Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Commend Slovenia on Women’s Political and Economic Participation, Ask about Roma Women and the Representation of Girls in Science Subjects

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its consideration of the seventh periodic report of Slovenia, with Experts commending the State on the high level of political and economic participation by women, and asking questions about issues facing Roma women and the representation of girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics studies.

A Committee Expert commended Slovenia on progress made, particularly in regard to the most recent elections, where women represented 40 per cent of members of Parliament, and the first female President had been elected.  Another Expert commended that Slovenia ranked 12 out of 136 countries in women’s economic participation. 

Elgun Safarov, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Slovenia, asked what was being done to prevent domestic violence in communities, particularly Roma and migrant communities?  Another Expert noted that issues with Roma girls included early pregnancy and marriage.  Was the marriage age of 15 with judicial exception having an impact on this phenomenon?  What measures were being taken to ensure that marginalised women, including Roma women, had access to long-term employment?

A Committee Expert noted that girls ranked low in science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects.  What was the overall policy for addressing gender diversity in these areas?  Would temporary special measures be considered to address this gap? 

The delegation said that a survey was conducted among Roma communities on early marriage in 2014.  This was followed by education and awareness raising, and work with Roma communities.  Five training courses were carried out over the year with the participation of representatives from social workers, schools and the police, as well as key representatives from Roma communities.  In 2023, a video competition was announced for media content to raise awareness among the Roma.  In the past four years, Roma assistance had been utilised within schools.  This had been very efficient; however, it had stagnated during the pandemic.

Concerning girls and science, the delegation said that two projects were carried out with non-governmental organizations last year to combat stereotypes and encourage girls to enrol in science, technology, engineering, and mathematical studies.  This was organised in the form of an escape room and was so successful that it would be repeated next year.  Another successful project involved girls being mentored by engineers to develop their technical skills. 

Introducing the report, Simon Maljevac, Minister, Ministry of Solidarity-Based Future of Slovenia and head of the delegation, said 2022 turned out to be a historical year.  Women comprised 36 out of the 90 deputies elected to the National Assembly of Slovenia following the elections held in April 2022; this was the highest number in the history of the State, representing 40 per cent of the total number of members of Parliament.  In November 2022, Slovenia elected a woman President for the first time, which was a great victory and important symbolic shift towards gender equality.  The Government was focusing on the digital gender gap, the empowerment of women and girls in science, technology, engineering and maths, and online gender-based violence, especially on social media.  Empowering women with digital skills was crucial for their participation in the digital society.

In concluding remarks, Mr. Maljevac thanked the Committee and his delegation for the dialogue and the interpreters for their services. 

Ana Peláez Narváez, Chair of the Committee, thanked the delegation for the constructive dialogue with the Committee which provided further insight into the situation of women and girls in Slovenia.  The Committee commended the State party and encouraged it to make all efforts to implement the Committee’s recommendations. 

The delegation of Slovenia consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Solidarity-Based Future; the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities; the Ministry of Health; the Ministry of Justice; the Ministry of the Interior; the Ministry of Education; the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs; the Government Office for National Minorities; the Office of the Government for the Support and Integration of Migrants; and the Permanent Mission of Slovenia to the United Nations Office at Geneva. 

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women’s eighty-fourth session is being held from 6 to 24 February.  All the documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage.  Meeting summary releases can be found here.  The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.

The Committee will next meet in public at 10 a.m. on Friday, 17 February, to conclude its review of the seventh periodic report of Tunisia (CEDAW/C/TUN /7).

Report

The Committee has before it the seventh periodic report of Slovenia (CEDAW/C/SVN/7).

Presentation of Report

SIMON MALJEVAC, Minister, Ministry of Solidarity-Based Future of Slovenia and head of the delegation, said the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and its follow-up process were instrumental in formulating Slovenia’s policies to promote gender equality.  Despite gender quotas for elections being introduced two decades ago, women's political participation in Slovenia was below expectations.  However, 2022 turned out to be a historical year.  Women comprised 36 out of the 90 deputies elected to the National Assembly of Slovenia following the elections held in April 2022; this was the highest number in the history of the State, representing 40 per cent of the total number of members of Parliament.  In November 2022, Slovenia elected a woman President for the first time, which was a great victory and important symbolic shift towards gender equality.  The post of Minister of Foreign and European Affairs was held by a woman, and 34 per cent of Slovenia's ambassadors were women.  However, enhancing the presence of women on company boards and in economic decision-making remained high on the political agenda.

