The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women turns 30
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To mark the 30th anniversary of the creation of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, UN Women and OHCHR will host an event to celebrate its work. The event will highlight the Committee's work on the protection and promotion of women's human rights under the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and will include a special focus on women's political participation and leadership.
Mr. Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations will open the event, followed by a statement delivered by Ms. Michelle Bachelet, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women. Further statements will be delivered by Ms. Eleonora Menicucci de Oliveira, Brazil's Minister of Policies for Women and Ms. Shanti Dairiam, founder of the International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW-AP).
The Committee has selected women's political participation and leadership as the theme for an interactive dialogue during the event. It will focus on what has been achieved, how it has been achieved and what challenges remain. In the course of its work over the last 30 years, the Committee has repeatedly called on States parties to grant women the opportunity to participate fully in the political lives of their countries and to ensure that they have the equal right to stand for elections and to contribute to the formulation of government policy. The Committee emphasizes that women's equal, meaningful and effective political participation and leadership are fundamental prerequisites for democracy, lasting peace and gender equality.
The interactive discussion, moderated by Mr. Ivan Šimonovic, Assistant Secretary-General, New York Office of the OHCHR, will be made up of five panelists from different regions who will be talking about the successes and challenges in advancing women's political participation and leadership.
The event is open to the members of the public with UN accreditation.
For more information on the event click here.
To view CEDAW's 30th anniversary event programme click here.