The United Nations Working Group on Discrimination against women and girls (WGDAWG) will undertake an official country visit to Romania from 24 February to 6 March 2020.

The WGDAWG addresses discrimination against women and girls broadly, focusing on both laws and practices, looking at challenges as well as best practices.

In this context, the WGDAWG is looking for information on the following topics related to its mandate amongst others:

a) public and political life: women’s participation in all spheres at all levels; women human rights defenders; girls’ participation and youth activism

b) economic and social life, including corporate responsibility: women and employment, women and girls living in poverty and rural areas, economic leadership, education attainment, sexuality education and education on gender equality, property rights

c) family and cultural life: role of women and men, boys and girls; women in the media; family law; gender stereotypes (including compound stereotypes against certain groups of women, such as Roma); freedom of culture and religion

d) health and safety: sexual and reproductive health and rights; safety of women and girls in confined spaces (e.g. detention facilities, institutional care) or public spaces (e.g. transports, workplace) teenage pregnancy; women and girls in prostitution/sex workers; women and girls with disabilities and those living with HIV/AIDS

e) Violence against women and girls, as a cross-cutting issue: statistical data; legal framework on gender-based violence; access to justice, reparations, services for victims, including victims of trafficking.

• Laws, policies, programmes or practices in relation to the various aspects of women and girls’ life:
• Data on gender-based discrimination against women and girls, including intersectional forms of discrimination against different groups;
• Data on access to justice and the obstacles to access (treatment of complaints, judicial bias, availability of disaggregated data…)
• Key issues and challenges faced in the implementation of the international and regional legal framework on discrimination against women and girls (e.g. what are the main/most pressing legal and policy gaps in combating discrimination?) as well as good practices and achievements
• Recent analytical reports or surveys on discrimination against women and girls in Romania;
• Any other relevant information related to Romania’s fulfilment of its human rights obligations to eliminate discrimination against women and girls (laws, practices, policies to fight against discrimination or lack of these);
• Any other pertinent information that you consider to be relevant for the visit of the Working Group.

Throughout the visit, the WGDAWG will pay particular attention to women and girls who encounter multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, including Roma, LBTI, migrants and refugees, women and girls with disabilities, in detention and those living in remote or rural communities. Submissions on the situation of particular groups of women and girls are welcomed.

During the visit, the WGDAWG will hold thematic meetings with women and girls, independent institutions working on human rights, and other advocates, including academics working on discrimination against women and girls. Please send your expression of interest to participate in these meetings to wgdiscriminationwomen@ohchr.org.