Despite the high degree of economic gender equality in Slovenia, there were problems regarding the gender pay and gender pension gap.  One measure introduced to address this was a two-year project started in 2019 called ‘My work. My pension’.  This project aimed to draw attention to the pension gap between women and men and raise awareness on mainstreaming gender into the pension policy and pension reform.  In November 2022, the National Assembly adopted the Law on Amendments and Additions to the Parental Care and Family Benefits Act, which would give each parent 60 days of non-transferable paid parental leave.  Before that, only the mother had 30 days of non-transferable leave.  A few days ago, the law amending the Family Code entered into force, which defined marriage as a union of two persons, not just male and female.

A high-priority issue in Slovenia was preventing violence against women and girls, which had intensified during the pandemic, and a 24/7 helpline was established for women victims of violence at the beginning of the pandemic.  To reduce the impacts of COVID-19, the Government financed additional programmes to help those in vulnerable situations, including victims of violence.  These initiatives included psychosocial counselling, awareness-raising, and shelters, among others.  The Criminal Code was amended in 2021 to enact the principle of consent, and the Code was amended recently to introduce a change into Slovenian law that followed the concept of hate crime, which included gender.

Domestic violence was addressed annually at training events organised by the Judicial Training Centre, attended by judges, prosecutors, and lawyers.  In 2021, Slovenia launched an awareness-raising programme for children and minors on trafficking in human beings, which would include workshops in primary and secondary schools in all regions of Slovenia over a period of three years.  Further steps had been taken in the past year towards eliminating discrimination in the only women's prison in the country, such as the introduction of certain benefits that had long been available only in men's prisons, for example overnight visits.  The Government was focusing on the digital gender gap, the empowerment of women and girls in science, technology, engineering and maths, and online gender-based violence, especially on social media.  Empowering women with digital skills was crucial for their participation in the digital society.

Slovenia devoted particular attention to the women, peace and security agenda; it so far had two national action plans under this agenda.  In the second half of 2022, the State began preparing the Slovenian Feminist Foreign Policy Strategy, which would ensure the mainstreaming of gender equality and the empowerment of women, as well as the promotion of the human rights of women and girls in Slovenia's foreign policy activities and goals.  Mr. Maljevac said Slovenia was here to build on the progress achieved, identify the challenges ahead, and take action towards meeting gender equality goals.  The delegation stood ready to answer the Committee’s questions. 

JERNEJA TURIN, Adviser–Analyst of the Centre for Human Rights at the Human Rights Ombudsman of Slovenia, said Slovenia scored 67.5 out of 100 points on the Gender Equality Index, and Slovenia’s progress in terms of gender equality was slower compared to other European Union Member States.  While the gender pay gap had decreased, the salary differences between men and women in both sectors, regardless of education, remained significant, at 15.2 per cent.  Although the proportion of women elected in the 2022 parliamentary and local elections had increased, the proportion of women elected as mayors was only 13.7 per cent. Gender disparities in the division of household tasks persisted, with research showing that childcare responsibilities and tasks such as cleaning, tidying and cooking remained mainly in the domain of women.  According to the last national survey, 22 per cent of women in Slovenia experienced physical or sexual violence, and three-quarters of victims of intimate partner violence were women.  The Ombudsman wanted to bring attention to the situation of Roma women who lived in segregated Roma settlements, frequently lacking basic living conditions, including access to drinking water, sanitation and electricity.  Ms. Turin wished the delegation and Committee a fruitful dialogue.

Questions by a Committee Expert

ELGUN SAFAROV, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Slovenia, said Slovenia had implemented many awareness-raising projects on the prevention of violence and trafficking, created State shelters and hot-lines for the victims, and adopted several national action plans.  However, there were situations including hate speech in media and social networks, and limited access to medical and social care and free legal support for women during the COVID-19 virus limitations.  What steps were planned to lessen general sexist behaviour and violence in the public sphere? Were there plans to organise public campaigns against this?  What was the annual budget for non-governmental organizations working on the protection of women’s rights?  How many non-governmental organizations worked on women’s rights?  What measures had the State taken to incorporate in the Constitution a definition of equality between women and men and a prohibition of discrimination against women, in accordance with the Convention?  How many cases in the decisions of judges referred to the Convention? 

