A/HRC/42/38/Add.1 7.7 years of study among women who are not poor. 4 According to some reports, the situation of persons with disabilities is even more precarious. 11. The country is lacking in natural resources. Its economy is small, undiversified and vulnerable to external shocks, and is dependent on development aid, foreign investment, remittances and tourism. The majority of the workforce is employed in the services sector, with commerce, transport, government and tourism accounting for the most employment. Tourism is the main industry producing economic growth, but the benefits do not appear to extend to the entire territory, with the poorest rural islands left behind. Employment in the tourism sector is concentrated in the islands of Sal and Boa Vista, and 60 per cent of workers have precarious contracts. Tourism depends highly on conditions in the euro-area countries. 12. About 36 per cent of the population lives in rural areas and about 40 per cent of women and 20 per cent of men are employed in the agricultural sector.5 However, the soil on several of the islands is poor for growing food, requiring the country to import most of the food its population consumes. The fishing potential, mostly catching lobster and tuna, is not fully exploited. Owing to the geography, most transportation between islands is by air, which is costly and poses numerous challenges, including with regard to enjoyment of rights. For example, the two main referral hospitals are located in the cities of Praia and Mindelo, which makes access for patients from other islands time-consuming and costly, even though the health authorities report having made arrangements with the air carriers for emergency cases. 13. Unemployment was estimated at 15 per cent in 2016 and at 12 per cent in 2017.6 However, for people between the ages of 15 and 24 the percentage was much higher, at 41 per cent. In addition, the labour market is gender segregated, and unemployment among women rose from 11.2 per cent in 2015 to 17.4 per cent in 2016, while among men it fell from 15 to 12.9 per cent during that time period. 7 The informal sector, in which an estimated 18 per cent of the population was employed in 2009, remains the largest source of new jobs. Since the economy is highly dependent on foreign income from tourism and investments, the global crisis in 2009 had a significant impact, leaving many low-income workers in the tourism and construction sectors unemployed. In the past few years, foreign direct investment in tourism and manufacturing has been increasing; however, most of it is channelled to tourism-related real estate.8 14. During his visit the Special Rapporteur learned about the efforts of the Government to develop and diversify the economy, in particular the “blue economy”. 9 Its location, between the West African coast and the Americas, gives the country the potential to play a part in developing maritime tourism and transport. The “blue economy” should be developed in a manner that would contribute to inclusive economic growth and reduced inequalities, optimizing the conditions for the construction of economic, social and environmental resilience. Such development could constitute a good practice with regard to the application of integrated policy for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, if conducted in a participatory manner with the involvement and ownership of the local communities. The Special Rapporteur will continue to follow the implementation of the Government’s plans in that regard with great interest. 4 5 6 7 8 9 4 Ibid. Cabo Verde, African Development Bank Group and UN-Women, Cabo Verde: Country Gender Profile (2018), p. iii. Available at www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2018/1/countrygender-profile-cabo-verde. SDG Cabo Verde, pp. 8 and 15. Cabo Verde, African Development Bank Group and UN-Women, Cabo Verde: Country Gender Profile, pp. 12–13. For more information on foreign direct investment in Cabo Verde, please see https://tradingeconomics.com/cape-verde/foreign-direct-investment. According to the World Bank, the “blue economy” refers to sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, that preserves the health of ocean ecosystems. See www.worldbank.org/en/news/infographic/2017/06/06/blue-economy.