CEDAW Conference Update December 21st
As part of the 16 Days of Activism WOMANKIND Worldwide, DFID and the British Council hosted a conference on December 9th 2004 at Portcullis House, Westminster bringing together international experts and policymakers to debate the global challenges to implementing women’s rights.
The conference marked the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the CEDAW convention (the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women). It is the principal legal instrument addressing women’s human rights and equality and the conference debated the value of the legislation and the obstacles presented when implementing it. This conference was part of WOMANKIND’s plans for looking ahead to the important events of 2005 when Beijing+10 and the Millennium Development Goals+5 are reviewed. We are determined to ensure that a women’s rights perspective is given to these reviews and the conference was equally pertinent because the UK government is due to report to the UN CEDAW Committee in January 2005.
The conference was attended by expert international speakers and WOMANKIND partners from Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia who shared their experiences of implementing this legislation and analysing CEDAW in relation to a number of issues including: the 2005 reviews, peace building and 1325, violence against women and women’s political participation. It was an opportunity for organisations to demonstrate the importance of a women’s human rights perspective within the 2005 review processes and to remind governments of the important commitment that they made by signing up to the Convention.
There was an evening reception which launched the British Council report: Aspirations to Action: 25 years of CEDAW and the Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP addressed the conference attendees.
A report will be available in January 2005 summarising the conference debates and drawing together conclusions and recommendations that will be taken to the Commission on the Stastus of Women in March 2005 (for information email ceri@womankind.org.uk) Additional reports and research materials available at the conference included the CEDAW Thematic Shadow Report on Violence Against Women in the UK (2003) produced by WOMANKIND Worldwide and a publication commissioned by the Gender and Development Network (GADN) entitled Gender, the Millennium Development Goals, and Human Rights in the context of the 2005 review processes by Genevieve Painter (September 2004) (www.gadnetwork.org.uk) These materials can be obtained on request through WOMANKIND.
For more information about using CEDAW call WOMANKIND on 0207 549 5700.
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