Most of the programmes are interlinked with capacity building, advocacy and knowledge building components. However in terms of implementation of specific activities to achieve our objectives the activity is anchored in one or another programme. This Calendar of activities highlights some of the IWRAW Asia Pacific events planned for the year in order to implement our programmes or to support the work of national partners. It also includes some of our engagements with various international human rights mechanisms and processes at the regional or international level as well as certain key international events/forums in relation to women’s human rights.
| Month |
Programme |
Event/Activity |
| 11-12 January |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
APWLD Asia Pacific Regional Consultation: 'Multiple Dimensions of Women's Equality: Women's dialogues'
From 11 – 12 January 2011, APWLD held its annual Asia-Pacific Regional Consultation with the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women. The Consultation was entitled 'Multiple Dimensions of Women's Equality: Women's dialogues’ and focused on intersectional and multiple discrimination experienced by women and the consequences for the fulfillment of women’s equality in the region. The discussion and findings aimed to inform national, regional and international mechanisms, including the annual report of the SR which she will present to the HRC in June 2011.
IWRAW Asia Pacific was pleased to be able to support this Consultation financially, facilitate the participation of women’s rights activists from PNG and Indonesia and to attend and contribute directly to the discussions to ensure that the experience and expertise we have gained from our national level partners were made available to the SR in the preparation of her report.
Participants from 17 Asia and Pacific states joined representatives from a number of regional organizations to share their experiences of intersectional discrimination and how it operates in their own national contexts. Each participant prepared and submitted in advance a brief paper outlining their concerns and the issues they deal with.
The Consultation highlighted multiple discriminations and the concept of intersectionality in the context of neoliberal globalization, fundamentalisms and militarization/armed conflict and considered how these phenomena impact on the realization of women’s human rights.
The Consultation offered an excellent opportunity for IWRAW Asia Pacific to engage with a diverse range of activists, deepen our knowledge of how intersecting identities lead to increased vulnerability to violations and share our understanding of how international women’s human rights can be applied to address these issues. |
| 17 January – 4 February |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
48th CEDAW Session: From Global to Local Programme, Training and Mentoring, Geneva
IWRAW Asia Pacific organised and conducted “From Global to Local Programme” in conjunction with the 48th CEDAW Session held in Geneva from 17thJanuary – 4th February 2011. 23 NGO representatives and women activists from Israel, Kenya, South Africa, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Belarus participated at the Global to Local Programme. The participants attended the orientation and mentoring programme facilitated by two IWRAW Asia Pacific’s resource persons (Tulika Srivastava and Martha Morgan). Ayesha Sen Choudhury and Gauri Bhopatkar as Programme Officer represented IWRAW Asia Pacific staff. Sarah-Mae Thomas, student from Monash University interning with IWRAW Asia Pacific assisted the resource persons’ team and staff in overall coordination and programme implementation. |
| 24 – 25 January 2011 |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
Meeting with Key Partners (CWGI) on CAF Project, Jakarta, Indonesia
IWRAW Asia Pacific initiated a process of encouraging and building capacity of its national partners in Bangladesh and Indonesia to apply the CEDAW Application Framework in their efforts towards policy change and law reforms advancing women’s human rights. As part of the endeavour to introduce and take forward the CEDAW Application Framework (CAF) Project in Indonesia, IWRAW Asia Pacific had a meeting with key partners (led by CEDAW Working Group Initiative - CWGI) in Indonesia on the on 24 – 25 January 2011. IWRAW Asia Pacific was represented by Wathshlah G. Naidu.
The meeting focused on reaching a collective agreement that the focus will be on the amendments to the Indonesian Marriage Law (IML) (Law No. 1, 1974). Apart from agreeing on the objectives of the CAF Project in Indonesia the meeting also highlighted past and current initiatives (including the NGO draft on the proposed amendments to the IML) on the advocacy around the Indonesian Marriage Law as well as identifying some existing critical concerns, challenges and barriers to the advocacy around the amendments to the Indonesian Marriage Law. It then focused on outlining the strategies and activities for the next 2 years and discussed elements to be incorporated in a proposal for fund raising. Further, follow up actions were developed collaboratively between CWGI and IWRAW Asia Pacific. |
| 26 – 28 January |
Building Capacity for Change |
U.K. Training for Shadow Report Writing (Request for Assistance)
IWRAW Asia Pacific conducted shadow report training for a group of over 42 women’s rights groups and local organizations from the UK with a diverse experience around CEDAW. The training was held in London on 26-28 January 2011. IWRAW Asia formulation and implementation processes. Ivy Josiah and Brenda Campbell represented IWRAW Asia Pacific at this training. Post the training Ivy Josiah provided support to Women Resource Centre in developing their local level campaigning and lobbying strategies in Manchester district. This initiative was one of those initiatives by IWRAW Asia Pacific that are tailored to the specific needs of the participants and addressing the needs of training on shadow report and advanced level CEDAW training to activists and NGOs on application of the CEDAW Framework. Pacific was invited to conduct this training by Women’s Resource Centre on behalf of the UK CEDAW Working Group.
