Experts of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Welcome Panama’s Planned Increases to the Education Budget, Ask about Measures to Support Women in Informal and Domestic Work and to Prevent the Extinction of Indigenous Languages
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights today concluded its review of the third periodic report of Panama, with Committee Experts welcoming planned increases to the education budget, and asking about the State’s efforts to support women in informal and domestic work and to prevent the extinction of indigenous languages.
A Committee Expert welcomed the significant rise in the education budget in Panama and the State’s ambitious goals for education investment. When was the deadline for the planned increase in education spending?
Karla Vanessa Lemus de Vásquez, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, said around 89 per cent of domestic workers were women, and 74 per cent of women worked in the informal sector. How was the State promoting the regulation of informal sector jobs? There were no defined working hours for domestic workers, who in some cases worked up to 15 hours a day. Would the State party address this?
Another Committee Expert said that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization had reported that some of Panama’s seven indigenous languages were at risk of extinction. What measures would the State party take to protect these languages?
Maruja Gorday De Villalobos, Minister of Education of Panama and head of the delegation, said Panama had made progress on education investment as a proportion of gross domestic product; 5.5 per cent of gross domestic product would be invested in education in 2023. In 2024, the Government planned to invest six per cent of gross domestic product in education, and it would eventually increase education spending to seven per cent. There had been a 105 per cent increase this year in financial support provided to students with special needs.
Introducing the report, Ms. Gorday De Villalobos said there had been an increase in the number of women in formal work by seven per cent between 2020 and 2022, equivalent to 49,684 women in labour activity. The delegation added that Panama had strengthened laws and policies to encourage the hiring of women in the public sector and secure equal pay for women. There was a need for stronger legislation to prevent discrimination of domestic workers based on nationality or gender.
On indigenous language and culture, Ms. Gorday De Villalobos said that the Government was collaborating with indigenous communities to implement bilingual education and rehabilitate schools in these communities. Four hundred teachers had been trained in native linguistic competency. School curriculums had been contextualised and in part translated into indigenous languages. Students could use their mother tongue and wear traditional clothing in schools.
In concluding remarks, Ms. Lemus De Vásquez said that, through the dialogue, the Committee had gained a better understanding of the situation in Panama and identified areas in which further improvement was needed. The concluding observations would shed light on areas in which the State party could make improvements to implement the provisions of the Covenant.
Ms. Gorday De Villalobos, in her concluding remarks, said Panama had adopted progressive measures to guarantee full compliance with the Covenant. Issues remained in Panama, and the Government was committed to addressing these. Panama would strive to achieve equality and rights for all citizens.
The delegation of Panama was comprised of representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of the Interior; Supreme Court of Justice; National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and the Family; Ministry of Education; National Secretariat for the Development of Afro-Panamanians; National Secretariat for Disability; Ministry of Social Development; Ministry of Labour and Labour Development; Ministry of Culture; Ministry of Government; Electoral Tribunal; National Institute for Women; Ministry of Health; Office of the Attorney General; Office of the Superior Prosecutor for International Affairs; Special Family Prosecutor's Office; Ministry of the Presidency; National Institute of Statistics and Census; and the Permanent Mission of Panama to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
All the documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage. Webcasts of the meetings of the session can be found here, and meetings summaries can be found here.
The Committee will next meet in public at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 16 February, to conclude its consideration of the third periodic report of China (E/C.12/CHN/3), the fourth periodic report of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China (E/C.12/CHN-HKG/4), and the third periodic report of Macau Special Administrative Region of China (E/C.12/CHN-HKG/3).
Report
The Committee has before it the third periodic report of Panama (E/C.12/PAN/3).
