|
Governments
and CEDAW
A CEDAW States
party report demands much more than a generalised presentation of
a country situation on the status of women. It serves as an on-going
process set-up by the UN to monitor State compliance with their
obligations under the CEDAW Convention. This report is the basis
of a review by the CEDAW Committee of State action, and the State
has to be in a position to explain its actions. The State, through
this report has to show what measures it has taken to identify and
eliminate discrimination against women and bring about equality
between women and men, what obstacles exist and how it will overcome
them in the short-term and in the long-term. The State has to show
good intention and be held answerable to the UN to give effect to
the commitments it has undertaken internationally. The reporting
process constitutes a mechanism for accountability at the international
level.
The States party
report, however, is more than a procedural requirement set-up by
the UN. It provides the means by which the State is able to identify
for itself, and in specific contexts, the obstacles and barriers
to advance the equality status of women and to plan appropriate
time bound interventions to bring this about. At the first level,
this report needs to be seen as an internal planning instrument
that will guide the State in fulfilling its obligations under the
CEDAW Convention. This requires that the report is written honestly
and that it takes into consideration the different contexts of women's
lives prevalent in the country and identifies specific barriers
and interventions relevant to the diverse contexts that exist.
The first or
initial report serves as a baseline report on the basis of which
benchmarks can be identified for monitoring progress. The subsequent
or periodic reports serve to identify progress according to plan.
This section
highlights the essential elements of a States party report to the
CEDAW Committee, as identified by IWRAW Asia Pacific.
This
page was last updated on July 25, 2003
“IWRAW
Asia Pacific is an independent, non-profit, NGO in Special consultative
status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.”
©IWRAW Asia Pacific
Contact Us | Site
Map
|
