UNITED

NATIONS

Distr.

GENERAL

CEDAW/C/SR.264

2 February 1995

ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN

Fourteenth session

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE 264th MEETING

Held at Headquarters, New York,

on Wednesday, 18 January 1995, at 10.15 a.m.

Chairperson: Ms. CORTI

CONTENTS

CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 18 OF THE

CONVENTION (continued)

________________________________________________________________________________

This record is subject to correction.

Corrections should be submitted in one of the working languages. They should be set forth in a memorandum and also incorporated in a copy of the record. They should be sent within one week of the date of this document to the Chief, Official Records Editing Section, Office of Conference and Support Services, room DC2-794, 2 United Nations Plaza.

Any corrections to the records of the meetings of this session will be consolidated in a single corrigendum, to be issued shortly after the end of the session.

95-80073 (E)	/...

*9580073*

The meeting was called to order at 10.20 a.m.

CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 18 OF THE CONVENTION (continued)

Initial report of Chile (CEDAW/C/CHI/1)

1.	At the invitation of the Chairperson, Ms. Bilbao (Chile) took a place at the Committee table.

2.	Ms. BILBAO (Chile) said that she wished to update the report submitted by her Government in 1991 (CEDAW/C/CHI/1). Both that report and her current oral report had been prepared by the National Office for Women's Affairs (SERNAM).

3.	Of Chile's population, some 90 per cent were of mestizo, or mixed, ethnic origin; of the remaining 10 per cent, most belonged to the country's three indigenous minorities. Spanish was spoken by 92 per cent of the population, while the remaining 8 per cent also spoke an indigenous language. The vast majority of the population were Roman Catholic.

4.	Chile's main exports were copper, timber, agricultural products and fish; its main imports were petroleum, sugar and wheat. Average per capita income was US$ 3,160. In the past four years, Chile had achieved an average annual growth rate of 6.3 per cent.

5.	According to the Human Development Report 1994, Chile had ranked eighth out of 97 developing countries in 1992 in the human development index, which took into account such indicators as infant mortality, daily caloric intake, adult literacy and average number of years of schooling. However, if human development was measured in terms of income distribution, Chile fell to twelfth place. While the social and economic policies implemented over the past five years by the country's two democratic Governments had succeeded in lifting over 1 million Chileans out of poverty, substantial challenges must be overcome in order to ensure that the remaining 4 million Chileans still living in poverty enjoyed the benefits of development.

6.	Women accounted for 50.9 per cent of the overall population and 52.4 per cent of the population in urban areas. Life expectancy for women was 75.79 years, as compared with 68.54 years for men.

7.	Chile had one of the lowest and most rapidly decreasing fertility rates in Latin America, with an average of fewer than three children per mother in 1992. At the same time, the relative birth weight of children born to women aged under 20 had increased steadily. Abortion was illegal in Chile; the former military regime had outlawed even therapeutic abortions and had discouraged the use of contraceptives. The fact that the birth rate had continued to fall suggested that abortions had continued to be performed illegally. The current Government had not set any fertility targets. Its family planning policy was aimed at improving the health of mothers and children while affirming the right of every family to have the number of children it desired. Accordingly, her Government actively promoted non-discriminatory access to methods of birth control, as well as to methods for overcoming infertility.

8.	In 1984, six cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection had been reported in Chile, all of them men; by 1990, that figure had risen to 146, of which 3.46 per cent had been women. The proportion of women infected with HIV had risen to 8.9 per cent in 1994, despite a decrease in the overall number of cases reported. Maternal mortality had decreased because of improved obstetric care, while the infant mortality rate had dropped from 33 per 1,000 live births in 1980 to 16.1 in 1990.

9.	Women's participation in the workforce had increased in recent years, from 29.4 per cent in 1980 to 34.4 per cent in 1993. In 1992 and the first quarter of 1993, 114,990 jobs had been created for women, representing an increase of 8.2 per cent as compared with a 3.9 per cent increase in jobs for men.

10.	Significant advances had been made in improving women's level of education. According to the 1992 population census, 10 per cent of the female population had had over 13 years of schooling, as compared with 4.8 per cent a decade earlier. The same census indicated that women entering the job market for the first time were better educated than their male counterparts. Nevertheless, women's position in the job market had not improved significantly. Women's work continued to be undervalued in relation to men's and women were paid less than men for the same work. The more highly educated women were, the greater the wage discrimination they faced. Except during the 1982 recession, the unemployment rate had been higher for women than for men over the past 20 years, and the economic recovery had been slower for women than for men.

