During the 1st semester, ‘Global Feminist Voices’, consisting of feminists and prospective human rights professionals of the European Master’s Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation (EMA), organised weekly events including dinners and a poetry night to discuss gendered issues. Soon, the question arose: how could the collective put its values into practice? In response, they organised events for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, including a protest in Venice, an in-class presentation, and a webinar with a GREVIO expert (the Group of Experts on Action Against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence). These efforts also led to a field trip to observe the 92nd session of the CEDAW Committee in Geneva.
What is CEDAW and why is it important?
CEDAW stands for the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and has been ratified by 189 states. Its implementation is monitored by the UN CEDAW Committee, which consists of 23 independent experts. States submit periodic reports and are subsequently invited to engage in constructive dialogue with the Committee in Geneva. This dialogue is significant, as it enables states to clarify their implementation of the Convention, while experts can ask questions and request further information. NGOs play an essential role by providing experts with their perspective on the domestic human rights situation. The output of this process is the concluding observations, which identify positive aspects and areas where the state can improve its implementation.
Participating in the 92nd CEDAW session
The collective arrived in Geneva with 16 feminists. After studying the United Nations and CEDAW in theory in Venice, it was special to observe the process firsthand. The opening session addressed the UN’s liquidity crisis, and national NGOs presented findings. On Tuesday, the group attended Vietnam’s session and noted that Committee members could be strict; some directly told the state delegation that their answers were insufficient. On Wednesday, the focus was on Iraq. Experts called on the state to withdraw its reservations to the Convention. Notably, the chair raised concerns about Iraqi educational materials describing CEDAW as a tool to disintegrate the family.
Overall, experiencing the session and engaging with NGOs, experts, state representatives and UN staff was very valuable. Despite the UN’s shortcomings, it is remarkable that state delegations and NGOs from around the world travel to Geneva to discuss the effective implementation of women’s rights. The Committee’s concluding observations are available online.
During their second semester at different universities, students are keeping Global Feminist Voices active through online meetings and plan to involve alumni and new students. Stay tuned!
Acknowledgements
Vasthi Rebong (International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific) proposed the field trip and, together with Mirthe den Held, initiated the feminist group. Aleksandra Banak led the practical organisation of the field trip. The blog post was written by Mirthe den Held.