Presentation of Report
MARUJA GORDAY DE VILLALOBOS, Minister of Education of Panama and head of the delegation, said Panama had ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in 1976, and since then had sought to achieve equality between men and women. Twenty years had passed since the Committee had last reviewed a periodic report from Panama. The State had issued a standing invitation to all Special Procedure mandate holders of the Human Rights Council and was a party to the main international human rights conventions. Through strengthening its institutions, policies and accountability, the Government worked to prevent human rights violations and guarantee peace. It had created decentralised public institutions with administrative autonomy, such as the National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and the Family, the National Secretariat for Disability, the National Institute for Women, and in 2019 the Ministry of Culture. In addition, the legislative branch had approved the Act establishing the Ministry of Women, which would soon be approved by the President.
The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals were part of Panama’s National Strategic Plan. The 2020 second voluntary report on the plan described progress achieved, means of implementation and steps to follow, as well as measures adopted to address the COVID-19 situation. Through the Agora 2.0 Platform, 187 citizen agreements had been formed that reflected the aspirations of Panamanians to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
There had been an increase in the number of women in formal work by seven per cent between 2020 and 2022, equivalent to 49,684 women in labour activity. In addition, there were 473 workers’ unions with 279,732 members in the private sector, of which 44,667 were women. In 2019, Panama had been declared free of child labour in the sugar sector.
Conditional cash transfer programmes had been implemented, including as part of the Food and Nutritional Security Plan. These had benefited 192,000 Panamanians and had contributed to slowing the poverty rate to 13 per cent.
The United Nations had presented its Organization Public Service Award for Institutional Resilience and Innovative Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic to the Government Innovation Authority of Panama, recognising its effective mass vaccination system. Panama had increased the national capacity of beds of intensive care units by 147 per cent, an increase of 1,031 new beds. Health care was free for people with disabilities, the indigenous population, children and pregnant mothers. Specialised programmes had been developed aimed at adolescents, HIV-positive persons and the elderly population. Some 1,974,271 people had been registered and 2,981,091 requests attended to on the “Plataforma Panama Digital”.
From 2015 to 2021, there had been an increase in the enrolment rate for primary education from 88 per cent to 99 per cent; in secondary education from 66 per cent to 81 per cent; and in tertiary education from 42 per cent to 57 per cent. The Government had created an educational social assistance programme that benefitted more than 750,000 students enrolled in the public education sector. In 2021, this benefit had been increased by 25 per cent, reaching 911,568 students with an investment of approximately 276 million United States dollars.
The Centre for Historical, Anthropological and Cultural Research was created in 2021. The Centre’s mission was to study the history, culture and cultural heritage of Panama and promote cultural rights, cultural dialogue, sustainable development and the protection of cultural heritage. In 2022, the Public Policy of the Creative Economy for Sustainable Development was drafted, with the support of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the European Union. Around 350 archaeological pieces taken from the national territory had also been recovered.
The Government had established 307 “Beehive” Reading Centres under the "Government-Community" scheme in districts with high levels of poverty, and provided training to 700 voluntary community mediators. Law 285 of 2022 created the System of Guarantees and Integral Protection of the Rights of Children and Adolescents. The coverage of the 104 early childhood care centres, which cared for more than 2,000 children, had been increased. Around 90 per cent of persons under 18 had a youth card, including 96 per cent in the group over 12 years of age. Law 297 of 27 April 2022 established the national “Beehive” strategy, which included measures for addressing child poverty. More than 453,000 children were estimated to be living below the poverty line.
There were still barriers and challenges to implementing the Covenant. However, Panama had made determined efforts in recent years to adapt its public policies to promote human rights.
Questions by a Committee Expert
KARLA VANESSA LEMUS DE VÁSQUEZ, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, asked about the degree to which the Covenant was applicable within the domestic legal structure of Panama. Did the courts make specific reference to the rights enshrined in the Covenant? Did the State party plan to ratify the Optional Protocol?
How was Panama strengthening the data collection system and harmonising data between the State’s various statistical authorities? What measures were in place to ensure companies respected economic, social and cultural rights? Panama had adopted a national plan for public rights and social responsibility, but the actions contained therein were participatory, and there were no actions to sanction companies that violated human rights. What measures were in place to hold companies to account domestically and internationally?