11.	In 1990, when the first democratic Government had taken office following the end of the military regime, 5.2 million Chileans, of whom slightly over half had been women, had been classified as poor. Women continued to account for a slightly higher percentage of those living in poverty than men. The feminization of poverty was related to another phenomenon common to Latin American countries, that of the growing number of households headed by women. Currently, one out of every four households in Chile was headed by a woman, a figure associated with the increase in the number of separations and of single mothers. Families headed by women tended to be poorer, as most female heads of household held low-paid jobs, primarily in the informal sector, and worked fewer hours per week.

12.	The issue of violence against women had begun to be raised in Chile in 1986, at the initiative of women's organizations. In a survey carried out by SERNAM in 1991, 26 per cent of the women surveyed had said that they had experienced physical violence, while 33.5 per cent had experienced psychological violence. It was estimated that 12 per cent of women who were victims of violence did not report it.

13.	With regard to women's political participation, historically, Chilean women had been underrepresented in the executive branch. By 1992, only seven women had held ministerial posts. In the current Government, the Ministers of Justice, SERNAM and National Property were women; there had also been a gradual increase in the number of women holding middle-level ministerial posts. In 1992, women had accounted for 16 per cent of candidates for mayoral and city council posts. Of those elected, 11 per cent of council members and 5 per cent of mayors were women. With regard to the legislative branch, in the period from 1990 to 1994, there had been only 12 women senators and deputies. In the judicial branch, women's participation was increasing, but was heavily stratified. Recently, for the first time, a woman judge had been appointed to the Appeal Court; however, no woman had ever been appointed to the Supreme Court.

14.	Women's participation in the political parties was also increasing and had reached around 40 to 50 per cent in some parties. The role of the women's movement during the military regime and the subsequent incorporation of the movement's leaders into the ranks of political parties had opened up a debate on the social and political discrimination faced by women. However, the number of women in political leadership positions remained small. Women's lack of representation in trade unions and student federations also posed a challenge to Chilean society, a challenge which SERNAM was endeavouring to meet by encouraging public debate.

15.	With regard to the country's political and institutional framework, democracy had been restored in Chile in 1989, after 17 years of military rule. Under President Aylwin (1900-1994), a political transition had taken place, albeit within the limits imposed by authoritarian institutions and laws inherited from the previous regime. Although the democratic Government had been elected by a sizable majority, opposition forces had controlled the Senate because it included nine senators appointed by the outgoing military regime. That situation, combined with stringent provisions imposed by the outgoing regime with regard to the adoption of legislation, had seriously hampered the Government's legislative agenda, with implications for women's rights and issues, among others.

16.	With regard to development policy, the two democratic Governments had opted for a development strategy of growth with social equity in an effort to achieve a qualitative leap in the level and rate of development. The current Government was seeking to consolidate economic development, eradicate extreme poverty, modernize labour relations, build modern, efficient, universal health care and education systems, and integrate the country in the international economy.

17.	Turning to Chile's implementation of the Convention, she said that the former military Government had adopted traditional, paternalistic policies towards women. In turn, women had played a major role in the organizations which had emerged in response to the regime's political repression. With the return of democracy, the focus of feminist organizations and politically active women had shifted to gender-related issues. The democratic Government had incorporated women's concerns into its institutional agenda and had created the National Office for Women's Affairs (SERNAM), which had been instrumental in adding a gender dimension to public policy.

18.	While significant progress had been made in recent years in overcoming discrimination against women, inequality was deeply rooted in Chilean society. Accordingly, an equal opportunity policy was being defined in an attempt to bring about the necessary structural and cultural changes. The new policy reflected the realization that discrimination required a systematic approach, involving all government ministries. Priority would be given to enhancing the role of women in the workforce and promoting women's social and political participation and access to decision-making. It was hoped that progress in those areas would lead to changes in other areas of women's lives, both public and private. Empowering women would enhance their social integration and strengthen the democratic process. In that regard SERNAM would pinpoint problems, identify mechanisms for change and promote greater participation by women. The equal opportunity policy would also link gender-equity proposals with regional and municipal development strategies.

