations contributes with knowledge on specificcultural and linguistic matters relevant to the project. Projects have included, for example,"Information about reproductive health to Somalis in the Copenhagen area".
Checkpoints in Copenhagen, Odense and Aarhus offer anonymous and free of charge HIV testingand counselling by specially trained peers within an hour for all persons with another ethnicbackground than Danish. Counselling can take place in Danish and English or in Turkish inCopenhagen, and in French in Odense.Violence against womenIn Denmark, violence against women is an infringement of the Danish Criminal Code, and theGovernment regards violence against women as a serious gender equality problem. Denmark hasestablished a national support system allowing all women who are victims of violence or threats ofviolence shelters, psychological, social and judicial services, health treatment and labour marketsupport. The social and health services that are triggered by domestic violence are defined by lawe.g. shelters for women. For women in shelters who have children a special framework for supportconcerning rehabilitation, schools, and safe conditions for the children, housing, relation to job etc.are established by law. Also, the judicial system takes the necessary actions to punish perpetratorsand support the victims. During the last years, private organisations dealing with counselling of menwho have a violent behaviour in intimate relations temporarily have been funded by the state.In addition to these permanent services, three national action plans to combat violence in intimaterelations against women have been launched since 2002. In general, the action plans focus on:Support for the victims, treatment of perpetrators, training of professionals, and collection anddissemination of knowledge. An external evaluation of the action plans state that the plans have hada positive effect. Victims have become more aware of their rights and the different possibilities forreceiving support and counselling. Likewise, professionals and perpetrators have become more
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aware of the possibilities for treatments for violent behaviour and as a result more perpetratorsreceive treatment. The different initiatives in the action plans have contributed to an improvementof the knowledge about violence in the family. This knowledge has to a certain extent beendisseminated to the relevant authorities and professional. The institution set-up with an inter-ministerial coordinating working-group is regarded by authorities and NGOs as important andsuccessful.
Furthermore, the evaluation states that the widespread efforts of the action plans have contributed tobreaking the silence surrounding domestic violence and have added to the decrease in the number offemale victims of domestic violence.
Violence against women (age: 16-74)Violence in generalViolence in intimaterelations20002005201064.00070.00083.00042.000 (2.5 %)33.000 (1.7 %)29.000 (1.4 %)
Dating violence against women (age: 16-24)Dating violence against women2007201113.000 (4.7 %)9.500 (3.2 %)
The action plans are implemented by a cross-ministerial working group led by the Ministry ofGender Equality and Ecclesiastical Affairs.
The external evaluation of the action plans also showed that: Victims have become more aware oftheir rights and offers for support/advice; professionals and perpetrators have become more awareof possibilities for treatment (of violent behaviour) and as a result of that more perpetrators receivetreatment; the action plans initiatives have contributed to an improvement of the knowledge aboutviolence in the family. The knowledge has to a certain extent been disseminated to relevant
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authorities and professionals and the institutional set-up with an inter-ministerial coordinatingworking group is regarded by authorities and NGOs as important and successful.
Examples from the current action plan of efforts to eliminate domestic violence:A major capacity-building effort directed at various groups of personnel in themunicipalities can be noted as a great success. The day-long course within various themesregarding violence in the family is offered for free to all 98 municipalities in Denmark until31.07.13. As of 01.12.2012, 61 municipalities have booked the course, 44 courses have beenheld and all together 3018 municipal professionals have attended the course.In addition to the course for municipal professionals, an e-guide with essential informationabout violence in the family has been developed. See:http://www.servicestyrelsen.dk/udsatte/vold-i-familien.Here focus is on information on howto spot signs of violence and act on knowledge or suspicion of violence in a family that theymeet through their work.A “Giveviolence against women the red card”campaign was running from June 2011 toMarch 2013. The campaign has been developed by the Ministry of Gender Equality incooperation with the National Football Association and male players from the nationalfootball team and the national handball team. The campaign is supported by local footballclubs. The campaign has a site on Facebook where people can support the message thatviolence against women is unacceptable. The 2011 campaign gathered around 850 “likes”on Facebook and the 2012 campaign so far has gathered 5,800 “likes”.Funds have been allocated for a chat and atelephone hotlinefor young people exposed toviolence from a girl- or a boyfriend. In this context, the volunteers who staff the hotline havebeen trained. An evaluation shows that girls are more inclined to use the hotline than boysand that youngster down to the age of 13 experience dating violence.With funding from the Minister for Gender Equality, LOKK (National Organisation ofWomen’s Shelters in Denmark) has developed an app for smartphones on dating violencefor girls and boys between 13 – 24 years. The aim of the app is to inform about and preventdating violence. The app has been a huge success. In the first three months of the project, theapp was downloaded 4644 times (three times more than expected for a whole year) andthere were more than 4000 clicks on prominent banners on dating violence on websites for
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young people. Finally, short movies on dating violence posted on YouTube have beenviewed 34,534 times (the original target was 800 views).Police filter against child pornographyThe internet providers in Denmark, Save The Children and the National Police have had a verygood cooperation in running the so-called “Child Sexual Abuse Anti Distribution Filter” since2004. As of today, access to approximately 3200 illegal websites is being blocked by Danishinternet providers. The filter makes it possible to block websites with illegal content that are nothosted in Denmark. The Danish police are exchanging information with other law enforcementagencies around the world on a regular basis regarding illegal websites and are also contributing tothe Interpol “Worst of” list.
Article 13: Gender Equality in Other Areas of the Financial and Social LifeThe right to family benefitsAs mentioned in Denmark’s 7thperiodic report the Danish legislation contains no official definitionof family policy, but the expression is usually used about measures to support families withchildren. Present Danish family policy covers a far broader field than previously and thus solves notonly income support problems, but increasingly intervenes with prevention and rehabilitation.Family allowanceThe family allowance comprises a tax-free financial assistance to persons with children under theage of 18 must be living in Denmark. Special rules apply to the EU member states and certain othercountries. The child must not be supported by public funds, for example if public authorities haveplaced the child in care. At least one of the persons having custody of the child must be fully liableto pay tax in Denmark, and the recipient must have had at least 2 years of residence or employmentin Denmark in a 10-year reference period prior to each benefit instalment to receive the full benefit(a shorter period gives entitlement to a reduced family allowance).Child allowancePlease refer to Denmark’s 7threport for a detailed explanation on child allowance in Denmark.
As is the case for family allowance (see above), the recipient must have had at least 2 years ofresidence or employment in Denmark in a 10-year reference period prior to each benefit instalmentto receive the full benefit (a shorter period gives entitlement to a reduced child allowance).40
Article 14: Rural WomenMost women residing in rural areas in Denmark hold jobs in sectors other than the agricultural one.Their lives are not distinctly different from those of women in urban areas. Overall women residingin rural areas cannot be regarded neither as a vulnerable group, nor as a group with a high risk ofbeing subject to violence and discrimination.
Living standards for families in Danish rural areas are in general similar to living standards in urbanareas. Women in rural areas have the same rights as everybody else in Denmark: Free admittance toschools and education for all, access to free medical assistance, to free social services assistance etc.
Thus, concerning all issues listed in article 14 (subparagraph a-h), it can be concluded that womenresiding in rural areas enjoy the same rights and opportunities as other Danish citizens.Consequently, there is no need to apply special measures to abolish discrimination.
Chapter 4: Legal Capacity and Marriage and FamilyArticle 15: Legal CapacityMen and women are equal before the law and enjoy equal rights to hold property. Men and womenhave the same right of access to the judicial system and to receive equal treatment before the courts.
Article 16: Marriage and Family RelationsDenmark has since the 7th periodic report to CEDAW intensified the efforts against forcedmarriage and other honour related violence. Efforts include awareness-raising and securing therights of minority women with regards to gender equality.
Denmark has among other things launched a four-year programme for frontline employees on howto deal with honour related conflicts. Other initiatives include the establishment of i) a shelter foryoung couples escaping from forced marriage or other honour related violence, ii) a professionalcorps of mediators, iii) a team of young role models with ethnic minority background to advise on
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honour, marriage etc., iv) launched mentor projects and an attitude campaign, and v) a nationaladvice unit for municipalities.Social control among immigrant youths is widespread2Accordingly, in July 2012, the Minister of Social Affairs and Integration launched a NationalStrategy against honour related conflicts. The strategy consists of more than 30 initiatives and aimsto ensure a decrease of young people who are exposed to honour related conflicts and to provideyoung people with a better understanding of their fundamental rights. There are seven main areas:cooperation among municipalities - and NGOs, education of professionals, a special effort against“re-education-journeys”, support for young people, attitude changing and information campaignsand international cooperation3.
A study conducted by the Danish National Centre for Social Research in 2011 concluded that non-legally binding religious marriages are widespread among some minority groups. For someminority women, it is difficult to obtain their legal right to leave the religious marriage although it isbased on a non-legally binding marriage contract. Accordingly, the Danish Government in 2012drew up an action plan to prevent force and repression in relation to non-legally binding religiousmarriages. The objective is to prevent forced religious marriages among adults as well as minorsand support women in obtaining their equal rights to dissolve the religious marriages.
For details please refer to survey: ”Ung i 2011 – Nydanske unges oplevelse af social kontrol, frihed og grænser”, AlsResearch 2011” atwww.sm.dk/data/Dokumentertilnyheder/2011/Ung%20i%202011_rapport.pdf3
2
Please also see:http://www.sm.dk/Publikationer/Sider/VisPublikation.aspx?Publication=704
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Appendix A
A1Report by the Government of Greenland on theimplementation of CEDAWIntroductionThe Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was ratified byDenmark and entered into force on 21 May 1983. The Convention was ratified without reservation extending toGreenland.Thus, the human rights articulated in the Convention have been applicable to the people of Greenland for threedecades. This is the second report to document the efforts of the Government of Greenland to ensure genderequality in all areas of society administered by Greenland.
Significant developments since the last reportGender equality is a fundamental value in the democracy of Greenland. Thus, the Government of Greenlandstrives to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in all society.Since the 7thperiodic report to CEDAW 2004-2008 efforts have been made to strengthen awareness on genderequality in Greenland through initiatives and legislation:Increased efforts to promote awareness on gender equality through e.g. increased cooperation, seminars,events, websites and a national gender equality day on 20 MayPrepared national strategy and action plan against domestic violence 2013-2016, including variousinitiatives to combat violence against womenPrepared amendments to Parliament of Greenland Act no. 7 of 11 April 2003 on Equality of Womenand Men including additional provisions to:opromote equal representation of women and men on boards in companies owned or partlyowned by the Government of Greenlandoprevent sexual and gender-based harassmentImproved legislation on maternity leave cf. Parliament of Greenland Act no. 14 of 7 December 2009Guidelines for corporate governance in companies, including promotion of diversity and equalitybetween women and menImproved statistics on e.g. violence against women, income differences and women on boards.Establishment of Greenland Council for Human Rights
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Article 1: FoundationWomen and men in Greenland share the same formal rights, obligations and opportunities in society.Greenlandic legislation contains no formal impediment to gender equality.It is stated in the government’s coalition agreement 2009-2013 that equal opportunities and gender equality is acause of national importance in Greenland. Women and men are perceived as equals. Thus, it is a basic principlefor the government to promote equal opportunities in all aspects of life.
