A more intensive cooperation with w&men’s organieations had not been report. She said that the Division for possible owing to logistical constraints. Basic Women’s Issues in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs had a key position within that Ministry. General budget cuts had been imposed on all ministries. but budgets for women’s programmes had been inoreased in the Inter-ministerial working parties on women’s issues mot years 1990 and 1991. regularly in the Federal Chancellery at least twice a year, chaired by the Federal Minister for Women’s Affairs, to discuss important women’s issues and Some of the working parties had a fixed to decide on their implementation. membership, others were established on an ad hoc basis. All ministries were regularly informed about all legislative proposals. Since all the decisions Minister for of the Council of Ministers were taken by consensus , the Federal Women’s Affairs could prevent any measures that constituted any type of hidden discrimination. 310. Sevoral studies and surveys were periodically government policies on the status of women in all concern. A large-scale study had been carried out programme for the promotion of women in the civil was a study on the results of measures in connection during pregnancy and the first-year of the child’s carried out to evaluate areas of socio-economic on the results of the service. Another example withmedical check-ups life. 311. The representative said that the issue of removing Austria’s reservation concerning the right of women to do military service had not been seriously discussed at the ministerial level., which reflected an opinion that was corroborated by the current political situation in the world. The Austrian Central Statistical Office, trade unions and non-governmental organisations had been publishing, since the beginning of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace (1976-19851, gender-d&aggregated statistics and statistical indicators to show differences in the status of ~~ women. 312. Under article 2, she said that sexism in the media, in business and in industry was a major concern of the Advisory Council on Sexism within the Federal Chancellery. The Council assisted women in filing complaints. As its decisions were not legally binding, the reactions of industry and the media had been varied, and in some cases the Federal Minister for Women’s Affairs had had to intervene in her personal capacity. Complaints lodged against the Austrian Rroadcasting and Television Corporation were, in addition to the other mechanisms, handled by a special arbitration council. Currently, a bill was being discussed that would allow women to bring before the courts cases of sexist advertising. Concerning sexual offences, the most important new provisions of the penal law concerned a nev definition of rape as an offence if it was perpetrated within marriage or a cohebital union ana a provision to prohibit the offending spouse from entering the marital home for up to thrgo months. The representative said that the Convention and the work of the Committee had been disseminated in Austria in general, and was being included in the eaucation curricula and put on the agenda of seminars for civil servants. 313. Referring to the Advisory Council on Sexism and the question as to how sexual bias in literature could be eliminated without interfering with the freedom of the press, the representative said that a balance had to be found -63-