Uganda should pass women rights bills
Mar 30, 2009
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the 10th anniversary of the adoption of its Optional Protocol.
By Birgit Gerstenber
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the 10th anniversary of the adoption of its Optional Protocol.
The coinciding of these important anniversaries as the first decade of the 21st Century comes to a close, calls for a reflection on past achievements as well as shortcomings with a view of enhancing the status and equal rights of women throughout the world.
Thirty years after the adoption of CEDAW by the general assembly in 1979, 185 states have become parties to the Convention and as such, committed themselves to “take in all fields, in particular the political, social, economic and cultural, to ensure the full development and advancement of womenâ€.
However, still, available statistics cast a serious shadow on the effective translation of these undertakings into practical realities for women in the world: 70% of people living in extreme poverty are women; While women perform more than 60% of the world’s labour, they only receive 10% of its income.
Women produce half of the world’s food, but own only 1% of its farmland. Of the 870 million adults world-wide who cannot read or write, two-thirds are women; and girls make up 60% of the 77 million children not attending primary school.
These realities are a stark reminder that efforts to give effect to corresponding and other provisions of CEDAW through national legislation, policies and programmes must continue unabated:
lThe elimination of discrimination against women in the field of employment to ensure equality with men. (article 11)
lThe elimination of discrimination against women in the field of education, including reduction of female student drop-out rates and the organisation of programmes for girls and women who have left school prematurely (article 10);
lThe elimination of discrimination against women in rural areas to ensure that they participate in and benefit from rural development, including the right to equal treatment in land and agrarian reform as well as in land resettlement schemes (article 14).
Of overarching importance with a view to ensure the implementation of such undertakings, is to establish legal protection of the rights of women on an equal basis with men and to ensure, through the national judicial system and other public institutions, the effective protection of women against any act of discrimination. With respect to the specific context of Uganda, it is in this regard of crucial importance that Uganda adopts the pending bills that aim at the protection and promotion of human rights of women. Particularly the Domestic Relations Bill, the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Bills and Uganda should take additional measures to ensure that national legislation is in conformity with obligations under CEDAW, ratified in 1985.
Ten years after the adoption of the Optional Protocol to CEDAW, 96 states have accepted the competence of the UN Committee on the elimination of discrimination against Women to:
lReceive communication from individuals or groups of individuals submitting claims of violations of rights protected under CEDAW.
lInitiate inquiries into situations of grave or systematic violations of women’s rights. These provide additional protection mechanisms to women in States who have ratified the Optional Protocol to claim and enjoy human rights on an equal basis.
The writer is the country representative of UN-OHCHR Uganda
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the 10th anniversary of the adoption of its Optional Protocol.
The coinciding of these important anniversaries as the first decade of the 21st Century comes to a close, calls for a reflection on past achievements as well as shortcomings with a view of enhancing the status and equal rights of women throughout the world.
Thirty years after the adoption of CEDAW by the general assembly in 1979, 185 states have become parties to the Convention and as such, committed themselves to “take in all fields, in particular the political, social, economic and cultural, to ensure the full development and advancement of womenâ€.
However, still, available statistics cast a serious shadow on the effective translation of these undertakings into practical realities for women in the world: 70% of people living in extreme poverty are women; While women perform more than 60% of the world’s labour, they only receive 10% of its income.
Women produce half of the world’s food, but own only 1% of its farmland. Of the 870 million adults world-wide who cannot read or write, two-thirds are women; and girls make up 60% of the 77 million children not attending primary school.
These realities are a stark reminder that efforts to give effect to corresponding and other provisions of CEDAW through national legislation, policies and programmes must continue unabated:
lThe elimination of discrimination against women in the field of employment to ensure equality with men. (article 11)
lThe elimination of discrimination against women in the field of education, including reduction of female student drop-out rates and the organisation of programmes for girls and women who have left school prematurely (article 10);
lThe elimination of discrimination against women in rural areas to ensure that they participate in and benefit from rural development, including the right to equal treatment in land and agrarian reform as well as in land resettlement schemes (article 14).
Of overarching importance with a view to ensure the implementation of such undertakings, is to establish legal protection of the rights of women on an equal basis with men and to ensure, through the national judicial system and other public institutions, the effective protection of women against any act of discrimination. With respect to the specific context of Uganda, it is in this regard of crucial importance that Uganda adopts the pending bills that aim at the protection and promotion of human rights of women. Particularly the Domestic Relations Bill, the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Bills and Uganda should take additional measures to ensure that national legislation is in conformity with obligations under CEDAW, ratified in 1985.
Ten years after the adoption of the Optional Protocol to CEDAW, 96 states have accepted the competence of the UN Committee on the elimination of discrimination against Women to:
lReceive communication from individuals or groups of individuals submitting claims of violations of rights protected under CEDAW.
lInitiate inquiries into situations of grave or systematic violations of women’s rights. These provide additional protection mechanisms to women in States who have ratified the Optional Protocol to claim and enjoy human rights on an equal basis.
The writer is the country representative of UN-OHCHR Uganda