E/C.12/UZB/CO/1 page 3 16. The Committee is concerned that a large part of the working-age population is employed in the informal sector. 17. The Committee is concerned about the lack of gainful employment opportunities for low-skill rural inhabitants. 18. The Committee is concerned about the wage gap between women and men. The Committee regrets that no information was provided by the State party on the extent of the problem. 19. The Committee is concerned about the fact that the current minimum wage is insufficient to provide an adequate standard of living for workers and their families. The Committee is further concerned that the minimum wage is not always enforced in practice. 20. The Committee is concerned about the persistent reports on the situation of school-age children obliged to participate in the cotton harvest every year who, for that reason, do not attend school during this period. 21. The Committee is concerned about reports on the lack of independence among the trade unions in the State party. The Committee is also concerned that the State party’s laws do not provide for the right to strike as a method of settlement of collective disputes. 22. The Committee is concerned that the low level of pensions and unemployment benefits do not provide for an adequate standard of living. 23. The Committee is concerned that social assistance is insufficiently targeted in the State party, given the considerable number of individuals and families living in poverty and the conditions of access to social assistance by particularly vulnerable groups (single mothers, disabled persons, and refugees). In this regard, the Committee takes note of the increasing powers of Makhallas (traditional citizens’ organizations) in allocating social assistance. 24. The Committee is concerned about the persistence of domestic violence in the State party. The Committee is also concerned about the lack of specific legislation on domestic violence. 25. The Committee is concerned that trafficking in persons is increasing in the State party, that it has now become both a country of origin and destination, as well as a transit point for trafficking in persons. The Committee notes with regret that there is no legislation in the State party that criminalizes trafficking in persons. The Committee is also concerned about the lack of reliable information, including statistics, on the extent of the problem. 26. The Committee notes with regret the lack of information about forced evictions and the number of homeless persons in the State party. However, the Committee is aware of the persistent reports that evicted persons generally do not obtain adequate compensation for lost housing or alternative accommodation. 27. The Committee is deeply concerned that 28 per cent of the population - or about 6.7 million people - are living below the poverty line and are unable to meet their basic food needs, two thirds of whom live in rural areas.