19.	Turning to individual articles of the Convention, she noted that the provisions of the Convention had been incorporated into national legislation in 1990. In particular, the definition of discrimination given in article 1 of the Convention was applicable in Chile. Pursuant to article 2, a constitutional amendment had been proposed which would enunciate the principle of equality between men and women and prohibit all discrimination based on gender. Since the political opposition as a whole did not support such an amendment, SERNAM was working on a number of fronts to secure its adoption. Although other legislation prohibited discrimination against women, amending the Constitution would have a major impact. Of the legislation already adopted to protect women from discrimination, mention should be made of the recent law on domestic violence, which instituted effective legal procedures and penalties, as well as alternatives such as counselling and community service. Judicial mechanisms also existed to ensure protection against other forms of discrimination.

20.	Since its establishment as a ministerial-level institution for the protection and promotion of women's equality, the National Office for Women's Affairs (SERNAM) had undertaken a series of programmes to support and protect women's rights, including the establishment of regional information centres on women's rights and campaigns on such issues as domestic violence. One of its principal functions was to promote legal reform to improve all aspects of the status of women. On the initiative of SERNAM, the Government had amended the Labour Code; decriminalized adultery and ended discrimination against women in that regard; amended maternity leave provisions to reflect the fact that the obligations inherent in caring for children should be shared by both parents; promoted a new matrimonial property regime in which women enjoyed equal rights and assets were divided proportionately when the marriage was dissolved; enacted legislation affording all children the same rights, regardless of the marital status of their parents; and begun consideration of a bill that would amend the laws governing a series of sexual offences. SERNAM, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, was also considering ways of enforcing the Ministry's instruction that pregnant students should be allowed to remain in school to pursue their education.

21.	With respect to article 3, the staff of SERNAM had increased since its establishment and it now had a budget of some US$ 8 million, including international cooperation. The Office enjoyed high-level representation throughout Chile's 13 regions and sought to promote regional-level initiatives in accordance with the Government's policy of decentralization.

22.	With reference to article 4 of the Convention, Chilean legislation had sought to facilitate, inter alia, the integration of women in the workforce. However, special measures could be counter-productive. For instance, since companies employing more than 20 women were required to provide child-care, it had been found that most companies preferred to recruit men. Ways were being sought to resolve that situation by promoting legislation to protect the family as a whole, including the reproductive situation of both parents, to ensure that child-rearing did not effectively result in discrimination against women.

23.	Regarding article 5, the Government had initiated measures to eliminate sex-role stereotypes from school textbooks. A programme to prevent teenage pregnancy, to be supported by the United Nations Population Fund, was also under way.

24.	In accordance with article 6 of the Convention, all activities relating to prostitution were punishable by law.

25.	With respect to article 7, measures were being taken to promote political participation by women. Chile was actively involved in international life and, as called for in article 8, had appointed women to represent it at a high level on many occasions. The provisions relating to nationality contained in article 9 were fully guaranteed under Chilean legislation.

26.	Women's access to education, protected under article 10, was not a problem in Chile, since women enjoyed equal access at all levels. Similarly, scholarships and participation in all educational activities were available on an equal basis, although more needed to be done to ensure that girls could actually avail themselves of those opportunities. The one area where discrimination really persisted was the content of educational programmes and the perpetuation of sex-role stereotypes. It was important to update curricula, especially with regard to gender roles and sex education.

With regard to article 11, the Chilean Constitution and Labour Code prohibited discrimination other than that based on an employee's skills or qualifications. Labour laws prohibited the firing of women on grounds of pregnancy, and all workers, both public and private, were entitled to maternity leave.

With regard to article 12, the Constitution guaranteed the right to health care. Chile had both private and public health care. The public health service provided free pregnancy, child birth and post-natal care; breast-feeding was encouraged and milk supplements were available to all children up to the age of six.

Turning to article 13, there was equal access to family allowances and benefits in Chile, and there were special benefits for low-income households (which included a high proportion of women). Women married under the joint property regime had only limited access to bank loans, but exceptions were made for women working in occupations separate from those of their husbands. Women had full control over their earnings.

With regard to article 14, the Ministry of Agriculture had a special division for rural women which worked in coordination with SERNAM. There was also a specific programme for assisting female seasonal workers. Access to credit for women holding rural land without title was available through a World Bank-financed programme administered by the Ministry of National Property, which also had a programme for granting title to rural land.

Turning to article 15, women and men enjoyed equality before the law in Chile, except in the case of joint property marriages. Although the Civil Code had been amended in 1989, its provisions still gave husbands in joint property marriages control over the couple's assets, and even over property inherited by the wife or owned by her before the marriage. Couples could choose among several matrimonial property regimes, and it was up to the registrar to explain those options at the time of marriage. Current norms also called for husband and wife to declare loyalty and support for each other, rather than requiring the wife to profess obedience to the husband and take his domicile.

