LAHORE: The Aurat Foundation organised a one-day provincial consultation on a shadow report of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) on Saturday.

Participants included stakeholders, women rights activists and working women groups from across the city. An international human rights treaty, CEDAW is meant to eliminate discrimination against women that results in gender inequalities. State obligations imposed by CEDAW are primarily obligations to guarantee equality and freedom from discrimination against women in all walks of life.

The UN General Assembly adopted the CEDAW Convention on December 19, 1979. Pakistan ratified the convention in 1996 with a declaration that accession to the convention was subject to the provision of the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan also notified its reservations to Article 29 of the convention. Currently, the government is preparing its report on CEDAW and Saturday’s consultation was aimed at giving women rights activists’ suggestions in this regard. The stakeholders decided to meet again next month.
Source: Daily Times
Date:12/20/2009