Background

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Mr Vitit Muntarbhorn, is preparing his next report to the Fifty-seventh session of the Human Rights Council scheduled in September/October 2024.

Objectives

In his upcoming report, the Special Rapporteur intends to focus on the electoral process and the situation of women, particularly their participation in the political and decision-making positions/processes since 1990 and the steps required to further advance women’s rights in the country.

Key questions and types of input/comments sought

In preparation for the report, the Special Rapporteur invites all interested individuals and organizations, including civil society organizations, women’s rights activists, journalists, academics, United Nations agencies and other stakeholders, to provide inputs on:

• Information on women’s rights and their development in a historical perspective, especially in regard to women’s participation in politics and decision-making positions/processes;
• Women’s participation in political parties and related activities;
• Women’s participation in politics and decision-making positions/processes at regional, commune, town and local levels;
• Women’s participation in politics and decision-making positions/processes at the Ministerial, National Assembly and Senate levels;
• Women’s participation in the judiciary and as law enforcers;
• Women’s participation in activities to promote and protect human rights;
• Women’s participation, in labour force, entrepreneurship and business leadership;
• Measures undertaken to increase the participation by women and women’s organizations in the design of laws, policies and implementation practices, aimed at promoting their participation in politics and at ending discrimination and violence against women and girls;
• Data including disaggregated data and trend, analysis, and examples of good practices that have been adopted by State and non-State actors to promote women’s participation in politics, and identification of key challenges;
• What are the main obstacles that hamper women’s participation in public and political life and what measures/good practices are in place to tackle such obstacles;
• Recommendations as to how women’s participation in politics, related decision-making positions/processes, in the judiciary, as law enforcers and as promoters and protectors of human rights, can be enhanced, especially to ensure more space for women’s rights and to counter the violence and discrimination against women and girls.