Women could choose freely to enter into marriage and married women could enjoy full legal capacity. However, only fathers had parental authority, and SERNAM had presented a bill to the Senate to rectify that situation. Both spouses enjoyed the same personal rights and the same rights in respect of ownership and property, except in joint property marriages. Marriage between minors (defined as males under 14 and females under 12) was illegal.

Ms. ESTRADA CASTILLO expressed concern that, five years after the restoration of democracy in Chile, the Government was still only studying reforms and other action to improve the situation of women. She asked the reporting State to clarify the time-frame for the figure of US$ 3,160 average per capita income given on page 2 of the updated report, and expressed concern at the present Government's extreme neo-liberal goals which, in the absence of aggressive plans to promote social equity, could have serious social costs and actually increase women's poverty.

She noted the apparent lack of government action to restore human rights to, and compensate the losses suffered by, women abused during the years of dictatorship. She requested clarification of the situation regarding abortion, in view of the high abortion rate in Chile and the apparent lack of protections for minors and women in that regard.

She doubted the credibility of a programme which purported to promote equality but did not actually define discrimination or address the issue of legitimate versus illegitimate children or the reincorporation of women in democracy. She was also surprised to find no provision in the report for the continuing education of women and minors.

Ms. ABAKA stressed the importance of following the guidelines for reporting progress in and obstacles to the implementation of the Convention, as specified in article 18. While the report in document CEDAW/C/CHI/1 contained interesting information, it did not follow the guidelines and did not clearly indicate how its contents related to specific articles of the Convention. The report gave little statistical information and she recommended that the Government seek the assistance of the advisory services programme in preparing subsequent reports.

Ms. SCHOPP-SCHILLING also stressed the importance of following the reporting guidelines and looked forward to the inclusion of more detailed information in the Government's second report. She requested clarification of the role of national machinery and the exact nature of the political relationship between SERNAM and the rest of the Government, as well as details of any measures the Government intended to take under article 4.

Ms. GARCIA-PRINCE agreed with previous speakers that the Government's next report should follow the reporting guidelines. The current report gave no clear indication of progress or improvements in the status of women in Chile, nor of the extent of the relevant Government programmes in that sphere. Additional information was required on such issues as SERNAM training programmes, the structure of equal opportunity policies and programmes and the successes achieved in their implementation, the Equal Opportunity Plan itself, SERNAM services for women in various political sectors, national machinery, and national legislation as it pertained to women.

She also requested clarification of government initiatives under article 7 to increase the representation of women at the decision-making level in the Government, trade unions and other sectors of society. She pointed to the need for the Government to reinterpret the goal of promoting the participation of women at the international level under article 8, and to provide fuller information on government initiatives for protecting women workers and improving the situation of women within the family.

Ms. BUSTELO GARCIA DEL REAL also called for closer adherence to the guidelines in subsequent reports, with more specific and systematically organized information on the state of implementation of the Convention and its usefulness in actually improving the situation of Chilean women. The difficulties currently encountered in implementing the Convention's provisions at the legislative level indicated a need for more effective dissemination of the Convention among the Chilean public, and for legislators to understand that since Chile had ratified the Convention, it must adopt the consequent legislative reforms.

With regard to legislation on the exploitation and trafficking of women (art. 6), she asked whether the particular vulnerability of prostitutes had been taken into account, since their marginalization often prevented them from benefiting from the protection afforded by such legislation. A comprehensive analysis was needed to assess the efficacy of the measures being taken to protect them.

She also called for more information on the status of children and on legal matters relating to marriage and the family (art. 16), and asked whether the legal marriage age was the same for men and women.

Ms. AOUIJ said that while the establishment of SERNAM would help to promote the full integration of women in the country's development and hence enhance their rights, role and importance, women's participation could be effective only if legal, cultural, political and economic barriers were dismantled. In that regard, she would like more information on the composition of the working committees established within SERNAM to study existing legislation and propose legislative reforms essential to the elimination of the discrimination suffered by Chilean women. In particular, she wished to know whether men were involved in drafting new legislation. Information should also be provided on the principal bills proposed by SERNAM which had not yet been adopted by the Chilean parliament, and the reasons why they had not been adopted.