The training aimed towards building substantive knowledge of the member organizations of the CEDAW Working Group in the UK on CEDAW and its key principles of substantive equality, non-discrimination and state obligation, and development of their skills in applying international human rights law, especially the principles of the CEDAW Convention to influence national level policy. |
27 January 2011 |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
Meeting with ACWC Representatives, Geneva
The newly established ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) conducted a study tour to Geneva from 24 – 28 January 2011 to meet with representatives of the OHCHR, the CEDAW Committee and the CRC Committee as well as to observe the state reviews.
On 27 January 2011, Wathshlah G. Naidu representing IWRAW Asia Pacific and the Southeast Asia Women’s Caucus on ASEAN met with the ACWC representatives to discuss IWRAW Asia Pacific's work on CEDAW and with the CEDAW Committee. It was also an opportunity to engage with the ACWC on the work of the Women’s Caucus and to discuss critical areas such as on CSO engagement in Southeast Asia as well on the processes of Women’s Caucus. It was also an opportunity used to seek possible commitments on the engagement in Southeast Asia. |
| 9-10th Feb |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
Commonwealth Seminar on UPR follow-up and implementation in Asia and Europe” held in Dhaka, Bangladesh
The UPR process of the HRC has just is just concluding its first round of state reviews and recommendations. IWRAW Asia Pacific was invited by the Commonwealth Secretariat to attend a seminar entitled “Commonwealth Seminar on UPR follow-up and implementation in Asia and Europe” held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 9th to 10th February 2011. The seminar brought together representatives from NGOs, NHRI’s and government from 9 Asia countries and 3 European countries to discuss how the recommendations received to date by each state can be translated into concrete action for the realisation of human rights at the national level. The Commonwealth Secretariat has been closely engaged with Commonwealth states during the reviews and is now conducting a series of regional seminars to help focus actions on effective implementation in preparation for the next round of reviews.
As a result of our work on implementation of the Concluding Observations of CEDAW and in facilitating national NGOs in submitting reports to the UPR process and their attendance at the UPR sessions, IWRAW Asia Pacific was able to provide expertise to the seminar on the role that national NGOs can play as a key partner and stakeholder in the follow up process. We provided suggestions to participants on how to incorporate a gender perspective into the process as well as specifically on how legislative change can be used to facilitate greater equality in the context of the follow-up process.
IWRAW Asia Pacific provided guidance to participants during group discussions which aimed to foster cooperation and the development of strategies for follow-up to the UPR recommendations among the different stakeholders. Further, we presented suggestions and solutions to challenges for NGOs that were identified in the course of the discussions relating to implementation from our experiences working with national level groups to operationalise international standards and recommendations at the national level.
The seminar also provided IWRAW Asia Pacific with the opportunity of hearing directly from governments, NHRI’s and NGOs about the challenges face and strategies they have adopted in collaborating and implementing international obligations. |
22 – 23 February 2011 |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
Discussion on the Human Rights Implications of the ASEAN Community Blueprints - Luang Prabang, Lao P.D.R
Pursuant to the vision of an ASEAN Community to be realized by 2015, ASEAN currently has respective blueprints for the three pillars of the envisioned ASEAN Community, namely: Political-Security, Economic, and Socio-Cultural. The dialogue aims to discuss and assess the human rights impact and implications of the three community blueprints.
On 22-23 Feb 2011, IWRAW Asia Pacific attended the Discussion on the Human Rights Implications of the ASEAN Community Blueprints held in Luang Prabang, Laos organized by the Working Group on Hum an Rights Mechanisms .
IWRAW Asia Pacific was invited as a regional organization working on women’s rights and as part of SEA Women’s Caucus on ASEAN to provide inputs to the ASEAN Blueprints to ensure the plans evolved from the blueprints will be gender oriented and promote and protect women’s human rights. This is the second phase of the Working Groups strategy to engage with stakeholders on the Blueprints and IWRAW also attended the first meeting for NGOs.
