BPW International

CEDAW Adopts Concluding Observations and Recommendations on Reports of Eight Countries, General Comment on Rural Women and Statement on Refugee Women. more

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) of the Human Right Council, United Nations, is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.  CEDAW Committee consists of 23 experts on women’s rights from around the world.
Countries who have become party to the treaty (States parties) submit regular reports (every 4 years) to the Committee on how the rights of the Convention are implemented. During its sessions the Committee considers each State party report and addresses its concerns and recommendations to the State party in the form of concluding observations.
The Committee is mandated to :

• receive communications from individuals or groups of individuals submitting claims of violations of rights protected under the Convention to the Committee and
• initiate inquiries into situations of grave or systematic violations of women’s rights. These procedures are optional and are only available where the State concerned has accepted them. The Committee also formulates general recommendations and suggestions.

Sessions 2013-2014

• February 2013, Geneva, 54th session: Angola, Austria, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Pakistan, Solomon Islands and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
• July 2013, Geneva, 55th session: Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cape Verde, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Serbia and United Kingdom.
• October 2013, Geneva, 56th session: Andorra, Benin, Cambodia, Colombia, Republic of Moldova, Seychelles, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Tajikistan.  
• February 2014, Geneva, 57th session: Bahrain, Cameroon, Finland, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Qatar.
• July 2014, Geneva, 58th session: Central African Republic, Georgia, India, Lithuania, Mauritania, Peru, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic.    

Sessions 2012

• 13 February - 2 March 2012, Geneva. Reports on Algeria, Brazil, Grenada, Jordan, Norway, Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe
• 9 – 27 July 2012, New York. Reports on Bahamas, Bulgaria, Guyana, Indonesia, Jamaica, Mexico, New Zealand, Samoa
• 1 - 19 October 2012, Geneva. Reports on Central African Republic, Chile, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Serbia, Seychelles, Togo, Turkmenistan
• All sessions

If you are a BPW, do ask for a temporary acreditation from BPW International to assist the session.

Guidelines for Shadow Reporting on Women's ESCR issues under CEDAW and the ICESCR, developed by ESCR-Net and IWRAW Asia Pacific.

ESCR - Economic, Social & Cultural Rights. ICESCR - International Convenant on ESCR.

Dear all,
We are pleased to bring to your attention that the CEDAW Committee has adopted two new General Comments (General Recommendations) at its 47th Session which just ended on 22 October 2010.

The Chairperson in her closing statement shared that the CEDAW Committee has adopted:
i) General Comment 27: Older Women and Protection of their Human Rights
ii) General Comment 28: on Article 2

The General Comment on Older Women extrapolates the multiple forms and intersectionality of discrimination experienced by older women and provides a comprehensive interpretation of State obligation in this context. In particular it highlights the fact that the "discrimination older women experience is often multidimensional, with age discrimination, compounding other forms of scrimination based on sex, gender, ethnic origin, disability, levels of poverty, sexual orientation and gender identity, migrant status, marital and family status, literacy and other grounds. Older women who are members of minority, ethnic or indigenous groups, or who are internally displaced or stateless often experience a disproportionate degree of discrimination. The general recommendation also provides guidance to States parties on the inclusion of older women's situation in the reporting process on the Convention and points out that discrimination experienced by older women is deeply rooted in cultural and social norms.

Similarly, IWRAW Asia Pacific also sees the adoption of the General Comment on Article 2 as a paramount step forward in our collective activism on issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity. The CEDAW Committee reaffirmed that discrimination of women is inextricably interlinked with other factors which includes sexual orientation and gender identity. In the current environment where cultural specificity and relativism, neo-liberal economic development and fundamental beliefs often undermine principles of human rights, the CEDAW Committee further emphasises that the states are obliged to "proclaim their total opposition to all forms of discrimination against women and that they should pursue their policies in this regard by all appropriate means and without delay". Most importantly the adoption of this General Comment lends support to our call to all states to withdraw reservations, in particular those on Article 2.

Please find attached the official version of the General Comment 27 and final version of General Comment 28. Attached is also the statement and press release from the Office of the High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR).

