UN CEDAW parallel reporting

In 2009 and 2010, YWCA Australia coordinated comment to the UN about Australia's performance in tackling discrimination against women.

CEDAW is the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

CEDAW requires participating countries, including Australia, to put in place legal, policy and financial measures to protect women from discrimination and to uphold their rights. Participating countries must also report to the UN CEDAW Committee about their actions.

Australian CEDAW NGO Report 2009

In 2008-2009, YWCA Australia coordinated the CEDAW NGO Parallel Report for 2009 on behalf of a range of women's and human rights NGOs with funding from the Australian Government Office for Women.

As well as helping to prepare the report, YWCA Australia also endorsed it.

This report was submitted to the United Nations (UN) in July 2009.

» Download the Australian CEDAW NGO Report

» Read the Addendum to the Australian CEDAW NGO Report (June 2010)

» Read the Update to the Australian CEDAW NGO Report  (June 2010)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's s NGO CEDAW Report 2009

A separate parallel report was prepared on the state of human rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in Australia.

» Download the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's NGO CEDAW Report 2009

» Read the Update to the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's CEDAW NGO Report (June 2010)

Australias's CEDAW Review in July 2010

Australia appeared before the UN CEDAW Committee on 20 July 2010 in New York.

A delegation of seven Australian women also went to New York to present the findings of the parallel NGO reporting process to the UN CEDAW Committee. 

»  Read a media release about the NGO delegation

YWCA Australia, Women’s Legal Services NSW & Kingsford Legal Centre, in consultation with the CEDAW Review Project’s Advisory Group and the CEDAW Review Project’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Advisory Group, prepared lobbying materials for the NGO delegation.  

» Read the Australian NGO Issues Sheets

» Read the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's NGO Issues Sheets

» Read the CEDAW NGO Recommendations for Concluding Observations

CEDAW Committee's Concluding Observations

On 17 August, 2010 the CEDAW Committee released its Concluding Observations, which outline the Committee’s areas of concern and recommendations.

The delegation and project team are currently examining the Concluding Observations and more information will soon be available here.

Read the CEDAW Committee’s Concluding Observations

For more information please contact CEDAW@ywca.org.au

Seeking a women-friendly Australian Human Rights Act

WomenSpeak submission to the National Human Rights Consultation on a Human Rights Act for Australia (June 2009)

Australia does not currently have a Human Rights Act.  

A recent national consultation asked for views from across Australia about the protection and promotion of human rights.

YWCA contributed to the development of and endorsed the WomenSpeak submission to the consultation, which called for a women-friendly Australian Human Rights Act.

» Read the WomenSpeak submission

Fixing Australia's sex discrimination laws

Submission to Inquiry into the effectiveness of the Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act 1984 in eliminating discrimination and promoting gender (2008)

Australian laws ensuring women's equality have a long way to go.

A recent review of the national Sex Discrimination Act gave us an opportunity to give our views about changes needed to the Act.

Collaborative submission

YWCA Australia facilitated a group of leading women's organisations and equality experts to prepare a submission on changes to the national Sex Discrimination Act.  YWCA Australia contributed to and endorsed this submission.

» Read the collaborative submission

Individual submission

YWCA Australia also submitted an individual submission to the Inquiry.

» Read our individual submission

Advocacy on the Commission on Status of Women

In 2009, YWCA Australia advocated for women and girls, their families and communities at the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

The UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) takes place in March each year at the UN's headquarters in New York.

Set up in 1946, the CSW is the highest policy making body on women at the UN.  The CSW is also the largest meeting for women at the UN, with over 5000 participants.

The CSW meets annually to discuss critical and emerging issues concerning women globally. CSW works to achieve equal rights for women and men by developing policy recommendations for the international community.

CSW also prepares resolutions on promoting women’s rights in political, economic, social, civil and educational fields, for consideration by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

The Commission provides a unique opportunity for YWCAs to influence the global agenda on women's empowerment and gender equality. By meeting and interacting with government representatives, YWCAs can monitor commitments made by their governments and hold them accountable for their actions through diplomacy.

CSW 2009 Australian Government delegation

Caroline Lambert, YWCA Australia's Executive Director, represented Australian NGOs on the Australian Government delegation to the CSW in March 2009.

This was the first time that the Australian Government had funded an expert from the community sector to participate on the Australian delegation. The Government also funded an Aboriginal woman to participate on the Australian delegation for the first time.

Other Reports to the United Nations

In 2009, YWCA Australia participated in the preparation of NGO Reports on Australia’s implementation of the ICCPR and the ICESCR.

YWCA Australia prepared the sections on non-discrimination and endorsed the reports.

NGO Submission to the Human Rights Committee: Australia's compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (2008)

» Read the report

NGO Submission to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (2008)

» Read the report

Protection of women and children in Gaza

Letter to Minister for Foreign Affairs about the protection of women and children in Gaza (4 February 2009)

In February 2009, YWCA Australia, on behalf of the World YWCA, wrote to the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs about the protection of women and children in Gaza following attacks by Israel.

We urged the Australian Government to do everything in its power to help ensure the protection of women and children in the region.

» Read our letter