Responses by the Delegation and Follow-up Questions and Answers

The delegation said non-governmental organizations played an important role in the implementation of the Convention.  There were nearly 28,000 non-governmental organizations in Slovenia, with approximately 5,800 focused on gender equality.  The Convention was published on the Government’s website and the website of the Human Rights Ombudsman.  In 2020, the Ombudsman organised a seminar on the treaty articles, with lawyers and non-governmental organizations as the target group.  In 2016, the Protection against Discrimination Act was adopted.  In certain cases, discrimination could be considered by the Human Rights Ombudsman.  It was prohibited to incite hatred and intolerance in Slovenia.  The courts referred to the Convention in multiple cases, but it was difficult to define the exact number. 

A special group of prosecutors monitored the situation of hate speech.  The Government had established a special Hate Speech Council to analyse instances of hate speech and propose action.  Victims needed to be empowered and informed of their rights.  A special brochure and new services were established to help victims, with the assistance of non-governmental organizations.  Victims of domestic violence were entitled to free legal aid. 

ELGUN SAFAROV, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Slovenia, asked for statistical data on referring to the Convention in court cases?  Could Slovenia show examples of the Convention reflected within national legislation? 

In response, the delegation said there was direct reference to the Convention in courts in five cases.  All those employed in the judiciary participated in training sessions, and a seminar dedicated to gender equality would take place in April.  Significant training would be provided in this respect and would be reflected in case law.

Questions by a Committee Expert

ELGUN SAFAROV, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Slovenia, said the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities was the competent authority for shaping gender equality policy.  What would be done to strengthen the mandate and better resource the existing body for gender equality?  What about gender budgeting across multiple sectors?  Were there appointed gender focal points in each ministry and region?  How would non-governmental organizations be involved in the action plan on women’s rights and gender equalities?  When would the plan be adopted? 

A Committee Expert congratulated the new female President of Slovenia, and acknowledged that in 2018 Slovenia became the first North Atlantic Treaty Organization country to appoint a woman as head of the army.  However, the number of women in local governments remained low.  Slovenia was encouraged to include temporary special measures in the third women, peace and security plan, which was being drafted.  Could information on the financing of special measures be provided?  What leadership programmes cleared the pipeline for women and girls in decision making?  The Committee strongly encouraged the State party to involve civil society organizations in the preparation of its next periodic report.

Responses by the Delegation and Follow-up Questions and Answers

The delegation said a special measure was already enforced in regard to women entrepreneurs.  Gender budgeting was a broad issue.  Gender mainstreaming should also be part of the implementation of financial plans; there was room for improvement in this regard.  Women with disabilities were very active within the population and also participated in the boards and the management of organizations for persons with disabilities.  There were more women in the judiciary than men.  In courts, 82 per cent of judges were women, and 45 per cent of presidents of courts were female. 

ELGUN SAFAROV, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Slovenia, asked about the national action plan on women’s rights and gender equality?  How was the process going?

In response, the delegation said the strategic document was called the national resolution on equalities and focused on six areas.  All the key stakeholders took part in its drafting, including non-governmental organizations.  The measures within the strategy were being implemented by all relevant Ministries.  The Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities had a strategic council for gender equality which was the key consultative body when it came to gender issues. 

The Government intensively worked with non-governmental organizations and involved them in all processes.  The second action plan for women, peace and security had ended in 2022 and its implementation was still being assessed.  The next action plan would be based on the findings of the analysis, and this would include temporary special measures.  From 2016 to 2019, a special programme was introduced for the promotion of women entrepreneurship.  In 2020, a programme to help women start being entrepreneurs was launched and over 350 women had participated.  Other special measures launched included agriculture, forest and food; they aimed to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic through providing financial grants to farmers.  A new law was adopted in February to promote digital inclusion, which was a legislative base for the promotion of special measures.

