On Thursday 6th October, YWCA Ireland participated in a National Women’s Council of Ireland seminar on Women’s Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Adopted by the United Nations in 1979, CEDAW is often referred to as the international bill of rights for women and is now the most authoritative UN human rights instrument that protects women from discrimination. It is the first international treaty to comprehensively address fundamental rights for women in politics, health care, education, economics, employment, law, property, marriage and family relations. Member States that ratify CEDAW are required to report to the CEDAW Committee every four years on progress made in the implementation of CEDAW at the national level.
According to Orla O’Connor, Director of NWCI,
“In 2017, Ireland will be examined under CEDAW for the first time in over ten years. This is an important moment for women’s rights in Ireland, as CEDAW is a critical tool in advancing women’s rights, and also a framework by which Ireland can take responsibility for confronting and eliminating barriers to women’s equality.”
YWCA Ireland can help monitor the implementation of CEDAW in Ireland, advocate for changes to improve the implementation of the Convention and work in partnership with other organisations to hold the Irish government accountable through the reporting process. Perhaps most fundamentally, YWCA Ireland can ensure that young women are present and their voices are heard in all dialogue concerning women’s rights.