Referring to the laudable efforts that Chile was making to reduce the burden of poverty borne by women heads of household, particularly in rural areas, she said that the next report should provide actual figures on the efforts being made to address rural poverty. Violence against women was another obstacle not only to equality between men and women but also to women's participation in development. The most serious expression of such violence was to be found within the family, the basic building-block of society. She welcomed the priority given to legislation to prevent and punish violence against women and would appreciate information on the penalties provided under that legislation.

Noting the references in the report to temporary and part-time work for women, she wondered whether those arrangements were geared exclusively to women and whether it was women themselves who decided to work part time, since such arrangements often had the effect of marginalizing women from the labour market. She wished to know how SERNAM went about promoting measures to enhance the dignity and value of domestic work, which was an essential contribution to the functioning of the family and society, and whether men were involved in that activity and had been made aware of their share of responsibilities in the family and the household.

Ms. MUÑOZ-GOMEZ asked whether the National Office for Women's Affairs had the same status as other ministries. Noting that Chile had one of the most advanced economies in Latin America, she asked whether SERNAM had any specific programmes for protecting women in the context of the neo-liberal market system, especially in the areas of maternal support, unemployment benefit and equal pay for men and women. With respect to health, she expressed particular concern about the high rate of abortion, especially among teenagers.

Ms. KHAN suggested that if non-governmental organizations had not been consulted in the preparation of the report, they should be consulted in preparing the next one. Concerning article 5 of the Convention, she wished to know what measures the Chilean authorities had taken to portray females in a more positive light in school curricula and whether the media were being used to change the image of women in Chilean society. Expressing particular concern at the fact that there was no definition of discrimination under Chilean civil law, despite the fact that 60 per cent of women were subject to violence, especially in the family setting, she asked whether the Convention could be invoked in Chilean courts and, if not, whether other avenues of redress were open to women in such situations. Given the very high incidence of rape, she wondered whether any attempts had been made to revise existing penal legislation, whether the SERNAM study had made any suggestions as to legislative reform and whether such reforms, if any, had been carried out.

Turning to article 11, she sought information on any policy that SERNAM might have established to address the issue of improving women's position in the job market and on the kinds of training programmes being undertaken to ensure that women had greater access to the modern labour market. Turning to article 12, she wondered whether any programmes had been established to alleviate the particularly heavy economic burden borne by poor female heads of household. Expressing alarm at the extremely high rate of illegitimate births, especially among teenagers - reflecting the failure of family planning services to reach young women of childbearing age - she wondered what action was being taken to address that issue. Information should be provided on the reasons for the high incidence of abortion, which was illegal in Chile, where abortions were performed and any action taken by SERNAM to address the matter.

She wondered whether any measures had been taken to repeal the provision under Chilean law that gave husbands exclusive control of the matrimonial property, including property owned by wives, as that provision violated article 16 of the Convention.

Ms. JAVATE DE DIOS, referring to violence against women, asked what specific programmes had been established to assist women victims of violence, including domestic violence, rape and incest. It would also be useful to know whether the police, law courts and lawyers had any guidelines for dealing with violence against women. She welcomed the fact that steps were being taken at the legislative level to address that problem. Under article 6, information should be provided on the extent of prostitution and on any programmes and measures to address the needs of prostitutes affected by sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS. Since article 373 of Chile's Penal Code criminalized prostitution, making prostitutes vulnerable to police harassment, she wondered whether AIDS testing was mandatory only for prostitutes and whether there were any public education campaigns on AIDS. She wondered whether the Equal Opportunity Plan was to be implemented by SERNAM alone or whether it was to be an inter-agency effort, and what its defined goals, targets and indicators were.

Turning to article 7, she would welcome information on the fate of the many women political detainees who had suffered torture and other abuses under the military dictatorship. In that connection, she wondered whether any programmes had been put in place to assist such women, and expressed particular alarm at reports that about 200 members of the group of relatives of disappeared persons had been mistreated by the police. She inquired whether any government agency was assisting the relatives of the disappeared. She would also appreciate any information on specific measures and programmes being planned by the Government to enhance women's political education so that they could participate fully in public life.

With respect to articles 11 and 12, she wished to know what action the Chilean authorities were taking to improve the often appalling working conditions of women seasonal workers in the country's fruit-producing regions, whose reproductive health was being affected by exposure to heavy doses of pesticide. She was particularly concerned about the situation of teenage mothers and elderly women.

