the legal
rights
of women8 and the organixation
of a European
seminar on the
impliaatione
of the single
European labour market for the statue of women.
Ghe also mentioned
a law on positive
action
that had been approved recently
by
the Chamber of Deputies
with tho aim of achieving
equality
between women and
men.
She cited the inclusion
of positive
action
in some collective
agreements
in different
occupational
fields
as a result
of the pressure
that had been
exercised
by trade unions.
She stated that women who were involved
in public
life
in Italy
knew that they had to unite in order to achieve,
as in the past,
the advancement of Italian
women.
46.
In general
comments, members
of tire Committee expressed
appreoiation
for
the frankness
of the report,
which followed
closely
the general
guidelines,
for the efforts
that had been made by the country
and for the personal
commitment of the representative
of .the Government to the advancement
of
women. They noted that many obstacles
had been identified,
but considered
that insufficient
measures had been envisaged
to overcome them and that the
report
did not contain
enough information
on the de facto situation
of women.
The gap between northern
and southern
Italy
in the fitatue of women was noted
and information
was requested
about the current
situation
of women in soutbern
Italy
and specific
programmes for them.
47.
It was asked why the report
had not been prepared
by the National
Commission for the Achievement
of Equality
between Men and Women and whether
non-governmental
organixations
had participated
in its preparation
and had
been informed
of its contents.
Members asked whether
Italy
had ratified
the
International
Covenant on Civil
and Political
Rights and whether
the National
Commission had elaborated
a project
on the equality
of women in employment
and
political
participation.
They asked why the pace of women’s movements had
slowed down and how the national
machinery
for the advancement of women was
working.
Clarification
was requested
about the term ‘!conununes” mentioned
in
Members also requested
gender-specific
statistics
on women in
the report.
employment,
education
and participation
in political
and economic life.
Clarification
was also requested
about what was meant by the terms “matters
of
honour”,
“shotgun
marriage”
and “debt of honour”,
which had been abolished
by
Law No. 442 of 1901, and to what extent the newly adopted laws had been put
into practice.
46.
As regards
article
2, members requested
more
information
on the law
aoncerning
sexual violence
as an offence.
It was asked why the amendment of
the law had taken so long to go through
parliament
and whether
it had already
entered
into force.
With regard to article
31 of the Constitution,
it was
asked why women were the only parties
responsible
for securing
the unity of
the family,
and whether
the proposed
amendments to articles
31 and 51 had
already been implemented.
It was asked whether
Italian
law allowed
positive
discrimination
and whether
any related
jurisprudence
existed.
49.
On article
3, members asked how the work of the National
Commission was
coordinated
with the different
committees
on equality,
and how its
achievements
were being assessed.
It was asked whether
its National
Plan of
Action had been updated,
to what extent
it had been implemented
and whether
more information
could be provided
on the results
achieved.
It would be
important
to know whether
a link existed
between the Plan and various
similar
plane of the European Community (EEC).
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