Followup meetings to further discussion on blueprints with government stakeholders are in the planning and CSO groups have agreed to continue to participate with the Working Group and work closely with the ASEAN Secretariat toward evolving national level plans to effect the blueprints. |
| 3 – 4 March |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
UN Women Regional Consultation
Bangkok, Thailand.
IWRAW Asia Pacific attended a regional consultation with NGOs organized by UN Women from 3 – 4 March 2011 in Bangkok, Thailand. The consultation was a follow-up to a previous regional consultation organized by UNIFEM in December 2010 at which IWRAW Asia Pacific was also present. The purpose of the consultation was to get the views and inputs of regional civil society organisations in East and South East Asia on the strategic areas and priorities that UN Women will focus on. Specifically these recommendations were to contribute towards the establishment of a civil society advisory group at the regional level and the development of UN Women's first Strategic Plan for the year 2012-2013, including the strategies and priorities for the same period of its East and Southeast Asia Regional Office.
Representatives from approximately 20 regional NGOs and staff and consultants from UN Women attended the consultation, including Socorro Reyes, UN Women Chief of the Asia Pacific and Arab States, and Moni Pizani, Representative and Regional Programme Director for East and South East Asia.
Representatives from approximately 20 regional NGOs and staff and consultants from UN Women attended the consultation, including Socorro Reyes, UN Women Chief of the Asia Pacific and Arab States, and Moni Pizani, Representative and Regional Programme Director for East and South East Asia.
IWRAW Asia Pacific and other NGO representatives put forth a variety of suggestions and recommendations. In particular they called for UN Women to:
1. Be proactive in ensuring that a substantive equality lens is used in the evaluation and implementation of the programmes and processes of its partners, States and other UN institutions;
2. Take measures to extend UN Women’s engagement with civil society beyond just through the regional and national civil society advisory groups so that recommendations and contributions from CSOs are sought at all levels and in all of UN Women’s processes.
IWRAW Asia Pacific will continue to follow the development of UN Women and conduct advocacy to strengthen the new mechanism as it becomes established and implements its mandate. |
| 16 – 18 March 2011 |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
Women’s Caucus’ Working Group Meeting on ACWC’s Rules of Procedure and Work Plan
Jakarta, Indonesia
On 16 - 18 March 2011, the Women’s Caucus Working Group on ACWC’s Rules of Procedures (RoP) met in Jakarta to develop our position paper on ACWC’s RoP and our recommendations on the ACWC’s work plan. Both of the documents were subsequently submitted to the ACWC. The working group meeting was held at the same time as the first ACWC meeting and provided excellent preparation for the Interface meeting on 18 March 2011.
The position paper on ROP urges the ACWC to i) commit to Women Caucus’ guiding principles; ii) establish consultations and dialogues with the women’s groups; iii) to share information with general public; and iv) to strengthen its protection mandates, to establish complaint mechanisms, to monitor the situation of women’s human rights and to strengthen the advocacy role
IWRAW Asia Pacific jointly coordinated this meeting with APWLD. |
18 March 2011 |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
1st Interface Meeting with ACWC
Jakarta, Indonesia
The Women’s Caucus met with nine ACWC representatives on 18 February 2011 to discuss specific measures for increased women’s participation with the newly established body. The meeting was organised by the ACWC and the Indonesian Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Children’s Protection.
During the meeting, the ACWC representatives provided brief updates of their discussions during their first meeting on 16 – 18 February, 2011. This included logistics, capacity building, alignment and RoP, amongst others. The ACWC has also appointed Madam Kanda Vajrabhaya (Women’s Rights Representative, Thailand) and Mr. Ahmad Taufan Damanik (Children’s Rights Representative, Indonesia) as the Chair and Vice Chair of ACWC, respectively. The Women’s Caucus raised the important issues of CSO engagement, ACWC alignment with AICHR, Rules and Procedures (RoP), work plans and the ASEAN Declaration on Human Rights (ADHR).
The ACWC expressed their appreciation on the submissions made by the Women’s Caucus including the Compilation and Analysis on the NGO Alternative Reports, the Women’s Caucus’ Position Paper on ACWC’s RoP and the Women’s Caucus’ Recommendations on ACWC’s Work Plan. |
30 – 31 March 2011 |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
SAPA Working Group on UN Human Rights Mechanisms Regional Consultation on Joint Action Initiatives
Bangkok, Thailand
IWRAW Asia Pacific, a Steering Committee member of the SAPA Working Group on UN Human Rights Mechanisms, attended the Regional Consultation on Joint Action Initiatives organised by FORUM-ASIA on 30 – 31 March 2011 in Bangkok.
