UK government’s releases progress report on its international women’s rights obligations under CEDAW

The UK government has just released its eighth periodic CEDAW report setting out an assessment of progress against its commitments in the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The convention was adopted in 1979 by the UN general Assembly and is often described as an international bill of rights.

The report, which will be considered by the UN’s CEDAW Committee of international women’s rights experts in February 2019 (tbc), is largely a response to the Concluding Observations and Recommendations made by the Committee following its consideration of the government’s last report: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CEDAW%2fC%2fGBR%2fCO%2f7&Lang=en

Over the next six months or so, there will be an important opportunity for civil society organisations all over the UK to ensure the government is held to account by producing its own ‘shadow’ report. WEN will be organising an online consultation and a number of face to face trainings and consultations in early 2018 to give its members the chance to have their say on what progress they feel has been made and where there are still challenges. The outcomes of these consultations will inform the content of our shadow report for Wales, which will be produced in partnership with the Wales Assembly of Women.

We would love as many of you as possible to participate and will be in touch again very soon with further details of how you can get involved. For more info about CEDAW visit our webpage: https://wenwales.wpengine.com/resources-2/cedaw/