Feedback During the 71st pre-session of the United Nations’ Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (UN CEDAW) a range of issues for the government of Tajikistan was outlined by the Committee. Experts of the CEDAW, who had earlier stressed the need to overcome gender discrimination in employment, asked the Tajikistan authorities to provide information on the measures it has adopted in order to change the norms of its labor legislation that prohibited employment of women in certain professions. Despite the recent changes introduced into the Labor Code of the Tajikistan (in 2015), it still features an article, which contains direct prohibition of women’s work in heavy and hazardous jobs (now it is Article 216). In 2017 the government has again approved the list containing 326 occupations prohibited for women, contrary to the earlier recommendations of the UN CEDAW.
Along with addressing employment issues, UN CEDAW has also requested information from the government of Tajikistan on measures for the increase of the number of girls and women receiving education, both in primary and specialized schools, including education in technical and scientific areas. The Committee also required to provide information on actions to prevent polygamy, early and unregistered marriages.
The Government of Tajikistan should respond to the questions posed by the UN CEDAW during the session of the Committee scheduled for autumn of 2018.