The Ombudsman had been downgraded to “B” status in 2021. What measures were being put in place to ensure that the Ombudsman conformed to the Paris Principles?
What actions were being undertaken to consult with indigenous territories on mining and development projects? The Committee welcomed the Government’s policy measures to tackle climate change. How did these measures affect economic, social and cultural rights? The energy, agricultural and forestry sectors were the highest emitters of greenhouse gases. What measures were in place to comply with emissions commitments in these sectors, and to improve the resilience of rural communities to the effects of climate change?
More information was requested on tax regimes and public spending as a proportion of gross domestic product. Regulatory measures had been implemented to reduce illicit financial flows, but tax evasion and corruption remained common in Panama. What were the goals of the Government team fighting tax crimes, and what progress had it achieved?
Since 2016, transgender persons could change their gender and name in identity files after sex change surgery and a forensic review only. Were there plans to lower the requirements for such changes? What efforts were being made to make discrimination based on gender identity and sexual characteristics of persons a crime?
What measures had the State party taken to guarantee asylum seekers’ access to health, education and employment? How had immigration laws contributed to ensuring asylum seekers’ rights? What was the status of planned reform to the Electoral Code promoting gender parity?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the Constitution of Panama included guarantees of economic, social and cultural rights. There was a need to translate the provisions of the Covenant into national laws. There was a court ruling in 2016 that recognised the right to water based on a ruling of the Committee. The Government protected that right. The State was obliged to guarantee every individual a high quality of life under the Constitution. Health legislation had incorporated article 12 of the Covenant. There were Supreme Court rulings on labour cases that had referenced the Covenant, including rulings on the archiving of employees’ information and the permissibility of telecommuting.
There was a broad regulatory framework to prevent discrimination by companies. The Government had increased the number of inspectors carried out by the general inspectorate in recent years. Legislation had been introduced to criminalise workplace discrimination. Panama had adopted International Labour Organization Convention 190 on harassment in the workplace, and laws regulating breastfeeding in the workplace and migrant workers’ rights had been developed.
Pollution and exploitation activities threatened the cultural activities of indigenous populations. Panama’s forests absorbed more carbon than was emitted in the State. A roadmap to reduce pollution had been developed, which promoted public transportation and reforestation. Every five years, the Government reviewed climate policies.
Panama would undertake consultations with a view to acceding to the Committee’s Optional Protocol.
Panama’s Law 37 compelled all companies wishing to undertake projects in indigenous areas to conduct consultations through regional and general congresses. There were also protocols for informing communities about the impacts of planned projects.
The State was undertaking a housing census, and planned to adopt a policy creating a national statistics body in November 2023.
The Electoral Tribunal offered training on steps for changing names and gender within the civil registry. A system for all people to change their names without need for proof or a lawyer had been implemented. The Family Code specified that marriage was contracted between a man and a woman, but the law on adoption stipulated that single persons could apply for adoption.
In 2018, Panama adopted a decree ensuring international protection for refugees. Gender was considered in asylum procedures. The refugee population could access the State’s mass vaccination process. The Government worked to improve refugees’ access to health care.
Questions by Committee Experts
KARLA VANESSA LEMUS DE VÁSQUEZ, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, said that there was no mechanism to support persons whose rights were allegedly violated by public and private institutions. How would Panama address this?
What were the regulations prohibiting labour discrimination and measures promoting refugees’ access to work? There was a list of professions reserved exclusively for Panamanian citizens. Had the State considered revising this list and providing more employment opportunities for migrant workers? The gender wage gap continued to exist, and the COVID-19 pandemic had exacerbated inequalities. Around 89 per cent of domestic workers were women, and 74 per cent of women worked in the informal sector. What measures were in place to ensure equal pay for equal work, and increase protections for domestic workers? How was the State promoting the regulation of informal sector jobs? There were no defined working hours for domestic workers, who in some cases worked up to 15 hours a day. Would the State party address this? What discussions had been held with unions regarding the minimum wage?