International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW Asia Pacific)
80-B, Jalan Bangsar
59200 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: (603) 2282 2255
Fax: (603) 2283 2552
Email: iwraw-ap@iwraw-ap.org, iwraw_ap@yahoo.com
Website: www.iwraw-ap.org

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) provides an important tool for countries to use in realizing the potential of women and girls. In the three decades since this convention was adopted by the United Nations and ratified by 186 of 193 nations, countries have incorporated CEDAW principles in their national constitutions, legislation and administrative policies. Countless civil society organizations and individual women have relied on the principles of the convention to improve the lives of women and girls.
This report describes some examples of the impact CEDAW has had around the world and focuses on select cases and countries where CEDAW ratification and implementation have led to concrete changes in the opportunities afforded to women and girls.
The paper focuses on the following areas:

• Ending violence and trafficking in women and girls
• Improving conditions for women's economic opportunity
• Increasing women's political participation
• Advancing human rights of women by promoting equality

Anne Warner, 2010

Women' United Nations Report Network - WUNRN

International Center for Research on Women - ICRW | Direct Link to Full 24-Page ICRW Report

CEDAW Coalition Website

Adoption of CEDAW General Recommendation No. 27 on Older Women and Protection of Their Human Rights

By the United Nations CEDAW Committee, 19th 0ctober, 2010

IMPORTANT: NGO Shadow Reports can usually be accessed by direct clicks to the reports listed, BUT for STATE PARTIES/GOVERNMENT REPORTS and related GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS, and some Shadow/Alternative NGO Reports, FIRST CLICK to the above website Link for the CEDAW Committee and then click the reports desired and in the language translation preferred.

NGO Shadow Reports are posted under "Information Provided to the Committee."
Please check this website Link for eventual posting of CEDAW Committee Country Review Concluding Observations.

CEDAW Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women - 47th Session

Women UN report network

Countries reporting to CEDAW in January 2010:

• Egypt, Panama, Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, Malawi, Botswana, Ukraine

Dear friends and colleagues,

Warm greetings from IWRAW Asia Pacific.

We are writing to alert you that the following countries have been tentatively scheduled to report to the CEDAW Committee at the 45th CEDAW session, which will be held in January 2010.

Countries reporting the 45th CEDAW session, in 2010:

• Egypt
• Panama
• Uzbekistan
• United Arab Emirates
• Netherlands
• Malawi
• Botswana
• Ukraine

Request: If you know of women’s groups in these countries who are interested in engaging with the CEDAW review process and submitting an alternative report, please let us know as soon as possible.

The “From Global to Local” programme:

IWRAW Asia Pacific facilitates the participation of women in the CEDAW review process through the programme “From Global to Local”. This is done by :

(1) Assisting women’s organisations in preparing shadow / alternative reports that touches on all of the Articles of the CEDAW Convention and in using the CEDAW reporting process to frame their advocacy efforts; and
(2) Facilitating the presence and effective intervention by NGOs at the CEDAW session, by monitoring the review of their government and impacting on the outcome of the review (the Concluding Comments) through raising pertinent issues and information with the CEDAW Committee.

Alert regarding the Pre-Session:

You should note in particular, that NGOs have the opportunity to submit information for the upcoming Pre-Session, which is being held from 9 – 13 February 2009. NGOs can submit their alternative report or a list of critical issues and questions they want to CEDAW Committee to raise with their government – submissions must be made by 26 January 2009 to the CEDAW secretariat (the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights) at cedaw@ohchr.orr (with a cc to iwraw-ap@iwraw-ap.org).

Please do share this with your networks, and let us know if you know of any groups interested in participating in the CEDAW review process.

We hope that you will be able to assist us with this request. Many thanks in advance for your time and assistance.


Best regards,
Wei San

Lee Wei San
Programme Officer
International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific
80-B, Jalan Bangsar
59200 Kuala Lumpur
MALAYSIA

Telephone: (603) 2282 2255
Fax: (603) 2283 2552

Email: iwraw-ap@iwraw-ap.org, iwraw_ap@yahoo.com

Website: http://www.iwraw-ap.org