WUNRN
Official Press Release Will Come
from UN.
Adoption of CEDAW General Recommendation No. 27 on Older Women and Protection of
Their Human Rights
BY
THE UN CEDAW COMMITTEE
19th 0ctober, 2010
Distinguished
members of the Press and
Media representatives, colleagues and friends,
On
behalf of the Working Group , I am Ferdous Ara Begum as Chair of the Working
Group of the” General Recommendation on the Protection of the human rights of
Older Women” have the pleasure to announce that the Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination Against Women has adopted the General
Recommendation yesterday on the 19th
October , 2010 in Geneva at its 47th Session in pursuant to article
21 of the Convention.
This
is the General Recommendation Number 27.
The
Committee is concerned about the multiple forms of discrimination experienced
by older women on the grounds of age and sex which is often a result of unfair resource
allocation, maltreatment, neglect and limited access to basic services.
But older women ’s rights are not
systematically addressed in States parties’ reports or NGOs’ reports.
The
Committee recognized the need for statistical data disaggregated by age and sex
as a way to better assess the situation of older women.
The
Committee also recognized that older women are not a homogeneous group They have a great diversity of experience,
knowledge, ability and skills. Their economic and social situation, however, is
dependent on a range of demographic, political, environmental, cultural,
employment, individual and family factors. The contributions of older women to
society in public and private life as leaders in their communities, as
entrepreneurs, caregivers, advisers, mediators among other roles are
invaluable.
The
gendered nature of ageing reveals that women tend to live longer than men and
that more older women than men live alone The committee recognized that the changes in the population
structure due to the unprecedented demographic ageing along with the impact of
gender inequalities throughout the life span of older women have profound human
rights implications and need to be addressed in a more comprehensive and
systematic manner through the CEDAW Convention.
This
general recommendation on older women and the recognition of their rights, explores
the relationship between all the articles of the Convention and ageing.
It
identifies the multiple forms of discrimination that women face as they age;
outlines the content of the obligations assumed by States as parties to the
Convention, from the perspectives of ageing with dignity and older women’s
rights; and, includes policy recommendations to mainstream the responses to the
concerns of older women into national strategies, development initiatives and
positive action so that older women can participate fully without
discrimination and on the basis of equality with men in the political , social,
economic, cultural, civil and any other field in their society.
The general recommendation also provides
guidance to States parties on the inclusion of older women’s rights in the
reporting process on the Convention. The general recommendation will be the
most comprehensive interpretation of human rights and States parties’
obligations as they apply in the context of ageing. Elimination of all forms of discrimination
against older women can only be achieved by fully respecting and protecting
their dignity, right to integrity and self-determination.
The
Committee has deep appreciation for strong NGOs’ and UN Agencies support and contribution for this General
Recommendation on older women.
Adoption
of this General recommendation for the protection of the human rights of older
women by the Committee in 2010 is a
timely action which goes in line with
the creation of UN WOMEN, the 15th year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration
and platform for Action, the 10th review of the Millennium
development goals and 10th year anniversary of the Security council
resolution 1325 The adoption of the General recommendation on the rights of
older women also strengthen the UN SECRETARY GENERAL’s call to recognize the
human rights of older women and men in the July , 2010 report to the 65th
General Assembly.
In
this opportunity I would like to thank the press and media representatives who
are present here. Also I would like to thank the CEDAW Committee members for
their great contribution and commitment for causes of older women . I would
also like to thank the members of the Secretariat for their support and help I
would also like to thank the Working Group members for their relentless work
,contribution and commitments for the protection of human rights of older women
.
Our
working group consists of 7 members. Beside myself as chair, other members
are Ms. Violeta neubour, Ms. Barbara
Baily, Ms. Neala GR, Ms. Saisuri Chuticul Mr. Niklus Brunn and Ms Yoko Hayashi
Thank you.
Ferdous Ara Begum
Chair of the Working Group of the” General Recommendation on the Protection of the
Human
Rights of Older Women”