DOWNLOAD PDF THE STATUS OF WOMEN : THE UN OFFICE AND WOMENS RIGHTS

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1 Chapter 1 : UN Women Pakistan UN Women â Asia-Pacific UN Women is the global champion for gender equality, working to develop and uphold standards and create an environment in which every woman and girl can exercise her human rights and live up to her full potential. December 1 What are human rights? Human rights define the value and worth of each person and their relationship to government and society. They identify standards regarding the quality of life that each of us can expect to enjoy. Human rights have the following qualities: Human rights are inherent: They are our birthright and belong to us simply because we exist as human beings. Human rights are inalienable: Human rights are universal: The United Nations UN has enshrined many human rights in international human rights instruments. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in, forms the basis of these documents. CEDAW deals with rights including the right to vote and stand for election, equal rights to education, protection from discrimination in the workplace and equality before the law. This pack outlines these rights in section 7. The United Nations UN is an international organisation of countries. The UN was formed after the tragedy of the Second World War to promote international peace, achieve international cooperation for international problems and advance human rights. Australia became a member of the UN in and was one of the very first members. Since then nearly every nation in the world has joined the UN and there are now member countries. The UN, together with its programmes, funds and specialised agencies, makes up the UN system. We live in a global community and the is ideally placed to deal with some of the major issues facing our world. The UN and its agencies provide a forum for the development and enforcement of international human rights standards. Countries which are members of the UN appoint diplomatic representatives to interact with representatives from other nations at UN headquarters and agencies. When there is conflict in the world, or urgent issues requiring discussion, these representatives are able to deal with the issue quickly and with international support. The UN and its agencies help to share information, build economies and provide assistance for development, or to deal with crises. The aim is to eradicate disease, expand food production and increase stability around the world. The UN and its agencies protect vulnerable groups of human beings including women, children, refugees, displaced persons, minorities, indigenous people and people with disabilities. Who participates in the United Nations? Only governments of independent countries, or sovereign states, can be members of the UN. Non-government organisations NGOs, however, have come to play an important role in the functioning of the UN. NGOs provide information, lobby and negotiate. For example, Amnesty International and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines are two NGOs that have had a valuable impact on the advancement of human rights at the international level through the UN. Both of these organisations are non-profit, voluntary groups made up of ordinary citizens from around the world. This allows these NGOs to attend UN conferences, address specific meetings and interact with country representatives. Protecting the rights of women The United Nations UN deals with many aspects of human rights and other international issues. Several specialised departments and agencies have been established within the UN to deal specifically with concerns relating to women. Every year, representatives of member states gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and the advancement of women worldwide. The agreed conclusions contain an analysis of the priority theme of concern and a set of concrete recommendations for governments, intergovernmental bodies, NGOs and other relevant bodies, for implementation at the international, national, regional and local level. Members are nominated by their respective national governments and are elected on the following basis: It is the major part of the UN bureaucracy that advocates for the improvement of the status of women of the world, and the achievement of their equality with men. This was the largest conference in the history of the UN. The BPFA has been considered one of the most progressive blueprints for achieving gender equality for women. It was negotiated and adopted by the countries that attended the Beijing Conference. The BPFA is available at: Since Page 1

2 its creation in, UNIFEM has supported numerous projects and initiatives throughout the developing world that promote the political, economic, and social empowerment of women. These have ranged from small grassroots enterprises that improved working conditions for women to public education campaigns and the design of new gender-sensitive laws and marketing campaigns. Recent initiatives by UNIFEM include funding a project in Cambodia to facilitate handicraft development and upgrade productions and marketing skills of women producers of baskets and clay pottery; and supporting projects in Indonesia, China and other parts of the Asia-Pacific region to improve the collection of statistics on gender issues. Governments agree to ensure that all people living within their jurisdiction are able to access and enforce the rights outlined in the treaty. This often involves becoming subject to UN