The Regional Consultation focused on (i) setting a common understanding of recent developments at the UN human rights mechanisms and their relevance to human rights advocacy at the national and regional levels in Asia; (ii) developing regional joint action initiatives for 2011 with clearly identified timelines for implementation and responsible focal points among the national and regional NGOs in Asia; and (iii) developing a regional-level stock-taking tool to monitor the implementing status of UPR recommendations. It was also an opportunity to have a discussion on the issue of strengthening the structure of the Working Group.
IWRAW Asia Pacific, represented by Wathshlah G. Naidu, led the discussions on treaty body reforms and monitoring. |
| 15 – 18 April |
Building Capacity for Change |
Lesotho Shadow Report Training for G2L 50th Session:
(Originally planned for the two initial reporting African countries, Lesotho and Cote d’Ivoire, the participation of Cote d’Ivoire had to be postponed due to the rising political instability in the capitol prior to the training)
IWRAW Asia Pacific in collaboration with FIDA Lesotho organized the CEDAW Shadow Report Training for participants from non-governmental organisations from Lesotho from the 15th to the 18th of April 2011.
Lesotho is one of two initial reporting countries that have been scheduled for the 50th CEDAW Session that will take place from the 2nd to the 21st of October 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland. Lesotho ratified CEDAW in 1995. Unfortunately, a week prior to the training the participation from Cote d’Ivoire had to be postponed due to the rising political instability in the capital, Abidjan.
The general objectives for this workshop is to reaffirm and strengthen participants’ knowledge of CEDAW concepts and mechanisms, emphasising the process of writing and presenting a Shadow Report to the CEDAW Committee and how to use the shadow reporting process as a tool for advocacy within the country.
There were 14 participants from various groups, including one participant representing persons with disabilities that actively participated in the training. They have set up a coalition that will prepare the shadow report for the 50th session. The training, the first of its kind to ever be held in Lesotho was greatly appreciated by those who attended the training.
Based on the five objectives that were listed above; the major output derived from the training was the establishment of a coalition of NGOs to work on the shadow report for Lesotho. The members of this coalition comprises of women/men working on a range of diverse issues in Lesotho. The training was able to ensure that the members of the coalition would have all the necessary skills and information to develop a substantive report that will be useful for the CEDAW Committee. |
| 19 – 20 April 2011 |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
Civil Society Consultation on Strengthening Treaty Body System
Seoul, Republic of Korea
The activity was organized by the OHCHR and hosted by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea. IWRAW Asia Pacific was invited to participate as a member of a regional organization engaged with the Treaty Bodies. IWRAW Asia Pacific aimed to use the space to advocate for incorporation of our positions regarding the treaty body strengthening process and ensure that a women’s rights perspective was represented and included. Prior to the Consultation, IWRAW Asia Pacific submitted a written document outlining our key concerns. During the Consultation NGOs drafted a common position statement, the ‘Seoul Statement’, to be considered by the OHCHR in the course of drafting the report which it will finalise in late 2011 / early 2012. This was adopted by the participants post-Consultation and made available to states during an OHCHR Consultation for states organized in Lucerne, Switzerland in May 2011. IWRAW Asia Pacific has continued to engage in the treaty body strengthening process through participation in further activities and the development of further lobbying documents. |
21 April 2011 |
Building Capacity for Change |
Shadow Report Training for KOCUN in Seoul, South Korea
IWRAW Asia Pacific received a request for a brief session on shadow report writing from Heisoo Shin of KOCUN, a national NGO based in South Korea. The session constituted the afternoon agenda during a day-long training programme run by KOCUN for activists and students who were engaged in drafting a report to the CEDAW Committee in preparation for the Committee’s review of South Korea in July 2011. The presentation covered the reporting cycle, the state report, the purpose of a shadow report, the role of NGOs, the structure and content of the report and follow-up to the review process. KOCUN subsequently took part in the Global to Local programme during the 49th CEDAW session. |
18-21 May 2011 |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
Optional Protocol to CEDAW and Women’s Access to Justice: The training and strategic development, Warsaw, Poland
