CRC/C/ECU/CO/4
guarantee of the rights to take freely, responsibly and well informed decisions on health and
reproductive life (art. 66, No. 10). The Committee is particularly concerned with unwanted
pregnancies as a result of rape, as well as the prohibition of some types of emergency
contraception, in some cases leading to unsafe abortions and suicides.
61.
The Committee recommends that the State party strengthen its measures to
promote access to reproductive health services for all adolescents in all parts of the
country, including sex and reproductive health education in schools as well as youthsensitive and confidential counselling and health-care services, including information
on and access to contraceptives. It further recommends that the State party make all
emergency contraception available to adolescents. In this regard, the State party’s
attention is drawn to the Committee’s general comment No. 4 (2003) on adolescent
health and development in the context of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Committee shares the recommendation of the Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women on the need for the State to support in-depth research
on the question of abortions in dangerous circumstances and its effects on women
(and girls) and on maternal health, enabling the appropriate formulation of laws and
norms.
HIV/AIDS
62.
While noting that the State party introduced an HIV prevention policy in 2006
regarding adolescents and a protection policy for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, it is
concerned at the lack of implementation of these policies through the National System for
Protection of Children and Adolescents.
63.
The Committee recommends that high priority be given to actual
implementation of the prevention and protection policies on HIV/AIDS.
7.
Education, leisure and cultural activities (arts. 28; 29; and 31 of the
Convention)
Education, including vocational training and guidance
64.
The Committee welcomes increased public spending on education in recent years, as
well as the elimination in 2006 of voluntary contributions to schools, and the introduction
of free textbooks. It also looks forward to further increase in resources as established in the
2008 Constitution. The Committee also welcomes the 10-year Education Plan that includes
early education and aims at full enrolment of all children in basic education and 75 per cent
at the secondary level, as well as the 2006 National Action Plan for the Prevention and
Eradication of Sexual Offences in the Educational System. It is, however, concerned at the
still high dropout rates, especially of indigenous girls, and at the high rate of sexual abuse
and harassment against girls in schools and corporal punishment as a form of “discipline”
in schools. It also notes with concern that the low completion rate in secondary education,
especially among indigenous children and pregnant girls, points to the inadequate quality of
education. The Committee is further concerned that children of irregular migrant workers
do not have access to the educational system.
65.
The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a)
Continue improving the quality of education and take all measures to
ensure that children complete primary and secondary school by addressing the
reasons behind non-completion of schooling. In doing so, it should ensure that the
millennium educational units are the centre of a network aiming at reforming all
schools at district level rather than diverting resources from the application of
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