How was the State strengthening workplace inspections, and what impact had such inspections had? What measures were in place to protect the agricultural labour market? Some 23,885 children were currently engaged in child labour. What measures would be taken to eradicate child labour by 2025? Labour unions were prohibited in certain sectors, such as banking and for domestic work. Did the State intend to lift these prohibitions? Why were Panama Canal workers denied the right to strike, and how would the State guarantee that right?
How was the State considering the aging population? What measures had been adopted to increase the social security coverage of the older population, as well as the indigenous population? How would the State achieve universal health coverage?
Another Committee Expert asked about mechanisms in place to protect same-sex unions and the rights of family members of same sex marriages.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said that in 2021, the Government had conducted an analysis of tax fraud in the State and created a memorandum of understanding with financial institutions to conduct investigations into money laundering abroad.
Panama provided persons with refugee status with the right to a work permit. The employability programme “Talents Without Borders” promoted refugees’ talents and wellbeing at work. Panama prevented all forms of job discrimination through Law 178. Panama had strengthened laws and policies to encourage the hiring of women in the public sector and secure equal pay for women. The governing boards of public and private institutions were required to have at least 30 per cent female representation. A plan to improve gender equality in the public and private sectors had been developed. Foreigners could seek permission from the Government to take up jobs reserved for Panamanian citizens.
The labour inspectorate had conducted over 60,000 inspections since 2020. The informal sector was more widespread than the formal sector, but programmes were in place encouraging job seekers to find work in the formal sector. There had been an increase in wages in the most vulnerable sectors, including an increase in wages by 13 per cent in the agricultural sector in certain regions. Child labour was prohibited, and scholarships for indigenous populations had been implemented to discourage child labour. Panama had around 450 unions, including 15 in the Government sector. The Constitution prohibited Panama Canal workers from striking, but the Government was considering revising this prohibition.
The Ministry of Labour and Development received complaints about workplace discrimination and responded to those complaints after a month of consideration. If a violation was found, legal action was taken.
A national council for indigenous development had been created. The council ensured indigenous persons’ right to equal pay, and promoted the working rights of indigenous women.
The delegation said that Panama prohibited all forms of discrimination based on sex. Laws guaranteed human rights, equality and justice for Afro-Panamanians. The Government was implementing social inclusion policies for people of African descent. Information on the situation of Afro-Panamanians had been gathered to develop policies to promote social inclusion and access to employment. Training courses had been developed to support Afro-Panamanians to find work. A voluntary question on race and ethnicity had been included in the census to strengthen statistics and support policies for this group.
Under the “Beehive” strategy, the Government had identified 300 regions with the highest levels of poverty, and developed 12 categories of interventions to support people living in these regions. The interventions focused on social and infrastructure development, among other areas. Pilot projects under the strategy had thus far benefited over 6,000 people. These projects would be broadened this year to reach the neediest segments of society.
Refugees were included in programmes offered by the National Institute for Professional Training. A memorandum of understanding had been signed with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to develop training courses specifically for refugees. Recognised refugees could access temporary work permits, and 177 refugees had obtained such permits; 377 refugees had obtained indefinite work permits. The “Talents Without Borders” programme informed employers of the skills offered by refugees and supported their employment. Over 600 refugees had benefited from this initiative.
There was no plan to review the list of jobs reserved for Panamanian nationals. Around 160,000 applications for work permits from foreign nationals had been processed in 2022. Job centres provided personalised job assistance for foreign nationals. Panama was ninth in the Latin American region in terms of the gender pay gap. The Government was informing companies of the necessity of providing equal pay for equal work. A survey on domestic work had been conducted to assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on domestic workers. There was a need for stronger legislation to prevent discrimination of domestic workers based on nationality or gender. From 2021 to 2022, there had been an increase in the representation of women on company boards across various sectors. The Government aimed to achieve at least 30 per cent female representation on these boards. The minimum wage was a product of a tripartite discussion that was held every two years. Panama’s efforts in eradicating child labour had been recognised internationally. Awareness raising campaigns on the issue were held annually.
