GENEVA (27 October 2016)  – Argentina’s record on women’s rights will be examined by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on 1 November. Argentina has ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and so is reviewed regularly by the Committee on how it is implementing the Convention. 

Among the possible issues for discussion between CEDAW and a delegation from the Argentine Government are: 
·    Measures to increase women’s access to justice and awareness of their rights;
·    Eradication of multiple forms of discrimination against women, including against indigenous, and Afro-descendent women, LBTI, women with disabilities and rural women;
·    Measures to combat cultural stereotypes against women including in the media;
·    Combatting human trafficking, provision of welfare services to victims;
·    Increasing access for indigenous and Afro-descendent women to education,  and sexual and reproductive health
·    Measures to prevent early pregnancies, ensure access to safe abortion and tackle maternal mortality;
·    Steps taken to prevent all forms of gender-based violence against women, including sexual violence against women and girls, and femicides.

The review will take place in Room XVI at Palais des Nations in Geneva from 10:00 – 13:00 (5:00 –8:00 in Buenos Aires) and 15:00 - 17:00 (10:00 – 12:00) and will be webcast at http://webtv.un.org/.

The Committee will also hear from NGO representatives. More information about the review, including Argentina’s written report, here:
http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1027&Lang=en

The Committee’s findings, officially known as concluding observations, on Argentina and the other countries being reviewed – Canada, Burundi, Bhutan, Belarus, Switzerland, Honduras, Armenia, Bangladesh, Estonia, and Netherlands– will be published on 21 November here:
http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1027&Lang=en

ENDS

For more information please contact Jakob Schneider at  jschneider@ohchr.org 
Media requests: Liz Throssell +41 (0) 22 917 9466 ethrossell@ohchr.org

Media accreditation for the Palais des Nations:   http://unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpPages)/70991F6887C73B2280256EE700379C58?OpenDocument

Background

CEDAW is composed of 23 independent human rights experts drawn from around the world. They serve in their personal capacity and not as representatives of States parties. The Committee’s concluding observations are an independent assessment of States’ compliance with their human rights obligations under the treaty. More information:
http://www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/cedaw/pages/cedawindex.aspx

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