Questions by a Committee Expert 

ELGUN SAFAROV, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Slovenia, asked for statistics on the cases of sexual, physical and economic violence?  What was the role of the Istanbul Convention in Slovenian legislation?  What was done to prevent domestic violence in communities, particularly Roma and migrant communities?  How was the State supporting non-governmental organizations on shelters?  How many shelters were there in the State?  Was there data on cases of sexual harassment?  Did women with diverse sexual identities have access to appropriate accommodation and services?    

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the area of violence was a priority for Slovenia.  Gender-based violence was a special priority for the Slovenian police.  The police were in daily cooperation with social workers and schools to exchange information.  When the police were informed about cases of violence, it was often too late.  This was why awareness raising campaigns were conducted so those around victim would be able to report a case.  Police had been in touch with migrants from Ukraine in public and private accommodation to inform them of their rights and offer support in cases of violence. 

A number of preventative mechanisms were in place to prevent violence among migrants.  Brochures and posters were available at the centres, and women could speak with staff.  A standard procedure was in place.  Within 24 hours of a case of sexual violence being reported, there would be a meeting with the non-governmental organizations focusing on violence, and then the case would be handed to the police.  Psychological and psychiatric support was also provided to victims.  When it came to sexual criminal offences, the police always asked the victim if they wanted to claim compensation.  There was a plan to change the laws which abolished the requirement for citizenship to claim compensation, which would be helpful for victims of trafficking, or those who were from other countries.  Segregated data was not yet available on domestic violence victims, but this would soon be available.  The Media Act envisaged that each website provider needed to provide rules, and those who did not abide by the rules were deleted.  Freedom of expression was one of the foundations of Slovenian society. 

The Istanbul Convention was ratified by Slovenia in 2015.  In 2021, recommendations had been received that the Istanbul Convention was very well implemented within the legal system in Slovenia and addressed domestic violence.  A survey was conducted which established that women were more often victims of domestic violence than men.  The survey determined that women between the ages of 18-29 were most likely to be victims of sexual harassment at work, and stalking.  In the past year, Slovenia had carried out a special campaign to raise awareness of online violence, as well as other initiatives for awareness raising. 

In 2014, a survey was conducted among Roma communities on early marriage.  This was followed by education and awareness raising, and work with Roma communities.  Five training courses were carried out over the year with the participation of representatives from social workers, schools and the police, as well as key representatives from Roma communities.  In 2023, a video competition was announced for media content to raise awareness among the Roma. 

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert asked about the campaigns encouraging neighbours to report domestic violence to the police, which could create a higher risk.  Could clarification on how this worked be provided?  What was done so that men who were violent could be rehabilitated?

ELGUN SAFAROV, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Slovenia, asked about the action plan on the prevention of domestic violence?  How was economic violence reflected in the Criminal Code? 

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said a programme was in place which worked with perpetrators of gender violence; it was being carried out by non-governmental organizations.  Following a report of violence, the police would consult the people surrounding the victim and other stakeholders on what would be the most appropriate action.  The victim always decided the best approach.  Economic violence was present in a large number of criminal offences.  Gender segregated data was available for the Domestic Violence Protection Act; there were 1,716 women victims, and over 400 male victims of domestic violence in 2021.  There was a need to increase the training for all experts dealing with violence.  A proposal made by non-governmental organizations would include gender stereotype roles within the training. 

Questions by a Committee Expert

ELGUN SAFAROV, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Slovenia, said the Government had adopted several anti-trafficking plans.  The identification of traffickers, victims and perpetrators remained a key issue.  Could data on shelters for victims of trafficking be provided?  What about rehabilitation for victims?  What kind of prevention measures had the Government launched to protect women and children from trafficking?  Were there educational programmes in place?  How was the implementation of the new action plan going?  How would non-governmental organizations be included? 

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said that conversations were held with migrants and asylum seekers advising them of protective mechanisms.  All conversations were conducted with the help of interpreters, and informative posters and pamphlets were available in multiple languages.  These activities were carried out by non-governmental organizations.  In 2016, a manual was created to assist victims of human trafficking.  Several amendments had been made to the legislation on trafficking and, therefore, a new manual was being developed.  Safe accommodation was provided to victims of human trafficking and prostitution.  Systemic awareness raising activities were carried out in schools on human trafficking to help students easily recognise forms of exploitation.  Since 2021, 110 training courses had been conducted in schools, undertaken by more than 2,000 pupils.  When it came to asylum bodies and those working with migrants, there had been increased activities to train staff on how to recognise victims of trafficking, with a focus on unaccompanied minors and women.  There were three different channels that victims could go through to claim compensation. 

