During the first two weeks of the session the Committee and each State party interacted in a dialogue on women’s enjoyment of their human rights, touching several issues such as women’s participation in economic and political life, social security, education, violence against women. The outcome of that dialogue will soon be presented through Concluding Comments produced by the Committee and highlighting accomplishments, shortcomings, obstacles and recommendations in the implementation of the CEDAW Convention.

On Monday January 21, the World YWCA together with the NGO Committee on the Status of Women (Geneva) and Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) held a reception to welcome the CEDAW committee who recently moved from New York to Geneva. Natalie Fisher-Spalton, Deputy General Secretary of the World YWCA introduced Nyaradzai Gumbonzvanda, General Secretary of the World YWCA to the assembly.

The General Secretary highlighted the value of the Committee’s work to the realisation of women's rights around the world. The presence of the Committee in Geneva is very positive as it will be an incentive for all treaty bodies and all human rights mechanisms to strengthen attention to gender perspective in their work. Gumbonzvanda drew attention to the importance of linking the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 to the CEDAW Convention, touching on the World YWCA priorities related to the promotion of gender equality and women’s role in peace building approved at the 2007 World YWCA Council. Gumbonzvanda also emphasises the importance of connecting issues around women and HIV to CEDAW.

41st CEDAW session

The 41st CEDAW session will take place later in the year, from June 30 to July 18, 2008 in New York. The CEDAW Committee will receive reports from the following countries: Iceland, Finland, Lithuania, Nigeria, Slovakia, Tanzania, United Kingdom, and Yemen.

YWCAs and Non-Governmental Organisations in these countries are encouraged to prepare shadow/alternative reports to be submitted to CEDAW committee. The Committee holds informal consultation meetings with NGOs to obtain and clarify country-specific information. Guidelines for the preparation of a shadow/alternative report can be found on the International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW) website.

NGOs may attend the open meetings of the Committee including the committee’s constructive dialogues with the States parties or national Governments presenting their periodic report.

About the Convention

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 18, 1979, and entered into force on September 3, 1981. Often described as an international bill of rights for women, the Convention contains a preamble and 30 articles in which it defines discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination. Since its entry into force, the Convention has achieved near-universal acceptance, with 185 States parties.

Related links:

• CEDAW official website
• Ful text of the Convention (available in various languages)
• How to write a shadow/alternative report (IWRAW website)