Article 2: Constitution and LegislationGreenland is covered by the Constitutional Act of the Kingdom of Denmark of June 1953.On 21 June 2009, the Act on Greenland Self-Government entered into force replacing the former GreenlandHome Rule Act of 29 November 1978, and on 7 October 2009 Denmark submitted a notification on the Act tothe Secretary-General of The United Nations.The Act in its preamble recognizes that the people of Greenland are a people pursuant to international law withthe right to self-determination. The Act provides for Greenland to assume a number of new fields ofresponsibility and thus opens for expansion of further competences and responsibilities to Greenland. Also, theAct describes Greenland’s access to independence.The Parliament of Greenland has passed the following acts on gender equality:Parliament Act no. 5 of 20 may 1998 on the Equal Status Council of GreenlandParliament Act no. 7 of 11 April 2003 on Equality of Women and Men
The Act on the Equal Status Council of Greenland has reinforced the promotion of gender equality, by theestablishment of the council, a secretariat and a grant from the Treasury. The council is obliged to submit anannual report on its work to the Government and Parliament.The Act on Equality of Women and Men is the main act to ensure gender equality in Greenland cf. Article 3.Note:2013 The Government of Greenland has prepared a new act on gender equality, which e.g. tightens upprovisions on mainstreaming through devolution of responsibility.The act compiles the two present main acts on gender equality and includes more explicit provisions on sexualand gender-based harassment in workplaces, a new composition of the Equal Status Council based on the ParisPrinciples and amendments to promote equal gender representation in company boards’ cf. article 11.
Article 3: National Policy. Basic Human Rights andFundamental FreedomsAll Greenlandic legislation is based on equal rights for men and women.Parliament Act no. 7 of 11 April 2003 on Equality of Women and Men encompassesthe following main areas:Promotion of gender equality,wherein public and private employers must integrate and promotegender equality in all planning and administration. Thus, all employers in Greenland are obligated toseek to promote gender equality.
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Employment practices,wherein, inter alia, an employer is not permitted to differentiate ordiscriminate among its employees on basis of genderEqual pay,wherein an employer must offer women and men equal pay for equal work.Commissions, councils etc.,wherein all governmental commissions, councils, representatives etc. thatare appointed by a governmental authority or institution when possible must be assembled so that anequal number of women and men are represented.Parental leave,wherein all employees have the right to be absent from work in connection withpregnancy, child-birth and post-partum, pursuant to current law and/or agreements between therespective labour union and the employer.
The Act on Equality of Women and Men provides women and men a legal right to compensation for e.g.dismissals based on discriminatory treatment.In order to monitor the labour market, all workplaces with 10 or more employees are obligated to file an annualreport to the Minister for Gender Equality, which should include statistics, equality policies and initiatives tosecure/promote gender equality.In addition to general legislation and efforts, the Minister for Gender Equality focuses on special areas ofconcern. See for example efforts to combat domestic violence under Article 12 and initiatives to promotewomen on boards under Article 11.
Article 4: Equality Bodies and Special MeasuresThe Minister for Gender EqualityThe Minister for Gender Equality is responsible for public efforts to promote gender equality. The presentMinister for Gender Equality is also in charge of social welfare, culture and church. The Minister for GenderEquality coordinates the Government’s work on gender equality. Also, the minister represents Greenland in theNordic Council of Ministers for Gender Equality. The Nordic countries' joint cultural, historical and democratictraditions allow them to develop a close and constructive partnership in the areas of gender equality.www.nanoq.gl
The Equal Status CouncilThe Equal Status Council is independent. Cf. Parliament Act on the Equal Status Council the council’s objectiveis to promote equal rights and opportunities for women and men. The council may, at its own initiative or onrequest, investigate gender equality issues in society. The council monitors developments in society and acts as anadvisory body to the government, public authorities and citizens. Furthermore, the council cooperates and servesas a link to Nordic advisory bodies and promotes gender equality through campaigns and a network ofambassadors.www.nali.gl
Promoting gender equalityDuring the 8thperiod the Government of Greenland has worked with NGO’s, Nordic partners, public andprivate organizations etc., to promote different aspects of gender equality including:Focus on women on boards and women in leadership through public meetings and workshops. Effortsto maintain focus have been substantiated through improved statistics and features in news media etc.West Nordic seminar on various gender equality themes attended by politicians, officials and NGO’smainly from Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Concurrently, the Equal Status Council arrangeda West Nordic NGO-meeting on violence against women.
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www.westnordic-equality.orgReport on women and welfare in the West Nordic region regarding welfare questions that areconsidered important for young women in Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands.National conference on domestic violence with special focus on the development of women's shelters inGreenland.Report on gender equality in the labour market including statistics on public and private workplaces,boards, commissions, councils etc.
Article 5: Priorities. Sex Role Stereotyping and PrejudiceThe main goal for the Government of Greenland is to ensure that women and men have equal opportunities insociety. To achieve this goal it is significant to have a permanent public forum in which gender equality isdiscussed and promoted continuously.In this regard the Equal Status Council has played an important role in raising public awareness on genderequality. In addition, the council has arranged numerous public meetings and contributed to legislative hearings,strategies, action plans and the like. In addition, different NGO’s have contributed to raise awareness on e.g.combatting violence against women.The Government of Greenland fully recognizes the common responsibility of men and women in theupbringing of their children cf. Article 12 on family education etc.. Greenlandic legislation regarding families,children and adolescent is principally based on the best interest of the child.
Article 6: Special Issues. Prostitution, Trafficking and Code of ConductTrafficking of WomenDue to a limited population (approx. 57.000 citizens), very small communities and a remote geographic location,it is considered that trafficking of women and prostitution would be very difficult without the authoritiesbecoming aware. No cases of organized prostitution and trafficking of women have been reported to the ChiefConstable of Greenland.Abuse of WomenShelters have been established to support women in critical situations. The first shelter in Greenland wasestablished in 1983 in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. The shelters offer abused women (and in a few instancesmen) housing and personal guidance. The shelters cooperate with social services to provide legal advice,psychosocial support etc.The statistics’ on shelters are not fully consistent, but reports indicate that approximately 250-300 women and250-300 children stay at the shelters for a shorter or longer period of time every year. Consistent statistics’ show42 women and 46 children stayed at the shelter in Nuuk in 2011.Approx. 86 % of children in shelters have seen or overheard violence against their mother. The MaryFoundation and the Lego Foundation provide rucksacks for children in shelters with e.g. toothbrushes,nightclothes and toys. An evaluation from The Danish National Centre for Social Research concludes that therucksack creates joy and helps to open up talks with children.There are 7 shelters in Greenland in 2012 funded equally by the Government of Greenland and themunicipalities. Training and education of employees has been implemented through courses etc.
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The Union of Shelters in Greenland receives an annual grant from the Treasury.
Article 7: Political Rights and ParticipationWomen and men have equal political rights in Greenland. Both women and men have the same right to vote andmay be elected to the municipal councils, the parliament, the government and the Danish parliament, which atpresent has two female representatives from Greenland for two seats.Table 1: The Government of Greenland January 2013MembersWomen94Women by %44
Table 2: The Parliament of Greenland January 2013MembersWomen3110
Women by %32
Management of Ministerial Agencies and Institutions January 2013There are 9 departments in the central administration of Greenland. Among 9 deputy ministers 2 are women, i.e.22 %.Table 3: Mayors of Municipal Councils January 2013MayorsWomen4Table 4: Members of Municipal Councils January 2013MunicipalityTotalSermersooqQaasuitsupQeqqataKujalleqIn total21211515721
Women by %25
Women826521
Women by %3810403329
Permanent public councils, boards and commissionsParliament Act no. 7 of 11 April 2003 on Equality of Women and Men provides that the number of governmentelected women and men serving on public councils, boards and commissions when possible must be equal.Within this context equality is defined as an equal number of members of both sexes in each council etc. 9boards etc. (33 %) fully meet this definition of equal representation.In February 2011, there were 60 % men (91) and 40 % women (59) serving in 27 permanent public councils,boards and committees in Greenland.
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Article 8: Representing Government. Women AmbassadorsWomen have the same right as men to represent the Government of Greenland internationally. Greenland andDenmark cooperates in international affairs of particular relevance to Greenland, based on chapter 4 of the acton Greenland Self-Government concerning foreign affairs.The Department of Foreign Affairs of the Greenland Government, which includes Greenland’s permanentRepresentations in Copenhagen and Brussels, currently has a staff of 16 employees, composed of 8 women and 8men. The composition of the higher-ranking officials is also equal. Both representations have female Heads ofRepresentation.The number of women representing the Government of Greenland in international negotiations is relativelyhigh. Of 9 Greenlandic ministers 4 are women and represent Greenland at international negotiations.Furthermore, there are several higher-ranking female officials whom represent Greenland in internationalnegotiations.
Article 9: CitizenshipThe right to citizenship is an area that is under the competence of the Kingdom of Denmark. Therefore, thereader is directed to what is contained in the Danish report on this matter.
Article 10: Access to EducationThroughout the Greenlandic educational system, boys, girls, men and women have equal rights to schooling andeducational opportunities in all areas of study.
Primary and Secondary school (Folkeskolen/Public School):The legal framework for Folkeskolen states, “The purpose and aim for Folkeskolen includes focus on intellectualfreedom and the promotion of tolerance by all public school subjects and disciplines.The subject Personal development works specifically with issues such as: family, love, feelings, self-esteem,health, sexuality, etc. Thus, Folkeskolen works towards equality and understanding of oneself and between thesexes.Greenland has a mandatory ten-year schooling system at Primary and Secondary level. The gender distribution inthe Public School is equal as shown in the table below.Table 5: Gender distribution in mandatory tests in grade 3, 7 and 10 2012.Class level3710Source: Inerisaaviks Evalueringsafdeling 2012
Boys368327351
Girls331367397
Girls by %47,4%52,9%53%
Upper Secondary, Vocational, Higher EducationLooking at the participation at a higher educational level, girls/women are overrepresented at the UpperSecondary educational level (in Danish, gymnasium), a level whose purpose is to prepare students for highereducation. At this level, girls constitute the majority in all areas of study except areas centered on natural science.
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Vocational training has the purpose of qualifying the student for employment directly after graduation. At thislevel the gender distribution is quite equal. However, it is clear that some types of employment are moredominated by men, while others are dominated by women.Men tend to seek education in areas related to construction and other fields of education traditionally orientedtowards men, whereas women primarily seek education in healthcare or in service. Various vocational educationinstitutions attempt, with mixed results, to attract women or men to fields of education normally dominated bythe other sex.As in Upper Secondary and Vocational education, women are well-represented in higher education, but across amore diverse field of educational opportunities.Men are still partial to educations related to natural science and women less so. Still, women comprise a growingpart of this type of education, and dominate other areas of higher education.Table 6: Gender distribution in upper secondary, vocational and higher educationLevelMenWomenUpper secondaryVocationalHigher education396729370689686836Women by %63,5%48,5%69,3%
Source: Ministry of Education and Research, Greenland, 2012.
Article 11: The Situation in the Labour MarketIn Greenland, women and men have equal right and access to all types of employment.This right is safeguarded in Parliament Act no. 7 of 11 April 2003 on Equality of Women and Men. According to§§ 9-17 women and men must be treated equally with regard to employment.This means that any employer, who employs women and men, must treat them equal in connection withemployment, reassignment, promotion and dismissal and offer equal working conditions. Employers must offerwomen and men equal pay for equal work. It is illegal to dismiss women (and men) due to pregnancy and/ormaternity leave.
Maternity, paternity and parental leaveProvisions on allowance during maternity, paternity and parental leave were passed by the Parliament October1996 (Parliament Order no. 12 of 31 October 1996). The act has had a significant influence on women’s workingconditions as it provides women with a right to maternity pay during maternity leave or full pay when agreed-upon in the employment contract.Amendments have been passed in March 2006 and in Parliament Act no. 14 of 7 December 2009.Since the last CEDAW report parental leave has been extended with 17 weeks. Today maternity leave is 17weeks, paternity leave is 3 weeks and parental leave is 17 weeks that can be shared freely between the parents.The act stresses the joint responsibility of the parents.