scrutiny. Further legislative steps must be taken to give a treaty legal force in Australia, including the enactment, prior to ratification or accession, of any domestic legislation necessary to implement the treaty. The Australian Government is responsible for becoming party to treaties and participating in UN processes. Australian, State and Territory governments do not participate directly in these processes, however, they are often instrumental in giving effect to the human rights contained in treaties to which Australia is a party. Implementing human rights Even though human rights exist as a birthright, to be effective they need to be supported by law and able to be used in practice. This happens in many ways: Our own awareness and support for human rights is one of the most important ways to enforce them. Governments however remain accountable for ensuring the implementation of convention obligations within their countries. Governments can implement an international human rights treaty in a range of ways. Creating new laws, while critical, does not always lead directly to change in the social practices and attitudes which underpin human behaviour and lead to human rights violations. Governments aim to reduce violations in the following ways: Ultimately we have to be judged not by our highest ambitions and achievements, but by our ability to raise from the lowest level those whose needs that are greatest. That is the way I would like Australia, and every other country, to be judged in the United Nations. Enshrined within its preamble and 30 Articles are key principles of equality and an agenda for national action to end discrimination against women. It is based on the belief that basic human rights include the true equality of men and women. Rights include political participation, health, education, employment, marriage, family relations and equality before the law. These reports detail the measures the government has taken to comply with its obligations under the Convention. Some groups and individuals organised rallies and wrote letters to Members of Parliament, hoping to influence Australia not to sign. Several parliamentarians also went on to voice their opposition to CEDAW in Parliament and worked to prevent Australia signing the treaty. Opponents argued that CEDAW would force women out of their homes and into the workforce and cause a breakdown of family life. In addition, the fact that the former Soviet Union bloc participated in the UN led some people to believe that Australia signing CEDAW would give the bloc countries the power to dictate standards to Australia. This support was demonstrated at a national level and also in local branches. Many other non-government organisations NGOs also supported the Convention through the National Council of Women, a voluntary coordinating body that at the time had affiliated organisations, representing over a million members. Australia was one of the 23 countries that helped prepare the ceremony and sent a strong delegation of experts led by The Hon Robert Bob Ellicott the then Minister for Home Affairs. Australia deposited its instrument of ratification with the United Nations Secretary-General on 28 July, and it entered into force for Australia a month later. Article 1 In becoming party to CEDAW, Australia committed itself to being a society that promotes policies, laws, organisations, structures and attitudes that ensure women are given the same rights as men. CEDAW facilitates this by promoting non-discriminatory practices in the following areas. Law, policy and prejudices Article 2 of CEDAW urges parties to CEDAW to work towards eradicating discrimination against women, including by introducing new laws or policies, changing existing discriminatory laws and providing sanctions for discrimination where appropriate. Article 4 of CEDAW allows temporary special measures that favour women, on the basis that they are designed to speed up achievement of equality. Article 5 of CEDAW requires parties to address and change social and cultural patterns that reinforce the stereotyping of women and Page 2

3 traditional gender roles, or that promote the relative superiority or inferiority of either of the sexes. Trafficking and exploitation of prostitution Article 6 of CEDAW requires parties to take all appropriate measures to suppress all forms of trafficking of women and exploitation of prostitution of women. It does not intend to prohibit prostitution but to address problems of exploitation of women through prostitution. Article 8 of CEDAW states that women should have the same opportunities as men to represent their countries internationally and be involved in the work of international organisations. Nationality Article 9 of CEDAW requires that women have the same rights as men to acquire, retain or change their nationality and the nationality of their children. It provides that neither marriage to an alien nor a change of nationality by the husband during marriage will automatically change the nationality of the wife, make her stateless or force upon her the nationality of the husband. Article 9 also provides that women have the same rights as men regarding the nationality of their children. Education and training Article 10 of CEDAW urges parties to ensure that women have the same opportunities as men in all aspects of education and trainingâ from kindergarten to tertiary education. Women and girls should have access to the same curricula, professional staff and programs, especially those aimed at reducing any existing gender gaps within