This activity was a follow-up activity by IWRAW Asia Pacific’s partner in the CEE / CIS region, the Karat Coalition, to its on-going work on the OP CEDAW and was used, with IWRAW Asia Pacific’s support, to launch its project on access to justice in the region. Karat had identified a need to research and assess the barriers women in the region face when attempting to use the OP as a key priority in their work. The activity was therefore designed for female women’s rights advocates and lawyers from Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Poland, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan who aimed to sharpen their understanding of the Optional Protocol to CEDAW (OP CEDAW) and to contribute to improving women’s access to justice through promoting the procedures available under the treaty as well as through identifying the barriers hampering their use and proposing the possible solutions to eliminate them. IWRAW Asia Pacific contributed by inputting into the concept note and design of the agenda, presenting a number of sessions on the CEDAW, the OP and access to justice and participating in the strategy meeting to determine the way forward with the project in the region. IWRAW Asia Pacific has been following up with Karat on the project, including how it can provide information to the CEDAW Committee in the elaboration of its proposed GR on Access to Justice. |
| 23 May 2011 |
Building Capacity for Change |
Technical Assistance for Malaysian Women Tourist Guide Association
IWRAW Asia Pacific received an invitation to join MWTGA (Malaysian Women Tourist Guide Association) and Wanita MCA (Malaysian Chinese Association) to meet the Deputy Minister of Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (MWFCD) and the Chief Secretary (KSU) of the Ministry of Tourism (MOTOUR) to advocate for the rights of women employees in the tourism industry (especially tourist guides) on the issue of no room-sharing with male co-workers during assignments.
While the purpose of the meeting was advocacy around the development of new policies within the Ministry of Tourism to ensure that women tour guides/bus drivers are experiencing safe and secure employment, the outcomes of the consultation and decisions taken by the ministry will have an effect on our continuing engagement with the state in terms of their possible future collaboration with BCC and ERR on further policy implementation in relation to CEDAW |
1 June 2011 |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
Panel Discussion at the HRC – Affirming Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Rights, Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland
As a follow-up to the “Confidential Roundtable Discussion International Human Rights Law & Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH): Draft CESCR General Comment on SRH” held in April 2011, IWRAW Asia Pacific collaborated with APWLD to hold this panel event during the 17th HRC session. The overall objective of the event was to create context, terminology, language and recommendations to support the development and interpretation of standards at the national and international levels in the area of sexual and reproductive rights. The panel aimed in particular to highlight issues affecting the ability of marginalized groups to fully realize their sexual and reproductive health rights. The event included a particular focus on the right to sexual and reproductive health that encompasses the right to determine one’s own sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as issues relating to contraception and sexual and reproductive autonomy. Panel speakers were Heisoo Shin, Shireen Huq, Anand Grover and Jenta Tau. The panel was moderated by Ivy Josiah. The identification of barriers to the realization of women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights focused on systematic and structural causes, including cultural definitions of traditional masculinity and femininity, gender discrimination and inequality. Challenging and changing power relations and education, empowerment, participation and democratic governance were discussed as a road map for the implementation of state obligation in this context. |
| 22 – 28 June 2011 |
Building Capacity for Change |
Pilot Testing Workshop for Litigating Lawyers on Women's Human Rights Using CEDAW.
IWRAW Asia Pacific organised the Workshop as a culmination of all previous processes (Expert Group Meeting and Write-shop) in development of the Lawyers Resource Package. The Workshop was organised to pilot test materials prepared by Resource Persons for the Lawyers Resource Package.
Participants were practising lawyers with more than 5 yrs of experience in litigation on women’s rights and human rights from 15 countries across the world. The countries represented were, Fiji, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Botswana, Kenya, Bulgaria, Latvia, United Kingdom and Colombia. The Workshop was different to the extent that the main aim was to elicit feedback and inputs from participants on presentation of materials by Resource Persons to aid the larger process of development of the Resource Package. Proceedings (including presentations and discussions between resource persons and participants during the sessions) of the Workshop are to be compiled and presented with the aid of a prescribed format by documentors as the Draft Resource Package after the Workshop. |
| 27-29 June 2011 |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
12th ICM and Chairpersons Meeting, Geneva
The 12th Inter Committee Meeting of the UN Treaty Bodies took place in Geneva and IWRAW AP was invited. The annual meeting is held to enhance the effectiveness of Treaty Bodies amongst others.