Social securityWomen and men have equal access to social security in case of unemployment.Women in the workforce in GreenlandTable 7: Gender distribution in the workforce
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Year20102011Source: Statistics Greenland
Total26.53726.791
Men14.76314.794
Women11.77411.996
Women make up approximately 45 % of the workforce cf. table 7, which is reflected in the employmentstatistics, were women similarly make up approximately 45 % of the working population cf. table 8.2011 women have been slightly over-represented in the unemployment statistics cf. table 9.Table 8: Gender distribution of employed citizensYearTotalMenWomen
20072008200920102011Source: Statistics Greenland
23.54125.03424.86824.52524.320
13.16014.07813.88913.57613.387
10.38110.95610.97910.95010.933
Table 9: Gender distribution of the average unemployment percentageYearTotal (%)Men (%)
Women (%)
20102011Source: Statistics Greenland
7,79,4
7,89,2
7,79,7
The gender-segregated labour market and the pay differentialsThere is a significant difference in the lines of work women and men occupy cf. figure 1 and 2. Thus, more than60 % of women work in the public service and administration sector in 2011, which is only the case for 25 % ofmen. In all other lines of work men are over-represented, especially in the fishery and construction sector werethe percentage of women is very low.Figure 1: The employment of men distributed on main lines of work 2011 (in percentage)
Source: Statistics Greenland
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Figure 2: The employment of women distributed on main lines of work 2011(in percentage)
Source: Statistics Greenland
Men earn a significant higher pay than women on average cf. table 10. However, the statistics do not take intoaccount working hours and job functions. Therefore, a substantial part of the pay difference can be explained bythe fact that women more often work part time. In addition, men are over-represented in different types ofmanagement positions.The gender-segregated labour market is considered an essential reason for pay differentials between women andmen.Table 10: Gender distribution of average payYearPayment per month (D.kr.)200721.209200821.670200922.178201023.113201124.075Source: Statistics Greenland
Men (D.kr.)23.81924.29824.64625.66627.106
Women (D.kr.)17.90218.29319.05619.94920.363
Women in managementThe distribution of women and men in management has been examined in a questionnaire survey October 2011.The questionnaire survey was answered by 49 workplaces with 10 or more employees. The 49 workplacesemployed 4090 men (approx. 30 % of men in the workforce) and 2733 women (approx. 25 % of women in theworkforce), which correspond to 60 % men and 40 % women. In total 6823 employees or 28 % of theworkforce was included in the survey.The survey involves uncertainty. Thus, the statistics below should be regarded as indicative.Women in the survey hold approx. 38 % of management positions in the public sector and approx. 34 % ofmanagement positions in the private sector. With regard to partly private and partly public companies in thesurvey, women hold 28 % of management positions. Regarding top management in companies with more than51 employees, women hold approx. 30 % of management positions. Generally, women are most dominant in themiddle and lower middle management positions.
Women on boards§ 6 in Parliament Act no. 7 of 11 April 2003 on Equality of Women and Men states that men and women whenpossible must be represented equally in boards where members are elected by the Government. Thus, the
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Government has strived to meet the intention of § 6, namely with regard to board members in companies fullyor partly owned by the Government of Greenland. From 2009 to 2011 the percentage of company boards withan equal distribution of women and men has risen from 9 % to 64 % concerning boards, where all members areelected by the Government.Table 10: Board members in companies owned or partly owned by the Government of GreenlandElected by:GovernmentEmployeesOther ownersTotalBoard members41181978Men27131858Women145120Men by %66729574Women by %3428526Source: Government of Greenland, Secretariat for State Owned Enterprises, October 2011
It is significant to mention that the company boards mentioned above make up the majority of boards in thelargest and most important companies in Greenland.
Initiatives to promote women on boardsThe Government has prepared a new Parliament Act on Equality of Women and Men that tightens theprovisions on equal gender representation in boards, committees of representatives and similar collectivemanagement.Amendments imply that the Government must provide equal representation in company boards fully assembledby the Government of Greenland according to the numerical principle 1/1, 1/2, 2/2, 2/3 etc. Regarding boardswhere the Greenlandic Self-rule only elects a part of the board members, the Government must elect an equalnumber of women and men.The tightening of provisions on boards etc. has been passed by the Parliament of Greenland in 2011.
Initiatives to promote women in managementIn December 2012, the Government issued new guidelines for corporate governance in companies owned by theGovernment of Greenland.According to the guidelines, the company board must review the company’s activities to promote diversity on allmanagement levels annually, including equal opportunities for women and men. In connection with themanagement's review the board must provide explicit goals for the promotion of diversity and account for thestatus of fulfillment of the goals.Several meetings etc. on women in management have been arranged in the period 2009-2013.
Article 12: HealthWomen and men have equal access to health care services in Greenland. The national health care services,including the services of the municipal physicians, is provided free of charge for all citizens and legal residents. Ingeneral, women have a higher use of health care services. Therefore, there has been focus on men’s use of healthservices with a view to motivate men to seek medical attention when they exhibit symptoms.
Population (as of February 29 2012)MaleFemale200730 00526 643200829 88526 577200929 80926 385201029 93626 516201129 94226 673201230 04126 708
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TotalFemale by %
56 64847,0
56 46247,1
56 19447,0
56 45247,0
56 61547,1
56 74947,0
The average life expectancy has risen increasingly in Greenland over the past 30 years. In the period 2006-2010statistics show that newborn girls can expect to live 72.8 years, while newborn boys can expect to live 67.8 years.This is 6 years longer for women and 8 years longer for men compared with the beginning of the 1980’s.Despite the positive development, the average life expectancy in Greenland is relatively low in a Nordicperspective. A significant reason for this is a high suicide rate. The suicide rate in Greenland is 7.4 times higherthan in Denmark, and many suicides are committed by young men. If this tragic loss of human life could beavoided, the average life expectancy would be higher. Thus, suicide prevention is a matter of the highest priorityfor the Government of Greenland.
Fertility2010 the fertility rate in Greenland was 2.2 children per women. The fertility rate has fallen gradually the pastdecades. 1970 Greenlandic women gave birth to 2.7 children per woman.Right to abortionThe main goal of the Government of Greenland is that all pregnancies should be wished for. Thus, familyplanning is a matter of high priority within the health care system and the education system. Today familyplanning is part of the curriculum in Folkeskolen.Contraception are provided free of charge in health care institutions. Nevertheless, abortion rates are high.Similar to other health care services abortion is without charge. The number of abortions has been stable for aperiod of years and is approximately 870-900 annually. The health care system places severe attention to the highabortion rate. In February 2011, a national action plan on unwanted pregnancies 2008-2012 was put out. Theaction plan will be carried on in 2013.
Family planningTo prepare adolescents for the parenting role a special project has been introduced. The project implies that 14-15 year old girls and boys in schools are taught about the demands and consequences of being parents. As partof the education the pupils will take care of a real care doll that puts the same demands on them as a real child.The nursing is indexed electronically and the results are discussed with the pupil. Furthermore, sex education ispart of the project. The real care doll project was initiated in 2009, and since 2012 it has been implemented in allGreenland.Prenatal careAll coming parents in Greenland have a right to advice and support during the pregnancy. Thus, coming parentsare invited to participate in family planning courses, and women are offered examinations during the pregnancyaccording to national guidelines. These guidelines also include preadmission assessment with regard to the risk ofcomplications during the pregnancy and birth. Practically all childbirths in Greenland take place in a hospital.Health care for childrenFamilies are offered health care from birth to the child attends school. Health care continues during the schoolage until the child reaches 18 years of age.ImmunisationBesides the normal gender neutral immunisation program, girls at the age of 12 years are offered immunisationagainst the human papilloma virus to protect them against cervical cancer.Violence against womenThe Government of Greenland regards violence against women as an unacceptable violation and a reflection ofa lack of equality and respect between women and men.
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Violence against women is an infringement of the Greenlandic Criminal Code.The Greenlandic population survey 2005-2010 estimates that approximately 62.4 % of Greenlandic women overthe age of 17 one or more times have experienced violence or severe threats of violence during their life. Theestimated percentage for men is 56.6 %.Significantly more women (65.2 %) than men (8.7 %) state that the offenders are present or former partners. The18-24 year olds differ from older age groups by being less exposed to partner violence. In this group 48.6 % statethat the offenders are present or former partners.A recent survey on adolescents estimates that 38 % of 15-16 year olds have experienced violence against theirmother. 7 % have witnessed violence against their father, while 10 % have witnessed violence against siblings.The Government of Greenland recognizes that violence is a severe issue in Greenland. As a result thegovernment has prepared a national strategy and action plan against violence 2013-2016, which includes 32activities primarily targeted at combatting domestic violence. This includes legislative amendments, campaigns,psychosocial reinforcement and more. The activities of the action plan focus on prevention within four maingoals to (1) support the victim (2) break the circle of violence (3) upskill professionals and (4) advanceknowledge and information on violence.
Article 13: Gender Equality in Other Areas of the Financial and Social Life “Theright to family benefits”Women and men have equal social and economic rights in Greenland. Women and men have the same access tosports and free-time activities and to cultural activities.
Article 14: Rural WomenWomen and men living in rural districts enjoy the same rights as other citizens of Greenland. However, due tothe unique geographic and demographic conditions in Greenland, there is a substantial difference in the livingconditions of small rural communities and larger towns.
Article 15: Legal CapacityWomen and men are equal before the law and enjoy equal rights to hold property. They have the same right ofaccess to the judicial system and to receive equal treatment before the courts.
Article 16: Marriage and Family RelationsWomen and men have the same right to enter into marriage, to select a spouse and to seek divorce. Women andmen have the same right to enter into a registered partnership and the same rights to choose their last name andtheir occupation.
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A2The Greenland Self-Government ArrangementOn 21 June 2009, the Act on Greenland Self-Government (Self-Government Act) came into force. This self-government arrangement for Greenland thereby replaces the Greenland Home Rule Arrangement that wasestablished in 1979. The Self-Government Act is based on White Paper No. 1497 that was drawn up by theGreenlandic-Danish Self-Government Commission in 2008. The White Paper is accessible at www.nanoq.gl.Together with the Danish Constitution, the Self-Government Act constitutes Greenland’s constitutional positionin the Unity of the Realm. Two members of the Folketing (Danish Parliament) are elected in Greenland, cf. theDanish Constitution.Prior to the entry into force of the Self-Government Act, a guiding referendum was held in Greenland on 25November 2008. Of the votes cast, 75.5 per cent were for and 23.6 per cent were against the introduction ofself-government.In the preamble to the Self-Government Act, it is recognized that the people of Greenland are a people withright to self-determination under international law. Accordingly, the Act is based on an agreement between theGreenland Government and the Danish Government as equal partners.A principal objective of introducing self-government has been to facilitate the transfer of additional authorityand thus responsibility to Greenlandic authorities in fields where this is constitutionally possible and based onthe principle of accordance between rights and obligations.The Greenland Self-Government authorities comprise a democratically elected assembly – Inatsisartut(Greenland Parliament) – as well as an administration led by Naalakkersuisut (Greenland Government). TheSelf-Government Act does not contain specific rules and regulations regarding the composition, etc. of thesebodies, but has left it up to the Self-Government authorities to lay down provisions in this regard. In the Self-Government Act, the Greenlandic terms for Parliament and Government are used.In the Self-Government Act, the Greenlandic language is recognized as the official language in Greenland.Danish may still be used in official matters, cf. Greenland Parliament Act on case handling procedures in publicadministration. The question of educational instruction in Danish is not governed by the Self-Government Act,but it is assumed that the Self-Government authorities must ensure provision of education in Danish and otherrelevant languages that would enable Greenlandic youth to pursue further education in Denmark and othercountries.On 7 October 2009 Denmark submitted a notification on the Act on Greenland Self-Government to theSecretary-General of The United Nations.The opportunities for the Greenland Self-Government authorities’assumption of fields of responsibilityPursuant to the Greenland Home Rule Act, Greenland has already assumed legislative and administrativeresponsibility in a substantial number of fields that affect the daily lives of Greenlandic citizens, including publicfinances.