education, and opportunities to benefit from the same scholarships and study grants as men. Governments are required to ensure that all education is free from stereotypical concepts of the roles of men and women. Employment Article 11 of CEDAW requires parties to eliminate discrimination in employment so as to ensure that women have the right to work, the right to the same training and employment opportunities as men and the right to receive equal pay for work of equal value. Women must also have access to the same benefits, compensatory schemes, and allowances as men, especially in relation to retirement and incapacity to work. This Article further requires that parties prohibit discrimination in the workplace on the basis of marriage, pregnancy and maternity, and introduce paid maternity leave without loss of benefits or career opportunities, and encourage provision of supporting social services to allow parents to combine family obligations with work responsibilities. Health Article 12 of CEDAW requires parties to take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the field of health care to ensure women and men have equal access to health services including family planning. This Article further requires that parties provide appropriate health services in relation to pregnancy and post-natal care, and to grant free services where necessary. Economic life, sport and culture Article 13 of CEDAW expressly requires that women have equal access to family benefits, forms of financial credit, including bank loans and mortgages, and the same rights as men to participate in recreational activities, sports and cultural life. Women living in remote and rural areas Article 14 of CEDAW requires all parties to take all appropriate measures to ensure that the particular needs of rural women are met and to ensure rural women have access to health care services, training and employment opportunities, and social security schemes. Equality before the law Article 15 of CEDAW requires parties to treat women and men equally in all matters relating to the law, including civil matters, contractual matters, and property ownership. Family relations Article 16 of CEDAW requires parties to ensure women and men have equal rights to freely choose a spouse and enter into marriage; the same rights and responsibilities as men within marriage and upon divorce, especially with regard to choosing a family name, a profession, and the rights of ownership of property; and equal rights in all matters relating to birth, adoption and raising of their children. Violence against women Gender-based violence is a serious form of discrimination. While CEDAW does not contain an explicit reference to violence against women, the CEDAW Committee has issued a General Recommendation which states that violence directed against a women because she is woman or violence that affects women disproportionately is recognised and addressed as discrimination under the convention. The CEDAW Committee asks countries to provide information in their regular reports about legislation and other measures it uses to protect women from violence, as well as the support services available to women. Reservations When signing or ratifying an international treaty, a country can make a reservation to a particular provision or provisions of that treaty. This is a unilateral statement which effectively excludes the country from any obligation in regards to that provision. It is always open to any country to Page 3

4 remove reservations to CEDAW when it wishes to commit to those rights. Page 4

5 Chapter 2 : Israel singled out at UN for women's right violations The Times of Israel "The United States, which is a leading state in formulating international human rights standards, is allowing its women to lag behind international human rights standards," the report said. However, the human rights of most people have been continuously violated all around the world. Since all civilizations have been patriarchal,1 regardless of the overall human rights conditions maintained in a society, women have been subject to more human rights violations than men. Women constitute the poorest and the least powerful segments of their communities. They are denied equal access to education, job training, employment, leisure time, income, property, health care, public office, decision-making power and freedoms, as well as control over their own body and life. When the Christian Church leader St. In modern times, progressive philosophers, such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, could promote political freedoms and rights, but reject the notion of equality of the sexes. The revolutionary fervour of the eighteenth century that opposed oppression led to the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen However, the articulation of human rights in this document, which continued to inspire people all over the world for centuries, could not escape sexism prevalent at the time and omitted women. Even members of the Commission that drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights were willing to employ the word "man" in reference to the holder of the rights. When the Soviet delegate, Vladimir Koretsky, objected to using the words "all men" as "historical atavism, which preclude us from an understanding that we men are only one half of the human species", the Commission Chair, Eleanor Roosevelt, defended the wording by arguing: The final draft mostly employed the gender-neutral terms of "human being", "everyone" and "person", and the Preamble