Nonetheless, the Ministry of Labour is currently attempting to ensure effective enforcement of the Labour Protection Act regarding equal opportunities and treatment by means of holding frequent labour inspections in order to be on guard for the practice of gender discrimination in the workplace.

At the same time, the average wage for women is lower than that for men. Last year, it was 61 of the average wage for men.

Citizens of the Russian Federation and Belarus shall have equal rights in respect of remuneration for labour, working hours and rest periods, labour protection and working conditions and other questions relating to labour relations.

(i) Forced and bonded labour

In 2003, the average wage for the country was 23,000 tenge, with an average of 17,300 tenge for women.

In the field of work, labour laws ensure equal rights between men and women.

The law on labour guarantees equal pay for equal work, i.e., for work of the same duration, intensity and difficulty.

All benefits on the basis of labor are equal for men and women.

The Department of Supervision of Labor Laws in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor

Although salary levels in the market economy are aligned to workforce productivity, a practice is still in force that payments are made on the basis of seniority and degree of education which affects the mobility of the workforce.

The importance of equal opportunities and equal treatments, which includes equal remuneration of men and women workers, has been clearly stated in the Labour Protection Act of 1998 and the policy of the Ministry of Labour.

(e) The right to social security, particularly in cases of retirement, unemployment, sickness, invalidity and old age and other incapacity to work, as well as the right to paid leave

Labor productivity is also quite low For most economies in the region, service sector productivity is less than 20 of the OECD average. Even in South Korea, labor productivity in industry is 118 of the OECD figure, but only 43 of the average for services.

The only exception is found in section II, concerning women and children working in agricultural and domestic jobs, which allows women, and minors between the ages of 12 and 14, to work in such jobs in accordance with the provisions of chapter II of the Labour Code (Working women and children) concerning working hours, wages, contracts and types of work.

Domestic work and secondary activities

A woman on average spent 13.6 hours per week in 2002 on domestic and unpaid work.

On 3 November 2003, the Re education Through Labour (RTL) Commission of Ping Ding Shan City, Lushan County, Henan Province, after having held a single hearing, issued verdict No. (2003) 203 sentencing Mr. Zhang to two years of re education through labour, under the Temporary Law of Re education Through Labour, article 10, item 1, and article 13.

To enjoy equality of opportunity in access to employment or other possibilities of securing incomes of their own and engaging in productive activity for as long as they wish and to enjoy the protection of the provisions of the Federal Labour Act and other provisions of labour law.

The general education level of women in the labor force is higher than that of men.

As part of the Mexican Government's New Labour Culture , work is ongoing on labour law reform to help promote the training, participation and fair remuneration of workers.

Forced and bonded labour Rights of migrant workers, including domestic workers

Horizontal and vertical segregation in the labour market was also responsible for wage disparities between women and men.

One general assessment made by labour and labour protection inspection authorities is that measures to secure health protection and work security are not sufficient.

This commission is proposing to develop a national strategy to enhance the training and productivity of the population groups comprising women and young people.

Labour and employment

The first was the promotion of equality in the areas of labour and citizenship, including initiatives to extend women's access to the labour market and promote non discriminatory labour relations as well as encourage entrepreneurship and extend women's access to land and housing.

The Labour Department of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare is implementing a programme for working women to ensure compliance with labour law provisions, focusing on the social aspect of the Labour Code, and is also taking the necessary measures to enforce the law and to avoid labour problems and disputes.

Another convention which Panama has not ratified is the ILO Maternity Protection Convention (Revised), 1952 (No. 103), which applies to industrial firms and to non industrial and agricultural work, to women wage earners working at home and to women domestic employees.

The target groups include, for instance, workers in the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, household workers and self employed persons such as drivers, farmers, and home workers.

This body has been established as an agency of cooperation with and support for the working class in addition to protecting purchasing power it campaigns to increase the living standards of wage earners and to give impetus to worker government programmes it also seeks to attain greater equity in worker employer relations, promoting the consolidation of a new labour culture of complete human development.

Under Article 1 of the Labour Code and Article 7 of the Labour Law that prescribe the equality of employees in the Republic of Latvia, children are provided equality in labour relations irrespective of race, colour, gender, age, religious, political or other affiliation, national or social origin, the material or family situation and other conditions.

(b) Mission by a senior specialist on industrial relations and labour administration to Bermuda to confer with government officials and social partners on industrial relations and labour administration matters to conduct a national tripartite seminar on labour administration, industrial relations and social partnership

Its objective is to guarantee equal access for men and women in the labor market.

The higher the level of schooling, the higher the rate of participation in the labour market.

2. Forced labour and portering

20. With regard to the employment of foreign workers, these are recruited regularly and benefit from all the advantages and rights enjoyed by Tunisian workers.

25. As was pointed out earlier (see art. 2), Bulgarian legislation prohibits discrimination in the field of labour and professions in accordance with the requirements of ILO Convention No. 111, and proclaims the freedom and equality of labour.

Within this five point strategy a New Labour Culture is being promoted among all the actors in the process of change namely the workers and the employers in the country in order to establish favourable conditions in employment, training, productivity, competitiveness and the living standards of the workers.

In December 2004, the Gender Equality Department at the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy participated in the campaign for improvement of working conditions for women in the textile industry and their introduction to the labor rights and their encouragement to publicly speak about their problems.

The larger numbers of women in the labour market imply a higher female unemployment rate owing to the imbalance between the supply and demand for jobs.

On 31 October 2003, the RTL Commission of the Pingding Shan Municipal People's Government assigned Zhang to two years' re education through labour under article 10, paragraph 1, of the Experimental Methods of Re education Through Labour

Supervision of regulations for protection and security at work is made by labour protection inspection authorities.

It also established basic methodology for assessing intellectual and physical work.

Sexual violence and its aftermath often prevent women from becoming equal participants in government, the workforce, and society.

(d) Economic considerations, such as demands for economic development, labour productivity and the desired level of employment.