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert commended the State party on progress made, particularly in regard to the most recent elections, where women represented 40 per cent of members of Parliament, and the first female President had been elected.  Given the progress, would the State party consider increasing the quota of women for the National Assembly?  What was being done to encourage women’s participation at the local level?  Were there mechanisms in mind to increase Roma women’s representation?  Could more information be provided on the Hate Speech Council?  Would there be a code of conduct for members of Parliament?  Was the Company Act making a tangible difference?  Were there incentives to increase the participation of women in public companies?

Another Committee Expert recommended that Slovenia accede to the 1961 convention on statelessness.  What steps would be taken to ratify this Convention?  Nationality was fundamental to a rules-based international order.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said that to ensure better participation of women in politics, other softer measures were equally as important as quotas.  A project called Eve was launched earlier in the year to change the mindset of women in politics.  The two-year project undertook activities including the development of an educational programme for the empowerment of women, an educational manual for teachers, the development of a web tool for women who wished to be more involved in politics, and a media campaign to raise awareness, among others.  This initiative aimed to achieve diversity by 2026, and ensure that 40 per cent of board members were female. 

A new study had established that the gap in the high-ranking Slovenian diplomacy positions had been significantly reduced.  There had been an increase in women in these positions from 16 per cent to 40 per cent in 2020.  Fifty-eight per cent of all Slovenian diplomats were now women.  Research revealed that women were more aware of discrimination, and 39 per cent of women in public life had experienced discrimination, compared to 15 per cent of men.  In November 2022, the share of women in management positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was 48 per cent, and 34 per cent of Ambassadors were female. 

In 2019, a decision was adopted which clearly defined hate speech.  A Hate Speech Council was established, which would be predominantly preventative and help formulate hate speech policies.  The Council would help formulate advice to those drafting legislation.  Any criminal offence committed due to a circumstance such as gender needed to be taken into account when the sentence was issued.  Out of 20 representatives of the Municipality Council, there were four Roma women.  The Slovenia Citizenship Act had several provisions which prevented statelessness.  A meeting was held in 2022 with the High Commissioner for Refugees about the ratification of the convention on statelessness.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert asked if there had ever been a female Minister of Defence in Slovenia?  What was the percentage of women’s participation in the navy, the air force and in the army? 

Another Committee Expert asked if there were mechanisms to increase the participation of Roma women?  The Expert asked the Committee to reflect on instances of hate speech against journalists and public figures.  This was clearly an issue which the State party was aware of. 

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said women made up 16 per cent of the armed forces, which was higher than the average of around 6 per cent in European Member States.  There were 5,700 women in the armed forces, and the possibility of promotion was provided to all these women.  There had been two female Ministers of Defence in Slovenia already. 

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert noted that girls ranked low in science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects.  What was the overall policy for addressing gender diversity in these areas?  Would temporary special measures be considered to address this gap?  Issues with Roma girls included early pregnancy and marriage.  Was the marriage age of 15 with judicial exception having an impact on this phenomena?  Could more details on the education of refugees be provided? 

Another Committee Expert commended that Slovenia ranked 12 out of 136 countries in women’s economic participation.  It was also welcomed that the State party had increased the minimum wage by 12 per cent.  What measures would be taken to specifically target the gender gap in the care sector, especially for women with disabilities?  What measures were being taken to ensure that marginalised women, including Roma women, had access to long-term employment?  What measures were available to increase women’s participation in economic fields?  How was it ensured that all parents, especially those from rural communities, had access to affordable childcare facilities?  Could data be provided on harassment cases and outcomes?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said negotiations were under way for a wage reform in the care sector and to improve working conditions.  Gender in education was an important cultural issue.  Measures were in place to encourage women to enrol in non-traditional programmes.  There were measures in place which could help women; they provided a supportive environment for women’s professional development.  One of these was a widespread network of public kindergartens, and there were private kindergartens also available.  Kindergartens were open on all working days and sometimes on Saturdays.  In the past four years, Roma assistance had been utilised within schools.  This had been very efficient; however, it had stagnated during the pandemic. 