IWRAW AP attended and provided a list of interventions which included:
- Preserving the space of national and grassroot NGOs
- Guaranteeing the security of human rights defenders
- Defining the role of NHRIs
IWRAW AP was represented by Wathslah Naidu. |
| 8 - 23 July 2011 |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
Global to Local – 49th CEDAW Session
Mentoring programme in conjunction with the 49th CEDAW session in New York
From 8th to 23rd July 2011, IWRAW Asia Pacific’s “From Global to Local” programme ran parallel to the 49th CEDAW session in New York. 43 participants participated in the programme with 10 of them funded by IWRAW Asia Pacific. Countries under review were Costa Rica, Italy, Ethiopia, Zambia, Republic of Korea, Nepal, Djibouti and Singapore and participants represented every country except for Djibouti. The participants represented a range of issues including issues affecting specific vulnerable groups such as Roma women, LBTI women, disabled women, migrant women and indigenous women. The training programme ran for three days prior to each week of review as well as for one half day after each week of review where IWRAW Asia Pacific staff (Wathshlah Naidu and Ann Campbell) and resource persons (Alda Facio, Martha Morgan, Ivy Josiah and Angela Lytle). Kari Rotkin, an intern from IWRAW Asia Pacific, also provided essential support to the team and participants. |
| 18 July 2011 |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
Day of General Discussion on Women in Conflict and Post Conflict Situations
CEDAW Committee organised a day of general discussion during its 49th CEDAW Session in New York to seek wider consultation on its proposed General Recommendation on protection of women’s human rights in the situations of conflict & post-conflict. The purpose of the general recommendation is to provide appropriate and authoritative guidance to States Parties on the measures to be adopted to ensure full compliance with their obligations to protect, respect and fulfil women’s human rights during times of armed conflict and in all peace-building processes, which includes the immediate aftermath of conflict and long-term post-conflict reconstruction. IWRAW Asia Pacific and its partner organizations seized this opportunity to make interventions on the Day of General Discussion, as it was well timed for the organizations participated in the October 2010 Consultation (referred as Colombo Group further in this document), to educate the Committee on issues, experiences and rights violations affecting women in situations of conflict, and provide insights on the gaps and challenges in applying the CEDAW framework in the background of the existing legal framework of humanitarian and human rights law.
IWRAW Asia Pacific encouraged members of the Colombo Group to participate on the Day of General Discussion and fully supported their participation on 18 July 2011 in New York.
Sanja Sarvakava from B.a.B.e (Croatia), Ambika Sankunathan from Women & Media Collective (Sri Lanka), Aziza Khalidi from Najdeh Association (Lebanon), Suraiya Kamaruzzaman from Flower Aceh (Indonesia), Sapna Pradhan Malla from Forum on Women, Law and Development (Nepal) and Kumudini Samuel from DAWN participated on the day of general discussion. They submitted to the Committee a written statement elaborating the gambit of the rights violations experienced by women in the situations of conflict and made oral statement highlighting the critical aspects of specific conditions and realities of women and realization of their human rights using CEDAW by all actors involved in the conflict and post conflict context. IWRAW Asia Pacific made its own written submission and oral statement as an organization campaigning for past 17 years on using CEDAW framework towards realization of women’s human rights globally. |
| 27-29 July 2011 |
Building Capacity for Change |
Jordan Shadow Report Training
IWRAW Asia Pacific in collaboration with Arab Women’s Organisation (AWO), Jordan organized the CEDAW Shadow Report Training for participants from non-governmental organisations in Amman from the 27th to the 29th of April 2011.
Jordan has submitted its 5th periodic report and has been scheduled for the 51st CEDAW Session that will take place from the 13 Fe
bruary – 2 March 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland.
A list of issues has been submitted for the CEDAW pre-session working group and representatives from AWO and Karama attended the pre-session (1-5 August 2011) to present their NGO oral statement.
The general objectives for this workshop is to reaffirm and strengthen participants’ knowledge of CEDAW concepts and mechanisms, emphasising the process of writing and presenting a Shadow Report to the CEDAW Committee and how to use the shadow reporting process as a tool for advocacy within the country.