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The Self-Government Act provides for the Self-Government authorities to assume a number of new fields ofresponsibility, such as administration of justice, including the establishment of courts of law; the prison andprobation service; the police; the field relating to company law, accounting and auditing; mineral resourceactivities; aviation; law of legal capacity, family law and succession law; aliens and border controls; the workingenvironment; as well as financial regulation and supervision, cf. Schedule I and II in the Annex to the Self-Government Act.In respect of the Unity of the Realm and special provisions in the Danish Constitution, responsibility for thefollowing fields may not be transferred: the Constitution; nationality; the Supreme Court; foreign, defence andsecurity policy as well as exchange rate and monetary policy.The fields of responsibility not taken over by the Self-Government authorities fall within the jurisdiction of thecentral authorities of the Realm (Danish Government and Folketing).Annex 1 contains a list of the fields where Greenland has assumed responsibility in accordance with the HomeRule Act and the Self-Government Act.With the assumption of a field of responsibility, the Self-Government authorities assume legislative andexecutive power in the field as well as take over responsibility for the financing of the expenditure related to theattendance of the field.The Self-Government authorities decide the time of assumption of fields of responsibility under the Self-Government Act. Certain fields that are listed in Schedule II to the Act (including the police, administration ofjustice, including the establishment of courts of law, aliens) require a higher degree of preparation, for whichreason the time of assumption of these fields is decided by the Self-Government authorities after negotiationwith the Danish authorities.An Act passed by Inatsisartut and ratified by the Premier (Landsstyreformanden) in fields of responsibility underthe Self-Government authorities is called Act of Inatsisartut.The Self-Government authorities’ own legal precepts enter into force, unless determined otherwise, two weeksafter they have been forwarded to a number of public authorities in Greenland.The economic arrangementWith the Self-Government Act, a new economic arrangement has been introduced which entails that the Self-Government takes over responsibility for the financing of the expenditure related to the attendance of the field.The Danish Government subsidy to the Self-Government authorities is fixed by law at DKK 3.4 billion kronerannually (2009 price and wage levels).Should the Self-Government authorities obtain revenues from mineral resource activities, the DanishGovernment subsidy to the Self-Government authorities is to be reduced by an amount equal to 50 per cent ofsuch revenue exceeding DKK 75 million annually. When the Danish Government subsidy to the Self-Government authorities has been reduced to zero kroner, the subsidy will be discontinued and no furthersubsidy will be provided hereafter. In this situation, negotiations are to be initiated between the DanishGovernment and Naalakkersuisut regarding future economic relations between the Danish Government and theSelf-Government authorities.Foreign policy mattersAccording to the Danish Constitution, the Danish Government and the Folketing have the authority to enterinto obligations under international law as well as responsibility for conducting foreign policy.
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The constitutional authority and powers of the Danish Government and the Folketing in the foreign policy fieldare, according to Section 19 of the Danish Constitution, not limited by the provisions set out in the Self-Government Act.The Self-Government Act contains a comprehensive set of rules and regulations governing foreign policymatters for Greenland. In this respect, the authorisation arrangement from 2005 has been incorporated into theSelf-Government Act. In addition, existing agreements between the Danish Government and Naalakkersuisut(Government of Greenland), including the Itilleq Declaration from 2005, and practice concerning the inclusionof the Greenland Self-Government authorities in foreign policy questions have been integrated into the Self-Government Act.The authorisation arrangementThe authorisation arrangement entails that Naalakkersuisut () may, on behalf of the Realm, negotiate andconclude international agreements with foreign states and international organisations, including administrativeagreements, which exclusively concern Greenland and entirely relate to fields of responsibility taken over byGreenland.The arrangement does not cover agreements under international law affecting the defence and security policy, aswell as agreements under international law that are to apply to Denmark, or which are negotiated within aninternational organisation of which the Kingdom of Denmark is a member.An equivalent authorisation arrangement has been introduced for the Faroe Islands. Naalakkersuisut and theGovernment of the Faroes may decide to act jointly in connection with negotiating and concluding agreementsunder international law that concern both Greenland and the Faroe Islands, provided the other conditions aremet.Where international organisations allow membership of entities other than states and associations of states(typically associated membership) the Danish Government may, subject to a request by Naalakkersuisut, decideto submit or support such applications, where this is consistent with Greenland’s constitutional status.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued guidelines for the cooperation between the Danish Government andNaalakkersuisut() regarding the authorisation arrangement and has sent a circular note to inform the UN and itsMember States about the Authorisation Act 2005 etc.Agreements under international law concluded by the Danish GovernmentFor agreements that fall outside the scope of the authorisation arrangement and which are thus concluded by theDanish Government, the Self-Government Act contains rules and regulations for the involvement of the Self-Government authorities.Accordingly, the Danish Government is required to notify Naalakkersuisut () in advance of negotiationsregarding agreements under international law, which are of particular importance to Greenland. Such agreementsmust, before they are concluded or terminated, be submitted to Naalakkersuisut for comments. If the DanishGovernment deems it necessary to conclude the agreement without the consent of Naalakkersuisut (), this must,to the widest extent possible, have no effect for Greenland.Except for special areas, for example in relation to human rights, it will normally be possible to accede tointernational agreements that exclusively affect Denmark, whereby Greenland may decide whether it wishes forthe agreement in question to apply in relation to Greenland.Agreements where Denmark and Greenland have jointly taken part in the negotiations must be signed by theDanish Government to the widest extent possible together with Naalakkersuisut.Self-Government authorities are subject to the obligations that arise out of agreements under international lawand other international rules applying to Greenland which are at any time binding on the Realm.
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The Self-Government Act allows provision for representatives of Naalakkersuisut to be employed at theKingdom of Denmark’s diplomatic missions abroad in order to attend to Greenland interests within fields ofresponsibility that have been entirely assumed by Naalakkersuisut.With the aim of easing and promoting the cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and theDepartment of Foreign Affairs of Greenland, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Naalakkersuisut memberfor foreign affairs signed an administrative cooperation agreement in spring 2005.Cooperation concerning statutes and administrative ordersAccording to the Act on Greenland Self-Government, the Danish Government’s Bills, which comprise or maybe brought into force for Greenland must, before being presented to the Folketing, be submitted to the Self-Government authorities for comments. The Danish Government must await the Self-Government authorities’comments before presenting Bills to the Folketing, which contain provisions that exclusively apply to Greenlandor are of particular importance to Greenland. Corresponding consultation procedures apply to administrativeorders.The Act on the Danish Law Gazette (Lovtidendeloven) applies to Greenland. The legislation passed by thecentral authorities of the Realm that applies to Greenland must thus be promulgated in the Danish Law Gazette,and the promulgation is, in the same way as in Denmark, a precondition for the entry into force of theadministrative orders for Greenland.Greenland’s access to independenceThe Self-Government Act contains a provision regarding Greenland’s access to independence. The provisionstipulates that if the people of Greenland take a decision in favor of independence, negotiations are tocommence between the Danish Government and Naalakkersuisut regarding the introduction of independencefor Greenland.An agreement between the Danish Government and Naalakkersuisut regarding the introduction ofindependence for Greenland is to be concluded with the consent of Inatsisartut and is to be endorsed by areferendum in Greenland. Furthermore, the agreement is to be concluded with the consent of the Folketing, cf.Section 19 of the Danish Constitution. Independence for Greenland implies that Greenland assumes sovereigntyover the Greenland territory.
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A3Fields of Responsibility assumed bythe Greenland Home Rule Government (I and II) andGreenland Self-Government (III) respectively
I. Fields of responsibility assumed by the Greenland Home Government under Section 4 of the HomeRule ActFields of responsibility assumed by the Greenland Home Government under Section 4 of the Home Rule ActGreenland’s administration arrangementThe administration arrangement for the municipalitiesTaxes and dutiesRegulation of the supply of manpower in GreenlandRegulation of commercial Greenland fishing, whaling, etc.PreservationPower to intervene in conflicts notified in accordance with collective agreements concerning journalistsPower to establish rules on compensation of pay, etc. for high cost of living for that part of the private labour market inGreenland on which pay is regulated on the basis of the Greenland wage regulation indexTrade legislationRegulation of the remainder of commercial fishingThe legal position of pupils in basic vocational educationPower to intervene in conflicts notified in accordance with collective agreements (re-establishment of the duty to keepthe peace) on the remainder of the public, non-State labour market and on the private labour market (Thule Air Basepartially exempted)Power to establish rules on other terms of pay and employment on the private labour market in Greenland (Thule AirBase partially exempted), including rules on compensation of pay, etc. for high cost of living where the pay is regulatedon the basis of the Danish wage regulation indexCompetition legislationEmployment of seamenVillage hallsInterference suppression and communal aerialsRegulation of non-commercial hunting and fishingPower to legislate on invitations to submit tendersThe establishment of rules concerning the conclusion of collective agreements and other agreements, etc. for personnelemployed by the Greenland Home Rule Government and the municipalities who are not covered by the generalagreement for civil servants in GreenlandThe establishment of rules for and supervision of the production of naturally-dried fish for the Greenland domesticmarketFields of responsibility assumed by the Greenland Home Government under Section 7 of the Home Rule Act,cf. Section 4Place names in Greenland - Act 555 30/11-1983The establishment of rules concerning the Greenland flag - Act 222 6/6-1985The establishment of rules on summer time – Act 817 19/12-1989The establishment of rules concerning expropriation in fields of responsibility taken over - Act 1012 19/12-1992The study and exploitation of water power resources - Act 1075 22/12-1993Dogs and prevention of cruelty to animals - Act 906 16/12-1998Responsibility and liability in the media field - Act 439 31/5-2000Date of Assumption1 May 19791 May 19791 January 19801 January 19801 November 19801 January 19811 October 19821 December 19831 January 19851 January 19851 February 19851 November 19851 November 19851 January 19861 July 19861 January 19871 January 19871 January 19891 May 19891 April 19911 November 1993Date of Assumption1 January 19846 June 19851 January 199019 December 19921 January 19941 January 19991 January 2001
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II. Fields of responsibility assumed by the Greenland Home Government under Section 5 of the HomeRule Act1)Fields of responsibility assumed by the Greenland Home Government under Section 5 of the Home Rule ActAct 579 29/11-1978 relating to municipal primary and lower secondary school in GreenlandAct 580 29/11-1978 for Greenland relating to labour and social agenciesAct 581 29/11-19878 for Greenland relating to the training of teachers for municipal primary and lower secondaryschool and relating to socioeducational training3)Act 583 29/11-1978 relating to radio and television activities in Greenland (replaced by Act 815 19/12/1989 relating toradio and television activities in Greenland)Act 584 29/11-1978 for Greenland relating to leisure activitiesAct 587 29/11-1978 relating to the Church in Greenland (replaced by Act 264 6/5/1993 relating to the Church inGreenland)Act 589 29/11-1978 relating to the library system in GreenlandAct 582 29/11-1978 for Greenland relating to vocational trainingAct 609 23/12-1980 relating to people’s high schools in GreenlandAct 610 23/12-1980 relating to the museum system in GreenlandAct 612 23/12-1980 for Greenland relating to land use, urban development and buildingAct 134 28/3-1984 relating to support for trade and industry in GreenlandAct 135 28/3-1984 for Greenland relating to the production and sale of Greenlandic productsAct 944 23/12-1986 for Greenland relating to housing supply, housing support, rental of housing, etc.Act 848 21/12-1988 relating to the transfer of Greenland’s central salary processing system to the Greenland HomeRule GovernmentAct 850 21/12-1988 for Greenland relating to environmental matters, etc.Act 369 6/6-1991 relating to the health service in Greenland4)Act 1393 27/12-2008 relating to the upper secondary educations in GreenlandFields of responsibility assumed by the Greenland Home Government under Section 7 of the Home Rule Act,cf. Section 5Act 469 6/11-1985 for Greenland relating to supply, traffic, postal service, etc.Act 943 23/12-1986 for Greenland relating to electricity, water, heating, the fire service, ports, roads,telecommunications, etc.5)Act 847 21/12-1988 relating to the transfer of Greenland Fisheries Research (Grønlands Fiskeriundersøgelser) to theGreenland Home Rule GovernmentAct 305 14/5-1991 fixed the State subsidy to the Greenland Home Rule Government for civil tasks at the airport atSdr. Strømfjord and at the defence area at Thule as well as the responsibility for Kulusuk Airport. These tasks weretransferred to the Greenland Home Rule Government via an agreement of 21 February 1991 between the Office of theDanish Prime Minister and the Greenland Home Rule Government with effect from 1 October 1991.1)By
Date of Commencement1 January 19801 January 19802)1 January 19801 January 19801 January 19801 January 19801 January 19801 January 19811 January 19811 January 19811 January 19811 January 19851 January 19851 January 19871 January 19891 January 19891 January 19921 January 2009Date of Commencement1 January 19861 January 19871 January 19891 October 1991
Act 474 12/6-2009 on various conditions in connection with Greenland Self-Government all Acts of authorisation listed in table II above wererepealed. The Greenland Self-Government authorities have the legislative and executive power in fields of responsibility that have been assumedpursuant to Section 5 of the Greenland Home Rule Act, cf. Section 23, Subsection 4, in the Self-Government Act. The Self-Government has the samepowers in fields of responsibility assumed pursuant to Section 5 of the Greenland Home Rule Act as in fields assumed pursuant to Section 4 of theGreenland Home Rule Act and in fields of responsibility assumed pursuant to The Self-Government Act.2)The rules on assistance activities for Greenlanders in Denmark did not enter into force until 1 January 1981.3)Act 581 29/11-1978 was repealed with the commencement of Act 582 29/11-1978 for Greenland relating to vocational training.4)By Act 1406 27/12-2008 on amendment of Act relating to the health service in Greenland, the Greenland Home Government assumed the fieldconcerning the use of coercion in psychiatry on 1/1-2009 pursuant to section 7, cf. section 5 of the Greenland Home Rule Act.5)By Act 1089 29/12-1997 for Greenland relating to telecommunications, telecommunications to and from Greenland were transferred to theGreenland Home Rule Government on 1/1-1998. By a Royal Decree of 27/10-1997, departmental responsibility was transferred from the Office ofthe Danish Prime Minister to the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Research.
