A/HRC/29/49 often prosecuted as indecent assault before the criminal courts, which underestimates the seriousness of this crime for the victims. B. Economic, social and cultural rights 35. Côte d’Ivoire has a population of 20.8 million people, more than 50 per cent of whom are under 24 years of age. This demographic profile poses major challenges to the State in the areas of education and employment and in relation to social solidarity. 36. The country’s gradual economic recovery, which is well under way, could play a decisive role in the promotion of economic and sociocultural rights. Macroeconomic reforms have resulted in significant growth. In 2008, 49 per cent of the population was living below the poverty line. Per capita gross domestic product has now increased by 15 per cent. The Government plans to carry out a survey on the situation of households in March–April 2015 to assess the impact of this progress on the daily lives of all sectors of society. The Government plans to try to reduce the level of poverty by half during the current year. 37. This is clearly an ambitious goal, which will probably take longer to realize. The Ivorian authorities should continue to develop and implement strategies to reduce poverty among the population, with the assistance of international technical cooperation. Poverty reduction involves many components, but the right to education, the right to work and the right to health deserve the greatest attention. 38. The many years of unrest and violence have had a very negative impact on the continuity and quality of teaching in educational institutions. According to the findings of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 25 per cent of school-age children are not enrolled in school. The dropout rate among those fortunate enough to have access to education is very high (36 per cent continue to baccalaureate and 36 per cent complete university). This makes it essential to carry out a comprehensive evaluation of the quality of teaching and the overall educational environment. 39. A bill is currently being drafted to make education free and compulsory until the age of 16, which normally corresponds to the end of the first cycle of secondary school. Adequate resources should be allocated to ensure that this welcome initiative is realized. It is also important to continue to upgrade school and university facilities, enhance the training of teaching staff and avoid losing academic years to university closures. 40. The problem of university residences still occupied by ex-combatants should be resolved, as it is important that students have access to a minimum of social services to enable them to focus seriously on their studies. The learning environment should be made safe and free from all forms of abuse or discrimination. The rate of pregnancy among primary and secondary school students is alarming. Solutions must be found to prevent it, including by raising awareness of the seriousness of pregnancy and taking dissuasive measures against those responsible for the pregnancies. Projects for the construction of local schools and boarding schools for girls who have to study far from their families’ places of residence should be encouraged. 41. The Government has increased the guaranteed minimum interprofessional wage from 36,600 CFA to 60,000 CFA. The guaranteed agricultural minimum wage is 25,000 CFA and the Government plans to increase it soon. Dialogue is ongoing with trade unions and professional groups. As in many other developing countries, there is a large informal economy in Côte d’Ivoire and unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, is a worrying phenomenon. There are currently 160,000 students in public universities and as many in private universities, and the number of students continues to increase rapidly. However, only 43 per cent of those who obtain a university degree manage to join the GE.15-08296 9