E/C.12/1995/6 page 4 groups. The Committee is further concerned that education provided in Dutch only may serve as a contributing factor to the high incidence of school drop-outs. E. Suggestions and recommendations 16. The Committee recommends that the Government initiate programmes to educate the public so that traditional customs and attitudes that are discriminatory towards women be gradually modified and abolished. At the same time, the Committee urges the Government to ensure that all legislation be applied in a non-discriminatory manner and that laws which clearly discriminate against women be abolished. It particularly recommends that the laws permitting persons to marry without the acknowledgement or consent of the partner be abolished, that the problem of violence against women be legally addressed, and that general legislation regarding maternal benefits be enacted and enforced. 17. The Committee recommends that legislation be enacted to protect workers who are not covered by collective bargaining agreements, in order to ensure them a minimum wage, health and maternal benefits, safe working conditions, and other guarantees that meet international standards for conditions of work. In this connection, the Committee recommends that assistance from the International Labour Organization be sought. Further, the Committee encourages the Government to extend such protection also to immigrant workers. 18. The Committee recommends that the Government seek assistance as to the collection of data and compilation of statistics regarding the level of enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights. It recommends that information be collected on an ongoing basis regarding working or abandoned children, homeless persons, and the most vulnerable groups identified by the Government in its report and suggests that the National Institution for Human Rights be specially mandated to undertake research on this topic as well as on the realization of economic, social and cultural rights in Suriname in general. In this connection, the Committee recommends that assistance be sought from the technical cooperation services of the Centre for Human Rights. 19. The Committee recommends that definite criteria be established for the administration of social assistance for the poor (FB) so as to protect the lowest income groups. The Committee further recommends that the Government undertake a redefinition of the official subsistence minimum so that all disadvantaged persons genuinely in need receive an adequate level of assistance. 20. The Committee recommends that the Government seek international assistance with regard to the problem of malnutrition and declining vaccination coverage among the population. 21. The Committee recommends that the Plan of Action in favor of the population in the interior of the country that is provided for in the 1992 Peace Accord be implemented to the best of the Government’s ability. In particular, the Committee recommends that special attention be given to laying an infrastructure and providing basic facilities in the interior, particularly houses for persons displaced during the recent internal armed conflict.