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III. Fields of responsibility assumed by the Greenland Self-Government under Section 2 of the Self-Government, cf. Section 3Fields of responsibility assumed by the Greenland Self-Government under Section 2 of the Self-GovernmentAct, cf. Section 3The mineral resource area (List II, Nos. 26)The working environment on the offshore area (List II, part of Nos. 27)Date of Assumption1 January 20101 January 2010
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Appendix BREPORT BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE FAROE ISLANDS ON THEIMPLEMENTATION OF CEDAWIntroductionThe Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) wasratified by Denmark and entered into force on May 21, 1983. The Convention was ratified withoutreservation extending to the Faroe Islands.Pursuant to a parliamentary resolution dated March 31, 1987, the Parliament of the Faroe Islandsendorsed the entry into force of the Convention in the Faroes. Hence, the human rights expressed inthe Convention have been applicable in the Faroes for a number of years. This is the third reportdocumenting the efforts of the Government of the Faroe Islands to ensure gender equality in allareas of society.The Faroese Government has sought to prepare this report in an open and transparent process,involving government agencies, the Faroese Parliament, NGOs and civil society. The Faroese PrimeMinister´s Office coordinated the preparatory process in close cooperation with Faroese ministriesand the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Legislative and Administrative Powers of the Faroese GovernmentThe Faroe Islands are a self-governing country within the Kingdom of Denmark. For areas ofjurisdiction governed by the Faroese authorities, legislative power rests with the FaroeseParliament, while administrative power rests with the Faroese Government. For a description of theFaroese Home Rule arrangement, reference is made to CEDAW/C/DEN/7. pp.108.Developments Since the Last ReportThe effort to achieve equality between men and women in the Faroe Islands continues to be guidedby a two-pronged approach. On the one hand, the main activities focus on changing attitudes togender equality in the Faroe Islands through efforts to increase awareness of the political, social,economic, and cultural importance of gender equality. On the other hand, financial resources aredirected at guaranteeing rights through legal measures, as well as increasing the participation ofwomen in Faroese politics.Statistical MaterialWith regards to statistical material, we must regrettably acknowledge that the small population andthe consequential moderate size of the central administration places limits on the resourcesavailable for data compilation. In spite of these constraints, the Faroese Government strives tocontinuously improve the availability and sophistication of such material.
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On November 11, 2011, Statistics Faroe Islands carried out the first nation-wide census since 1977.The goal was to visit each and every residence in the country to gain not only an overview, but alsoa precise snapshot of conditions in the Faroe Islands in 2011. The census provided a full set ofcountry data, facilitating the production of more comprehensive statistical material for furtheranalysis and study. Once the final results are published, the statistics relevant to gender equality willbe greatly improved. At the time of writing (May 2013), only limited preliminary statistics havebeen made public.4A national Action Plan to Combat Violence in Close Relationships containing 18 differentinitiatives was launched in 2012 (see Article 12). The more focused approach to combattingviolence in close relationship will also contribute to the compilation of more statistical material
CEDAWArticle 1Faroese legislation contains no impediment to gender equality. Faroese legislation does notdistinguish between women and men; it guarantees the same rights for all citizens of the Faroeswithout according any positive rights to either gender. Accordingly, women and men have the samerights and the same responsibilities in all areas of society.
Article 2The Faroese Parliament passed the law governing gender equality in 1994 (Parliamentary Act No.52, dated May 3,1994, on Gender Equality). The principal purpose of the act was to eliminate allforms of gender-based discrimination.The legislation provides,inter alia,that the Gender Equality Commission, may 1) invoke itsprosecutorial powers to investigate a case of alleged violation of protected rights; 2) mayrecommend that those whose rights have been violated seek legal redress for compensation; and 3)may bring a civil action alleging activities or practices inconsistent with the intent of the law (§ 12).For further information on the work of the Gender Equality Commission, reference is made toAppendix 1 to the present report.
4
Source: Faroe Census 2011: http://www.manntal.fo/english/index.html.
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Article 3Current legislation regarding gender equality encompasses the following areas:Employment practices, etc.,wherein,inter alia,employers are not permitted todifferentiate or discriminate employees on the basis of gender, and employers are required tooffer women and men equal pay for equal work.Parental leave,wherein all employees have the right to be absent from work in connectionwith pregnancy, childbirth and post-partum pursuant to current legislation or agreementsbetween the respective union/employee and the employer.Education materials,wherein materials for the education and formation of children shall beconsistent with the intent of the law.Commissions and boards,wherein all government commissions, committees, boards,representatives and the like that are appointed by a governmental authority or institutionshall be constituted in such a manner that essentially an equal number of both genders arerepresented.Gender Equality Commission,wherein the Gender Equality Commission shall haveoversight powers to ensure compliance with the Gender Equality Act, and the GenderEquality Commission shall serve in the capacity of gender equality advisor and counsel togovernmental authorities, institutions, organizations and individuals.To ensure that CEDAW is implemented into new legislation, and that Faroese legislation is inconformity with the Convention, the Ministry of the Interior scrutinizes any draft legislationproposed by a ministry before bills are submitted to the Faroese Parliament. Draft legislation isscrutinized to determine whether it complies with the Danish Constitution, The Faroese Home RuleAct and any applicable international conventions, regulations, standards or principles.The Faroese Ministry of the Interior has prepared a guide for the drafting of legislation referring tointernational conventions on human rights. The guide includes a check-list for the bill’s potentialfinancial, administrative, environmental, social and human rights impact at the governmental,regional and municipal level.The publication of a new handbook for drafting legislation is planned for autumn this year. It willemphasise that the language used in all new bills must be gender neutral.Explicitly addressing the effects a proposed bill has on human rights ensures that new legislation isnot in conflict with existing instruments. Moreover, it increases awareness of the various humanrights instruments in the legislative process, which will ultimately further improve the standing ofsuch rights.
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Article 4Promoting gender-specific rights does not run counter to existing legislation on gender equality,provided that the goal of these specific rights is to ensure attainment of the intent of the law.
Article 5The overarching goal of the Faroese Government is to achieve a shift in attitude ensuring thatwomen and men have access to the same possibilities in Faroese society. One means by which toachieve this goal is to arrange for public fora where issues regarding gender equality can bepresented and discussed. In this regard, Demokratia and the Gender Equality Commission haveplayed a pivotal role in raising public awareness of gender equality issues. For further informationon the work of Demokratia, reference is made to Appendix 2 to the present report.In addition, the Gender Equality Commission is arranging for the publication of teaching materialsand the review of the gender equality perspectives in existing teaching materials.At all levels of the Faroese educational system, women and men enjoy equal rights to schooling andeducational opportunities in all areas of study. One of the core values in the curricula for primary,secondary and upper secondary school is tolerance, which is a value that schools are obliged tostrengthen and improve. Teaching in all subjects in primary, secondary and upper secondary schoolemphasises that students should understand that everyone comes from a different background, andthat students should learn to respect other people's needs and opinions, regardless of age, sex, raceor personal beliefs. The mainstreaming of these perspectives in all subject syllabi also means, thatschools must make sure that these basic competences are highlighted and considered in theassessment of each individual student.As regards everyday care of children, it is common practice at schools and day-care centres, as wellas in other areas, such as the social domain, to include both parents in any issues concerning theirchildren. This means that both parents are asked to participate in parent-teacher conferences, andalso that arrangements increasingly take into account that both parents are expected to takeresponsibility for bringing up their children, given that this is in the best interest of the child.
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Article 6TraffickingThe UN Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children,Child Prostitution and Child Pornography has been submitted to the Faroese Parliament. TheParliament’s general response was very positive and it is expected to adopt the Protocol.The Government is in the process of submitting to the Parliament a motion on the UN Conventionagainst Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and PunishTrafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children.Minority WomenThe Faroese authorities have not taken over jurisdiction in matters relating to the Danish AliensAct, however, integration affairs are under Faroese legislative and administrative power. TheFaroese authorities are aware that immigrants seeking residence in the Faroe Islands are in avulnerable position, because of their lack of social network and knowledge about Faroese society.Therefore, the Minister of the Interior appointed a working group in 2011 to draft a report onintegration of immigrants in the Faroe Islands. The objective of the report was to identify the bestpractices for integrating migrants with a residence or work permit, enabling them to become part ofFaroese society as quickly as possible on equal terms with the local population.The report highlighted the importance of offering language courses as early as possible inconjunction with intensive courses on Faroese society, history and culture. Furthermore, itconcluded that it is important to facilitate immediate information about basic rights andresponsibilities pursuant to Faroese law, preferably in the new resident’s own language. This wouldinclude information on where to turn in case of violence in close relationships.The report and its recommendations were presented to the Faroese Parliament in March for debate.The Parliament was in general positive towards the report and an integration bill is now scheduledfor drafting and submission to Parliament in early 2014.
