UN experts to review 11 countries' records on discrimination against women

Jamaica Observer

DOMESTIC violence, political participation, discriminatory family law, eliminating stereotypes and preventing trafficking will be some of the areas explored by a committee of 23 experts charged with ensuring that governments eliminate discrimination against women, when it meets in New York from July 20 to August 7 at United Nations Headquarters.

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) will also hear information from non-governmental organisations and UN entities about protecting the rights of older women and about the economic consequences of divorce.

CEDAW will review 11 countries - four for the first time (Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Timor-Leste and Tuvalu) - and then will make recommendations to each government about what more it should do to eliminate discrimination against women.

The 23 experts will be looking at the situation of women in Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Denmark, Guinea Bissau, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Japan, Liberia, Spain, Switzerland, Timor Leste and Tuvalu.

The committee regularly reviews each country once it becomes a party to CEDAW. Currently, 186 countries have accepted the Convention, which was adopted 30 years ago.Government representatives of each country will be questioned by the experts about how they are ensuring that women are able to fully exercise their rights under each of the 16 substantive articles of the 30-article Convention.

All the sessions are public meetings; however, the Committee will also meet in private to consider complaints from individuals or groups of individuals claiming to be victims of a violation of their rights.

Currently, Naela Gabr (Egypt) is the committee chairperson.