There were about 15 participants from various organisations attending the training. |
| 8 August 2011 |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
Consultation Meetings with CSOs - Regional Programme on Improving Women’s Human Rights in Southeast Asia: CEDAW Southeast Asia Programme (CEDAW SEAP Phase II: 2011 - 2015)
UN Women CEDAW SEAP brought together regional CSOs to consult on the Phase II of the CEDAW SEAP. They were interested in finding out what has been the regional access to justice programmes and sought strategic initiatives that can be implemented regionally. They also requested feedback on improving CEDAW SEAP’s relationship with states and CSOs nationally and recommendations on developing an implementation plan for Phase II. They did this by breaking the participants into small group for discussions and then each group reported back. Issues highlighted at this meeting were the rise in LBT issues, land rights campaign, the rights of Muslim women and capacity gaps of national women’s machineries (high turnover; lack of structure and gender focal points). Other issues identified were: a lack of uniformed monitoring indicators and it was suggested that there is a need to harmonise indicators for CEDAW/HR for a gender-based analysis, a lack of comprehensive review of laws in all areas in the region was identified, a disjunct between urban and rural groups as well as thematic groups. |
| 19 August 2011 |
Building Capacity for Change |
Pre-Roundtable CSO Consultation on the final draft of the Report on Discrimination and Inequality in Malaysia
Gayathiri Jambulingam attended this Consultation which aimed to:
1.Gather feedback on the final draft of the report to fill the gaps and make corrections to the report.
2.Discuss and identify key recommendations that will enable the development of best practices to strengthen equality and non-discrimination in Malaysia.
3.Set priorities and get the mandate for a collective advocacy strategy in relation to equality and non-discrimination in Malaysia that can be presented at the Stakeholder Roundtable meeting on 8 September 2011.
This was an ERT- Tenaganita project on "Empowering Civil Society to Combat Discrimination through Collective Advocacy and Litigation"(Equality Project).
Over the last 10 months Tenaganita carried out activities under the Equality project, including a baseline survey, five Equality Forums, training workshop on equality laws, test case and preparation of the draft country report on equality and non-discrimination.
The final initiative under this Equality Project, scheduled for early September, is a round table discussion with government stakeholders where Tenaganita will present the report on Equality and Non-discrimination in Malaysia. However, before doing this, they had a consultation with all CSOs and individuals concerned about equality and non-discrimination in Malaysia.
IWRAW Asia Pacific provided feedback based on Malaysia’s reservations on CEDAW Articles and thus the discriminative practices present in policies/laws, the principles of CEDAW: Non-discrimination and substantive equality; domestication and implementation of CEDAW in Malaysia; gender discrimination in Malaysia; the need to use a “rights-based” approach and language and to maximise the use of regional mechanisms such as ASEAN. |
| 22-24 August 2011 |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
ASEAN Human Rights Declaration Drafting Consultation
The Southeast Asia Women’ Caucus on ASEAN (Women’s Caucus) organised a regional workshop on August 2011. The aim of the workshop was to develop a Women’s Caucus proposal/principle document on the AHRD and identify opportunities and strategies for the Women’s Caucus to engage in the drafting of the AHRD.
IWRAW Asia Pacific collaborated with APWLD as part of the Women’s Caucus to organise the event and attended to provide inputs on the drafting to ensure the integration of gender and women’s human rights principles including the principles of substantive equality and non-discrimination, into the AHRD.
IWRAW AP was represented by Watshlah, Ayesha and Gayathiri. |
| 24-26 August 2011 |
Building Capacity for Change |
Zimbabwe Shadow Report training
A CEDAW Shadow Report training was held in Zimbabwe to:
- Build clarity and understanding on the following: a. The principles of substantive equality, non-discrimination and state obligation as provided for in the CEDAW Convention as providing the normative standards for the realisation of women’s human rights;
b.
The significance of the CEDAW Convention and its principles in promoting women’s human rights to equality and non-discrimination;
- Enhance the understanding of the role of NGOs in the CEDAW Shadow Reporting process, and its relevance to national activism and advocacy;
- Ensure clarity and understanding of the phases involved in the researching and writing of the CEDAW Shadow Report, including understanding on operational tools and procedures for research and data gathering in order to facilitate the writing of the CEDAW Shadow report;
- Enhance expertise and increase proficiency in writing an NGO shadow report to the CEDAW Committee;
- Enhance skills on using the CEDAW Shadow Report as an advocacy tool to promote women’s rights within the respective countries.
Tashia Peterson and Bernice Sam served as Resource Persons. |
| 11 September 2011 |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
CEDAW and Migrant Domestic Workers Workshop in Singapore
At the 49th CEDAW Session, the Committee released the concluding observations calling on the State of Singapore to repeal discriminatory practices and to include domestic workers under the Employment Act and to ratify the ILO DW Convention. Consequently, HOME held a workshop as a follow up. Jana gave an introduction to CEDAW and migrant worker's rights that lasted about an hour, then the participants broke into groups to discuss what kind of discrimination they feel as migrant workers in Singapore. The groups reported back on their discussions, which was a very empowering process for them to name the discrimination and gender inequality that they experience.