Article 7Political RightsTo address the identified low participation of women in politics, the Faroese Governmentestablished an independent committee, Demokratia, explicitly tasked with encouraging morewomen to participate in politics.Demokratia has sought to raise awareness of gender equality by organizing public events anddebates, as well as actively attracting media coverage to the issue of gender equality. Furthermore,
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Demokratia, in close cooperation with the Gender Equality Commission, has engaged in activeexchanges with the political system, as well as the general public.Demokratia remains active on many fronts, including education. In the months running up to thegeneral elections in October 2011, Demokratia launched a major campaign to encourage women toparticipate actively in the political debate and to increase the number of women running forParliament. From a gender equality perspective, the results of the general elections were verypositive, as the number of women in Parliament increased significantly.Table 1Elections20112008200420021998Total Women3310337323324324Women in %30.3%21.2%9.4%12.5%12.5%
At the elections in October 2011, the share of women in Parliament rose from 21.2% to 30.3%.Most importantly, these results seem to indicate that the relevance of gender equality in politics isnow an accepted, integral part of public debate and public opinion. Thus, over the past three generalelections, the share of women in the Faroese Parliament has gone from less than 10% to over 30%,i.e. more than tripled.This is a significant increase, in part explained by the combined efforts of the Faroese Government,the Gender Equality Commission, Demokratia, and NGOs to promote the role of women in politics.The response from government authorities, media, and the general public has, by and large, beenpositive. Most political parties have placed gender equality on their political agenda, and at theorganisational level the parties have taken steps to improve their party structure, so as to encouragemore women to run for Parliament. The public debate and the results of the general electionsindicate a change in attitude with respect to the importance of gender equality in political and publicfora.However, on-going efforts to further increase women’s representation in the political process arestill warranted. The Faroese Government, the Gender Equality Commission and Demokratia willcontinue championing the issue and providing input for the political process.The Faroese GovernmentFollowing the general elections in 2011, the women’s representation in the Faroese executivepower, i.e. Government, decreased from 3 to 1 out of 8 possible ministerial seats. In other words,the representation decreased from 37.5% to 12.5%
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Table 2The Faroese Executive20112008200420021998Total Women8183709181Women in %12.5%37.5%0%11%12.5%
Municipal Local Government CouncilsLocal elections were held in 2012. The gender distribution on municipal local government councilsindicated below shows that women are underrepresented on most municipal councils. On theMunicipal Council of the capital Tórshavn, which is by far the largest municipality in the FaroeIslands, the representation of women and men is, however, equal with 7 men and 6 women. Thesame applies to the Municipality of Klaksvík, which is the second largest municipality.Table 3MunicipalityCouncilHereofMayorwomenmembersVestmanna kommuna73MaleSunda kommuna113MaleSørvágs kommuna71MaleNes kommuna72MaleVága kommuna112FemaleEystur kommuna93MaleSjóvar kommuna71MaleTórshavnar kommuna136MaleKlaksvíkar kommuna115MaleRunavíkar kommuna111MaleTvøroyrar kommuna73MaleFuglafjarðar kommuna91MaleVágs kommuna93MaleTotal1193312/1Note: Only municipalities with more than 1000 inhabitants are listedHead ofAdministrationFemaleFemaleFemaleFemaleMaleMaleFemaleFemaleMaleFemaleMaleMaleFemale5/8
Counting all the municipalities, a total of 149 men and 57 women were elected corresponding to72% men and 28% women. In comparison, in 2008, 145 men and 63 women were electedcorresponding to 70% men and 30% women.
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Management of the Central Government Executive AdministrationThere is currently a total of eight government ministries in the Faroe Islands. Five of the permanentsecretaries are men. The number of women permanent secretaries has grown from one to three sincethe last report. The Permanent Secretary to the Faroese Parliament and the Ombudsman to theFaroese Parliament are both women.Government-Appointed Commissions and BoardsThe Gender Equality Act stipulates that the number of women and men serving on publiccommissions and boards must be equal. In this context, equality is defined as an equal number ofwomen and men members. In case of an odd number of members, either sex must only beoverrepresented by a single member, i.e. on a board with 5 members equality is achieved if thegender distribution is 3 to 2, but not if it is 4 to 1.Since the law entered into effect, the Gender Equality Commission has worked diligently to ensurethat the representation of women and men on public commissions and boards complies with theprovisions set forth in the above-mentioned Act. In 2012, there were 64% men and 36% womenserving on public commissions and boards. This is a slight increase compared to 2007, when therewere 65% men and 35% woman.Table 4: Public Commissions and BoardsYear201220072000Men Women64%36%65%35%7030%
Table 5: Distribution by Sex on Government Commissions and Boards 2012Governmental MinistriesPrime Minister`s OfficeMinistry of Social AffairsMinistry of FisheriesMinistry of FinanceMinistry of Health AffairMinistry of the InteriorMinistry of Education, Research and CultureMinistry of Trade and IndustryTotal
Women in %214424483633413436
Men in %795676526467596664
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Article 8Women have the same right as men to represent the Faroe Islands internationally. The Faroesmaintain diplomatic missions in Copenhagen, Brussels, Reykjavik and London. Only the mission inBrussels is headed by a woman.
Article 9The right to citizenship is an area that is a competence of the Kingdom of Denmark. Please refer tothe contents of the Danish report on this issue.
Article 10In the Faroes girls, boys, women and men continue to enjoy the same rights and equal access to allschools and educational opportunities in all subject areas.Primary and Secondary EducationThe curriculum for primary and secondary education stipulates: “Education shall provide thestudent with a general understanding of the different preconditions of human life and ensure that thestudent learns to respect the diverse needs and views of all individuals irrespective of their age,gender, race, and personal beliefs.” From this follows, that education must emphasize that studentsachieve an understanding of the diverse conditions of human life and gender equality. However, nospecific reference to women’s rights is made in the curriculum.Existing legislation on public childcare and registered child-minding stipulates, that child-mindingand care must nurture children’s intellectual freedom and promote children’s understanding oftolerance, equality and democracy. This legislation does not make specific reference to women’srights.Educational material on women’s rights consists of a compendium on the United Nations andhuman rights by the Faroese division of Amnesty International. The compendium contains an articleentitled “CEDAW – Human Rights for Women” by the former chair of the Gender EqualityCommission. It is intended as teaching material in secondary education and as an introductory textin higher education.
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Table 6: Gender Distribution in the Faroese Public School System5Class level12345678910TotalGirls3373553643773433183983423412183385Boys3413933683783803433763653752393540Girls % of total49.7%47.4%49.7%49.9%47.4%48.1%51.4%48.3%47.6%47.7%48.8%
Table 7: Secondary Education - by Gender6Girls1135Boys904Total2039Girls % of total55.6%
Students
Table 8: Higher Education – by Gender and Place of Education72010/112011/12Women Women in % Men TotalWomen Women in % Men Total380873396903Faroes44%49344%5077561240967Abroad61%48460%656 1623Total113654 9772113136354% 1163 2526
The figures in Table 8 for persons studying in the Faroe Islands were compiled on the basis ofmonthly student grants paid. All students who received student grants that year are included in theabove figures. The figures for persons studying abroad were compiled on the basis of the number ofstudents who received travel grants.
Source: The primary and lover secondary schools (figures from the provisional student overview dated February 1 forthe school year 2013/14).6Source: The upper secondary schools dated February 1, 2013.7Source: The Faroese Student Grant Fund dated February 2013.
5
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Academic ProfessionalsThe number of academic professionals at the University of the Faroe Islands is 41 men and 37women, including the professors at the departments of nursing and education and assistantprofessors.Research and Gender Equality8The Faroese Research Council, Granskingarráðið, grants public funds to research project. From2001 to 2012, funds were awarded to 123 research projects. Women are project coordinators on 46of the 123 projects. Of the total research funding, DKK 72 million, projects with women projectcoordinators account for DKK 32 million, i.e. 44%.
Article 11New legislation on job creation initiatives is intended to address the issue of people becomingdisconnected from the labour market. This legislation is also expected to offer opportunities foryoung people at risk of never entering the labour market. The legislation stipulates certain agerestrictions, meaning, for example, that young people do not receive financial support while inupper secondary education, and people under the age of 25 do not receive benefits while completingan apprenticeship. People with children are exempt from these restrictions. The main reason for thisexemption is that the social situation of young single mothers might limit their work opportunities.EmploymentFaroese legislation does not distinguish between women and men, but ensures that all citizens of theFaroes are vested with the same rights, without any preferential positive rights to any gender.Accordingly, women and men have equal rights and responsibilities in all areas of society. Womenand men have equal rights and access to all types of employment. Employers are not permitted todifferentiate or discriminate employees on the basis of gender. Employers shall also offer bothwomen and men equal pay for equal work. (Reference is made to CEDAW/C/DEN/7, p. 100, article3).UnemploymentSlightly more women are unemployed (6.3%) than men (4.7%). When the financial crisis hit in2008, male unemployment rose faster than female unemployment, but female unemployment hasnot fallen as fast as male unemployment.
8
Source: The Faroese Research Council.
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Table 9: Average Annual Unemployment as % of work force9Men Women1.12.01.01.74.03.65.75.66.27.54.76.3Average total1.51.33.95.76.85.5
200720082009201020112012
This is quite likely due to the fact that the recession severely affected the Faroese fish processingindustry – a sector of the labour market, which has traditionally employed a disproportionally largeshare of women. This sector has not yet recovered.Income and WagesTable 10: Of the total wages paid in 2012, 38.8% were paid to women10Wage payments 2012 (DKK 1,000)AgricultureFisheriesFish farmingNatural resourcesFish productionsBoat buildingOther industryConstructionEnergy productionCommerce and maintenanceHotels and restaurantsMaritime transportOther transportPost and telecommunicationFinance and insuranceCommercial servicesDomestic servicesGovernmentMunicipal and other institutions9
MenWomenTotalWomen in %6,9492,6179,56527.4%756,32915,788772,1162.0%159,58062,177221,75828.0%42,7773,53546,3127.6%187,552116,586304,13838.3%144,59611,158155,7547.2%153,37553,806207,18126.0%392,63826,859419,4976.4%49,4566,76356,21912.0%392,919257,639650,55739.6%34,13151,91886,04960.3%332,69849,790382,48813.0%154,66048,519203,17923.9%96,12249,616145,73834.0%162,048164,307326,35550.3%196,91585,246282,16130.2%33,37834,04967,42750.5%136,456113,898250,35445.5%299,914449,479749,39360.0%
10
Source: Statistics Faroe Islands.Figures only available for January to November 2012. December 2012 projections are based on the average in theprevious 11 months. Source: Statistics Faroe Islands.