A 2017 law established three days of paid paternity leave for workers. In 2021, a law was passed that allowed paid leave to be extended to the father if the mother had died during childbirth or under other conditions.
The pension system included a disability allowance, an old-age pension, and pensions for survivors, widowers and orphans. Funeral assistance was provided. The pension system ensured economic balance and helped households to mitigate the effects of inflation.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert said Panama seemed to take economic, social and cultural rights seriously, as evidenced by its ratification of the Covenant, as well as the San Salvador Protocol to the American Convention, which Panama ratified in 1992. However, Panama had not ratified the Optional Protocol, International Labour Organization Convention 169, the Escazú Agreement, and the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers. Did it intend to?
What measures were being taken to ensure the full recognition of same-sex families, including in the exercise of parental authority; and prohibit forced sterilization of indigenous women or women with disabilities, punish perpetrators, and promote access to justice and reparation for victims. What steps could the State party take to prevent violence against women and girls and domestic violence, provide support and repatriation to victims, and improve statistics on violence; support persons affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; and combat trafficking and sexual exploitation of persons, including migrant and irregular children? What data was available on victims of trafficking and sexual violence and smuggling at the Darién border?
What measures had the State party taken to allow collective land ownership for indigenous persons; prevent encroachment by third parties on indigenous lands, and ensure access to justice for indigenous persons in disputes over land ownership; and redress arbitrary arrests of indigenous persons and police violence against them? What measures were in place to ensure the relocation of the Ngäbe community, which had been deprived of its ancestral territory following its flooding resulting from a dam constructed without consulting with the community, and ensure access to justice for this community? What measures were in place to ensure the right to water in rural and indigenous areas, prevent water pollution, ensure the right to food, and combat poverty and extreme poverty?
The Expert asked what measures had the State party taken to prevent teenage pregnancies and decriminalise abortions? How many women had criminal charges against them for receiving abortions? How did the State party ensure that quality health services were available throughout the State, particularly in rural and indigenous areas? What measures were being taken to ensure access to health services, including mental health services, for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people, as well as for victims of crimes related to sexual orientation?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Panama had made great progress in prevention and care regarding violence against women. Plans were in place to define violence against women within legislation. Act 82 created specialised programmes for supporting female victims of violence and a specialised police unit dealt with gender-based violence. An economic assistance programme funded primary and secondary education for child victims of violence. A project for preventing violence against women was being rolled out across the State by the Institute for Women. This Institute’s staff provided support for victims within their communities, and training for members of the judiciary on gender-based violence. Hotlines for reporting gender-based violence and victims’ shelters had remained open during the pandemic, and additional hotlines had also been created. Women were able to lodge anonymous complaints of abuse.
An act had been passed that protected the land rights of Panama’s indigenous communities. Five land rights titles had been passed under that act. Projects were underway to support economic opportunities for indigenous women.
The Attorney General had a prosecutor for indigenous affairs. The prosecutor had established two units that supported indigenous women and girls who were victims of violence. When reports of violence were received, crisis support was provided to victims and their families. Around 237 cases of violence against migrants had been reported in 2021.
Panama was not considering decriminalising abortion; however, abortions were permitted if pregnancies were the result of rape or if they put the mother’s life at risk.
In 2021, the Government had received 21,000 complaints of violence, including around 3,000 complaints of domestic violence. Similar numbers had been recorded in 2022. Centres for receiving complaints remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government had provided free transportation for victims of domestic violence to receive counselling and medical treatment. Support services for pregnant teenagers and mothers had remained open, and 4,000 children had been provided with psychological support during the pandemic.
