Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2025, published 114th ILC session (2026)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) (Ratification: 2001)
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) (Ratification: 2001)

In order to provide a comprehensive view of the issues relating to the application of ratified Conventions on equality, the Committee considers it appropriate to examine the Conventions Nos 100 (equal remuneration) and 111 (discrimination in employment and occupation) together.

Convention No. 111 – National policy to promote equality of opportunity and treatment in respect of employment and occupation

Article 1(1)(b). Other prohibited grounds of discrimination. Persons with disabilities. The Committee welcomes the Government’s indication in its report that people having a disability (both physical and cognitive) were part of the target audience of the Youth and Adult Training for Employment (YATE) programme and the Skills for Youth Employment (SkYE) programme. It notes, however, that, in March 2023, the World Bank published a profile note providing an overview of the legal and social context affecting persons with disabilities in the country. This note shows that the principle of non-discrimination on the basis of disability is not recognized in the country and that the legal framework does not: (1) provide equal opportunities for persons with disabilities to participate in the civil, political, economic and social spheres; (2) promote their access to the general education system; and (3) establish a quota system for the employment of persons with disabilities in both public and private sectors. The Committee also notes that persons with disabilities might be denied the right to stand for office on account of discriminatory criteria that exclude them. The Committee requests the Governmentto provide information on any measures taken or envisaged to: (i) enhance the access of persons with disabilities to inclusive education programmes and vocational training; and (ii) promote employment opportunities for them, both in the private and public sectors. It also requests the Government to provide statistical data on the participation of men and women with disabilities in education, vocational training and employment.

Real or perceived HIV status. The Committee welcomes the Government’s indication that: (1) the Ministry of Health, Wellness, and the Environment, in collaboration with civil society organizations, has implemented a support system to reduce stigma and discrimination while improving awareness and education about HIV; (2) the Ministry’s programme officers regularly deliver sessions in both public and private sectors (between April and June 2024, 41 sensitization sessions, reaching 1,312 individuals, were conducted); and (3) while only a few cases of stigma towards persons living with HIV in the workplace have been reported, immediate action has been taken to address them. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on: (i) any measures taken, both in law and practice, to prevent and address discrimination in employment and occupation based on real or perceived HIV status, including any awareness-raising initiatives taken in collaboration with employers, workers, and their respective organizations; and (ii) the number and outcome of any cases of such discrimination detected by or reported to labour inspectors, or brought before the courts or any other competent authorities. Finally, the Committee reiterates its request to the Government to provide information on the reasons why the National Tripartite Workplace Policy on HIV and AIDS has not been implemented.

Articles 1 to 3. Equality of opportunity and treatment between men and women. The Government indicates that multiple efforts are being made to improve women’s access to employment and increase their presence in leadership roles in both public and private sectors. In this respect, the Committee welcomes the following initiatives: (1) the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–32; (2) the reform of the Paid Parental Leave Scheme to promote men’s participation in shared care-giving responsibilities; (3) the Male Engagement Programme (MEND), which promotes positive masculinity and addresses social issues such as gender inequality; and (4) the Women Empowerment Programme (WEMPOWER) which is focused on leadership development of young women and girls through education and economic support, and tackles persistent barriers to economic participation of women. The Government also draws attention to the following gender mainstreaming initiatives: (1) the National Gender Policy, which aims to outline strategies for increasing the participation and representation of women in various sectors, including the workforce; (2) the appointment of Gender Focal Points in various ministries and agencies to guarantee that gender perspectives are integrated into labour and employment policies, inter alia; (3) the capacity-building and training programmes, which aim to enhance understanding of gender equality among policymakers, employers, and employees; and (4) the Build Back Equal (BBE) Project, which aims to offer assistance to women running micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through training and capacity-building, promoting gender equality in business practices, and the monitoring of the Project’s impact on women-owned MSMEs. In the field of education and training, the Committee welcomes: (1) the efforts that are being led by the Information Technology Services Division (ITSD) to encourage women and girls to pursue careers in traditionally male-dominated fields, such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); and (2) the overall increase in the number of female trainees in the Another Nexus in Education for Workforce Development (ANEW) programme, which is part of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Development Project. In this respect, the Committee welcomes the statistical data provided regarding TVET, which shows that the enrolment and certification rates under both programmes are higher for females than for males. It further notes that the 2022 Labour Force Survey Report shows that: (1) certain occupations are male dominated (Plant and machine operators, and assemblers (96.6 per cent male), Craft and related trades workers (86.4 per cent male), as well as Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers (83.1 per cent male)); (2) other occupation groups are female dominated (Clerical support workers (79.3 per cent female) and Professionals (72.4 per cent female)); (3) the two occupational groups where the gender balance is the highest are Technicians and associate professionals (51.4 per cent female), as well as Managers (46.5 per cent female); and (4) the unemployment rate is lower for men than for women. Finally, the Committee notes that, according to World Bank data, in 2023: (1) women’s labour force participation remained significantly low at 55.1 per cent (versus 54.4 per cent in 2020), as compared to 75.3 per cent for men (versus 76.6 per cent in 2020); and (2) only 18.2 per cent of seats in the parliament, and 8.33 per cent of ministerial-level positions were held by women. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on: (i) any initiative, programme or project implemented with a view to addressing gender stereotypes and occupational segregation, fostering equality of treatment and opportunity between women and men in employment and occupation, and enhancing women’s access to decision-making positions; and (ii) the enrolment in education and vocational training, by providing statistical data disaggregated by sex and field of studies.