Ms. CARTWRIGHT said that she shared the previous speaker's considerable concern at the level of violence against women and at the measures which must be implemented to address that problem. She hoped that the next report would indicate what educational mechanisms had been put in place, what effect the existing mechanisms had had and what measures had been taken to review criminal and civil law to address the problem. The Government would also need to assist in providing safe houses and access to legal aid, so that women could have free access to the courts and to protection orders. The Committee would also need to know how effective any enforcement measures had been.

Turning to article 15, she was concerned at the serious limitations placed on women's right to administer property, particularly under the joint matrimonial property regime. In that connection, she wished to know what was the position of women living in a relationship other than formal marriage, and whether legal aid was available to women, irrespective of whether they were married, unmarried or in a de facto relationship, when it came to problems with the administration of property. Turning to article 16, she noted that a formal divorce procedure would have to be provided for both women and men, in order to protect them and their children. She wondered whether there were any provisions which gave the same protection to unmarried and married women, particularly in relation to financial support from the father of their children when such women had responsibility for the care of the children.

Ms. OUEDRAOGO, referring to article 4, said that Chile should seize the current opportunity to take temporary measures. The next report should specify the most acute problems faced by Chilean women and indicate what temporary measures had been taken to speed up their emancipation. Turning to article 7, specifically women's participation in public life, she felt that women should preserve the momentum generated by their recent struggle by creating an effective network of communication and dialogue with each other, so as to pool their efforts and involve women more fully in the defence of their rights. Consideration should also be given to establishing quotas for women in order to increase their representation in public posts. Turning to article 14, she noted that the integrated programme of education for family life was needed in rural areas to decrease malnutrition. Consideration should be given to the promotion of income-generating activities, so as to improve women's incomes, decrease the number of women working in the informal sector, and promote their access to appropriate technologies which would alleviate their workload.

Ms. MAKINEN, referring to the Equal Opportunity Plan, asked whether it included initiatives to introduce special legislation on equality in Chile and to establish special authorities to implement those initiatives. Turning to article 11, she would like more information on wage differentials between men and women in both the public and private sectors. She wondered whether labour legislation guaranteed not only equal pay for equal work but also equal pay for work of equal value, as required by Convention No. 100 of the International Labour Organization, and whether Chile had ratified that Convention. In that regard, she wished to know whether effective measures were in place to deal with other kinds of discrimination in the workplace.

Ms. SATO, speaking on article 10 with particular reference to education as it related to employment, wished to know the reason for the huge wage differences between men and women and whether the fact that the wage gap widened as women enhanced their educational qualifications discouraged girls from going on to higher education. She would appreciate information on any measures taken by the Government to reduce the income gap between men and women. The Chilean representative should also explain why there was such a wide gap between male and female illiteracy rates and provide information on any measures taken by the Government to reduce that gap, such as adult and functional literacy programmes. Information on any measures taken by the Government to encourage female adults to enrol in continuing education programmes would be most welcome.

Ms. BARE, speaking on article 14, requested more information on the extent of the coverage provided by preschool facilities, especially in rural areas. With respect to rural women employed as seasonal workers in export-oriented agro-industries, she wished to know what action was being taken by non-governmental organizations to advocate improved working conditions and rights for women in that sector. With respect to article 11, more information on wage disparities between men and women in the public sector would be most welcome.

Ms. AYKOR wished to know the position of the National Office for Women's Affairs in relation to the Chilean parliament. Concerning article 2, she wondered whether the Government considered abortion a family planning method, since the figures on fertility rates and abortions had been provided by the Ministry of Health. If abortions were authorized, information should be provided on where they were performed, whether they were officially recorded and how they were afforded by rural women, who had lower incomes than their urban counterparts. She wished to know whether there were family planning programmes for both men and women and whether contraceptives were offered to both sexes. The Committee would like the Chilean Government to adopt a non-discriminatory approach to family planning.

Ms. ESTRADA-CASTILLO, referring to article 15, wished to know whether, at the time of marriage, women were informed about or had received prior information on the various systems for the administration of matrimonial property, what percentage of Chilean women were served by the information centres on women's rights (CIDEM) and whether those centres existed throughout the country.

The CHAIRPERSON thanked the representative of Chile for her detailed presentation and, welcoming the transition to full democracy in Chile and the extent to which Chilean women had benefited from it, expressed the hope that women would not be excluded from the considerable economic progress achieved by Chile. She reminded the representative of Chile that her country's ratification of the Convention committed it to the de jure and de facto application of that instrument.

The meeting rose at 1.10 p.m.