Soroptimists Participate in CEDAW Country Review

PAPUA NEW GUINEA
SOROPTIMISTS PARTICIPATE IN CEDAW


The 46th session of the CEDAW committee ( Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women) was held at the UN/New York, July 6 – August 6, 2010. The CEDAW committee of 23 experts examined eight state parties: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Fiji, India, Papua New Guinea, the Russian Federation and Turkey during the session. The state governments prepared a full report on the status of women and girls in their country. The Committee of experts currently includes a Soroptimist from Jamaica, Dr. Barbara Evelyn Bailey, an international expert on gender and development studies at the University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica.

The CEDAW experts examine state parties, using the articles of the Convention, the Optional Protocol and recommendations (see www. CEDAW convention) at the end of this session CEDAW will add a new recommendation on older women at the end of this session. Each state government submits a report providing information on the status of women and girls according to articles of the convention as well as responding to issues raised in the state’s prior report.

NGOs of that country are encouraged to provide alternative reports to the CEDAW experts to have the complete information on the status of women and girls in each country,. The NGO reports may be sent to CEDAW in writing or provided orally and individuals may present violations of human rights directly to the committee. The CEDAW committee encourages NGOs, UN agencies, and other entities in civil society to facilitate participation and attendance of NGO representatives at the sessions.


The state party of Papua New Guinea was headed by Dame Carol Kidu, Minister for Community Development, who also is a Soroptimist. Two other Soroptimists were responsible for speaking and preparing the alternative NGO report on the status of women in Papua, headed by the National Council of Women. They were Soroptimist Judy Muliap and a soon-to-be SI member, Theresa Jaintong. Other members of the NGO team were Dr. Ovoru Sepoe, Tapora O and Serah Garap all of Papua New Guinea. The NGO report was well received and experts met with the NGO representatives both as a group and as individuals to ask questions, get more information and in general, to corroborate or dispute the state’s report. The thorough work of the NGO group illustrates how the CEDAW process works for the greater benefit of women and girls.

The 47th Session of CEDAW will be in Geneva in October 4 – 22, 2010 and the Bahamas, Burkina Faso, Chad, Czech Republic, Malta, Tunisia and Uganda will be the state parties examined.

The 48th Session of CEDAW will be in Geneva, January 17 – February 4 when Algeria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Israel, Kenya, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka and South Africa state parties will be examined.

State government and NGO reports, names of experts and states to be examined in the upcoming sessions are available with the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights: www. OHCHR.



Submitted by Lois Beilin