Convention No. 100 – Principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value

Articles 1 to 4. Gender pay gap. The Government states that, to effectively address and resolve issues related to gender-based pay disparities, there is a need for enhanced collaboration with workers, employers, and their organizations, as well as advocacy groups, and there are focused initiatives to reduce gender segregation in industries and workplaces. The Government informs the Committee that a Data Collection and Research mechanism is being implemented with a view to reducing gender-based disparities. It further indicates that statistical data on salary levels, disaggregated by sex and occupation in both public and private sectors, are not yet available. The Committee observes that the 2022 Labour Force Survey Report shows that, on average, women earn 96.2 per cent of men’s income. The Committee wishes to recall that, providing statistical data on salary levels, disaggregated by sex and occupation in both public and private sectors, allows for an adequate evaluation of the nature, extent and causes of the salary differentials between men and women. The underlying causes of the gender pay gap are closely related to equality of opportunity and treatment between men and women in employment and occupation, and in particular to matters such as access to employment and occupation, occupational segregation, an unbalanced distribution of family responsibilities, and gender roles and stereotypes. The Committee refers, in this respect, to its comments above on Convention No. 111. The Committee expresses the firmhope that the Government will be able to provide such data in its next report, including more detailed information on the functioning and findings of the Data Collection and Research mechanism. Please provide information on any progress achieved in that regard. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on any measure taken in cooperation with employers’ and workers’ organizations for the purpose of addressing the gender occupational segregation and the gender pay gap.

Article 2(2)(b). Wage-fixing mechanisms. The Committee notes with regret that the Government does not provide information on the content of the revised Wages Regulations Orders and limits itself to referring to the increase of the minimum wage that applies to all monthly and daily paid workers. The Committee wishes to emphasize that: (1) the principle of the Convention is not limited to minimum wages but concerns equal remuneration for work of equal value; and (2) rates should be fixed based on objective criteria, free from gender bias, to ensure that the work in sectors with a high proportion of women is not being undervalued in comparison with sectors in which men are predominantly employed. The Committee urges the Government to provide information on the measures in place to ensure that Wage Councils do take into account the principle of the Convention when determining rates.

Article 3. Objective appraisal of jobs. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that annual performance evaluations were conducted within the public sector during the first quarter of 2024, but no measures were taken to promote job evaluations within the private sector. The Committee recalls that there is a significant difference between the concept of the evaluation of professional performance, which aims to evaluate the manner in which a particular worker carries out the job (output), and the concept of objective job evaluation, which evaluates the job (and not the worker) with a view to measuring the relative value of jobs that do not have the same content. The Committee stresses that Article 3 of the Convention presupposes the use of appropriate methods for the objective evaluation of jobs. As women and men are very often engaged in different jobs, it is necessary to have a method of comparison through which it is possible to measure and compare the relative value of different jobs on the basis of objective and non-discriminatory factors (such as the required skills/qualifications, effort, responsibilities and working conditions) to prevent any sexist bias in their evaluation. Experience shows that skills that are often considered to be “female”, such as manual dexterity and those required in the caring professions, are frequently undervalued or even overlooked, in comparison with traditionally “male” skills, such as heavy lifting, which contributes to perpetuating the undervaluation of women’s jobs and to the widening of the pay gap between men and women (see the 2012 General Survey on fundamental Conventions, paras 695 to 701). Article 3 also makes it clear that differential rates between workers are compatible with the principle of the Convention if they correspond, without regard to sex, to differences determined by such evaluation. Once again, the Committee wishes to remind the Government that it may avail itself of the technical assistance of the Office in this regard. The Committee urges the Government to take steps to ensure the use of appropriate techniques for objective job evaluation, comparing factors such as skills, effort, responsibilities and working conditions, in both public and private sectors, and provide information on any progress achieved in that regard. 

Conventions No s 100 and 111 – Application in practice

Awareness-raising. The Government reports that: (1) the Labour Department uses the weekly “Employment in Focus” programme as a platform to educate and sensitize the general public on workers’ rights and employers’ obligations; (2) Questions and Answers sessions provide comprehensive and practical information to the audience; and (3) the Advocacy and Public Awareness Campaign aims to combat gender stereotypes and promote equal opportunities for both men and women in various fields. The Committee notes, however, that the Government does not indicate how these initiatives contribute to promote the principles of both Conventions. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information on any measures taken or envisaged to increase awareness of the principles of the Conventions (i.e. equal pay for work of equal ‘value’ and non-discrimination in employment and occupation), among government officials, judges, workers, employers, and their organizations, as well as the general public to promote their effective application.

Enforcement. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that: (1) no cases of discrimination in employment and occupation, including cases related to unequal remuneration between men and women, has been detected by or reported to labour inspectors, or brought before the courts or the competent authorities; and (2) the Labour Department is currently working on plans to strengthen the labour inspectors’ capacity to implement the principle of Convention No. 111. In this respect, the Committee refers the Government to its 2023 observation on the application of the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81), in which it encouraged the Government to continue to pursue its efforts to ensure that the labour inspection services have at their disposal an adequate number of labour inspectors, to enable them to effectively carry out their duties. The Committee reiterates its request that the Government take proactive measures: (i) to enforce the application of both Conventions, including through the capacity-building of labour inspectors and the strengthening of the dispute resolution machinery in place; and (ii) to prevent and address acts of intimidation and reprisal against complainants. Please communicate the number and outcome of any cases of discrimination in employment and occupation, including gender discrimination in remuneration, detected by or reported to labour inspectors, or dealt with by the courts or any other competent authorities.