Refugees had access to the entire school system, and were enrolled under the same conditions as Slovenian children.  They were given the option to learn the Slovenian language in extra classes.  Unaccompanied children above 15 attended a literary course for 300 hours.  Upon its completion they would be able to attend school.  Two projects were carried out with non-governmental organizations last year to combat stereotypes and encourage girls to enrol in science, technology, engineering and mathematics studies.  This was organised in the form of an escape room and was so successful that it would be repeated next year.  Another successful project involved girls being mentored by engineers to develop their technical skills.  State scholarships were available for women in marginalised groups. 

Slovenia was aware of the gender segregation of the labour market and was tackling this through several projects, as well as a media campaign on the pension gap.  A Mathematics Olympics would be held in April to encourage female participation in maths.  Only 33 per cent of women were employed in research and 24 per cent were professors.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert said women were unrepresented in areas which made money such as sciences.  Their participation should be increased in these areas. 

Another Expert acknowledged the coverage of almost all of the population with health insurance.  It was commended that Slovenia was among the countries with the lowest infant mortality rate.  What measures were being taken by Slovenia to counter regional disparities in access to health care services?  What special measures could be taken to ensure quality health care for Roma women and other minorities?  What measures were being taken to combat the negative impact of COVID-19 on women and girls?  How would the State party ensure the strengthening of prevention care for women, in relation to non-communicable diseases?  What incentives were planned to encourage regular testing for women? 

A Committee Expert asked how the parental leave policy worked in practice?  What was being done to combat the pension gap?  Did the “My Pension” programme have any impact in closing the pension gap in Slovenia?  Were there plans to increase women’s positions on boards and in executive positions?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said there were decreasing numbers of women drug addicts, and a special programme would focus on how to deal with this vulnerable group.  Psychosocial support was provided to women in prisons.  A resolution on mental health was adopted in 2018 which established a network of mental health centres for children, adolescents and adults.  Three programmes had been set up for pre-cancer screenings, for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer.  These had managed to reduce the number of cases of these types of cancers, and had a high rate of participation.  The abortion rate had decreased in the last 10 years, most prominently in younger women.  HIV and Hepatitis C and B were tested free of charge, and HIV screening for pregnant women was also available.  All refugees had access to urgent medical care, with special services provided to women.

Provisions had been introduced which allowed fathers to have two months of leave. 
A campaign had been rolled out to tackle gender stereotypes.  This was well received, with many fathers indicating they wanted to stay home with their children.  Women in Slovenia were most at risk of poverty, and the pension gap was a result of the pay gap. 

Questions by Committee Experts

ELGUNSAFAROV, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Slovenia, asked how social security reform would affect poor women?  How did the Government intend to mitigate the poverty of single parent families?  Roma women continued to face intersectional discrimination.  Could the State party extend access to reception centres for refugee women?  What was the main challenge for the State to promote equal participation in all possible services for women and girls with disabilities?  

A Committee Expert noted that the new Family Code came into force in Slovenia in April 2019.  It was commendable that the divorce procedure shortened the divorce process; however, this could disguise instances of gender-based violence?  How did the simplified divorce procedure safeguard women against gender-based violence?  How many early marriages were registered annually in Slovenia?  What was the profile of these young newly-weds?  What was the Government doing to combat early marriage?  Were there intentions to raise the age of marriage to 18?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said that last year, the Constitutional Court issued two decisions which defined marriage as a union of two persons, and all rights including adoptions were equally applied to these unions.  A special action plan focused on the healthcare and living conditions of Roma women, as well as other issues like early marriage.  There were specific programmes to improve the health of Roma women, and awareness raising activities were conducted among the Roma community, enabling them to recognise harmful practices. 

Concluding Remarks

SIMON MALJEVAC, Minister, Ministry of Solidarity-Based Future of Slovenia and head of the delegation, thanked the Committee and the delegation for the dialogue and the interpreters for their services. 

ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Chair of the Committee, thanked the delegation for the constructive dialogue with the Committee which provided further insight into the situation of women and girls in Slovenia.  The Committee commended the State party and encouraged it to make all efforts to implement the Committee’s recommendations. 

Link: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/meeting-summary/2023/02/experts-committee-elimination-discrimination-against-women-3