Yes. That's what it should be. Some women think that they can go to the HR department and explain their position and get good recommendations or be heard before any decision is taken. Many others say, no, it's not real, because the HR department is there to service the administration, the guys in charge of the province or the district, and they're just there to fill in the forms and make it happen.
What is true today is something that I don't know, but I do know for a fact that there was a problem at a certain point. There might be a problem now, even if it's a lesser problem, but the solution is of course to have that service be independent and very professional, and there's no reason that can't be put in place right away.