CEDAW

UN-Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women

Please, take a bit time for a great clip for women in Scottland and elsewhere, 2012, on CEDAW A SUPER HERO FOR WOMEN, 2:10 minutes!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPJfBqoNH7Q

WHAT IS CEDAW ?

It is one of the nine existing UN-Human Rights Conventions which are also indicated as "Human Rights Instruments". CEDAW currently has 188 State parties including Germany. Once ratified by a State party it is binding international law. In Germany it was incorporated in 1985 into national law.
The State (on federal, local and community level) and the civil society are obliged to implement all articles of the Convention except these to which the State parties entered reservations like unfortunately Germany did in a few cases.
All discriminations of women or on grounds of (biology) sex and the (social) gender in areas of our life have to be eliminated without delay and pro active from the State party.

The main responsible actor ist the STATE PARTY fo the implementation. But civil society, NGOs, citizens living in the states which ratified have an active role to play lobbying for the implementation and providing recommendations as to how and what. Especially in the regular reporting process of the State parties the NGOs are called to then submit alternatve reports from their perspective to the UN CEDAW committee which likes to relay on more information then only the State party's report. As well from time to time the CEDAW committee calls for expertise escpecially when drafting a new General Recommendation. Currently there are 28 of these Gen. Rec. which interpret, explain the (binding) meaning and challenge of the single articles of the Convention as to how State Parties and everyone shall implement and better understand it. Read them & you know better how to lobby your government and: what is your right!

This is our (human) right, right now!
The definition of discrimination of CEDAW is comprehensive and embracing all areas of life. As such it goes far beyond the EU-guidelines and the new German anti-discrimination legislation.
The Optional Protocol to CEDAW allows women and individuals or groups who are discriminated as woman or on grounds of sex and gender to admit a communication for a complaint or for an inquiry by themselves with the help of lawyers or experts or through (women’s) NGOs to the CEDAW committee. The two ways of

1. the complaint procedure or
2. the information for an inquiry procedure

can sthrengthen and help to enforce the human rights of targeted individuals and groups under this Convention.

The CEDAW- Committee is monitoring the implementation of the convention.
It receives and comments regularly the State reports of the State parties and the parallel BGO shadow reports.
The CEDAW-Committee documents all its plaudit, criticism as well as concrete working recommendations and instructions for an effective elimination of all discrimination against women to the State parties in the "Concluding Comments".

The CEDAW-committee is in an ongoing dialogue with the State parties on their implementation of the Convention.

And the committe will receive, prove all information under the Optional Protocol and finally publish its 'views' at the and of complaint or inquiry cases as to the committees findings and recommendations how State parties then shall abolish the admitted discrimination or violations of the Convention and what shall be done for the victims.

Reference
"Taking CEDAW Seriously" The report from the Conference organized by the Women’s Human Rights Alliance in co-operation with the Irish Centre for Human Rights, National University of Ireland Galway, and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties is now available. The aim of the conference was to promote, apply and enforce the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, CEDAW. The report includes text of the speeches, seminars, recommendations and
related notes. For information on the participants to the conference, keynote speaker and to download the report, please visit:

http://www.stopvaw.org/Taking_CEDAW_Seriously_Conference_Report.html

Publication [German] to download:
http://www.institut-fuer-menschenrechte.de/no_cache/de/publikationen.html?tx_commerce_pi1%5BshowUid%5D=0&tx_commerce_pi1%5Bpointer%5D=13

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Documents related to the German CEDAW- Dialog including NGO shadow reports
[German & English)
http://www.institut-fuer-menschenrechte.de/de/menschenrechtsinstrumente/vereinte-nationen/menschenrechtsabkommen/frauenrechtskonvention-cedaw.html

UN-Webpage of the CEDAW Treaty Body

This official UN webpage provides all documents (the Convention and Optional Protocol) information on the ratification and reservations, state reports, the session schedule, and the recent NGO alternative or hadow reports by session.
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/index.htm

You will alway find new information on this webpage! It is a rich source. E.g. on your country, on all State Parties and NGOs in 187 countries about the ongoing process of identification of discrimination against women and people on grounds of sex and gender as well as on best practice or States and NGOs or recommendations of the UN CEDAW committee. Check it, check the state of the arts of our rights!

Moreover, when you want to forward a case (your case or any case) check the whole set of UN Human rights Conventions as to which provides especially the rights which are violated in yoour case and which offers an Optional Protocol ratified by your (the responsible) State party.

And: help to lobby for the implementation of all our human rights. Help by lobbying your government or parliaments.

Do you know that most States did not ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and their Families (CRM)? Do you know that not many States did not ratify the Optional Protocol of the Convention on social, cultural and economic rights (CESCR).

Help and support the NGOs and activists active in this field.Support e.g. by money for the victims. Ask to create funds for forwarding complaints and victims support and protection! Insist always to get the full human rights for everyone and all human beings without any distinction. Join activists and NGOs. Or, check your own framework of activities and life at work place, your company, your leisure time and try to implement human rights as to its best: create best practice!