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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.
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