included a specific reference to the "equal rights of men and women", thanks largely to the efforts of two female Commission members, Hansa Mehta of India and Minerva Bernardino of the Dominican Republic. Despite their clearly and repeatedly stated anti-discrimination clauses, which specify that sex as a characteristic or status cannot be used as grounds for discrimination or for denial of human rights, documents issued by the United Nations fell short of ensuring that human rights are equally applicable to both sexes. Starting in the s, however, some significant steps towards addressing gender disparities have been taken by various intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and government agencies. In its working paper, the Commission stated that neither the Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women nor the legally binding human rights treaties had been effective in advancing the status of women. It also argued for a single comprehensive convention that would legally bind States to eliminate discriminatory laws, as well as de facto discrimination. With 30 articles organized in six parts, CEDAW defines "discrimination against women" in its first article: The last two parts Articles 17 to 30 refer to the administration of the implementation of the Convention. The Committee evaluates the periodic reports submitted by States parties, questions government delegations that present the report, guides and advises States parties in meeting the objectives of the Convention, and issues general recommendations that help interpret the intention and scope of the Convention. The general recommendations issued by the Committee have been important for elaborating on the provisions of the Convention and for drawing attention to some gender-specific human rights violations and the attitudes and practices that disregard the value of women. By stressing such issues as gender-based violence, unequal pay for work of equal value, undervalued and unremunerated domestic activities of women, polygamy and other marital practices that disadvantage women and violate their dignity, the general recommendations have broadened the scope of CEDAW and made it a living document. In other words, some limitations in the wording of the Convention, such as treating man as a measure by requiring States parties to ensure that women enjoy a series of rights "on equal terms with men", or failing to make explicit references to some violations that are experienced mainly by women, are redressed by CEDAW through the general recommendations. It entered into force on 3 September, less than two years after the General Assembly adopted it on 18 December However, ratification, accession or succession by 78 countries 42 per cent of Page 5

6 States parties involved declarations or reservations, which allow them to limit their treaty obligations. However, reservations justified by the claim that the culture or religion of the country conflicts with the provisions of the Convention are not likely to be withdrawn in the near future. Such broad reservations undermine "the object and purpose" of the treaty and leave it inapplicable for all practical purposes. Cultural or religious objections to the provisions can be challenged by two interrelated arguments: The novelty of the Declaration and subsequent human rights documents is not only universalism -- the notion that all people hold certain rights by virtue of being human -- but is also the desire to end all forms of violations that have been allowed in existing cultures. In other words, international human rights follow a reactive pattern: In the case of women, many human rights violations and discrimination have been not only culturally permissible, but often encouraged or demanded by cultural norms. That is why CEDAW makes specific references to culture, as well as traditions and customs embodied in cultures, and emphasizes the need to change discriminatory cultural norms, values and practices. Relativist arguments, especially when combined with charges of cultural imperialism, pose a major dilemma for the international human rights community. With regard to culture and religion, we need to ask the following questions: Who speaks on behalf of the people and religion? Who defines the meaning of culture or interprets the sources of religion and develops doctrines? Cultures, of course, are neither monolithic nor static, but within each culture there are people who would benefit from making it monolithic and keeping it static. In other words, cultures are based on power structures, and by setting norms and assigning values they also perpetuate those structures. Culturally and officially promoted values privilege some members of society and disadvantage others, and the privileged ones would tend to use their power to sustain those values that would justify and preserve their privileged positions. Thus, without any democratization of the interpretation and decision-making processes, cultural relativism and preservation of culture end up serving only as shields protecting the privileged people. By the same token, all religious texts and oral traditions are received in a cultural context and filtered through and fused with the prevailing cultural norms. Always open to interpretation, their messages can be subverted and mitigated by the existing power structures. Thus, religions can embody contradictory norms, which are selectively used and reinterpreted both by the privileged and those who challenge their understanding of religion and its requirements. It is needless