Act 285 established a comprehensive guardianship system to ensure the rights of children and adolescents. The Government promoted deinstitutionalisation, and was strengthening its foster care system; 52 protection centres were also available for unaccompanied minors. In 2022, the Government had recorded around 400 cases of teenage pregnancies, and had taken steps to assist these teenagers.
The Ministry of Health was working to expand coverage of drinking water supply and was increasing the number of tablets for purifying water that it distributed to rural and indigenous communities. Programmes were being implemented to provide mental health support to the indigenous population. No patient in Panama could be subjected to sterilisation without prior and informed consent. There had been a significant drop in the rate of teenage pregnancy in recent years, influenced by actions taken by the Ministry, but further support was required in this regard from international partners and non-governmental organizations.
Follow-Up Questions by a Committee Expert
A Committee Expert asked for more information on the national policy on combatting HIV/AIDS, and for statistics on infection rates. The Expert called for a deeper discussion on the decriminalisation of abortion, which the Committee strongly recommended. The State party needed to fully ensure the reproductive rights of women. How effective had measures to combat domestic violence been?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said that there was a multisectoral plan on HIV/AIDS in place from 2021 to 2024. Panama was broadening coverage of treatment for HIV/AIDS and information campaigns, and taking steps to tackle mother-to-child transmission. Significant improvements had also been seen in rates of syphilis infection.
The Government was aware that abortion was a reproductive right. There was an intersectoral commission that considered requests for abortions and granted requests in cases of rape or risk to the mother’s health. However, abortion was not permitted in the Criminal Code, and the State party could not amend this Code overnight.
Legislation and Government policies were facilitating the deinstitutionalisation of children; 115 children had been deinstitutionalised in 2019, and this had increased to 348 children in 2022.
Questions by a Committee Expert
A Committee Expert said that according to official statistics, education spending accounted for around three per cent of gross domestic product in Panama. Panama was spending significantly less on education than other States in the region, and needed to put in additional effort in this regard. Did the Government intend to increase investment in education?
Statistics by the Programme for International Student Assessment indicated that two in three children had not achieved adequate reading standards in 2018. What steps were being taken to improve the quality of education? What education was provided on indigenous languages in the national curriculum? There was reportedly a lack of participation of indigenous persons in the design of policies. What measures were planned to promote such participation?
It was commendable that children from asylum seeking families had access to education. Asylum seekers and refugees needed to be able to access scholarships from the State. Did they have such access? What was the status of access to pre-primary education? Did the State plan to provide universal access to pre-primary education?
There were seven indigenous languages in Panama. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization had reported that some of these indigenous languages were at risk of extinction. What measures would the State party take to protect these languages? Indigenous persons needed to participate in the development of cultural protection policies. How did the State intend to implement its obligations under the Committee’s general comment on science and human rights, particularly in promoting women and girls’ participation in science education? The rate of female participation in science education in Panama was 35 per cent, which was 10 per cent lower than the regional average. How did the State intend to increase the rate? How was the Government protecting the population from pseudo-science?
Responses by the Delegation
MARUJA GORDAY DE VILLALOBOS, Minister of Education of Panama and head of the delegation, said Panama had made progress on education investment as a proportion of gross domestic product; 5.5 per cent of gross domestic product would be invested in education in 2023. Past statistics had not accounted for a certain portion of spending in private education. In 2024, the Government planned to invest six per cent of gross domestic product in education, and it would eventually increase education spending to seven per cent. There had been a 105 per cent increase this year in financial support provided to students with special needs.
Measures had been taken to improve education and mitigate gaps in reading and mathematics skills. Some 700,000 students had participated in a reading support programme. More than 4,000 hours of online classes were provided to students in 2020 and 2021. A digital education platform had been developed to support such classes. A warning system had also been developed to identify potential school dropouts. Pre-primary education had an 85 per cent coverage rate. The Government was collaborating with indigenous communities to implement bilingual education and rehabilitate schools in these communities.