At the end of the workshop, Kelly Then (who attended the CEDAW Session in July on behalf of Sayoni) showed some photos from the CEDAW Session. Two workers who attended a meeting in Geneva last year related to ILO Convention No. 189 then shared their experience. The workshop closed with a couple of songs performed by women who live in HOME's shelter.
Bridget is hoping that the Indonesian and Filipina workers will be able to work on Shadow Reports that can be shared with the CEDAW Committee when Indonesia reports next July and when the Philippines reports next |
| 26 September 2011 |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
Annual discussion on the integration of a gender perspective in the work of the Human Rights Council – Panel discussion on “Promoting gender equality as institutional practice: from policy to action” in Geneva, Switzerland
The Annual Discussion of the HRC was established in 2009 as a result of lobbying efforts by NGOs including IWRAW Asia Pacific. This was the third such discussion and IWRAW Asia Pacific was the only NGO requested to nominate a panelist. Savitri Goonesekere attended on behalf of IWRAW Asia Pacific. The presentations took the form of answers to questions provided in advance by the OHCHR. Ms. Goonesekere provided responses to questions on the concrete impact of the UN commitment to gender integration and role of NGOs in working with and challenging UN institutions in making gender integration a reality as well as How the CEDAW Committee and Human Rights Council can work together better. Ms. Goonesekere’s was allotted four minutes per question and a further 3 minutes to respond to questions from the floor.
The panel took place from 10am to 1pm on September 26th at Palais des Nations, Geneva and was attended by approximately 20 state delegates from both the global north and the global south as well as two NGO representatives. Other panellists were representatives from the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, the Gender Social Fund, Jordan, and UN Women as well as a researcher on men and gender equality from Brazil. |
| 27-30 September 2011 |
Building Capacity for Change |
Litigation Surgery on LGBTI Rights in Africa – Organised by Interights
IWRAW Asia Pacific attended this Litigation Surgery – a forum for lawyers to present, discuss and prepare their cases at hand. The focus for this litigation surgery was cases on LGBTI rights in Africa.
Objectives of the Litigation Surgery
- To provide lawyers with substantive understanding of issues at hand and principles applicable in arguing cases related to rights of LGBTI persons.
- To provide comparative perspectives of strategies adopted in the nature of litigation, argumentation, remedies sought etc.
The objective of IWRAW AP’s participation was to learn strategies for future implementation of case clinics under Use of Law and Litigation Strategies. |
| 30 September 2011 |
Building Capacity for Change |
Dignity International’s Train-Up Trainers (TUT)
Write-shop and Review Workshop
Wathshlah Naidu and Gauri Bhopatkar from IWRAW Asia Pacific attended Train-Up Trainers (TUT) Write-shop and Review Workshop organised by Dignity International on 3-10 September 2011 for its regional trainers in Kuala Lumpur. Both of them conducted half a day session on strategising on human rights advocacy from the expertise and experience of IWRAW Asia Pacific working on CEDAW. |
| 29 September – 15 October 2011 |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
Global to Local 50th Session, Geneva |
| 6 October 2011 |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
Shadow Report meeting with WAO and Malaysian NGOs |
| 14 – 15 October 2011 |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
ASEAN Human Rights Conference-Workshop on Promoting Maternal Health: Responding to the UN Millennium Development Goal 5 |
| 27 – 28 October 2011 |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
OHCHR Consultation on Current Challenges that Impact on the Economic, Social And Cultural Rights of Women and How to Advance Them Using the International Human Rights Mechanism |
| 2-4 November 2011 |
Building Capacity for Change |
Capacity Building Workshop for State Agencies Gender Focal Persons on CEDAW, Concluding Observations, and Issues on Gender Rights with Rainbow Rights in the Philippines |
| 10 – 11 November |
Enhancing Realisation of Rights |
Dublin 2: Consultation on Strengthening the Treaty Body System |
| November/December 2011 |
Building Capacity for Change |
Capacity Building Workshop for Afghan NGOs on CEDAW Reporting and development of effective advocacy strategies
IWRAW Asia Pacific and Afghan’s Women’s Network -AWN entered into a collaboration to strengthen the capacities of national NGOs and women’s rights groups on CEDAW and its application. The capacity building workshop followed by a strategy meeting was planned in early October, but was postponed due to the security condition in Afghanistan. This workshop will now be conducted in November/December followed by a meeting with AWN on developing long term strategy on CEDAW implementation through collaborative activities. |
