247. Under article 16, members asked whether there were plans to amend the existing law that discriminated against women with regard to their inheritance rights. The representative stated that the relevant part of the Civil Code was still a matter of discussion, because it was considered by some that women, if they inherited from their father, and upon marriage, and also Erom their late husband, might profit doubly. 245. Members expressed their appreaiation for the early ratification by Rwanda of the Convention and for the fact that the Government had submitted the two periodic reports on time despite the enormous economic and social difficulties that the aountry faced. Members said that the Government’s political will to adopt the principles of equality and its target-oriented process to advance They recognised the fact that obstacles the status of women was evident. still existed and noted that even da equality had not been completely achieved. They therefore suggested that the Government should set up appropriate government maahinery to deal with the advancement of wtimen. They observed that development could never be achieved if the needs of women were n& fully taken into account. They regretted that no statistics were available to measure whether the country had made progress, and hoped that that shortcoming would be remedied in the third periodic report. 249. In his reply, the representative said suggestions on the nature of the machinery thr achievement of equality. 250. The Committee (CEDAW/C/13/Add.l4 considerad the second at its 182nd meeting, that that he would welcome practical should be set up to assist periodic report on 28 January in of Denmark (see CEDAW/C/SR.182). 251. The representative of Denmark gave details on the progress that had been made to achieve equality in her country Since the completion of the second periodic report in 1988. Denmark had celebrated the seventy-fiEth anniversary She reported that 33 per cent of the of the right of women to vote in 1990. Danish parliament (the Folketing) were women and, at the municipal elections in 1989, the percentage of seats held by women had increased from 23.8 per cent to 26.2 per cent. 252. Responding to general questions posed by the members, the representative reported that the Equal Status Act of 1988 had strengthened the Equal Status Council (ESC). ESC could request information from employers, employees and their organizations, which had proved particularly useful, for example, in the effort to achieve equal pay. She said that, in Denmark, equality work at the official level was a very important issue on the political agenda. New goals would be set once the Polketing had discussed the report that ESC had prepared In the plan of action for equality in the administration, as on equality. contained in that report, important goals had been set, such as finding ways of successfully combining work and family life, improving the qualifications of clerical personnel and appointing more women as managers. She added that a project on equal pay would be continued. 253. Since 1986, when Denmark had presented its initial report, research on women’s issues had improved and much knowledge had been obtained by female In the Nordic countries rssearchers, , research on women wae a very important -49-