UN Committee to review Myanmar’s record on women’s rights

GENEVA (30 June 2016)  – Myanmar’s record on women’s rights will be examined by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on 7 July. Myanmar 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 Myanmar Government are: 

• Legal aid for women victims of discrimination;
• Scope and objective of national strategic plan for advancement of women;
• Continuing threats against women human rights defenders;
• Steps to eliminate discriminatory cultural practices and stereotypes;  Steps to review 1982 citizenship law;
• Protection of sexual and reproductive health and rights of women;
• Legislation to protect HIV-positive women from discrimination;
• Investigations of alleged violence by security forces against Muslim women in Rakhine State after 2012;
• Economic empowerment of rural women and female headed households.

The review will take place in Room XVIII at Palais des Nations in Geneva from 10:00 – 13:00 (14:30 – 18:30 in Myanmar) and 15:00 - 17:00 (19:30 – 22:00).

The Committee will also hear from NGO representatives. More information about the review, including Myanmar’s written report, here:
http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1019&Lang=en

The Committee’s findings, officially known as concluding observations, on Myanmar and the other countries being reviewed – the Philippines, France, Albania, Turkey, Uruguay, Mali, and Trinidad and Tobago – will be published on 25 July here:
http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1019&Lang=en

ENDS

Media requests: Liz Throssell +41 (0) 22 917 9466/ +41 79 752 0488 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

For your news websites and social media: Multimedia content & key messages relating to our news releases are available on UN Human Rights social media channels, listed below. Please tag us using the proper handles:
Twitter: @UNHumanRights
Facebook: unitednationshumanrights
Instagram: unitednationshumanrights
Google+: unitednationshumanrights
Youtube: unohchr