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EducationHealth and social servicesOrganisations, culture etc,UndisclosedTotal
286,559196,127116,8972444,332,318
288,929789,42663,559282,745,691
575,488985,553180,4562717,078,009
50.2%80.1%35.2%10.1%38.8%
The average income for Faroese women in 2012 was DKK 238,000, up from DKK 209,000 in2007. The average income for Faroese men in 2012 was DKK 356,000, down from DKK 370,000in 2007. This indicates that the wage gap has decreased somewhat since 2007.Table 11Average wage 2012 (DKK 1,000)AgricultureFisheriesFish farmingNatural resourcesFish productionsBoat buildingOther industryConstructionEnergy productionCommerce and maintenanceHotels and restaurantsMaritime transportOther transportPost and telecommunicationFinance and insuranceCommercial servicesDomestic servicesGovernmentMunicipal and other institutionsEducationHealth and social servicesOrganisations. culture etc.UndisclosedTotalMenWomen Total average Wage difference17815217017.6%490220478123.1%35421329965.6%52334750450.8%26417722248.7%29418528259.2%29922727631.9%27624227414.4%40227838144.7%29516422479.6%16614014918.5%43930341545.2%39226535247.7%36828133331.0%51233540552.7%44829338652.7%28918122259.6%43734038728.5%30521624441.3%40132535923.3%39425827752.5%30926129018.4%3-4-35623829949.5%
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The significant difference in wages can partly be explained by the fact that around 54% of Faroesewomen work less than 35 hours a week, while the corresponding figure for men is onlyapproximately 17%. Around 75% of women working under 35 hours a week consider their hours ofwork satisfactory, while just over 20% would like to work more hours.11In 2009 the Gender Equality Commission published a report on the wage gap in the public sector.The report found that women, on average, have lower ranking positions, are less educated and workfewer hours than men. Yet, while the difference in working hours, age, economic sector andeducation may explain a large portion of the wage gap, a residual difference of 2.9% remains,which can only be explained by difference in gender. Furthermore, the results seemed to indicatethat having children also adversely affects a woman’s average wage. Thus, there are structurallabour market issues, which must be addressed in order to reach economic parity on the labourmarket.Parental Leave Grant SchemeParents are entitled to parental leave for a total of 52 weeks, during which they are entitled to wagespaid by the employer for 34 weeks. Since the last report, parental leave has been extended in orderto facilitate the reconciliation of family and work life, as well as to promote equality on the labourmarket. Paternity leave has been extended from 2 to 4 weeks, shared leave has been extended from10 to 16 weeks, while maternity leave remains at 14 weeks. This has also meant that the totalparental leave period with employer paid wages has been extended to 34 weeks.The Faroese Government is currently in the process of revising the Parental Leave Grant Schemewith a view to further increasing disbursement entitlements. The system will be made more flexible,so as to allow parents to arrange their parental leave according to their own needs. Paternity leavewill likely also be increased. A reform proposal will be submitted to Parliament in autumn 2013.Competency Development for WomenSpecific programmes aimed at enhancing the competences of women on the labour market and asindependent entrepreneurs continue to be arranged. In 2009 the Ministry of Trade and Industrylaunched the Action Plan for Growth and Industry, (Vøkstur og Virksemi), which highlighted theneed to encourage women to become entrepreneurs and to establish training and guidanceprogrammes. Over the last three years, the House of Entrepreneurs (Íverksetararhúsið) and the Fundfor Promotion of Trade and Industry (Vinnuframi), both government-funded organisations, haveheld a series of networking events and competency development courses specifically designed forwomen interested in establishing or developing their own business.
11
Faroese Census 2011.
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Article 12Population StatisticsIn 2013 the total population of the Faroe Islands was 48,197, of which 23,178 were women.Table 12: Population as of January 1st2007-201312200725,12223,20548,32748.2200825,12823,23248,3648.1200925,31723,38548,70248.1201025,24823,3248,56848.0201125,18423,3248,55448.1201225,08123,20348,28448.0201325,01923,17848,19748.0
MaleFemaleTotalFemale in %
In 2012 The Faroese Government appointed a committee tasked with analysing and makingrecommendations on how to increase the population in the Faroe Islands. An action plan waspresented to the Faroese Government in April 2013.It is mostly young people, especially young women, who move abroad to seek higher education.The Action Plan focuses, among other aspects, on making it attractive for young people to study forall, or parts of, their higher education in the Faroe Islands, as well as on attracting Faroese studentsabroad, particularly women students, back to the Faroe Islands after they complete their studies.Many of the recommendations in this Action Plan are centred around the general situation ofwomen in the Faroe Islands.In 2011 the average life expectancy of Faroese men was 79.1 years, while that of women was 84.9years.Table 13: Average Life Expectancy2007-200878.183.580.12008-200978.484.081.02009-201078.784.481.4201179.184.981.8
MaleFemaleAverage
Since 2009 the Faroese government has been offering all women between the ages of 14 and 28 freeHPV-vaccination, as a cervical cancer prevention measure.
12
Source: Statistics Faroe Islands. The figures for 2012 and 2013 are taken from April 2013.
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Table 14: Free HPV-vaccinations – TotalWomen 11-20 years576782689521Women 21-30 years597800696624
2009201020112012
Violence Against WomenAll acts of violence against women are prohibited under the Faroese Criminal Code.The Crisis Centre in Tórshavn (Kvinnuhúsið) offers women, who have suffered abuse, shelter andsocial, legal, and psychological help and guidance. In 2012, the Crisis Centre processed 624requests for assistance; 15 women and 5 children stayed at the Crisis Centre for periods rangingfrom 1 day to 89 days. The reasons for referral included domestic violence, divorce, financialdifficulties, incest and rape. The Crisis Centre received most of its funding from the Government.In an effort to,inter alia,prevent and end violence against women, the Faroese Government in 2011adopted an Action Plan to Combat Violence in Close Relationships (Harðskapur í parlagi ognærsambondum). This is the first such plan in the Faroes. Reference is made toCEDAW/C/DENMARK/Q/7/Add.1 pp. 29-31.The Faroese Government considers violence in close relationships to be a problem based onimparity between two people, e.g. in a relationship. However, it is not necessarily gender-based.The Action Plan reflects this view, for example in the funding allocated to the Crisis Centre underthe Action Plan itself, which is in addition to the annual appropriation allocated by the FaroeseGovernment to the operation of the Crisis Centre (approximately DKK 1 million). The Action Planshould therefore be viewed as a supplement to existing schemes, rather than a stand-alone project.The Faroese Government is of the opinion that it may have negative consequences for the genderparity debate in the Faroes, if the Action Plan to Combat Violence in Close Relationships onlytargets one gender. A victim of violence may be extremely vulnerable, regardless of gender. Thetraditional gender equality debate, which pits the genders against each other, has not yieldedsufficient results in terms of promoting gender equality in the Faroes. It is therefore necessary tofacilitate the participation of both men and women in efforts to promote gender equality.The Faroese Government considers that efforts to prevent and end violence in close relationshipswill benefit from not solely focusing on (in)equality, but also violence as a social problem. It istherefore necessary to involve the social and health services, as well as social and health-carepractitioners in efforts targeting violence, and this is also part of the Action Plan.
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The Action Plan to Combat Violence in Close Relationships is a 5-year plan, which definesviolence as physical, psychological, sexual, financial and material violence. The plan contains 18different initiatives, which can be classed as follows:Information and preventionAssistance and support for the victimInitiatives targeting occupational groupsTreatment options for those who perpetrate violenceA full-time project coordinator has started implementing the Action Plan, which will be phased inover the next five years starting from 2012. In May 2012 a number of information campaigns werelaunched to create awareness and disseminate information about the issue of violence, breaking thesilence that has surrounded this issue.One aspect of the action plan is initiatives aimed at migrant women living in the Faroe Islands.These women are considered to be a particularly vulnerable group, because of their lack of socialnetwork and knowledge about Faroese society.Educational material has been created or acquired, including information material for foreigners,hereunder immigrant women. Efforts also include information drives on the duty to report andconfidentiality issues under the Child Welfare Act. The Crisis Centre in Tórshavn has receivedfinancial assistance to cover translation and interpretation services for immigrant women, as well asfood and emergency supplies for women and their children.Activities in 2013 include organising treatment options for both perpetrators and victims ofviolence. Work continues to develop and improve guidelines and practices and to continuepreventive efforts.The Action Plan to Combat Violence in Close Relationships mainly focuses on new initiatives anddoes not directly concern itself with regulations and instruments already provided by law, althoughthese will be supported and strengthened through the implementation of the plan. The currentsystem already provides financial support to women to cover psychological consultations throughthe Faroese public health service. Women with children who suffer domestic violence are alsoentitled to support pursuant to the Child Welfare Act. This support is provided free of charge.Women without children are entitled to financial support for psychological treatment, while womenwith children receive treatment free of charge through the Child Welfare Authorities.The Faroese Government provides a number of support mechanisms for victims, in addition tothose stipulated in the Action Plan. As mentioned, the Faroese Government allocates approximatelyDKK 1 million to the Crisis Centre annually. Faroese legislation also stipulates that women (andmen) with children may receive psychological treatment free of charge. The cost of this service isborne entirely by the local authorities. In addition, Faroese legislation stipulates that victims ofviolence are eligible for reimbursement of 40% of the cost of psychological treatment. The
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Government intends to review this legislation and increase the percentage of costs reimbursed tovictims. These provisions are not included in the cost of the Action Plan.Furthermore, in the Action Plan funding is allocated to emergency consultation with a psychologist.Such consultation is available to women who turn to the Crisis Centre, if they need it. Followingthese consultations, women are eligible for financial support for consultations with a psychologistunder the existing schemes described above.Any person from any social group, who has experienced violence in a close relationship, is includedin the scope of the Action Plan. As part of the Action Plan, targeted efforts should be made toensure that institutions and authorities cooperate and coordinate activities related to violence.Moreover, employees should receive the training needed to identify cases of violence and care forthose affected by it.Criticism has been levelled at the Action Plan to Combat Violence in Close Relationships. Thecontentious issue is that more funds have been allocated to treat those who commit violence thanthose who are victims of violence – the victims in most cases being women.The Crisis Centre has pointed out that migrant women are over-represented among those who seekthe Centre’s assistance. The Minister of the Interior is therefore considering an amendment to theAlien Act, via the Danish authorities, barring persons resident in the Faroe Islands, who have beenconvicted for violence against a former partner in the last 10 years, from applying for familyreunification with a spouse not resident in the Faroes.The Ministry of the Interior is at the moment considering proposed amendments to the FaroeseAdministration of Justice Act, which would extend the entitlement to legal assistance of victims ofsexual violence and abuse to victims of domestic violence.The Ministry of the Interior is also examining the possibility of drafting new legislation, which incases of violence in intimate partnerships would grant authority to remove the perpetrator from thehome for a period of time, instead of the victim leaving the home.
Article 13Women and men have the same social and economic rights, and there are no substantialdevelopments to report in this regard. Women and men also continue to enjoy the same access tosports, leisure and cultural activities.
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Article 14Women and men living in the more remote villages and on the outlying islands enjoy the samerights as other citizens of the Faroes. There have not been any changes or substantial developmentsin this regard since the last CEDAW report.
Article 15Men and women are equal before the law. Women and men continue to have equal rights of accessto the judicial system, enjoy equal rights to hold property, as well as to receive equal treatmentbefore the courts. There have not been any changes or substantial developments in this regard sincethe last CEDAW report.
Article 16There have not been any changes or substantial developments since the last CEDAW report.
Appendix 1Comments from the Gender Equality Commission (Javnstøðunevndin) on appendix Bregarding the Faroe Islands to the eighth periodic CEDAW report by the Government ofDenmark
The Gender Equality Commission serving from 2008 to 2011 had the following priorities:Politics and gender parityLabour market and gender parityPaternal rightsChildren and gender parityPublicationsThe Commission funded a study of potential pay differences between women and men on the publiclabour market in cooperation with Statistics Faroe Islands (2010). The study shows that, on average,men are paid 16.3% more than women, and that 3% of the pay gap between men and women cannotbe explained.Furthermore, the Commission funded a gender parity study of educational material in Faroese forschool children in years 1 – 3. The study was published in a booklet (2010), which is intended foruse in education and information.