Panama strived to provide foreign nationals, refugees and asylum seekers with access to education. The law on human resources specified that only Panamanian nationals and foreign nationals, including refugees who had lived in the State for over 10 years, could apply for education grants and scholarships. The Government distributed information to refugees on courses, workshops and training.
The Ministry of Education provided more than two million students with healthy snacks and lunch meals. In 2022, the Ministry studied the nutritional programme and the students’ nutrition, and found that there was a need to address anaemia.
Panama established the Ministry of Culture in 2019. The Ministry had developed a plan of action and implemented various projects promoting indigenous culture, including a project supporting indigenous music. In 2022, a national forum for young indigenous people had been held. The forum discussed the use of technology in promoting indigenous culture and language. An interactive map of indigenous cultural heritage had been developed, and 33 bilingual videos and a weekly radio programme on indigenous issues had been produced. Indigenous persons and the indigenous forum were consulted with on cultural policies. Programmes to protect traditional crafts and medicines were in place, and training on these was provided to indigenous youths. Certain rituals and festivals emphasised Afro-Panamanian heritage. Law 20 on the rights of indigenous persons required the State to protect indigenous culture and heritage.
The Government had developed an action plan for promoting women’s participation in science and technology education. A 2019 study had found that the main obstacles to women’s participation were stereotypes regarding women’s skills and inequality in domestic tasks. In 2022, 299 women were provided with training on digital literacy, and 25 women from indigenous areas had participated in a training project on solar panels.
Follow-Up Questions by a Committee Expert
A Committee Expert welcomed the significant rise in the education budget and the State’s ambitious goals for education investment. When was the deadline for the planned increase in education spending?
The Expert noted measures taken to improve equality in education in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. What measures were in place to improve teachers’ working conditions and pay? There was a need for continuity in measures to support indigenous education. Education needed to be universal and free, including for refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable groups. Ten years was too long for asylum seeking children to wait to have access to higher education. How did the State intend to overcome barriers to women and girls accessing scientific education?
Responses by the Delegation
MARUJA GORDAY DE VILLALOBOS, Minister of Education of Panama and head of the delegation, said the planned increases in education spending were linked to the rise in gross domestic product, and would be introduced gradually. Direct investment was required in pre-primary, primary and secondary education. The rate of completion of secondary studies had increased to 94 per cent. The Government had increased wages for teachers, and was discussing measures for improving teachers’ working conditions in indigenous areas. A university established in an indigenous region offered courses in health, education and tourism. Four hundred teachers had been trained in native linguistic competency. Curriculums had been contextualised and in part translated into indigenous languages. Students could use their mother tongue and wear traditional clothing in schools. Although there were restrictions on access to scholarships and grants, pre-primary, primary and secondary education was free of charge for all children and adolescents, including refugees and asylum seekers. The Government was considering extending education scholarships to foreign nationals.
Closing Remarks
KARLA VANESSA LEMUS DE VÁSQUEZ, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, said that, through the dialogue, the Committee had gained a better understanding of the situation in the State party and identified areas in which further improvement was needed. The concluding observations would shed light on areas in which the State party could make improvements to implement the provisions of the Covenant. The Committee called on the State party to disseminate the concluding observations widely.
MARUJA GORDAY DE VILLALOBOS, Minister of Education of Panama and head of the delegation, thanked the Committee for the dialogue. The Committee’s questions would help Panama to strengthen future policies related to economic, social and cultural rights. Panama had adopted progressive measures to guarantee full compliance with the Covenant and other international treaties to which it was a party. Issues remained in Panama, and the Government was committed to addressing these. Panama valued the contributions of civil society in identifying areas that needed to be improved. Panama would strive to achieve equality and rights for all citizens.
MOHAMED EZZELDIN ABDEL-MONEIM, Committee Chair, called on Panama to maximise revenues from the Panama Canal. Panama had made many sacrifices to construct this canal. Maximising revenues would help the State to increase resources, and in turn to fulfil its obligations under the Covenant.
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