to note that in patriarchal systems, it is the voice of the privileged men that dictates cultural and religious norms, even though women may help in their transmission and perpetuation. Egalitarian and emancipatory interpretations by women and their advocates tend to be disregarded or suppressed. Human rights are closely linked to culture, and the expansion, full recognition and protection of rights would demand the transformation of cultural norms and their material foundations. Thus, compliance with international human rights would require a shift in cultural mores, as well as political commitment. The advocacy of human rights has to involve: Universalists usually attempt to advance their arguments against relativist claims by pointing out that several rights embodied in the Universal Declaration and other human rights instruments have existed and have been respected in the cultural and religious traditions of most societies. Although such assertions can be empirically supported, as already noted, the traditional cultural norms and practices also include numerous discriminatory stipulations. Thus, both aspects of cultures egalitarian-emancipatory and discriminatory-oppressive should be acknowledged, and all cultures analysed as to where and how they observe the principle of universality. Since human rights are about human dignity, the principle of universality means establishing the dignity of all and calls for equal treatment. Cultures therefore should be examined to identify their contradictions with regard to the principle of equality. Once revealed, the "egalitarian" aspects of cultures can be highlighted and linked to international human rights in terms of principles. Nations and other members of the international human rights community have to break away from the habits of tolerating cultural discrimination in the name of respect for differences, attributing violations solely to the culture, equating culture with religion and treating cultures as monolithic and static. While there has been considerable attention on interfaith and inter-communal conflicts and domination, e. Acknowledging the diversity within a culture and religious community by States parties and in international forums would provide support to the Page 6

7 alternative voices and help democratize the interpretation process. The relativist arguments and reservations placed on treaties can be countered by pointing out that international human rights norms demand such a change of customs and traditions, and what is presented as religious requirement is open to interpretation. It should be demanded of States parties that make such claims, not only to fully explain and specify their reservations, but also to stipulate a programme that would lead to their removal. The expert committee that oversees the implementation of CEDAW has already taken some action on these lines. In, it amended the guidelines for the preparation of reports to provide additional and specific guidelines for States parties that have entered substantial culture- and religion-based reservations. Jane Connors provides a summary: Such States are also required to indicate plans they might have to limit the effect of the reservations or withdraw them and, where possible, specify a timetable for withdrawing them. The Committee made particular reference to. Page 7

8 Chapter 3 : Commission on the Status of Women UN Women â Headquarters The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. A functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), it was established by Council resolution 11(II) of. Violating the rights of Palestinian women. Sudan â whose president has been indicted for genocide and crimes against humanity â is currently a CSW Vice-Chair. Where government forces routinely employ rape and other sexual violence and torture against women as a tactic of war. Where in the Assad regime starved, tortured and killed at least 24, civilians, and three million people â mostly women and children â are refugees. Where domestic violence is not prohibited. The legal age of marriage for girls is ten. And women are denied equal rights in marriage, inheritance and divorce. Where every woman who registered as a presidential candidate in the last election was disqualified. Women who fight back against rapists and kill their attackers are executed. The constitution bars female judges. And women must obtain the consent of their husbands to work outside the home. Not religious edicts and traditions. Not a culture of violence. Not an educational system steeped in rejection of peaceful coexistence and of tolerance. That fact comes from one of only nine official documents produced by the UN for the annual CSW meeting. Eight were procedural or general in nature, and one was entitled: There was no report on women in Somalia, where female genital mutilation is ubiquitous, sexual violence is rampant, and women are systematically subordinate to men. Condemnations of Israel will include a resolution demanding Israel immediately give back the Golan Heights to Syria â the place where Syrians run from their own government for life-saving Israeli medical care. Tallying all the resolutions and decisions condemning a specific state over the history of the Human Rights Council, one-third has been directed at Israel alone. In the past year, there have been at least 5, confirmed killed â with recent reports from Germany suggesting the total may be as high as 50, dead â in addition to a million people displaced. But the score is 67 Council resolutions and decisions attacking