Report on women abuse

ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Women Development (MOWD) is working to finalise the report on Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Project Director, CEDAW, Mazhar Hashmi told this news agency on Wednesday that a working group constituted on the directives of NA Standing Committee on Women Development has been working to finalise CEDAW report.

The working group, under the leadership of Chairperson National Commission on Status of Women (NCSW) Anees Haroon would finalise the pending report on CEDAW within the time period of two to three months, he said.

Three meetings of the working group has been held so far to discuss the draft of the report in detail. The representatives of civil society organisations and government officials are part of this working group, he informed.

The civil society organizations including Shirkat Gah, Aurat Foundation and Asr are the Member of the working group. The ministry would take step to strengthen the mechanism for implementation of CEDAW, he said.

Mazhar Hashmi said the Standing Committee also asked the ministry to inform it of the support it needs to prepare the pending report on CEDAW.

Pakistan acceded to CEDAW in February 1996 that was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 18, 1979. By acceding to it, Pakistan became a state party to the convention and had to submit periodic reports every four years about steps taken to eliminate discrimination against women.

The country submitted its first report on the prevailing condition of women to the UN in March 2005. The working group is getting assistance from National Commission on the Status of Women and members of women rights organizations which are focusing on CEDAW to finalise the report.
Source: The Nation
Date:7/30/2009