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In cooperation with the Faroese publishing company BFL, the Commission published a children’sbook (2009) about gender parity issues. The Commission has also published a leaflet containinginformation on how to appeal in cases of gender discrimination. The leaflet is distributed at publicvenues.EventsThe Commission has focused on generating broad debate and informing as many people as possibleabout the entire scope of gender parity, in order for them to feel that gender parity issues are alsorelevant to them. The Commission has been visible in public debate through comments, letters innewspapers and media interviews. The Commission has also organized several public events, and itemphasized spreading them throughout the country and reaching as many people as possible. Someof these events were co-organized with Demokratia (the committee for increased gender parity inpolitics), with which the Commission has an active partnership.The pay survey was published in 2010. In 2010 the Gender Equality Commission organizedworkshops for people producing educational material and for primary and lower secondary schoolteachers around the country.As examples of other events around the country, we could mention lectures and debates on paternalrights and parental custody. Also, on UN Day October 24, 2009, the Commission along withDemokratia organized a public information event about CEDAW. In 2012 the Commissionparticipated in a public mass meeting. The Commission’s main subject was emigration and thedeficit of women in the Faroes. The Commission offered a series of lectures and organized a contestamong participants regarding proposals to work on. Furthermore, there were several events ondifferent gender parity issues in which politicians, business people, authors, experts, researchers andothers participated. Overall, the level of attendance at events was high and they generated livelydebate.In addition, the Commission is regularly invited to participate in meetings hearings, publicinformation events, presentations, etc. Commission representatives participate in conferences andmeetings in the Faroes and the Nordic region.Appeals and Court CaseIn 2009 and 2010 the Gender Equality Commission ruled on six appeals. Four concerned dismissalor discrimination due to pregnancy or childbirth. In three cases the Commission found thatdiscrimination had occurred, and ordered the employer to pay compensation to the appellant. In thefourth case the Commission did not find in favour of the appellant. One appeal concerned dismissaldue to gender, in this case the Commission did not find in favour of the appellant. One caseconcerned a job advert setting out different requirements for men and women. The Commissioncalled on the employer to delete this provision from future adverts.
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In 2010 the Commission won a court case at Føroya Rættur (Faroe Court of Justice) against a publicemployer on behalf of a male employee, who did not receive pay while on paternity leave. Thecourt’s decision surprised many who had predicted that the Gender Equality Commission would notwin this case. The Court’s ruling has improved conditions for fathers taking paternity leave.Two appeals are at present under review, both regarding discrimination owing topregnancy/parental leave. Decisions in both cases will be reached later this year.Cooperation with Authorities, Institutions and other EntitiesThe Commission monitors social developments and, as needed, comments on draft legislation andother matters relevant to gender parity. The Commission calls on the authorities, institutions andothers to implement measures to further gender parity. The Commission also receives severalinquiries from citizens, associations, institutions and other entities.The Gender Equality Commission serving as of 2012 has the following priorities:Youth and gender parityParental leave and gender parityPensions and gender parityFurthermore, the Commission intends to draw attention to emigration and the deficit of women inthe Faroes.
Appendix 2Comments from Demokratia on appendix B regarding the Faroe Islands to the eighthperiodic CEDAW report by the Government of DenmarkThere have been three elections since 2009 – Danish general elections, September 25, 2011,Faroese general elections, October 29, 2011 and Faroese local elections, November 13, 2012. Thisset the agenda for the Committee’s work. In the summer of 2011, a large-scale campaign intendedto draw attention to gender parity in politics was launched. The tone of the campaign was positiveand pro-active with reminders that it is our own decision, responsibility and vote. Posters and socialmedia, including Facebook, provided the platform. Furthermore, in an effort to raise awarenessabout the Committee and our objective, committee representatives attended festivals, sportingevents and other venues drawing large crowds, where they distributed bracelets with the committeelogo and offered to face painting with the logo. This brought the Committee into direct contact witha large number of people, particularly young people. In addition, the Committee commissioned aseries of portrait articles on women in politics, which are now available on Facebook and ourwebsite, along with regular comments, reminders, news and other items.Cooperation with Political PartiesThe Committee emphasises that the political parties shoulder much of the responsibility for workingtowards gender parity, for example, as regards recruitment, election candidacy and training. The
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Committee has reminded the parties to strive for gender parity on their lists of election candidatesand to allow both women and men to stand for elections. In 2010 the Committee held a jointmeeting with all the political parties to debate which steps the parties have taken to promote genderparity in politics, their impact, and what other actions can be taken. The 2010 meeting followed-upon the 2007 meeting, when the Committee also met with the parties to discuss the same issue.Another meeting with the parties is planned for 2013.Youth EventsThe Committee has decided to reach out to the young generations. A Committee representativegave a presentation on the importance of gender parity in politics at the Youth Parliament13(2010).In 2010 the Committee also contacted the political youth organizations seeking inspiration andadvice on how to reach this target group. Over 2010-11 the Committee organized a film competitionunder the headlineJavnstøða í politikki(Parity in Politics) targeting young people. The four filmsentered were screened at a public event in the Nordic House, Tórshavn, on March 8, 2011 and thewinning film was chosen. The films are available on YouTube.Public EventsThe Committee has organized several public events with politicians, experts, researchers, authorsand others around the country. On UN Day, October 24, 2009, the Committee, along with theGender Equality Commission, arranged a public information event featuring, among others, expertspresenting CEDAW. In autumn 2009 the Committee organized a series of lectures, 16 in total,around the country, where experts gave presentations on democracy and gender parity. In 2009Committee representatives visited 13 upper secondary schools and higher education institutions,where they explained the importance of gender parity in politics. A lecture on personal developmentwas held in 2010, and in 2012 the Committee participated in a public mass meeting in Tórshavnfeaturing lectures and opportunities for direct contact with attendants. The Committee intends tocontinue organizing and participating in public debates and lectures around the country.SurveysThe Committee commissioned surveys on gender parity in politics in 2009 and 2012. The surveysshow that 90% support increased gender parity in politics. However, a large majority is againstinstituting a quota system. Almost 75% believe that the political parties should take steps topromote gender parity. The survey also indicates that women voters cast their votes with greatergender parity than men. The Committee intends to analyse and interpret surveys and election resultsfrom recent years in greater detail.
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The Youth Parliament is an annual event held at the Faroese Parliament for lower secondary school students fromaround the country. It offers students the opportunity to try their hand at parliamentary work.
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Election ResultsThe Danish general elections resulted in minor progress on gender parity. In the Faroese Parliamentthe number of women is currently at a record high – 10 women and 23 men, a percentagedistribution of 30/70. This is a major step forward, as compared to the previous Faroeseparliamentary elections in 2008, when women accounted for 21%, and 2004 when they onlyaccounted for 9%. The progress in the Faroese Parliament should partly be seen in light of the factthat in 2008 the seven electoral constituencies became one. The local elections represented asetback for gender parity – women representation dropped to 28% from 30% at the 2008 localelections. After the 2008 elections one village council was single-gendered (i.e. only men); now,four village councils are entirely made up of men. There has also been a regression in government;the current Faroese Government is made up of seven men and one woman, while the previous onecounted four men and three women.
Appendix 3Comments from Amnesty International Faroe Islands Section (see next page).
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Comments from Amnesty International Faroe Islands Section on:“REPORT BY THE FAROESE GOVERNMENT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CEDAW”Faroe Islands Section is part of the international organization Amnesty International. Our work isbased on the organization’s global campaigns, which include fighting gender-based discrimination,violence against women and human trafficking. The comments from Amnesty International FaroeIslands Section on the official Faroese CEDAW Report 2013 focus on gender-based violence andhuman trafficking.Article 12:In 1992 the CEDAW Committee issued a recommendation regarding violence against women. In it,the Committee stated that, “Gender-based violence is a form of discrimination that seriouslyinhibits women's ability to enjoy rights and freedoms on a basis of equality with men.”In 2004 Amnesty International launched a campaign we called: Stop Violence Against Women. Wewere trying to place the issue on the political agenda, and in 2010 we made a breakthrough. Wethen had 14 points, which we felt were important in the context of stopping violence againstwomen. We are very pleased that a plan to combat violence has now become reality, and wouldlike to see many of our 14 points in the Faroese Government’s Action Plan to Combat Violence inClose Relationships (Harðskapur í parlagi og nærsambondum).We therefore have five comments on the Action Plan to Combat Violence in CloseRelationships:1) In reference to Art. 5 of CEDAW and the 1992 recommendation on gender-basedviolence, we believe that the Action Plan should acknowledge, that this violence to alarge extent is gender-based, and that the root-cause of this violence is, in part, adistorted attitude to the balance of power between men and women.2) Insufficient funds are allocated to the victims, who are mostly women.3) The coalition currently in power included the issue: ‘Sexual Abuse of Children’ inthe scope of the Action Plan in 2012, without allocating additional funds.4) There are no plans to generate statistics.5) Certain groups of women are not included in the scope of this Action Plan.1)An Action Plan aimed at combatting violence in close relationships, and which also refers to theprovisions in CEDAW, must acknowledge that it is largely women, who are the victims of violencecommitted against them by their partners.The Action Plan does not explicitly acknowledge this. However, nearly all the support for victims ofviolence is offered through the Faroese crisis centre for women, Kvinnuhúsið. This indirectlyacknowledges that most of those who experience this form of violence are women. Yet there is no
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recognition that the underlying cause of this violence partly is to be found in our culture andmentality, as well as in the skewed balance of power between men and women, where men oftenhold the power over women. We regret that the Action Plan fails to include measures aimed atfostering fundamental changes in attitude in favour of the equal distribution of power betweenwomen and men. The Action Plan identifies the perpetrator of the violence as the root of theviolence, and treatment options for perpetrators of violence are therefore prioritized. We do believethat this is positive. However, we also believe that the underlying cause is to be found in ourattitude towards the distribution of power between women and men, and action is required tochange it. Such a change in attitude should also be part of any public education efforts related tothis Action Plan.2) We regret that insufficient funds are allocated to treatment options for victims. A note on page13 in the report accompanying the Action Plan to Combat Violence in Close Relationships reads asfollows, “The restriction to 2 to 3 consultations with a psychologist has been stipulated owing tolimited funding, and should not be understood as a limitation based on professional practice orexpertise.”Evidently, the funding allocated to the victims is insufficient and unwarrantable in psychologicalpractice. In 2013 less funding was allocated to this Action Plan than intended. This is a problem,when certain measures could currently be deemed reckless in psychological practice owingprecisely to a lack of funding. According to a psychologist we consulted (Súsanna Skaale, whoworks for Kvinnuhúsið), offering victims 2 to 3 consultations can be worse than doing nothing. It islike opening a wound without the time to heal it.3) Since the Action Plan to Combat Violence in Close Relationships entered into force, more areashave been included in its scope, for example sexual abuse of children. However, no additionalfunding has been allocated for this area. We believe that funding to hire a coordinator should bemade available. This coordinator would focus exclusively on child abuse, as it is such a serioussocial problem.4) It is of utmost importance to compile statistics regarding which groups are particularly exposedto violence, in order to target efforts. Otherwise the approach may become too broad, if all forms ofviolence are included - in close relationships and intimate relationships, as well as child sex abuse– without any statistical basis.5) We are concerned that there are groups of women, who are not included in the scope of thisAction Plan.1.2.3.4.Women with substance abuse problemsWomen with mental illnessWomen with disabilitiesWomen living in community care homes.
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Article 6:TraffickingIt is a problem that the Faroe Islands are not included in theConvention on Action AgainstTrafficking in Human Beings.Amnesty International has for a number of years been calling on theFaroese authorities to ratify this Convention, which Denmark ratified in 2007 with a reservation forthe Faroe Islands. The Convention has yet to be implemented in the Faroe Islands.Katrin á Neystabø, Acting DirectorAmnesty International Faroe Islands SectionMail:[email protected];Phone:+298 235817;Site:www.amnesty.fo
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Appendix C
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Appendix D
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Appendix E
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Appendix F
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