The UK Government submitted its report to the CEDAW Committee in June 2011. Read the report here. It is likely that the UK Government will be examined by the CEDAW Committee in the first quarter of 2013.

The Government at Westminster has overall responsibility for the implementation of the CEDAW standards throughout the UK.  However, the Northern Ireland Executive has responsibility locally for most of the social policy and economic issues that the CEDAW Convention is concerned with.

The UK Government was last examined by the CEDAW Committee in July 2008.  NIWEP played a key role in coordinating consultations with women’s groups and other relevant bodies, collecting evidence and compiling a Shadow Report.  NIWEP’s 2008 Shadow Report and other information on our participation in the examination of the UK Government is available here.

The CEDAW Committee’s 2008 Concluding Observations showed that the Committee had taken account of submissions by NIWEP and other Northern Ireland organizations and a number of strong recommendations were made with regard to Northern Ireland. You can read the Concluding Observations here.

Since 2008 we have continued to increase awareness of the CEDAW Convention and lobby for the applications of the standards set out in the Convention. We have also been monitoring the progress of Government, especially with regard to the Concluding Observations.

We are now in the process of consulting about the content of the next Shadow Report. In addition to the face to face consultations we are holding we have devised a template for feedback to us. The template covers each article of the CEDAW Convention. You can submit evidence on all or some of the articles. Where possible please provide evidence to support your comments (including reference to evaluations, statistics, research, consultations). In addition to your views on what progress has been made by the Northern Ireland Executive and the UK Government in relation to the Committee’s concluding observations, we would also welcome your views on other issues which you feel the Committee should be made aware of.

Download the template for gathering information and return to us at niwep@btconnect.com

Timeline for gathering information

• Deadline for information and evidence to NIWEP May 2012
• Deadline for submission of Shadow report to CEDAW Committee October 2012

Further Information

• Oral statement to CEDAW (2008)

Older Women – 12 Critical Areas

view manifesto (large file – may take a while to open)

A report on NIWEP’s public participation activities under the European Commission’s Plan D for Democracy, Dialogue and Debate 2007 – 2008

The UKJCW was set up to co-ordinate a UK view with respect to the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) (Link) and to provide forums for discussion for and information to women and women’s organisations.

The principles of the UKJCW

• eliminating discrimination against women
• advancing equal rights for women
• securing equal opportunities for women

The UK Joint Committee on Women

cedaw-8-may-2008-summary

cedaw-9-may-2008-report

The UKJCW was set up to co-ordinate a UK view with respect to the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) and to provide forums for discussion for and information to women and women’s organisations.

The principles of the UKJCW

• eliminating discrimination against women
• advancing equal rights for women
• securing equal opportunities for women

The UK Joint Committee on Women