CEDAW

April 2011 - NGO Consultation: Module Four

Submissions close Friday 20 June 2011

The National Council of Women of New Zealand invites you to respond to the issues and questions outlined in this discussion document.

New Zealand ratified the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in January 1985.  Every four years the New Zealand Government reports to the CEDAW Monitoring Committee and at the same time, NGOs are also encouraged to write the Alternate Report. This reporting process provides a way for New Zealand women to tell the government and the international community if and how they are discriminated against.  The 2010 - 2011 Report will be presented in 2012.

Contributing to the consultations on CEDAW is your opportunity as a group representative, or an individual woman, to oppose the gender-based barriers women and girls face in this country.  This work helps to keep the New Zealand Government honest. But more than that, your participation can reach beyond these shores by influencing the UN Monitoring Committee on how it critiques the performance of other countries.

The National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ) is facilitating the nationwide consultation process to produce the Alternate NGO CEDAW Report 2010 - 2011. To find out more about attending a Consultation Meeting and taking part in a group response please contact ncwnz@ihug.co.nz or go to http://ncwnz.org.nz/cedaw-2010-get-involved/.

Submissions can be written from the perspective of the individual or groups. We encourage you to complete a census form which should accompany your submission.  Before you send in any response please fill out the appropriate census form (if you are responding on behalf of an organisation please only use the 'organisation' census form). Only one form needs to be filled out if you are part of an organisation.   If you cannot attend a meeting please respond on an individual basis. 

The deadline for submission for this module is Friday 20 June 2011. There will be no extensions offered.  

Responses should be emailed in either Microsoft Word format or Adobe PDF to ncwnz@ncwnz.org.nz or mailed to The National Council of Women of New Zealand, PO Box 25 498, Wellington 6146.