WUNRN
World YWCA & WILPF Meet with CEDAW Committee on Rights, Peace,
Security
31/01/2011
On January 24,
the World YWCA and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
(WILPF) met with the United Nations CEDAW Committee to discuss recommendations
for a stronger link between the CEDAW reporting process, human rights and the
peace and security agenda.
These issues are particularly important as 2010 marked the 10th anniversary of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security and the World YWCA and WILPF have been engaged in various consultations, analysis and dialogues as part of the ten year review. World YWCA General Secretary, Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, is also a member of the UN Civil Society Advisory Group on 1325.
During the
dialogue with the Committee, the World YWCA and WILPF called for CEDAW
monitoring mechanisms to integrate a stronger approach to women’s rights
promotion and protection in situations of conflict and post conflict. The
World YWCA specifically encouraged greater attention to the sexual and
reproductive health rights of women in conflict situations and monitoring of
the allocation of budgets to these issues. Both organisations encouraged
the Committee to consider how it can assist in the prevention element of 1325,
and particularly in promoting women’s role in conflict prevention. The
necessity of providing for economic, social and cultural rights for women in
the immediate post conflict setting was also stressed in order to create an environment
in which participation in governance is possible.
Specific
recommendations made to the CEDAW Committee included:
1.
That CEDAW
monitoring mechanisms integrate a stronger and more rigorous approach to
women’s rights promotion, protection and fulfillment in situations of conflict
and post conflict.
2.
That CEDAW
monitoring and reporting processes have a stronger role in advancing sexual and
reproductive health rights and HIV as critical issues related to the
discrimination against women, and to monitor how budgets are allocated to these
issues, particularly in conflict and post conflict situations.
3.
To continue to
strengthen collaboration and partnership with civil society organisations, and
especially women’s rights organisations, in exploring approaches and
methodologies for a stronger link between CEDAW, Peace and Security mechanisms
and HIV.