Israel and zero on Russia. So who is calling the shots at the Council? A closer look at its members reveals human rights luminaries like Qatar â that bankrolls the terrorist organization Hamas â along with China, Pakistan, Russia and Saudi Arabia. In the twisted language of UN rights, the means is the verbiage of equality, while the end game is prejudice. The Obama administration has an answer to this dilemma. Vote against the resolutions, while paying the fees to run the bodies that adopt them. Join and legitimize the institution, while consoling the delegitimized that it feels their pain. As Secretary Kerry told the Council on March 2, The Palestinians will continue to use the UN and the International Criminal Court to attempt to accomplish with lethal politics what they have never been able to do with lethal force. And President Obama will hold open the door. Page 8

9 Chapter 4 : Department on the Status of Women The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is the key international human rights document that seeks to ensure the enforcement of the human rights of women on an equal basis with men. Gender equality, besides being a fundamental human right, is essential to achieve peaceful societies, with full human potential and sustainable development. Moreover, it has been shown that empowering women spurs productivity and economic growth. Unfortunately, there is still a long way to go to achieve full equality of rights and opportunities between men and women, warns UN Women. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to end the multiple forms of gender violence and secure equal access to quality education and health, economic resources and participation in political life for both women and girls and men and boys. It is also essential to achieve equal opportunities in access to employment and to positions of leadership and decision-making at all levels. At the urging of the Conference, it subsequently declared the years as the UN Decade for Women, and established a Voluntary Fund for Decade. In its 30 articles, the Convention explicitly defines discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination. The Convention targets culture and tradition as influential forces shaping gender roles and family relations, and it is the first human rights treaty to affirm the reproductive rights of women. Equality, Development and Peace, was held in Nairobi. It was convened at a time when the movement for gender equality had finally gained true global recognition, and 15, representatives of non-governmental organizations NGOs participated in a parallel NGO Forum. Realizing that the goals of the Mexico City Conference had not been adequately met, the participating governments adopted the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies to the Year Commission on the Status of Women The Commission on the Status of Women CSW is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. While a record countries guaranteed equality between men and women in their Constitutions by, another 52 had not taken this step. Stark gender disparities remain in economic and political realms. While there has been some progress over the decades, on average women in the labour market still earn 24 per cent less than men globally. Eliminating Violence Against Women The UN system continues to give particular attention to the issue of violence against women. Violence against women is a pandemic affecting all countries, even those that have made laudable progress in other areas. It is a day, observed by many countries around the world, on which women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. Gender-inclusive language Given the key role that language plays in shaping cultural and social attitudes, using gender-inclusive language is a powerful way to promote gender equality and eradicate gender bias. Being inclusive from a gender language perspective means speaking and writing in a way that does not discriminate against a particular sex, social gender or gender identity, and does not perpetuate gender stereotypes. Chapter 5 : US: Ratify Womenâ s Rights Treaty Human Rights Watch Nevertheless, a few elite women, such as French playwright and essayist Olympe de Gouges () and English philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft (), raised their objections and defended women's rights by issuing The Declaration of the Rights of Woman () and A Vindication of the Rights of Women (), respectively. Chapter 6 : Gender Equality United Nations Within the UN's first year, the Economic and Social Council established its Commission on the Status of Women, as the principal global policy-making body dedicated exclusively to gender equality. Page 9

10 Chapter 7 : UN Women - Wikipedia Learn about the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW), a commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council and the principal global policy-making body dedicated to gender equality and the advancement of women. Chapter 8 : About UN Women UN Women â Asia-Pacific UNITED NATIONS â The UN Commission on the Status of Women approved a resolution Friday blaming Israel for "the grave situation of Palestinian women." Israel's UN Ambassador Ron Prosor. Chapter 9 : UN Women Afghanistan Country Office UN Women â Asia-Pacific Emily M. Murase, PhD. Welcome to the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women! In, San Francisco became the first city in the world to adopt a local ordinance reflecting the principles of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Page 10