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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
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